Smoking its impact on Health

Highlights:

1. Middle-aged male smokers with high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels may die 10-15 years sooner than peers without these risk factors.

2. The Oxford University study, published in the British Medical Journal reports data, in which the health of 19,000 male civil servants has been followed for almost 40 years since 1970, when they were aged 40-69.

3. “We’ve shown that men at age 50 who smoke, have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels can expect to survive to 74 years of age, while those who have none of these risk factors can expect to live until 83,” said Dr. Robert Clarke of the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford, who led the research team.

4. We’ve been able to refine this further by computing a risk score for each study participant that also includes body mass index and diabetes as well as these three risk factors.

5. Looking at those at the extremes, we find that the five per cent with the highest risk scores have a 15 year reduced life expectancy compared to the 5 per cent with the lowest scores,” he said.

6. The longer life spans are believed to result from stopping smoking, changes in diet and lifestyle, and better treatment for people with vascular disease.

7. But previous studies have not been able to investigate the extent to which the differences in life expectancy can be explained by differences in cardiovascular risk factors.

8. The Whitehall study was set up in 1970 at the peak of a heart disease epidemic in the U.K. to look at the effects of smoking, blood pressure and cholesterol levels,” Dr. Clarke said. Since that time, researchers have followed 19,000 civil servants through middle age and old age over a period of 38 years.

9. It is precisely this kind of very prolonged follow-up study that is necessary to get these results — that modest differences in heart risk factors can accurately predict significant differences in life expectancy,” he adds.

10. Participants completed a questionnaire at entry in 1970 about previous medical history, smoking habits, employment grade and marital status.

11. The initial examination recorded height, weight, blood pressure, lung function and blood cholesterol and glucose levels.

12. With funding from the British Heart Foundation, the records of 18,863 men were traced and 7,044 surviving participants were re-examined in 1997 (about 28 years after their initial examination).

13. Dr. Clarke said: “The results give people another way of looking at heart disease risk factors that can be understood more readily. If you stop smoking or take measures to deal with high blood pressure or body weight, it will translate into increased life expectancy.”

14. It also provides support for existing public health policies. Bans on smoking in public places, efforts to lower saturated fats and salt, combined with medications for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease, when taken together will result in substantial improvements in life expectancy across the population.

Reference: http://beta.thehindu.com/health/article22354.ece

Fernand Braudel Senior Fellowships: Postdoctoral fellowship

Highlights:

1. Fernand Braudel Senior Fellowships provide a framework for established academics with an international reputation to pursue their research at the EUI.

2. Fellowships last for up to ten months in one of the EUI's four Departments which in turn invite fellows to participate in departmental activities (seminars, workshops, colloquia, etc.).

3. Fellows are encouraged to make contact with researchers sharing their academic interests, may be involved in the teaching and thesis supervision tasks of EUI professors, and associated with one of the research projects being carried out at the EUI.

4. The annual deadlines for applications are 30 March and 30 September

5. Eligibility:

6. Max Weber Fellowships are open to candidates who have received their Ph.D. or officially been accepted for defense by the time of the start of the programme (1 September).

7. Candidates are eligible during the five-year period following the successful completion of their Ph.D. For example, to apply for 2010/2011 you should have received or submitted your Ph.D. betweeen 1/9/2005 and 1/9/2010.

8. Extensions to the five-year rule are allowed for applicants whose academic career has been interrupted for maternity leave or illness. Cite circumstances in the application in the field 'Additional Notes'. Successful candidates will be asked to provide supporting documents.

9. EUI graduates can only apply for Max Weber Fellowships after having been away from the EUI and in a full-time occupation or with another fellowship for at least one year after defending their Ph.D.

10. Nationality : Candidates of all nationalities are eligible for the Max Weber Fellowships.

11. Fellows should have a good knowledge of English, the working language of the programme, and any other language relevant to their proposed research.

12. The Fellowships are awarded for 12 or 24 months. Candidates should indicate the preferred period in their application.

13. The EUI reserves the right to award 12 months due to the high demand for MWP Fellowships. The period will be indicated in the award letter.

14. Extensions or renewals are not allowed.

15. Fellows are required to live in Florence for the duration of their Fellowship in order that they may take an active part in the programme and in the academic activities of their department.

16. Stipend: The basic stipend is € 2,000 per month.

17. Successful applicants who receive other grants or salaries must disclose this to the EUI. The amount of the fellowship will be fixed at a lower rate (minimum €1,250 per month) depending on the amount of the additional income.

18. If applicable, family allowances will be added to the basic stipend (see below).

19. Family Allowance: A household allowance of € 300 per month is paid to fellows with a partner if the partner lives with them in Florence and on condition that the partner's income is not over € 2,000 per month.

20. There is a dependants allowance of € 200 per month for each dependent child living with the Fellow in Florence.

21. Fellows are entitled to these allowances if they are not receiving any similar allowance from another source, and on presentation of relevant certificates (mariage certificate or equivalent, birh certificates).

22. A school or university certificate is required for dependent children in full-time education and over the age of 18.

23. MWP Fellowships are not taxed by the EUI, but are required to comply with any other tax provisions which may be applicable to them.

24. Medical Insurance : Fellows must have adequate medical insurance cover during their stay at the Institute.

25. Fellows can either provide proof of their own insurance scheme or subscribe to the EUI's Van Breda Insurance Scheme

at their own expense.

26. Travel Expenses: Fellows (but not their families) receive 1 return trip from their home town to Florence as follows: 1st-class rail for distances under 500 km (car travel also reimbursed on this basis) economy class Y air fare over 500 km

27. Reimbursement cannot be more than a Florence-Helsinki air fare.

28. This may mean that travel expenses are only partly reimboursed for Fellows coming from outside Europe.

29. Contact us

If you cannot submit your application on-line, contact Academic Service well before the deadline at:

Academic Service

European University Institute

via dei Roccettini 9

I-50014 San Domenico di Fiesole

Tel.+39 055 4685 377

Fax +39 055 4685 444

Email applyfellow@eui.eu

Reference:

http://www.eui.eu/ServicesAndAdmin/AcademicService/PostdoctoralFellowships/FernandBraudelSeniorFellowships/Index.aspx

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Max Weber Programme for Postdoctoral Studies

Highlights:

1. The overall aim of the Max Weber Programme (MWP), the largest postdoctoral training programme in the Social and Human Sciences in the world, is to support the fellows in the development of a successful academic career.

2. The most important benefits of the programme lie in the professional schooling it offers fellows. To this end they are affiliated with one of the EUI teaching departments, where they participate in seminars and workshops.

3. Within the MWP, a broad variety of activities are organized for the fellows throughout the year with an individual focus on really developing to be internationally competitive.

4. The Max Weber Programme is geared to developing the academic skills of postdoctoral fellows, while leaving ample time for individual research agendas.

5. The next deadline for applications is 25 October 2009

6. Read this before clicking the MWP application form

7. Prepare your CV with a list of publications in RTF or PDF

8. Prepare a statement of career ambitions and research plans (1-3 pages) in RTF or PDF using standard international fonts and avoiding macros, special characters and password-protected attachments

9. The statement should include a summary of research contributions and interests, academic career plans, fields of specialization, and teaching experience (a detailed research proposal is not required)

10. Filling in the MWP application form

11. Letters of reference: Two confidential letters of reference must be sent directly to the EUI by referees to arrive by the 25 October deadline

12. Referees can send letters using the on-line form here or as an email attachment to ReferenceFellow@eui.eu

13. References should be in RTF or PDF, using standard international fonts and avoiding macros, special characters, or password-protected attachments

14. References from current full-time/part-time EUI professors will not be accepted

15. Application form : The online application form

for the Max Weber Fellowships is now active. The annual deadline is 25th October.

16. Selection Procedure: Candidates are reviewed by the professors of the relevant Department and the Director of the MWP, and selected by the Max Weber Steering Committee.

17. Final approval is made by the Executive Committee of the EUI. Their decision is final and no appeal is possible.

18. Contacts: If you cannot submit your application on-line, contact us well before the deadline at:

Academic Service

European University Institute

via dei Roccettini 9

I-50014 San Domenico di Fiesole

Email applyfellow@eui.eu

Tel. +39 055 4685 377

Fax +39 055 4685 444

19. Reference:

http://www.eui.eu/ServicesAndAdmin/AcademicService/PostdoctoralFellowships/MaxWeberFellowships/Index.aspx

Breast milk protect Newborn baby health

Highlights:

1. The levels of the components in breast milk change every 24 hours in response to the needs of the baby. A new study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience shows, for example, how this milk could help newborn babies to sleep.

2. Breast milk contains various ingredients, such as nucleotides, which perform a very important role in regulating babies' sleep. The new study confirms that the composition of breast milk changes quite markedly throughout the day.

3. The scientists looked for three nucleotides in breast milk (adenosine, guanosine and uridine), which excite or relax the central nervous system, promoting restfulness and sleep, and observed how these varied throughout a 24-hour period.

4. The milk, collected from 30 women living in Extremadura, was expressed over a 24-hour period, with six to eight daily samples. The highest nucleotide concentrations were found in the night-time samples (8pm to 8am).

5. "This made us realise that milk induces sleep in babies", Cristina L. Sánchez, lead author of the article and a researcher at the Chrononutrition Laboratory at the University of Extremadura, tells SINC.

6. "You wouldn't give anyone a coffee at night, and the same is true of milk – it has day-specific ingredients that stimulate activity in the infant, and other night-time components that help the baby to rest", explains Sánchez.

7. In order to ensure correct nutrition, the baby should be given milk at the same time of day that it was expressed from the mother's breast. "It is a mistake for the mother to express the milk at a certain time and then store it and feed it to the baby at a different time", points out the researcher. .

8. The benefits of breast milk

9. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says breast milk is the best food for the newborn, and should not be substituted, since it meets all the child's physiological requirements during the first six months of life. It not only protects the baby against many illnesses such as colds, diarrhoea and sudden infant death syndrome, but can also help prevent future diseases such as asthma, allergies and obesity, and promotes intellectual development.

10. The benefits of breastfeeding also extend to the mother. Women who breastfeed lose the weight gained during pregnancy more quickly, and it also helps prevent against anaemia, high blood pressure and postnatal depression. Osteoporosis and breast cancer are also less common among women who breastfeed their children.

11. Reference:

a. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001091757.htm  

b. Sánchez et al. The possible role of human milk nucleotides as sleep inducers. Nutritional Neuroscience, 2009; 12 (1): 2 DOI: 10.1179/147683009X388922

Ph.D. Programmes and Post Doctoral Fellowship: Spring Semester 2009-10

Highlights:

1. Indian Institue of Technology Roorkee (Formerly University of Roorkee), a premier Institute of Science and Technology, has a distinguished tradition of excellence spanning over 160 years.

2. The Departments / Centres of the Institute are engaged in teaching, research and consultancy in the field of Engineering, Technology, Science and Management. The Institute offers 21 Undergraduate Courses including IDD and Integrated

3. M.Tech. in Engineering & Architecture and 51 Postgraduate Courses in Engineering, Architecture, Science, Technology and Business Administration.

4. The Institute has been placed at the top in the country in coveted sector employment in Science and Technology.

5. Applications are invited for admission to full time/part time Ph.D. Programmes in the following departments/centres:

6. Alternate Hydro-Energy Centre • Architecture and Planning • Biotechnology • Chemical Engineering • Chemistry

7. Civil Engineering • Earthquake Engineering • Earth Sciences • Electrical Engineering • Electronics & Computer Engg.

8. • Humanities and Social Sciences • Hydrology • Management Studies • Mathematics • Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

9. • Metallurgical & Materials Engineering • Physics • Paper Technology • Water Resources & Management

10. An applicant possessing the following qualifications in appropriate area shall be eligible to apply for admission for Ph.D. programme of the Institute.

11. Masters degree in Engineering / Technology/Architecture/Urban & Rural Planning/Sciences/ Humanities & Social Sciences and Management in respective discipline or equivalent with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 6.00 on a 10 point scale or equivalent as determined by the Institute wherever letter grades are awarded; or 60% marks in aggregate (of all the years/ semesters) where marks are awarded. OR

12. Applicants with B.Tech./B.Arch. degree or equivalent in respective discipline with excellent academic record (with a minimum CGPA of 7.00 on a 10 point scale or equivalent or 70% marks) may be considered eligible for admission.

13. Applicants for admission for full-time studies who do not possess a M.Tech./M.Arch./MURP degree or equivalent in the relevant field must have a valid GATE score (at least 75 percentile) for Engineering / Technology/ Science disciplines or must have qualified national level fellowship examinations such as

14. NET (JRF/LS) conducted by UGC/CSIR for Science/ Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines.

15. Engineering/Architecture graduates from any IIT/erstwhile University of Roorkee having CGPA Score > 8.00 or marks > 80% are also eligible for admission without GATE score .

16. A limited number of fellowships are available to carry out advanced research in all the disciplines as mentioned above. Interested candidates having a Ph.D.

17. Degree may apply for Post-Doctoral Fellowship in all the disciplines mentioned above. Qualification: Candidate with a Ph.D. degree in Science and Engineering or those who have recently submitted their doctoral theses can apply. Age: Criteria for age should be same as for Ph.D. Duration : 2 years (renewable for one more year). Fellowship : (i) Rs. 25,000/- p.m. for a Ph.D. with 2 years experience (ii) Rs. 20,000/- p.m. for a recent Ph.D. degree holder.

18. Contingency : Rs. 20,000/- per annum. H.R.A. : As admissible Desirable: First class in degree preceding to Ph.D. and publications in journals of repute.

19. For more information, please contact : Chairman, PG Admission-2010 , Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee - 247667 (India) Ph: (01332) 285875/284010. Fax (01332) 285874, E-mail : pgadm@iitr.ernet.in Website : http//www.iitr.ernet.in/admissions

20. LAST DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COMPLETED APPLICATION FORM IS OCTOBER 30, 2009

21. More Information:

http://www.iitr.ac.in/admissions/uploads/File/2009/PhD/Poster%20for%20Detailed%20Information.pdf

PhD Fellowship Scheme in Hong Kong

Highlights:

1. Established in 2009 by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme aims to attract the outstanding students in the world to pursue their PhD degree programmes in Hong Kong's institutions.

2. The Fellowship provides a monthly stipend of HK$20,000 (approximately US$2,600) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$10,000 (approximately US$1,300) per year for a period of three years.

3. 135 PhD Fellowships will be awarded for the 2010/11 academic year1. For awardees who need more than three years to complete the PhD degree, additional support may be provided by the chosen institutions. For details, please contact the institutions concerned directly.

4. Eligibility: Those who are seeking admission as new full time PhD students in UGC-funded institutions of Hong Kong, irrespective of their country of origin and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply.

5. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability/ potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.

PhD Positions in Ecology: Soft Sediment Ecology

Highlights:

1. University and the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research are jointly seeking TWO PhD students to work in a new program entitled “After the outfall: recovery from eutrophication in degraded New Zealand estuaries”.

2. Applicants must have completed a thesis as part of a BSc Honours or MSc degree (preferred), and achieved excellent grades.

3. Initial contact outlining your background, interests and (unofficial) record should be made either to Professor David Schiel (david.schiel@canterbury.ac.nz) or Dr John Zeldis (j.zeldis@niwa.co.nz). We intend to start the student program as quickly as possible, but it is expected that candidates will apply for scholarship support in the next scholarship round at the University of Canterbury (deadline: 15 October 2009).

4. Information on University scholarships can be found at http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/scholarships/ucschols/uc_doctoral.shtml (for NZ students), and http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/scholarships/ucschols/uc_intl_doc.shtml (international students).

5. The intended PhD programs and specific qualifications required are outlined below.

6. This project will provide new information on the processes and time scales of change in coastal ecosystems that have been severely impacted by excess nutrients but are subject to rehabilitation following nutrient reduction.

7. To do this we will take advantage of the unique event provided by the wastewater diversion from the Avon-Heathcote estuarine system in Christchurch into an ocean outfall, one of the largest and most expensive such diversions ever done in NZ, that will begin late in 2009.

Bioinformatics: Research oriented feild of study

Highlights:

1. Bioinformatics has been gaining increasing significance with growing focus on research in areas of genomics, proteomics, drug discovery and development, structural biology and many more related subjects over the years. The need of the hour — well-trained persons in bioinformatics from institutions imparting quality training.

2. P.P. Mathur, coordinator, Centre of Excellence in Bioinformatics at the Pondicherry University, describes bioinformatics as an interface of physics, chemistry and biology. “India was one of the first countries to start bioinformatics in the late 1980s.

3. Bioinformatics has been evolving over the years and even the basic applications of the subject have expanded. No biologist can survive without bioinformatics,” he explains.

4. The centre is offering M.Sc. Bioinformatics and Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, besides modular courses. The M.Sc. course, with an intake of 31 students, is being offered under the University Grants Commission’s scheme of Innovative Programme-Teaching and Research in Interdisciplinary and Emerging Areas. Students who have completed undergraduation in any science subject are eligible to join the course.

5. Courses in bioinformatics include cell and molecular biology, physics and chemistry for biologists, data structures and programming concepts, genomics and proteomics, biophysical chemistry, statistics for biologists, structural biology, molecular modelling and drug design and applications of bioinformatics.

6. For M.R.N. Murthy, professor of Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, bioinformatics not only reveals new potential in biology but also provides the leads. “Every biological research costs money. Bioinformatics can reveal which way is more likely to succeed by giving us some leads. It has become extremely important for industries especially pharmaceuticals for drug discovery,” he elaborates.

Humans’ evolution ancestors study

Highlights:

1. An international team of scientists reported on Thursday that the skeleton of an early human who lived 4.4 million years ago shows humans did not evolve from chimpanzee-like ancestors.

2. The 17-year investigation into the discovery of the extremely fragile remains of the small “ground ape” found in the Afar region of Ethiopia will be described Friday in a special issue of the journal Science. The journal will also contain 11 papers about the discovery.

3. The fossil, nicknamed “Ardi,” is the earliest skeleton known from the human branch of the primate family tree.