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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Soothing snaps: Looking at a photo of a loved one 'reduces pain by 44%'

 

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:58 PM on 24th February 2011

  • Image of a partner dulls pain 'as much as cocaine'
  • Women holding their boyfriend's hand 'feel less pain'

Photographs of loved ones have the power to dull pain, scientists have discovered.

Researchers found that an image of a romantic partner dulls activity in the pain-processing areas of the brain, to the same degree as paracetamol or narcotics such as cocaine.

A study by Stanford University found direct evidence linking feelings of emotional attachment with the soothing of pain.

Calming: A photo of a loved on dulls activity in the pain-processing areas of the brain, to the same degree as paracetamol or cocaine, scientists claim

Calming: A photo of a loved on dulls activity in the pain-processing areas of the brain, to the same degree as paracetamol or cocaine, scientists claim

The brains of lovestruck students were subjected to MRI scans as they focused on photographs of partners while varying levels of heat pain were applied to their skin.

Neuroscientist Jarred Younger found, on average, pain was reduced by between 36 and 44 per cent, with intense discomfort eased by up to 13 per cent.

In a study published in the U.S. journal Public Library of Science, the post-doctoral scholar said: 'The reduction of pain is associated with higher, cortical parts of the brain.

'Love-induced analgesia is much more associated with the reward centres.

'It appears to involve more primitive aspects of the brain, activating deep structures that may block pain at a spinal level - similar to how opioid analgesics work.

'One of the key sites for love-induced analgesia is the nucleus accumbens, a key reward addiction centre for opioids, cocaine and other drugs of abuse.

'The region tells the brain that you really need to keep doing this. This tells us that you don't have to just rely on drugs for pain relief.

'People are feeling intense rewards without the side effects of drugs.'

In a separate analysis, psychologists studied 25 women and their boyfriends of more than six months, subjecting them to different levels of pain, using a sharp, prickling sensation.

During the various 'stimulations', the women either held their boyfriend's hand or the hand of a male stranger, both of whom were hidden behind a curtain.

In other cases, the women were asked to view a photograph of their boyfriend, or a picture of a male stranger while being subjected to discomfort.

Researchers at the University of California, where the study took place, discovered the women showed significantly reduced pain experience while holding their partner's hand.

But surprisingly, the photograph of their romantic partner provided equally effective pain relief, and both cases were far greater than when a stranger was involved.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1360227/Looking-photo-loved-reduces-pain-44.html#ixzz1F5NffJL9

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Anil Ambani in trouble

 

New Delhi: For the first time, a CBI court has underlined the ‘role’ of the Anil Ambani-led ADAG group of companies in the 2G scam in which DoT officials, in an alleged conspiracy with certain private persons, awarded Unified Access Licences (UAS) at throwaway prices to some companies.

Anil Ambani in trouble

Rejecting the bail petitions of Swan Telecom's promoter Shahid Usman Balwa and RK Chandolia, private secretary of former telecom minister A Raja, Special judge OP Saini observed: "It has come on record that Swan Telecom was not eligible for licence on the date of application as Tigers Traders Ltd was holding its majority shares, which was indirectly funded by ADAG group of companies...Reliance Telecom had already been granted licence in some circles and as such, Swan Telecom, its associate company, was not eligible for licence...it has also come on record while opening the bank account of Swan Telecom, an official of a group company of ADAG stated in the bank that Swan was their associate company."

"It has also come in evidence that board minutes of Giraffe Consultancies Services Ltd were forged to show that its shares stood transferred on February 25, 2007 to persons belonging to DB Group/relatives of Balwa. Giraffe Consultancies had funded Tigers Traders, which was used by ADAG to subscribe majority shares of Swan Telecom," said the court in a detailed 17-page order.

This is the first instance of the CBI court going on record to state the alleged role of ADAG. Anil Ambani has already been questioned by the agency in this regard

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Android topples Symbian as the world's most popular smartphone operating system

 

Google's Android operating system has dethroned Nokia's Symbian as the world leader in smartphone software.

The change ends a reign that began with the birth of the industry a decade ago, according to figures released by analysts Canalys.

In total, 32.9million Android-equipped phones were sold globally during the last quarter of 2010 - roughly seven times more than during the same time period in 2009 - compared to Symbian sales of 31million.

Rapid growth: 32.9million Android-equipped phones, such as the HTC Desire, were sold during the last quarter of 2010 compared to Symbian sales of 31million

Rapid growth: 32.9million Android-equipped phones, such as the HTC Desire, were sold during the last quarter of 2010 compared to Symbian sales of 31million

The rapid turnaround highlights how quickly Google, which offers its software to phone makers for free, has raced to the top of the smartphone market ahead of Apple's rapid ascension.

Google and Apple have revolutionised the smartphone market, sending Nokia scrambling.

But the numbers also highlight Google's success in battling Apple, whose shipments of its popular iPhone increased to 16.2million from 8.7million in the fourth quarter of 2009, when it almost doubled Android's sales of 4.7million.

Unlike Apple or Nokia, Google does not make its own phone hardware, but instead offers its Android operating system to other phone makers who can adapt it to suit their devices.

As a result of this and being free of charge, Android has become the standard software for many phone makers.

Aside from smartphones, Google also gained on Apple in tablet computers, where its market share rose to 22 per cent in the fourth quarter, while Apple's share fell to 75 per cent from 95 per cent, according to Strategy Analytics.

In fact, only Nokia, Apple and Research In Motion Ltd have so far resisted using Android software.

Google has moved to take on Apple in mobile applications, an area in which the iPhone maker has prevailed.

A big part of Apple's success in selling iPhone is its ability to attract hundreds of thousands of third-party software developers to create apps for everything from weather forecasts to weight-loss.

While Google has also courted third-party developers, its Android Marketplace still lags far behind Apple's in size.

Meanwhile, the Symbian system has suffered from the troubles of its owner and main user, Nokia, which now barely has a presence in the giant U.S. marketplace.

When Android arrived in the third quarter of 2008, Symbian's share of the global smartphone market was close to 50 per cent. While Google's share has increased to 33 per cent, Nokia's has fallen to less than 31 per cent.

As a result some experts said this may mean Nokia will announce plans to introduce smartphone models using Android.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1352426/Googles-Android-tops-Nokias-Symbian-popular-smartphone-says-Canalys.html#ixzz1CoowvM00