WASHINGTON — A research team from the Washington State University’s college of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences has identified a DNA region known as VNTR2-1 that appears to drive the activity of the telomerase gene, which has been shown to prevent aging in certain types of cells. “Almost 50 percent of our genome consists of repetitive DNA that does not code for protein,” the lead author of the study Jiyue Zhu said. “These DNA sequences tend to be considered as ‘junk DNA’ or dark matters in our genome, and they are difficult to study. Our study describes that one of those units actually…
Author: zenger.news
LONDON — A United Kingdom court declared fugitive Indian businessman Vijay Mallya as bankrupt on July 26 and allowed Indian banks to pursue his assets worldwide. Liquor baron Mallya is under investigation by multiple agencies and faces charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy, and diversion of loan funds. The Companies and Insolvency Court of the United Kingdom passed the ruling, according to a statement of the UK High Court press office. Mallya, the owner of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, owes more than INR 9,000 crore ($1.2 billion) to a consortium of banks in principle and interest. The petitioners were a State Bank of India-led…
NEW DELHI — The Indian government has no official estimate of black money stashed in the Swiss Bank for the last 10 years, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on July 26. Chaudhary said more than 107 prosecution complaints had been filed under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, in the past five years. “As a result of systematic actions, as on May 31, assessment orders under section 10(3)/10(4) of the Black Money Act, 2015, have been passed in 166 cases, wherein demand of INR 8,216 crores ($1.103 billion) has been…
NEW DELHI — Chinese weightlifter Zhihui Hou who bagged gold at the Tokyo Olympics on July 24, will be tested by anti-doping authorities, and India’s Mirabai Chanu will be awarded gold if Hou fails the test. “She has been asked to stay in Tokyo and the test will be done. The test is definitely happening,” a media report citing sources said. China’s Zhihui Hou bagged gold on July 24 with a total of 210 kilograms (462.971 pounds) and created a new Olympic Record. Mirabai Chanu opened India’s medals tally as she bagged a silver in the Women’s 49 kilograms (108.027 pounds) category…
ADELAIDE, Australia — It’s a favorite first-order for the day, but while a quick coffee may perk us up, new research from the University of South Australia shows that too much could be dragging us down, especially when it comes to brain health. In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found that high coffee consumption is associated with smaller total brain volumes and an increased risk of dementia. The findings of the study titled “High coffee consumption, brain volume, and risk of dementia and stroke” were published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience. Conducted at the University of South Australia’s Australian Centre…
WASHINGTON — The findings of a new study suggest that remotely supervised workout sessions are more effective than face-to-face exercise classes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study titled “Can remotely supervised exercise positively affect self-reported depressive symptoms and physical activity levels during social distancing?” appeared in the journal “Psychiatry Research.” Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, South America, investigated the effects of regular exercise on the physical and mental health of 344 volunteers during the pandemic. The study compared the effectiveness of three techniques: sessions led in person by a fitness instructor, sessions featuring an online instructor but no…
WASHINGTON — A new study found that maintaining an active lifestyle can reduce the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The findings of the study appeared in the “European Respiratory Journal.” The new study titled “Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and incidence of obstructive sleep apnea in three prospective US cohorts,” led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, examined the relationship between active lifestyles and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The study followed around 130,000 men and women in the United States over a follow-up period of 10-to-18 years and found that higher levels of physical activity and lower levels of sedentary…
MUMBAI, India — Bollywood actress Shamita Shetty has come forward supporting her sister Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The much-awaited sequel of the last movie, “Hungama 2,” was released on the streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar on July 23, 2021, amid her husband Raj Kundra’s arrest in a porn films case. Shetty took to her Instagram handle and shared the poster of her sister’s movie “Hungama 2” and urged her fans and followers to watch it. Sharing the poster, she penned a heartfelt note for Kundra and assured her that “this too shall pass.” “All d best my darling Munki for the release of ur film…
MELBOURNE, Australia — Two “rogue” door-to-door sales agents used phony accents and fake names to switch hundreds of Australian customers to new energy contracts without their consent. Victorian-based Simply Energy, which makes up 12 percent of sales in the Australian power market, has paid out AU$2.5 million ($1.84 million) in fines after the external agents allegedly impersonated customers consenting to the switches in phone calls. The state’s Essential Services Commission said the agents transferred 525 gas and electricity accounts at 264 properties without obtaining their consent from July 2019 to April 2020. Commission chair Kate Symons said many customers did not realize until after the switch had…
Danny Weissberg’s grandmother struggled to communicate after suffering a stroke. While visitors had difficulty understanding her impaired speech, her full-time caregiver gradually learned to understand it. A veteran software developer in high-tech companies, including Radvision and HP, Weissberg spotted the potential of early machine-learning technology to mimic what the caregiver had done naturally. He founded Voiceitt to harness that technology. The Ramat Gan, Israel-based company’s new app empowers individuals with nonstandard speech to communicate with others and control smart-home devices using their own voice. “About nine years ago, I saw a strong trend for human-machine interface. It was clear to…