Pak Business Express is seeking applications from highly talented and competent fresh graduates with strong academic background for the position of Management Trainee Officers (MTOs) for Lahore office.
Eligibility Criteria: Master's Degree in Business Administration from reputed universities. Master's degree prior to 2011 will not be admissible.
Interested candidates may send their CVs at hrd@pakbusinessexpress.com
From left, the planned tower with its LED system not activated; with 30 per cent power; and with the facade fully powered.
This post was originally published on Mashable.
A new skyscraper will soon be a part of the skyline in Seoul, South Korea – but you may not be able to see it.
Architects behind the world's first invisible skyscraper were granted a permit to begin construction on the 450-metre building, dubbed Tower Infinity, according to a press release.
The building will use an LED facade and cameras on the back to project the surroundings behind the building onto its front. When turned on, the system will make the outlines of the tower indiscernible.
The projections can also broadcast special events or advertisements onto the building.
Even when the projections are turned off, the skyscraper has some built-in transparency. It will be constructed using a great deal of clear glass and has an open floor plan so visitors can look down multiple levels.
The Tower Infinity will primarily be used for entertainment and leisure, according to the press release from US-based GDS Architects. The skyscraper is set to include a water park, movie theatres and restaurants. The tower's observation deck will be the third highest in the world, and is planned to go up outside Seoul's Incheon International Airport.
The project does not have a scheduled completion date.
Mashable is the largest independent news source covering digital culture, social media and technology.
'The genes are involved in the biological process through which an early embryo moves on from being a round ball of cells and becomes a growing organism with an established left and right side,' explained first author William Brandler, a PhD student in the MRC Functional Genomics Unit at Oxford University.
The researchers suggest that the genes may also help establish left-right differences in the brain, which in turn influences handedness.
They report their findings in the open-access journal PLOS Genetics.
Humans are the only species to show such a strong bias in handedness, with around 90% of people being right-handed. The cause of this bias remains largely a mystery.
The researchers, led by Dr Silvia Paracchini at the University of St Andrews, were interested in understanding which genes might have an influence on handedness, in order to gain an insight into the causes and evolution of handedness.
The team carried out a genome-wide association study to identify any common gene variants that might correlate with which hand people prefer using.
The most strongly associated, statistically significant variant with handedness is located in the gene PCSK6, which is involved in the early establishment of left and right in the growing embryo.
The researchers then made full use of knowledge from previous studies of what PCSK6 and similar genes do in mice to reveal more about the biological processes involved.
Disrupting PCSK6 in mice causes 'left-right asymmetry' defects, such as abnormal positioning of organs in the body. They might have a heart and stomach on the right and their liver on the left, for example.
The researchers found that variants in other genes known to cause left-right defects when disrupted in mice were more likely to be associated with relative hand skill than you would expect by chance.
While the team has identified a role for genes involved in establishing left from right in embryo development, William Brandler cautioned that these results do not completely explain the variation in handedness seen among humans. He said: 'As with all aspects of human behaviour, nature and nurture go hand-in-hand. The development of handedness derives from a mixture of genes, environment, and cultural pressure to conform to right-handedness.'
A special iPhone case and app can be used to quickly and cheaply detect heart rhythm problems and prevent strokes, according to University of Sydney research presented at the Australia and New Zealand Cardiac Society conference today on the Gold Coast.
The research found the AliveCor Heart Monitor for iPhone (iECG) was a highly-effective, accurate and cost-effective way to screen patients to identify previously undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) and hence help prevent strokes.
What's more, the test is able to be used in local pharmacies and general practitioner surgeries with a single-lead ECG taken on an iPhone with a special case.
Senior author, Professor Ben Freedman, said that the device was an exciting breakthrough and would greatly assist in the challenge to improve early identification of atrial fibrillation and prevention of stroke.
"Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm problem and is responsible for almost one third of all strokes," he said.
"AF increases with age, affecting more than 15 percent of people aged 85 years and over. And people with atrial fibrillation face up to a five-fold increased risk of stroke, and tend to have more severe and life-threatening strokes.
"In addition, our research showed that about 1.4 percent of people aged over 65 (50,000 Australians) have atrial fibrillation, but do not know it. There are currently a large number of people with unknown AF who are at high risk of stroke, but who are not on any medication.
"The good news is that stroke is highly preventable with anticoagulant medication, such as warfarin, or the new oral anticoagulants, which can reduce the risk by 66 percent.
"The iECG allows us to screen patients for atrial fibrillation in minutes, and treat people early. This is a huge boost in the fight to reduce the amount of strokes, particularly in people over the age of 65," Professor Freedman said.
For patients in the study with a history of known atrial fibrillation, the researchers also identified both a treatment gap and a knowledge gap. The treatment gap they identified was that only 66 percent of those eligible for stroke prevention medication were being prescribed this medication.
Lead author Nicole Lowres also said the knowledge gap of patients with AF was surprising and alarming.
"Over half of those with known atrial fibrillation in AF at the time of screening were unaware of their diagnosis even though many of them were prescribed and taking warfarin to treat their condition," she said.
"The iECG can be viewed on the phone screen and also used as an educational tool to teach people about their heart rhythm." Ms Lowres said.
Ms Lowres also noted how cost effective screening with the iECG could be.
"Our economic analysis has shown the iECG is highly cost effective and in fact this is the first mass screening program fir AF likely to be cost effective, unlike traditional 12 lead ECGs recorded by a practice nurse," she said.
"In addition, the iECG is extremely portable, which gives great flexibility for screening, and is simple to administer.
"In a new development, we are now getting receptionists in general practice to record an iECG before patients see their doctor," Ms Lowres said.
About the iECG: When taking a reading, the iECG can be seen on the iPhone screen in real time. In addition, the iECG is transmitted to a secure server (cloud) where a specialist can review the iECGs remotely. The website can automatically analyse the reading to make a diagnosis of AF. The researchers tested the website's automatic prediction in the SEARCH-AF study and found it correctly diagnoses atrial fibrillation 97 percent of the time.
The researchers are currently trialling iECG screening in GP surgeries in Sydney.
The University of Sydney research was funded by a number of investigator-initiated research grants from BMS/Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Bayer. The National Heart Foundation provided a scholarship for lead researcher, Nicole Lowres.
"The development of the iPhone ECG device just shows how important research and fundraising is in the fight against heart disease and stroke," Dr Robert Grenfell, the Heart Foundation's National Director of Cardiovascular Health, said.
"Last year, the Heart Foundation directed $13.5 million in funding to support 195 researchers. This year through the Heart Foundation Big Heart Appeal, we hope to raise $5 million to continue funding this kind of world-class research."
Courtesy: science alert
To keep their bodies running at peak performance, people often hit the gym, pounding away at the treadmill to strengthen muscles and build endurance. This dedication has enormous benefits—being in shape now means warding off a host of diseases when you get older. But does the brain work in the same way? That is, can doing mental exercises help your mind stay just as sharp in old age?
Experts say it's possible. As a corollary to working out, people have begun joining brain gyms to flex their mental muscles. For a monthly fee of around $15, websites like Lumosity.com and MyBrainTrainer.com promise to enhance memory, attention and other mental processes through a series of games and brain teasers. Such ready-made mind exercises are an alluring route for people who worry about their ticking clock. But there's no need to slap down the money right away—new research suggests the secret to preserving mental agility may lie in simply cracking open a book.
The findings, published online today in Neurology, suggest that reading books, writing and engaging in other similar brain-stimulating activities slows down cognitive decline in old age, independent of common age-related neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, people who participated in mentally stimulating activities over their lifetimes, both in young, middle and old age, had a slower rate of decline in memory and other mental capacities than those who did not.
Researchers used an array of tests to measure 294 people's memory and thinking every year for six years years. Participants also answered a questionnaire about their reading and writing habits, from childhood to adulthood to advanced age. Following the participants' deaths at an average age of 89, researchers examined their brains for evidence of the physical signs of dementia, such as lesions, plaques and tangles. Such brain abnormalities are most common in older people, causing them to experience memory lapses. They proliferate in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, leading to memory and thinking impairments that can severely affect victims' daily lives.
Using information from the questionnaire and autopsy results, the researchers found that any reading and writing is better than none at all. Remaining a bookworm into old age reduced the rate of memory decline by 32 percent compared to engaging in average mental activity. Those who didn't read or write often later in life did even worse: their memory decline was 48 percent faster than people who spent an average amount of time on these activities.
The researchers found that mental activity accounted for nearly 15 percent of the difference in memory decline, beyond what could be explained by the presence of plaque buildup. "Based on this, we shouldn't underestimate the effects of everyday activities, such as reading and writing, on our children, ourselves and our parents or grandparents," says study author Robert S. Wilson, a neuropsychologist at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in a statement.
Reading gives our brains a workout because comprehending text requires more mental energy than, for example, processing an image on a television screen. Reading exercises our working memory, which actively processes and stores new information as it comes. Eventually, that information gets transferred into long-term memory, where our understanding of any given material deepens. Writing can be likened to practice: the more we rehearse the perfect squat, the better our form becomes, tightening all the right muscles. Writing helps us consolidate new information for the times we may need to recall it, which boosts our memory skills.
So the key to keeping our brains sharp for the long haul does have something in common with physical exercise: we have to stick with it. And it's best to start early. In 2009, a seven-year study of 2,000 healthy individuals aged 18 to 60 found that mental agility peaks at 22. By 27, mental processes like reasoning, spatial visualization and speed of thought began to decline.
It has long been regarded as a potentially troublesome, redundant organ, but American researchers say they have discovered the true function of the appendix.
The researchers say it acts as a safe house for good bacteria, which can be used to effectively reboot the gut following a bout of dysentery or cholera.
The conventional wisdom is that the small pouch protruding from the first part of the large intestine is redundant and many people have their appendix removed and appear none the worse for it.
Scientists from the Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina say following a severe bout of cholera or dysentery, which can purge the gut of bacteria essential for digestion, the reserve good bacteria emerge from the appendix to take up the role.
But Professor Bill Parker says the finding does not mean we should cling onto our appendices at all costs.
"It's very important for people to understand that if their appendix gets inflamed, just because it has a function it does not mean they should try to keep it in," he said.
"So it's sort of a fun thing that we've found, but we don't want it to cause any harm, we don't want people to say, "oh, my appendix has a function", so I'm not going to go to the doctor, I'm going to try to hang onto it."
Attractive theory
Nicholas Vardaxis, an associate professor in the Department of Medical Sciences at RMIT University, says the theory put forward by the Duke University scientists makes sense.
"As an idea it's an attractive one, that perhaps it would be a nice place for these little bacteria to localise in, a little cul-de-sac away from everything else," he said.
"The thing is that if we observe what's been happening through evolution, the higher on the evolutionary scale we are and the more omnivorous animals become, then the smaller and less important the appendix becomes and humans are a good example of that.
"The actual normal flora bacteria within the appendix, as well within our gut, are the same, so we've lost all of those specialised bacteria.
"So it doesn't have that safe house type of function anymore, I don't think.
"It's a vestige of something that was there in previous incarnations, if you like."
Koala appendix
Unlike the human, the koala is famous for having a very long appendix.
It is thought to aid digestion on a diet made up exclusively of eucalyptus leaves.
Professor Vardaxis says that is not likely to change any time soon.
"Unless of course we have a massive blight and we get the eucalypt on which the koala thrives dying, then we may find some mutant koalas out there perhaps that will start eating other things, and as they start to eat other things, then over generations and hundreds of thousands of years of time, then surely, yes, the koala's appendix will shrink as well," he said.
Professor Vardaxis says it is possible that at that point, koalas might be afflicted by appendicitis and have to have it taken out at times.
Courtesy: Political Blindspot
Partners in Health (PIH) is a Boston-based non-profit organization whose mission is to bring modern medical science to those most in need. In effect, PIH spreads a little proverbial sunshine to the underprivileged. In this case they're collecting sunshine and turning it into cheap, reliable electricity. PIH coordinated an effort to design and install a grid-tied solar power system that exceeds all of the hospital's daytime energy needs. Surplus energy is sold back to the grid during the day. At night the hospital runs on grid power, with diesel-powered generators available in case of a nighttime power failure.
The hospital's roof sports more than 1800 photovoltaic (PV) panels, each capable of generating up to 280 watts. (I'll save you a trip to the calculator - that's 500 kW of peak DC power.) The panels feed five 95 kW grid-tied inverters, which provide over 400 kW AC. You can see its live production here. Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais is now the largest hospital in the world that uses solar power to generate more than 100% of its electrical needs during peak sunlight hours.
If you're wondering about the concrete blocks on the roof, project engineer Ann Polaneczky explains, "We have a membrane roof that can't have perforations, so our racks sit on the roof unbolted and are held down by these CMU [concrete masonry unit] blocks. The racking & block quantities were structurally designed for 120 mph [193 km/hr] winds so that the panels are safe up there even in a hurricane." Wow!
Since PV panels are less efficient at higher temperatures, the roof was painted white to minimize heat absorption. The white surrounding also reflects more light onto the PV panels, providing two benefits for the price of one. The panels sit about a foot above the roof to maximize air flow. As far as panel maintenance is concerned, they're simply rinsed with plain water four times a year. Two local electricians, trained by engineers who designed and installed the equipment, will continue working at the hospital to maintain its electrical system.
In addition to its solar panels, the building was designed to maximize energy efficiency. Passive ventilation techniques help to naturally cool the building and reduce the need for air conditioning. The white roof also contributes to that effort. (Did I say the white roof provided two benefits for the price of one? Make that three.) Motion-sensor lights cut 60% off the energy needed for lighting. Overall, the building's design and the PV panels should save the hospital about $379,000 every year. With a $2.2 million initial investment, the system will pay for itself in just under six years.
Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, a state-of-the-art medical facility, was funded by several non-profit organizations, including the Red Cross, the GE Foundation, and Artists for Haiti, an organization founded by actor Ben Stiller and art gallery owner David Zwirner.
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While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about — the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me. Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First, he hugged his three children, one-by-one. After several moments, he handed his baby daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and preceded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. "I love you so much!"They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those," he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked. The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. "Two whole days!" "Two days?" I was stunned.
By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks – if not months. I know my expression betrayed me. I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!" The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend… decide!" Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" (A Fifth Portion of Chicken Soup for the Soul by M. D. Hargrove; www.bluinc.com)
Love is a decision of the heart. Lovers, family and friends emotionally challenge us in ways that make us question the strength of our love ~ the size of our heart. This is the nature of love. Love demands that we grow and stretch ourselves in ways we never imagined. This is especially true when it comes to romantic relating.
When we first fall in love, we are infatuated with our lovers' looks and ways of being. Even, their idiosyncrasies are dear to us. We hang on every word and relish the chance of losing ourselves—sexually, emotionally, and spiritually. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as the early stages of a romantic relationship. We can fall emotionally hard and quickly. But, who is it really for whom we are falling?
We are falling for our own fantasies of the ideal lover. There is an idea of an Adonis or a Venus inside all of us. We wait just for the right lover to come along who is a perfect match with the lover of our minds. Never mind that they talk with food in their mouths, are messy, refuse to put the cap on the toothpaste, or close the toilet seat after using it. It is easy, at first, to conveniently overlook features of our lovers that show them to be less than Adonis or Venus. They are so adorable to us. At least, this is the situation for now.
Falling in love is not hard. But, staying in love—growing and deepening it—is. Most of us are not taught how to emotionally stretch ourselves in order to grow and deepen love, unless we were raised by the couple in my opening story. The honeymoon phase of love, when nothing else matters, fades after a few months or a few years of being together (The Early Stages Of Falling In Love: Euphoric, Endangered, Exhausting). Now, your relationship differences seem undoable to you, like you are trying to force a square peg into a round hole. This is often the point where people break up, because the next phase of love asks them to love the person they have found, rather than the person they first imagined their lovers to be. For some people, this is too hard of a task, psychologically and spiritually. It is not easy to develop love beyond a state of good feelings to a promise. It is not that you stop feeling love. It is more that to keep that feeling alive, love is asking you to decide for it.
No matter how much love there is in the beginning of a relationship, raising children, money pressures, and never ending needs and desires emerging in our romantic partners, and in us, have to be considered and negotiated so that the relationship continues to thrive. Everyday we are asked to decide for the relationship—for its future. The needs, desires, and requests of our partners often conflict with ours, so that the integrity of our commitment to each other is challenged. How will we decide? Will we find solutions that make them and ourselves happy? Or, will we dig in our heels and say no to the relationship?
The answer to these questions is no easy task, as many of you know. It means that we may have to loosen up our fixed ideas and beliefs and emotionally stretch ourselves in ways we never thought we would or was possible. But, when we decide to love, we can move mountains—inside of us.
As many of you know, I've been with my husband 26 years now, 24 of which we have been married. Through the years, daily stresses and changes going on inside of him and me have repeatedly led us to ask: "And, today, how shall we decide?" Does this mean that we haven't loved, because we have to ask ourselves the question as to the meaning of our love as the relationship is challenged? No. It is our conscious decision to love each day that leads us to emotionally stretch ourselves enough to preserve the integrity of our love.
If you are in the midst of a relationship stress or trouble that is making you question the depth of your love, I want you to ask yourself the questions that follow. Only you can decide what this difficult period in your relationship means to you. But, let the questions that follow deepen your appreciation of all that is involved in growing a romantic relationship, so that you can DECIDE consciously what is right for you.
These questions are not easy for us to answer. They ask us to look deep within ourselves for defenses that prevent us from finding and strengthening love. It is always easier to see what is wrong with other people than with our own selves. Thus, if you reflected upon these questions, only thinking about how your mate isn't emotionally stretching him or herself enough to preserve the relationship, then, you have gone about these questions all wrong. These questions are asking YOU about your resistance to move to the next phase of a love relationship. If so, go back and answer the questions as they concern you, alone.
Love is a decision of the heart. It is an unconditional commitment that says: "I will do all I can to protect, grow, and honor the integrity of our relationship." I will grow away from narcissistic self-concerns to concerns of my mate, children, and anything else that preserves the integrity of the family life that we have built together. Have you made this promise?
Courtesy: Psychology in Everyday Life
