Intestinal bacteria cause behavioural changes

Toronto: Intestinal bacteria affect human brains leading to behavioural changes, a recent research has revealed.

McMaster University researchers have come up with the first ever evidence to show that some intestinal bugs do affect brain chemistry and behaviour.

"The exciting results provide stimulus for further investigating a microbial component to the causation of behavioural illnesses," said Stephen Collins, professor of medicine at McMasters.

The findings are important because several common types of gastro diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome, are attributed to anxiety or depression. Besides, some psychiatric disorders, such as late onset autism, may also be linked with abnormal bacterial content in the gut, the journal Gastroenterology reports.

Collins and Premysl Bercik, assistant professor of medicine, undertook the research at the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, according to a McMasters statement.

The researchers also conducted experiments on healthy adult mice which produced behavioural changes on being subjected to oral antibiotics while their normal behaviour returned when antibiotics doses were stopped, Collins said
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Facebook turned into tool for identifying fish

Toronto: Facebook is well-known for connecting friends, publicising events and allowing people ample space for themselves. But recently, a scientist conducted a fish survey using the social networking tool.

In January, doctoral candidate Devin Bloom of the University of Toronto helped conduct the first ichthyological (fish) survey on Guyana's remote Cuyuni River.

Led by Oregon State University's Brian Sidlauskas, the goal was to find which species of fish live in the Cuyuni and get a good estimate of their abundance, according to a Toronto statement.

During the survey, Bloom and the research team spent two weeks catching as many fish as they could. They even slept in makeshift jungle camps. But after collecting more than 5,000 specimens, the team had a big problem.

In order to get the fish out of the country, the research team needed an accurate count of each species and provide a detailed report to the Guyanese government.

Since the team had to return to North America as soon as possible, they had just a few days to identify thousands of fish specimens.

That's when Bloom, who isn't exactly the most tech-savvy guy out there, suggested Facebook. Sidlauskas loved the idea, so he uploaded photos of each species.

And in less than 24 hours, their network of friends -- many of whom hold PhDs in ichthyology and are "diehard fish-heads" -- had identified almost every specimen.

With 5,000 identifications in hand, the team was able to deliver their results to the government and return home on schedule.

The team's novel use of Facebook to accurately crowdsource scientific data could change the way academics view social networking.

It has certainly led Bloom to change his mind about the value of online tools. "Social networking is so powerful," he says, "and scientists should be using it more to connect with the world-at-large." 

Scientists succeed in ’decoding’ brainwaves

London: One of the most enduring sci-fi fantasies -- a 'mind-reading machine' that can display mental images -- is now a step closer to reality after scientists were able to decode brain signals relating to vision.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow showed volunteers images of people's faces displaying different emotions such as happiness, fear and surprise.

In a series of trials, parts of the images were randomly covered so that, for example, only the eyes or mouth were visible, reports the journal Public Library of Science Biology.

Participants were then asked to identify the emotion being displayed while electrodes attached to the scalp measured the volunteers' brainwaves, the Daily Mail reports.

The scientists were able to show that brainwaves varied greatly according to which part of the face was being looked at.

'Beta' waves, with a frequency of 12 hertz, carried information about the eyes, while four hertz 'theta' waves were linked to the mouth.

Information was also encoded by the phase, or timing, of the brainwave, and less so by its amplitude, or strength.

Professor Philippe Schyns of Glasglow, who led the study, said: "It's a bit like unlocking a scrambled television channel. Before, we could detect the signal but couldn't watch the content - now we can."

Schyns said the study revealed how the brain tuned into different brainwave patterns to code different visual features.

"It is a bit like radiowaves coding different radio stations at different frequency bands," he added. "This work has huge potential in the development of brain-computer interfaces.
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IBM and Innovation Journey of 100 Years

In January 2011, International Business Machines (IBM) announced that its inventors received a record 5,896 U.S. patents in 2010, marking the 18th consecutive year it has topped the list of the world’s most inventive companies. IBM became the first company to be granted as many as 5,000 U.S. patents in a single year. It took Big Blue’s inventors more than 50 years to receive their first 5,000 patents after the company was established in 1911. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year (1911-2011), IBM has consistently pursued patents for inventions that translate into real-world solutions that make systems, processes and infrastructures more efficient andproductive. The first patent IBM received in 1911 was related to punched-card tabulation.

In 2010, IBM received patentsfor a range of inventions such as a method for gathering, analyzing, and processing patient information
from multiple data sources to provide more effective diagnoses of medical conditions; a system for predicting traffic conditions based on information exchanged over short-range wireless communications; and a technology advancement for enabling computer chips to communicate using pulses of light instead of electrical signals, which can deliver increased performance of computing systems.

More than 7,000 IBM inventors residing in 46 different U.S. states and 29 countries generated the company's record-breaking 2010 patent tally. Inventors residing outside the U.S. contributed to more than 22% of its patents in 2010. IBM’s 2010 patent total nearly exceeded the combined patents of Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, EMC, and Google.

Integrated M.Sc Programmes at Anna University

Applications have been invited for admission to following M.Sc. Five years Integrated Degree Programme offered at College of Engineering Guindy Campus, Anna University, for the academic year 2011-2012.
(1) M.Sc.(Computer Science - Self-Supporting)/M.Sc. (Information Technology - Self-Supporting) and
(2) M.Sc. (Electronic Media - Self-Supporting)
ELIGIBILITY:(1) M.Sc. (Computer Science) / M.Sc. (Information Technology)
A pass in the H.Sc. (Academic) or equivalent in the first appearance itself, with Mathematics, Physics & Chemistry as three of the four subjects of study prescribed under Part III with minimum eligibility marks.
(2) M.Sc. (Electronic Media)
A pass in the H.Sc. of 10+2 curriculum of any group under Part III (or) its equivalent.
AGE LIMIT: The candidate shall not have completed 21 years of age as on 1st July 2011. The age restriction is relaxable by 3 years for SC/SCA/ST candidates belonging to Tamil Nadu.
APPLICATIONS:Application can be obtained:
IN PERSON by cash or DD for Rs.600/- (Rs.300/- for SC/SCA/ST candidates belonging to Tamil Nadu) towards registration fee at Centre for Admissions, Anna University.
THROUGH WEBSITE: Application form can be downloaded from the websitewww.annauniv.edu [link: http://www.annauniv.edu/msc5years/application.pdf] and send it along with DD for Rs.600/- (Rs.300/- for SC/SCA/ST candidates belonging to Tamil Nadu).
Tamil Nadu SC/SCA/ST candidates should produce photo copy of the permanent community certificate (in card format) for availing registration fee concession.
Demand Drafts should be drawn in favour of ‘The Director (Admissions), Anna University”, payable at Chennai obtained from any nationalised bank on or after 15.5.2011
Completed application should be submitted to the Director (Admissions), Centre for Admissions, Anna University, Chennai–600025 on or before 6.6.2011 at 5.30 p.m.

Kerala Plus Two : Record Pass Percentage

The results of Kerala Higher Secondary Examinarions are out. 82.25 pc students passed in the Examination with eligibility for higher studies. Out of the 276115 students who appeared for the examination through 1697 schools, 227112 qualified for higher studies. 2795 students got  A+ grade in all subjects. Last year the percentage of candidates eligible for higher studies was 74.97.

The Higher Secondary Examination results of Scheme I candidates are determined by combining the scores of both first and second year examinations.

Out of 149574 girls, 130168 (87.02%) girls and out of 126541 boys, 96944 (76.61%) boys qualified for higher studies.

In Science stream out of 144366 students, 120399 are eligible for higher studies (83.40%). In Humanities out of 56623 students, 44119 are eligible for higher studies (77.92%). In Commerce, out of 75126 students 62594 are eligible for higher studies (83.32%).

This year double valuation was conducted for the subjects Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and a third valuation for scripts that had a difference of more than 10% of maximum marks in the first two valuations.

Eligibility for higher studies is D + grade or above for all six subjects with 30 % scores in theory alone and 30% scores in theory, practical evaluation and continuous Evaluation taken together.

Thrissur district bags the highest pass percentage (88.93) while Kasaragod district is the one with the lowest pass percentage (74.68 ). Ernakulam is the district with the highest number of A+ grade students in all subjects with 373 students.

St Marys Higher Secondary School, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram with 693 students is the school to present the highest number of candidates for the exam, with a pass percentage of 90.47, followed by Govt HSS for Girls, Cotton Hill, Thiruvananthapuram (591 Candidates – 93.23% pass) and SVHSS, Palemed, Malappuram ( 548-students – 85.94%) .

Technical Schools

2257students appeared for the higher secondary examination from 24 Technical schools. 1727 students passed ( 76.52 pc).

Examinations

Students under Scheme I and Scheme II were evaluated based on the scores obtained by them in Continuous Evaluation, Practical Evaluation and Terminal Evaluation.

The examination results were determined by combining the scores obtained by the candidates in the first and second year examinations. The first year scores obtained by the candidates at the First Year Higher Secondary examination conducted during 15th March 2010 to 27th March 2010 and the First Year Improvement Examination conducted from 22nd September to 29th September 2010 were reckoned for finalizing the results.

Grace Marks

Grace marks are awarded to 23360 students with proficiency in extra curricular activities such as state youth festival, from NCC, sports, Shastra Melas , Kalotsavams and NSS. The grace marks range from 2 to 25 percentage of the maximum scores. Grace marks are awarded to the students for the year in which the student had participated and achieved the required eligibility. (First/Second Year).The Grace marks for NSS and NCC are awarded at the end of Second Year by considering the combined scores of first and second year.

Results

Students can down load their total score sheets from the websiteswww.kerala.gov.in, www.dhsekerala.gov.in, www.keralaresults.nic.in,www.results.itschool.gov.in, www.cdit.org, www.examresults.kerala.gov.in,www.prd.kerala.gov.in, www.results.nic.in, www.educationkerala.gov.in.  and the schools can take copies of the combined results of their school. Copies of marklists will be available in the PORTAL. Measures are taken to down load the results without any delay. Arrangements are made to send the results by SMS through mobile phones of various service providers by IT mission.

Certificate

The scores obtained for CE, TE and PE for both the years and the combined score and grade will be shown in the certificate. It will also show whether grace marks are awarded to the students. The distribution of certificates through the schools will be completed by the middle of June. There will be facilities to issue provisional certificates and to attest the copies of mark lists taken from internet.

Migration Certificate

Migration certificates will be issued from the Directorate to those students who want to go for higher studies outside Kerala. The application in the prescribed form with fee of Rs. 50/-shall be submitted in the schools where the students had appeared for the examination. The application for the previous year students and that for duplicate certificates will be received in the Directorate duly forwarded by the concerned Principals.

Best Body Language for a Job Interview

Body language can speak more about a candidate than his or her professional references or resume. How a person uses the space they fill will show an employer how that candidate feels about themselves, the job they are interviewing for, and their intercommunication abilities. By being conscious of what they’re doing while they’re talking, job applicants can improve their presence in an interview setting and make a truly lasting impression on their prospective employer.

In general, candidates don’t want to come off as bored or unprofessional during the interview. Crossing one’s legs exudes a sense of being bored or uncomfortable. Scratching any part of the body gives the message that the applicant is unclean or has their attention elsewhere. Leaning towards the door, in essence, show the interviewer that the candidate has a deep desire to be anywhere but in that office—this will do nothing but hurt the individual’s chances of obtaining the job. Slouching in one’s seat gives the message that the applicant is a little too relaxed and will not preform up to task. Finally, candidates should never stare blankly at the interviewer; besides giving the impression of not knowing anything, a blank stare is the natural expression that most adopt when trying to distance themselves from a situation. This will, in essence, show the interview that the candidate wants to distance themselves from the interview.

However, showing the right body language is just as easy as having a situational awareness about oneself. Sitting up straight and leaning forward helps the candidate in two ways—it shows their interest in whatever the interviewer is saying while showing that applicant is in complete agreement in whatever is being said. Keeping an interested expression and nodding during the interview will further show the applicant’s interest in both the position and the content of what the interviewer is speaking about. Finally, candidates should smile whenever they speak. Besides exuding a sense of self confidence, smiling during an interview will show that the applicant truly enjoys and is generally interested in the work that he or she is interviewing for.

If one wants to make the best impression that they can, mastering the art of perfect interview body language is crucial. In short, individuals should not close themselves off or give off an impression of being disinterested, while good body language comes in the form of showing that the candidate enjoys the interview process and is genuinely interested in the job that he or she may be doing.