After Veggies, Flowers to Bloom in Space This New Year

It is the first time that a flowering crop experiment will be grown on the orbiting laboratory. Image Credit: iStock

Washington:  After having a sumptuous feast of "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce grown in space, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) are set to witness flowers blooming on the orbiting laboratory after the New Year.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren has activated the "Veggie" plant growth system and its rooting "pillows" containing Zinnia seeds on the space station.

Zinnia is a genus of plants of the sunflower tribe within the daisy family.

It is the first time that a flowering crop experiment will be grown on the orbiting laboratory, NASA said in a statement.

Growing zinnias in orbit will help provide precursory information about other flowering plants that could be grown in space.

"Growing a flowering crop is more challenging than growing a vegetative crop such as lettuce," said Gioia Massa, NASA Kennedy Space Center payload scientist for Veggie.

"Lighting and other environmental parameters are more critical," Massa added.

Lindgren will turn on the red, blue and green LED lights, activate the water and nutrient system to "Veggie", and monitor the plant growth.

The zinnias will grow for 60 days, which is twice as long as the first and second crop of "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce that grew on the space station.

During the growth cycle, the LED lights will be on for 10 hours and off for 14 hours in order to stimulate the plants to flower.

"Growing the zinnia plants will help advance our knowledge of how plants flower in the Veggie growth system, and will enable fruiting plants like tomatoes to be grown and eaten in space using Veggie as the in-orbit garden," explained Trent Smith, "Veggie" programme manager at Kennedy.

Researchers also hope to gather good data regarding long duration seed stow and germination, whether pollen could be an issue, and the impact on crew morale.

Growing tomato plants on the space station is planned for 2017.

Earlier, Expedition 44 crew members, including NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, cherished the fruits of their labour after they harvested a crop of "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce from the "veggie plant" growth system on the orbiting laboratory for 33 days.

The astronauts cleaned the leafy greens with citric acid-based, food safe sanitising wipes before consuming them.

"Having fresh food like these available in space could have a positive impact on people's moods and also could provide some protection against radiation in space," said Dr Ray Wheeler, head of advanced life support activities at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

The "Veggie" unit can also be used by astronauts for recreational gardening activities during deeper space missions including Mars.

Story First Published: November 17, 2015 19:05 IST

China to Release Fifth Giant Panda

Representational image.

Beijing:  Another giant panda bred in captivity will be released into the wild in China's Sichuan province on Thursday, officials said on Tuesday.

The two-year-old female Hua Jiao, the fifth candidate of the country's programme to send artificially-bred giant pandas back into the forests, has finished a two-year wilderness training programme, said Huang Yan, chief engineer of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP).

Hua Jiao, weighing around 50kg, is the younger sister of Tao Tao, the male panda released in 2012, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Hua Jiao has met all wilderness training targets and she is absolutely an A graduate," said Huang, who is in charge of the training.

"We are hoping to introduce more artificially-bred pandas into wild to diversify the gene bank of local panda community," he said.

Hua Jiao is currently living in the wilderness training reserve at Tiantai mountain. She will be released into the Liziping Nature Reserve in Shimian county before undergoing a physical examination. Her elder brother Tao Tao was released in the same reserve.

China began releasing captive-bred pandas into the wild in 2006 when Xiang Xiang, a five-year-old male, was released in Wolong National Nature Reserve. However, Xiang Xiang died roughly a year later after fighting with other pandas over food and territory.

In 2012, 2013 and 2014, three more, Tao Tao (male), Zhang Xiang (female) and Xue Xue (female) were released in the Liziping reserve, but Xue Xue died in November 2014.

Researchers have been following Tao Tao and Zhang Xiang with the help of GPS collars, radio positioning tools and DNA. Monitoring data shows the animals are doing well.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. Fewer than 2,000 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi. There were 375 giant pandas in captivity at the end of 2013, about 200 of them at the CCRCGP.

Story First Published: November 18, 2015 08:01 IST

Want to Avoid Conflict? For Just $10, You Can Outsource Your Breakup

The Breakup Shop. Image courtesy: The Breakup Shop, Handout/The Washington Post

Just in time for the holidays, two Canadian brothers are selling the heartwarming gift of avoidance: Starting at just $10, you can pay someone else to end your relationship for you.

The Breakup Shop is the vision of 20-somethings Mackenzie and Evan, who declined to use their last names publicly for fear of inciting the wrath of a scorned sweetheart. ("We're really just the messenger," Mackenzie says.)

The brothers, who described themselves as university-educated entrepreneurs, launched their business Nov. 9 with a crisply designed website that offers an array of ways to ditch your significant other. These include a breakup text or email (starting at $10), a standardized form letter (starting at $20) or a phone call ($29 and up). If you must be single by Saturday, rush orders are available; and if you care to soothe your soon-to-be-ex's pain, you can always send the $80 "Breakup Gift Pack," which includes a Netflix gift card, a box of Chips Ahoy! Rainbow cookies and either "The Notebook" on Blu-ray (for those who want to cry) or the "Call of Duty: Ghosts" video game (for those who want to blow things up).

It's the kind of gimmick that gets passed around and gawked at online - which can create a bit of a fiction, because although the service does exist, only a handful of people have used it.

Mackenzie says he and Evan were inspired to create the Breakup Shop after Mackenzie was recently "ghosted" by a woman he was dating: Instead of just telling him she didn't want to see him anymore, she stopped communicating and disappeared. Mackenzie was bummed.

"My brother and I were commiserating, and talking about our experiences with relationships in the 21st-century modern dating world, and saying - you know, if there's all these apps and services to help you get into a relationship so easily, why isn't there one to help you get out of a relationship easily, with compassion and empathy?" he says.

Nothing says "compassion and empathy" quite like the phrase "end-of-relationship technology solutions," as Mackenzie puts it.

They're not the first to become breakup middlemen. There was, for example, "IDUMP4U," launched in 2010 by a pragmatic Iowan who offered to handle people's breakups by phone for cash, according to the Globe and Mail; or "Sorry It's Over," an Australian breakup service founded this year by a former nurse, according to the Daily Dot.

For now, Mackenzie and Evan are the only ones fielding breakup orders at the Breakup Shop, although they say they're looking to recruit employees who have a background in counseling, writing and/or psychology. So far, people seem more interested in becoming a professional "heartbreaker" than hiring one.

As of this week, more than 500 people have applied to work at the Breakup Shop, Mackenzie says. The number of breakup orders? Fourteen - including one from Emanuel Maiberg, a writer at Motherboard who purchased a phone breakup as a stunt for a story.

The brothers like to keep the ordering process simple; they won't ask any invasive questions about what prompted the imminent split. "We don't want to be asking why or casting judgment on anyone who wants to get out of a relationship," Evan says.

But customers can choose to include personal information if they want, which is then plugged into the breakup message. (We're imagining something like a breakup Mad Lib: "Tobey no longer wants to be with you because he feels DISTRAUGHT when you MAKE HIM WALK THE DOG EVERY TIME and he thinks it would be better if you NEVER SAW EACH OTHER AGAIN but he hopes you can still be friends.")

In other words, the service seems slightly better than straight-up ghosting; still arguably worse than a parting Post-It note (la "Sex and the City" - at least it was handwritten!); and on par with getting Homer Simpson to deliver your message ("Dear Baby: Welcome to Dumpsville. Population: You").

But wait! Before we rush to judgment, the Breakup Shop's blog page includes two heartwarming stories from satisfied customers - Samantha, who eventually married her Candy Crush-obsessed beau after an icy text from the Breakup Shop inspired him to turn his screen-centered life around; and 24-year-old Vanessa, who found lasting love after she dumped her loser boyfriend, Steve, who couldn't support her and her kid because all he did was play in a band. Angry Steve then stole Vanessa's car, but then Vanessa became smitten with Mark, the lawyer who put Steve behind bars: "Before you know it, Mark was taking me to the opera, to fancy wine bars and taking my son Zachary to the zoo," Vanessa gushes.

But, wait: None of that is true. The fabricated testimonials are merely "intended to allow people to try to relate to how their experiences might be," Mackenzie says.

Still, Mackenzie and Evan say their commitment to the Breakup Shop is just as real as the testimonials are fake. "We want to grow to become the biggest and best out there, and the most trusted and the most well-respected," Mackenzie says. The brothers are talking to investors, he adds, and focusing on how to build the business.

"There have been articles saying, 'Oh, it's a cowardly service' and whatnot, but there are a lot of people in relationships who know they don't want to be in them and because of conflict they choose not to actually do the deed of doing the breakup," Mackenzie says. "I think, if anything, if our service is just a 'Hey, the cat's out of the bag' service, then it's served its purpose."

Fair enough. Considering how many breakups are plagued by second-guessing - Was it really for the best? Is there a chance this person was The One? - the Breakup Shop gives the gift of certainty.

And cookies.

© 2015 The Washington Post

Mumbai Woman, 89, Has a Confession For Husband Who Died 12 Years Ago

"My husband and I had the best time after he retired," says an 89-year-old woman from Mumbai on the Humans of Bombay Facebook page. Her post, about her favourite memories of her husband, will help you believe in true love, the kind that never ends.

In her post, the octogenarian explains how she and her husband spent their time doing different things and were never idle. They would paint, redecorate their house, watch the evening mass on TV, even cook their meals together.

"But his favourite thing to do was to go for long walks in the evening, where he would hold my hand during every crossing and only let go once we reached the other side," she recalls.

They followed this lifestyle until her husband died. "He passed away peacefully in his sleep 12 years ago, but I still want more time with him," she says.

"I try and keep myself busy by going to my daughter's house for lunch and dinner and going to mass whenever I can, but it isn't quite the same without him," she explains.

And she has a secret she never told her husband, a confession she never made. It is this and might make you cry a little: "At 89, I can say I've lived a great life and nothing really scares me... except one thing which I would have never admitted to him then, but I'm terrified of crossing the road by myself and I still can't do it without him."

9 Beauty Tips for Gorgeous Skin and Hair

Most people are born with good skin and hair. The sad part is that a lot of them destroy them overtime due to negligence, without putting in the effort to take care of themselves. I come across hundreds of young women looking for desperate solutions to their skin and hair problems and expecting me to wave my magic wand and tackle their issues overnight and transform them. I would love to oblige but the truth is that nature doesn’t bloom overnight. The smallest seed of a plant also needs to be planted, nurtured and cared for before it can blossom and show its magnificence. Though we live in a world of “insta” or instant options, some things cannot be played around with.

With the festive season around the corner – Durga Puja, Karvachauth, Diwali and endless parties and festivities that go with it, the skin and hair need to look healthy and stunning. In this article I have conjured up some INSTA recipes (both magical and natural) that are guaranteed to work and give some fabulous results to dead looking skin and hair. So wake up and imbibe these spells into your festive look.

1. For dull, oily and combination skin
Massage the skin with iced yoghurt and sprinkle some sugar along with it. Now take orange halves and scrub gently until the granules melt. Wash the face with iced water and see the difference.

2. For dull, tired and dry skin
Massage the skin with papaya. Then make a scrub by mixing oats and honey along with a little cold milk and scrub the skin. Wash off with ice cold milk and water and pat dry.
 

3. Suffering from frizzy hair?
Try this simple, quick and easy-to-make spray. Take slices of two lemon and simmer in two cups of water until it reduces to half the amount. Pour the liquid into a spritz bottle and spray on your hair. Not only will there be a wonderful natural sheen but static and fly away hair will be gone!

4. For natural hair colour
If you have a brownish tinge in your hair and don’t have the time to henna or colour it, then take a few sprigs of rosemary from the kitchen shelf and simmer them in 2 cups of water along with 2 tsp black tea until it reduces to half the quantity. Mix with 1/4cup of shampoo and every time you shampoo, use this mixture. Leave the shampoo in your hair for about 15 minutes and see the difference it makes.
 

5. For a smooth back
Planning to wear a low back blouse, backless dress or choli, but have no time to go in for a body scrub to show off a smooth back? Here’s a quick home remedy. Take 1 cup of sea salt and mix it with half a cup of olive oil. Add 5 drops of sandalwood oil and mix well. Store in a jar and scrub the areas of your body you want to flaunt. Wipe off with a wet towel.

6. Dealing with under eye bags and dark circles
Take used chamomile tea bags and store them in the freezer. Grate half a cucumber and massage around eye area and then lie down with the tea bags on your eyes for 10 minutes.You will find an instant difference in the way your eyes look and feel.

7. Instant face lift
Wash your face with ice water or simply rub and ice cube with a tsp of honey on the face. Beat an egg white until it peaks and brush onto your skin and let dry. You will feel the stretch in the skin. wash face with icy cold water.
 

8. Tired eyes?
Long hours at work, then shopping and getting things organized for the festive season can be tiring. I would suggest you make this wonderful eye wash which will make you feel refreshed instantly. Take iced spring water in a bowl and add a few drops of rose water, 2-3 drops of honey and immerse one eye into it. You can also open your eye a little and then close it. Throw away the liquid and make the same water for the other eye and repeat the process. After this, splash the eyes with cold mineral water. There maybe slight redness for some time but it will go away soon and your eyes will feel refreshed in minutes.

9. Quick Hair Care
Don’t have the time to shampoo and blow dry your hair even though it is oily? Well, sweat not. Sprinkle talcum and amla powder onto your hair brush and overturn the hair over your head and brush from the nape of the neck to the tips .Now throw your hair back and voila you have bouncy oil free hair in minutes!

So these are just a few of my secret ‘insta’ beauty recipes. Use them and enjoy but never substitute them for a regular skin and hair care regime.
 

15 Amazing Guava Benefits: Heart Healthy, Weight Loss Friendly and More

Winter has set in and tis’ the season for some delicious guavas.

We’ve all enjoyed a plateful of guavas sprinkled with chaat masala and also savoured it in luscious jams, jellies and murabbas, so it’s time we find out why our grandmothers have always spoken so highly about this seasonal treat. Guava, popularly known as amrood in Hindi, packs an intoxicating strong-sweet fragrance and a distinct taste. Loaded with tiny hard seeds at the center, this tropical fruit is believed to have its origin in Central America where it is also known as “sand plum”. It is round or oval in shape with light green or light yellow skin, and the colour of its flesh varies from white or pink to dark red and has edible seeds.

Besides its unique flavour and fragrance, guava has been hailed as one of the super fruits due to the numerous health benefits it offers. It indeed is a powerhouse of nutrients. “This humble fruit is extraordinarily rich in vitamin C, lycopene and antioxidants that are beneficial for skin. Guavas are also rich in manganese which helps the body to absorb other key nutrients from the food that we eat. Guavas contain folate, a mineral which helps promote fertility. The potassium in guavas helps normalise blood pressure levels as well. In fact, a banana and a guava contain almost the same amount of potassium. Since it contains about 80% of water it helps keep your skin hydrated”, says Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja, Sukhda Hospital. Here are 15 mind-blowing guava benefits for health and skin you need to know.
 

Guava for Health

1. Immunity Booster
Did you know: Guavas are one of the richest sources of vitamin C? It’s true. Guavas contain 4 times the vitamin C content present in oranges. Vitamin C helps improve immunity and protects you against common infections and pathogens.

2. Lowers Risk of Cancer
“Lycopene, quercetin, vitamin C and other polyphenols act as potent antioxidants which neutralise free radicals generated in the body, preventing the growth of cancer cells. Guavas have shown to be widely successful in reducing prostate cancer risk and also inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells since it is rich in lycopene”, says Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja.

3. Diabetes-Friendly
Due to the rich fibre content and low glycaemic index, guavas prevent the development of diabetes. While the low glycemic index inhibits a sudden spike in sugar levels, the fibre content ensures the sugar levels are well regulated.

4. Heart Healthy
Guavas improve the sodium and potassium balance of the body, thereby regulating blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Guavas also help lower the levels of triglycerides and bad cholesterol (LDL), which contribute to the development of heart disease. This magical fruit improves levels of the good cholesterol (HDL).

5. Treats Constipation
Itis one of the richest sources of dietary fiber in comparison to other fruits and just 1 guava fulfills about 12% of your daily recommended intake of fibre, which makes it extremely beneficial for your digestive health. Guava seeds, if ingested whole or chewed, serve as excellent laxatives too, helping the formation of healthy bowel movements.

6. Improves Eyesight
Due to the presence of Vitamin A, guava is well known as a booster for vision health. It can not only prevent degradation of eyesight, but even improve eyesight. It can help slow down the appearance of cataracts and macular degeneration. Even though, guavas are not as rich in Vitamin A as carrots, they are still a very good source of the nutrient.

7. Guava During Pregnancy
Guavas contain folic acid, or vitamin B-9, which is recommended for pregnant women since it can help in developing the baby’s nervous system and protect the newborn from neurological disorders.

8. Beats Toothache
Guava leaves have a potent anti-inflammatory action and a powerful antibacterial ability which fights infection and kills germs. Thus, consuming guava leaves works as a fantastic home remedy for toothache. The juice of guava leaves has also been known to cure toothaches, swollen gums and oral ulcers.

9. Stress-Buster
The magnesium present in guavas helps to relax the muscles and nerves of the body. So after a hard workout or a long day at the office, a guava is certainly what you need to relax your muscles, combat stress and give your system a good energy boost.

10. Good for Your Brain
“Guavas contain vitamin B3 and vitamin B6, also known as niacin and pyridoxine respectively, which help in improving blood circulation to the brain, stimulating cognitive function and relaxing the nerves”, remarks Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja.

11. Weight Loss
Want to shed a few pounds? Guava is just the ticket. Without comprising your intake of proteins, vitamins and fiber, guava helps you lose weight by regulating your metabolism. It’s a win-win! Guava makes for a very filling snack and satisfies the appetite very easily. Guava, especially raw guava, also has far less sugar as compared to apples, oranges, grapes, and other fruits.

12. Cough and Cold
Guava has one of the highest quantities of vitamin-C and iron among fruits, and both are proven to be preventive against cold and viral infections. The juice of raw and immature guavas or a decoction of guava-leaves is very helpful in relieving cough and cold since it helps get rid of mucus and disinfects the respiratory tract, throat and lungs.
 

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Guava for Skin

13. Anti-Ageing Properties
Guavas are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and antioxidants like carotene and lycopene which help protect the skin from wrinkles. A guava a day, keeps fine lines away!

14. Improves Complexion
Guava helps regain the skin’s radiance and freshness. Reap the benefits by preparing a DIY scrub at home: All you have to do is mash some guava flesh with an egg yolk and apply it on your face. Rinse off after 20 minutes with warm water. When used once or twice a week, this scrub will remove dead cells from your skin and lighten your complexion. Guavas are also a great source of Vitamin K, which helps get rid of skin discoloration, dark circles, redness and acne irritation.

15. Improves Texture
Guavas rank high in astringent properties, guava leaves and unripe guavas even higher. Guava helps tone up and tighten the facial muscles, so apply a decoction of the leaves and fruit on your skin and voila!

FSSAI Moves Supreme Court Against Lifting Ban on Maggi Noodles

India's food safety authority, FSSAI,  has appealed to the supreme court against a regional court order overturning a nationwide ban on Maggi instant noodles sold by the local unit of Nestle India.
Nestle India resumed selling its popular Maggi noodles this month after getting the green signal from government laboratories, as mandated by the Bombay High Court in August. The appeal, if admitted by the Supreme Court, could upset the Swiss food giant's plans to revive Maggi sales after Indian regulators reported in May that some packets of the noodles contained unsafe levels of lead.

Nestle India can continue selling the noodles for now. "We have filed the plea in the Supreme Court," Mansoor Khan, a lawyer for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a government body, said. He said the appeal had been filed against the Bombay High Court verdict in favour of Nestle.

The FSSAI petition in the Supreme Court says the regional court erred by asking Nestle itself, instead of asking a neutral authority, to provide the fresh Maggi samples for testing at the government laboratories, according to the Hindu newspaper. "It has been brought to our attention that the Supreme Court website has posted that the Food Safety and Standards Authority has filed a case against Nestle India Ltd and others," a Nestle India spokesman said in a statement.

"We have not been served a notice about this and are not yet aware of its content. However, we would like to reiterate that Nestle India is confident of the quality and safety of Maggi noodles and so we will defend ourselves vigorously." FSSAI chief Ashish Bahuguna declined to comment.