Distinct patterns of activity -- which may indicate a predisposition to care for infants-- appear in the brains of adults who view an image of an infant face -- even when the child is not theirs, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and in Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Seeing images of infant faces appeared to activate in the adult's brains circuits that reflect preparation for movement and speech as well as feelings of reward. The findings raise the possibility that studying this activity will yield insights into care giving behavior, but also in cases of child neglect or abuse. "These adults have no children of their own. Yet images of a baby's face triggered what we think might be a deeply embedded response to reach out and care for that child," said senior author Marc H. Bornstein, Ph.D., head of the Child and Family Research Section of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the NIH institute that collaborated on the study.

Cell Phone Use in Pregnancy May Cause Behavioral Disorders in Offspring, Mouse Study Suggests

Exposure to radiation from cell phones during pregnancy affects the brain development of offspring, potentially leading to hyperactivity, Yale School of Medicine researchers have determined. The results, based on studies in mice, are published in the March 15 issue of Scientific Reports, a Nature publication. "This is the first experimental evidence that fetal exposure to radiofrequency radiation from cellular telephones does in fact affect adult behavior," said senior author Dr. Hugh S. Taylor, professor and chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences. Taylor and co-authors exposed pregnant mice to radiation from a muted and silenced cell phone positioned above the cage and placed on an active phone call for the duration of the trial. A control group of mice was kept under the same conditions but with the phone deactivated.

The team measured the brain electrical activity of adult mice that were exposed to radiation as fetuses, and conducted a battery of psychological and behavioral tests. They found that the mice that were exposed to radiation tended to be more hyperactive and had reduced memory capacity. Taylor attributed the behavioral changes to an effect during pregnancy on the development of neurons in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a developmental disorder associated with neuropathology localized primarily to the same brain region, and is characterized by inattention and hyperactivity. "We have shown that behavioral problems in mice that resemble ADHD are caused by cell phone exposure in the womb," said Taylor. "The rise in behavioral disorders in human children may be in part due to fetal cellular telephone irradiation exposure." Taylor said that further research is needed in humans to better understand the mechanisms behind these findings and to establish safe exposure limits during pregnancy. Nevertheless, he said, limiting exposure of the fetus seems warranted. First author Tamir Aldad added that rodent pregnancies last only 19 days and offspring are born with a less-developed brain than human babies, so further research is needed to determine if the potential risks of exposure to radiation during human pregnancy are similar. "Cell phones were used in this study to mimic potential human exposure but future research will instead use standard electromagnetic field generators to more precisely define the level of exposure," said Aldad. Other Yale authors on the study include Geliang Gan and Xiao-Bing Gao. The study was funded by grants from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, and Environment and Human Health, Inc.

Nepalese And society in Brief

Nepal has a long-standing feudal tradition with the priestly class of Brahmins and the warrior class of Chhetris dominating the caste-based hierarchy. Nepalese also divide themselves into Paharis, Madeshis and Bhotias: hill people, plains folk and those from the northern border respectively. The sure-footed Sherpas and Tamangs live a largely nomadic life in the upper Himalayas. Madeshis are largely of Tibetan-Burmese origin including groups such as the Rais, Limbus, Jirels, Gurungs, Thapalis and Chepangs. The plains-settlers are mostly Indo-Aryan groups like the Tharus, Rajputs, Rajvashis, Dhimlas and Dhangars. Across communities males dominate and male life expectancy is, not surprisingly, higher. The Newaris, who make up about 4% of the population, are thought to be among the earliest inhabitants of this mountain country. They practice a synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism and Tibetan influences can be seen in their language and art. Newari cuisine and art stands apart from the others. Strong flavours, heavy spice and buffalo meat figure prominently on the table. Newari wall hangings called Paubha paintings are simpler versions of the Tibetan Thanka. For a long time the inhabitants of the terai, tribes such as the Tharus, Safars, Yadavs, Rajvanshis and Dhimlas and the resident fauna, were protected by marauding hordes of malarial mosquitoes. With the coming of the road (east-west highway), quinine and insect repellent, the terai is now accessible like never before. With the coming of airplanes and canned oxygen, so too are the great Himalayas. Consequently all of Nepal, people, animals, and the land alike, is dealing with the angst of 'development'. There is a sizeable population of Indians and Tibetans in Nepal too. In many cases, they settled generations ago and are now indistinguishable from the indigenous people

INTERESTING FACTS About NEPAL

The word 'Himalaya' means the home or abode of snow. • According to Hindu mythology, God Shiva resides in the Himalaya. • There are eight peaks with a total of 19 points above 8000 metres in Nepal. • Fourteen mountains in the Himalaya exceed 8000 metres. • There are 25 points in all which exceed 8000 metres in the Himalaya. • Nameha Barwa peak is the easternmost and Nanga Parbat is the westernmost peak of the Himalaya. • The geological age of the Himalaya is approximately 70 million years. • Himalayan rivers are older than the Himalayan peaks. • Kumbhakarna is the new name of mount Jannu (7,710 m). • Gosainthan (8046 m) is the Nepali name for Shisha Pangma. • Ninety-five percent of earthquakes occur in mountainous regions. • Sir Andrew Waugh, Surveyor General of India wished to honour his predecessor, Sir George Everest.For this, Sir Andrew pretended

that there was no local name for Everest and hence named the mountain as Mount Everest though there were two local names of the mountain. e.g. Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in Tibet.Sir Andrew Waugh announced the name 'Mount Everest' in 1865. • The ideal height gain per day for mountaineers is 1,000 ft above 10,000 ft. • Nepal opened its borders to the world in 1949. • Mallory described Mount Everest from Rongbuk as, 'a great white fang excrescent on the jawbone of the earth'. • Why do men climb Everest ? Mallory said, "Because it is there." • Sir Edmund Hillary led an expedition to find the Yeti in 1958. • According to Dr. George Schaller, the existence of Yeti unknown to science cannot be ruled out at high altitude. • Reinhold Messner climbed Everest alone. • Tenzing buried his daughter's red and blue pencils on the top of Everest. • Approximately 150 people have died in different expeditions of Mount Everest so far. Tenzing was known as 'Himalayan Club Sherpa No 48'.

People ready to Donate their kidney after death

NUWAKOT: Eighteen people have pledged to donate their kidneys after death. Speaking at an interaction programme in 'Organ Donation' organized in Bidur of Nuwakot, they made a commitment to donate kidneys as kidney transplant is too expensive and to help save the lives of the kidney patients. The donors say they wanted to donate the kidney after death considering that it would help save others' lives. However, the kidney donors have stressed conducting various awareness raising programmes to protect the kidneys. Dr. Pukar Chandra Shrestha of Bir Hospital said kidneys should be extracted from the body within 24 hours if one wishes to donate her kidney after death. On the occasion, chief of the District Health Office, Nuwakot, Dr. Ramesh Bikram Singh said the number of kidney patients could decrease if more attention was paid to this as kidney transplant was beyond commoners' reach in Nepal. During the programme, stakeholders said to adopt measures against diabetes and high-blood pressure for kidney protection.

Disqualified PLAs impose bandh; life in Ktm normal

Life across the nation has been affected since Thursday morning due to the shutdown called by the former People's Liberation Army (PLA) combatants-- who were declared ‘disqualified’ by the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).

However, human life in Kathmandu is normal though vehicles plying in the streets are fewer, in comparisons to other days. Educational institutions in the capital have also been brought to a grinding halt.

The former combatants, for being discharged from the cantonments, have announced the shutdown calling for their reinstatement upon the dissatisfaction that the state has dragged them out of the cantonments labeling 'disqualified' in an indecent and discriminatory manner. Protesters have floated various demands such as the removal of tag of 'disqualified' labeled to describe them, their proper management, disclosure of fund that came from the United Nations (UN) in the name of combatants, among others. Meanwhile a suspicious object has been discovered at Main Road Chauraha in Dhangadhi , which is also reeling under the shutdown. The untrusting object has been found this morning at a place adjacent to the residence of a local Raj Kumar Shrestha, who sells cables. A bomb disposal squad of Nepal Army has reached the site of incident, sources claimed.

Step on gas to ensure fuel supply‚ SC tells govt

Directs action against those violating Essential Service Act: Following the shortage of fuel in the country as usual.......... The Supreme Court today directed the government to take immediate measures to ensure smooth supply of petroleum products and initiate legal action against those who do not abide by the Essential Service Act.

A single bench of Justice Kalyan Shrestha directed government authorities — the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, Ministry of Finance and Nepal Oil Corporation — and private organisations — Nepal Petroleum Dealers’ Association, LP Gas Industries’ Association and Gas Distributors’ Association — to take prompt steps to make sure consumers don’t suffer from crisis of petroleum and gas products. NPDA since January 1 has been protesting the erratic supply of petroleum products by the state-owned oil monopoly. The apex court today directed the authorities to take legal action against those creating hassles in supply of petroleum products as per Section 3 of Essential Service Act, 1959, which prohibits strike in supply of essential services. Today’s apex court order, which came in response to a PIL filed by a group rights activists, has stayed the protest called by NPDA. The bench also sought explanations in writing from authorities within 15 days as to why fuel stations were staging protests and why the government apparatus had not taken initiative to address the problem of petroleum crisis. Asked about the apex court order, Saroj Prasad Pandey, president of NPDA, which is scheduled to close fuel stations for four hours tomorrow, told this daily that a decision would be taken tomorrow after holding a board meeting. “We will decide tomorrow after we receive the text of the apex court order,” said Pandey.