Six facts about the female orgasm revealed

While the female orgasm has been the subject of so many myths and folk beliefs, scientists are trying their best to know more about the mystery behind the phenomenon.

And now, after some intense field research, a team of experts have uncovered six facts about the female orgasm, as revealed by modern science, reports New Scientist magazine.

The six facts are as follows:

The G spot is real

The G spot is a small region in the vagina that, if stimulated, can produce wildly intense orgasms -- or so goes the popular claim. But, since decades, strong evidence for the region's existence was harder to find than the spot itself.

However, in 2008, an Italian research team solved the mystery after they found anatomical differences between women who could have G-spot orgasms and women who couldn't. And since then, researchers have since begun teaching women with G spots how to put them to use.

The brain switches off

It's folk wisdom that people can't think straight when they have sex on their minds, and a brain scanning study showed that many areas of women's brains were deactivated during orgasm, including those involved in emotion.

Many women can't have orgasms

According to a 1999 survey, around 43 percent of women in the US have some sort of problem with their sex lives.

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is so common that the very idea that it is a medical disorder has come under attack and thus efforts to develop drugs to treat it are underway.

Genes affect orgasm frequency

According to the first genetic study of the female orgasm, up to 45 percent of the variation in women's ability to have them could be down to genes.

Many women never have orgasms during intercourse, and some also cannot have them through masturbation. Some of this may be down to external factors like upbringing, but the study showed the genetic factor is significant.

Technology can help

Perhaps the most extreme solution for sexual dysfunction among women is the so-called 'orgasmatron' -- an implant inserted into the spinal cord, which stimulates the user when switched on via a remote control.

Despite an initial struggle to find subjects for clinical testing, the device is now in development.

Some mystery remains

The female orgasm is a puzzle for evolutionary biologists. It is unclear why women should have orgasms at all, and it is particularly baffling that so many women should be unable to have orgasms during penetrative sex, but able to have them by masturbation.

According to researcher Elisabeth Lloyd, this implies that female orgasms are an evolutionary accident. Like male nipples, they persist simply because there is no good reason to get rid of them.

source :-http://getahead.rediff.com/report/2009/jun/02/six-facts-about-the-female-orgasm-revealed.htm

Suffering from acne? Try these home remedies

Acne is an eruptive skin condition that affects nearly 90 percent of people during their adolescent years. Owing to a hormone surge in the teens, the skin becomes oily, pores get blocked to form blackheads and infection sets in to cause painful, red, pus-filled pimples.

As it is such a common affliction, everyone has their own favourite home remedies for acne. Most such remedies have their roots in authentic Ayurveda, but with time the origins have become blurred and the remedies diluted by baseless myths, so that it's confusing for the lay person to decide what is worth doing and what is useless and likely to damage the skin.

Here are a few common home remedies for acne:

• Channa dal flour (split chickpea flourm, also known as besan): This is the most common ingredient in nearly all prescribed home remedies for acne. It has great de-greasing properties and is excellent for keeping skin oil-free, thereby helping to dry up acne without having to expose the skin to too much soap. Coarsely ground, it works well as an exfoliating scrub to open out the pores and decrease blackheads. Use it as a paste in combination with turmeric and honey to soften the skin. It can be used daily as a cleanser.
• Turmeric (haldi): It is a well-known disinfectant and kills the bacteria responsible for acne. Fresh roots pounded to a paste are preferable to using dry powdered turmeric. Its contact period to the skin should not exceed 10 minutes, as turmeric may cause irritation. The downside -- an unappealing yellow hue to the skin and allergic reactions occasionally.
• Curd: Lactic acid in curd, like besan, is also a good exfoliator. It hydrates the skin well, helping to ease the dryness caused by strong anti-acne medications. Caution: High fat curd can actually increase the oiliness of skin and be a counter-productive, so use the skimmed milk variety.
• Sandalwood (chandan): My own grandmother never quit extolling the virtues of this magical skin medicine. She claimed the best way to use it was by rubbing a block of the wood itself on a stone slab, for half an hour with a few drops of water, till you got a muddy paste. You had to apply this fragrant pack on your face till it dried, then wash it off with rosewater. Since my grandmother had perfect skin till she died at 85, I cannot argue with her remedy! But a simpler option may be buying sandalwood powder or reconstitutable face packs from the market.
• Fuller's earth (multani mitti): Also great for decreasing oil secretion and closing skin pores, it's best used in combination with rose water and sandalwood paste. Do not use too frequently -- about twice a week is enough -- as it is an astringent and causes a burning sensation on sensitive skin.

In the course of my practice, I've come across people using every possible kitchen ingredient on their faces to control acne and it's sad to see many a pretty face ruined by using the wrong remedies. I want to caution people against using things like garlic, onion juice or caustic soda that cause more harm than good. Also, do not torture yourselves with highly acidic substances like lemon juice, tamarind, vinegar or orange peel. Milk, cream, ghee etc are to be absolutely avoided on acne-prone skin. Do try to consult your dermatologist before using any home remedies, to discuss whether it is suitable for your skin and compatible with your ongoing acne treatment.

Though the best treatment for acne remains an individualised, planned regimen of oral medicines, topical gels for application, medical clean-ups and newer chemical peels -- all properly planned and executed by a dermatologist -- home remedies, if used wisely, can be good adjuvants to this therapy. They serve as efficient skin-cleansers and a cheap and easily available method of treatment in the early stages of acne.

Dr Parul S Kolhe is an MBBS and holds a DDV & DNB in dermatology.

source:-- http://getahead.rediff.com/report/2009/jun/10/suffering-from-acne-try-these-home-remedies.htm

How couples can help each other stay healthy

Both men and women tend to gain weight right after marriage. So, health experts have offered some tips that will help couples stay healthier together.

Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition, and Natalie The, a nutrition doctoral student, both with the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, found people face the following risks of becoming obese, compared to people in romantic relationships who are not living together:

Married women and men -- both more than twice as likely to become obese.

Women living with a romantic partner -- 63 percent increased risk.

Men living with a romantic partner -- no increased risk.

The findings will be published next month in the journal Obesity.

"We're trying to find out some of the reasons why this might be happening," The said.

"There are a number of health benefits to marriage, including decreased cigarette smoking and lower mortality. But we also see greater weight gain than in others of the same age, and greater risk of obesity," she added.

"A number of studies have shown that teens tend to put on weight as they become young adults," Gordon-Larsen said. "This is a time when people are facing significant changes in their lives. Marriage and cohabitation present even bigger changes than single people face. Maybe the cause of weight gain is not just age, but the pressure of shifting behaviours that result in weight gain."

According to Gordon-Larsen, when people are living together -- married or not -- they tend to share behaviours and activity patterns. They may chose to eat meals together, possibly cooking bigger meals or eating out more often than they did when they were single, and may watch TV together instead of going to the gym or playing a sport.

Gordon-Larsen said that in subsequent interviews with both romantic partners, they found that couples who lived together for more than two years (especially those who were married) were most likely to display similar weight/ obesity patterns and physical activity behaviours.

"If this is a time of shifting behaviours, and of influencing each other, then maybe it's a good time to intervene with these young couples and get them to have a more positive effect on each other," Gordon-Larsen said. "Maybe they can exercise together or cook healthy meals together. People who are married or who are living together tend to share behaviours. Couples can use that phenomenon to their advantage if they're aware of what's going on."

"When people are married, or living together, they can offer each other social support for healthy behaviours and a healthy environment," Gordon-Larsen said. "They can be good influences on each other. That may be how they can avoid the extra pounds now associated with marriage."

source:--http://getahead.rediff.com/report/2009/jun/12/how-couples-can-help-each-other-stay-healthy.htm

Honda launches small car Jazz in India

Leading car maker Honda Motor has launched its maiden compact car Honda Jazz in the Indian market, priced in the range of INR 6.98 lakh and INR 7.33 lakh. The launch of Jazz marks the entry of Honda Siel Cars India, a joint venture between Honda and India's Siel Ltd, into the competitive small car segment, which is dominated by Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor. Jazz will initially be manufactured at Honda Siel's Greater Noida factory, the company said. The small car, first launched in 2001, is now present in 130 countries.

Source:--http://in.news.yahoo.com/photos/slideshow/honda-launches-small-car-jazz-in-india.html

The safest countries in the world - New Zealand

The Antipodean islands have long been regarded as one of the best places to live. New Zealand has always been near the top of the Global Peace Index. The 2009 Global Peace Index ranks New Zealand as the safest country to live in.
The survey gives New Zealand a very low score on the likelihood of violence and violent crimes. Its also scores very low on hostility to foreigners.
The survey ranked countires on various criteria and their countire with the lowset scores were considered the safest to live in.

source:--http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/jun/10/slide-show-1-the-safest-countries-in-the-world.htm

Tata Tele-DoCoMo begins GSM price war

Triggering a fresh round of tariff war, the country's sixth largest mobile operator, Tata Teleservices Ltd and Japan's NTT DoCoMo, will launch GSM handsets for less than Rs 1,000 in the rural markets. The move will mark the company's entry later this month into the GSM segment, for which an investment of $2 billion has been earmarked.
The Rs 900-handset would be the cheapest GSM device bundled with talk-time in the market. Analysts see this as the first major push by the Japanese major into the Indian market. The $40-billion NTT DoCoMO has operations in nine Asian markets, including in South Korea and the Philippines.
Toshinari Kunieda, senior vice-president and managing director, global business division, NTT DoCoMo, in an exclusive interview with FE said, "Through the $20-30 handset bundled with talk time, we would penetrate the rural markets. We expect average realisation per user (Arpu) of as low as Rs 95-Rs 150 ($2-$3) in the rural area". Around 60% of subscriber addition in the mobile space is from the rural areas, where the teledensity is just about 17%.
NTT DoCoMo has around 50% market share in Japan, with an Arpu of around $25.
He said the company's focus is on voice-based services in India, unlike in Japan, where it is focused on data-based services. "Though the metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi are very similar to Japan and it is easier to introduce our data services there, it is the rural India which poses the actual challenge. The majority there doesn't have a handset, and SMS is probably the only data used by the rural people at this point," Kuneida explained.
The company would procure the ultra low-cost handsets through contract manufacturing from Chinese vendors.

Source:---http://in.biz.yahoo.com/090610/50/batprc.html

Samsung launched Solar Guru

Electronics major Samsung on Wednesday launched the world’s first solar-powered mobile phone, called Solar Guru and priced at Rs 2,799 in the Indian Telecom Handset market

India's biggest Technopark to be completed by 2011

Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram is readying to turn up as country's biggest IT workspace, investing about Rs 180 crore. Adjacent to this 3-million sqft building in the SEZ area, the sate-run park is also throwing open 52 acres open for leasing out to private developers.
About 18,000 IT professionals can be accommodated at one go in the proposed world-class building, says Mervin Alexander, new CEO of Technopark. ''It would have a futuristic design, in keeping with green concepts ,'' he adds.
Chief minister VS Achuthanandan will lay the foundation stone in September. The first phase is slated to be ready in July 2011.
M Vasudevan, senior manager (business development) told FE that the state to tie up with banks to part-finance the project. ''The development project will be part-loans and partly drawn from internal accruals of Technopark,'' he said.
The work on a 110 KV substation has been completed to share power supply among the proposed IT building and the adjacent campuses of Infosys (INFOSYS.BO : 1803.25 0) and UST Global. Other facilities like treatment and disposal of solid waste and wide approach road from the highway are underway.

Source:--http://in.biz.yahoo.com/090609/50/batphg.html

10-year-girl identifies Kasab; father says hang him

Mumbai, Jun 10 (PTI) A ten-year-old girl, disabled in right leg due to a bullet injury sustained in 26/11 terror attack, today identified Ajmal Kasab as one of the two gunmen, even as her emotionally-charged father broke down in the court pleading that the accused be hanged for ruining her life. The father-daughter duo was among the four eye witnesses who identified Kasab in the court, saying he was one of the two who had fired indiscriminately at people in Chhatrapati Shivaji rail Terminus (52 were killed and close to 90 injured).
The other witnesses were a police officer and a native of Jalgaon who were also hit by bullets. Devika, the youngest witness in this case, was brought to the court by father Natwarlal Rotawan in his lap.
In the court, Devika, walked with crutches to the witness box and took oath in the name of God to tell the truth. Emotional scenes were witnessed in the courtroom of Special Judge M L Tahaliyani when Devika promptly answered in Hindi the questions put to her by prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.
Asked if she could identify the gunman among the three accused present in the dock the little girl pointed towards Kasab, the lone surviving gunman. He, however, did not react.
Lawyer Abbas Kazmi did not cross examine looking at her tender age, but the court asked the girl if her testimony was true to which Devika replied, "It is not correct to say that I am telling lies about Kasab opening fire. I have taken oath in the name of God and will not tell lies.
" PTI.
Source:--http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20090610/1416/tnl-10-year-girl-identifies-kasab-father.html