 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
| Why women live longer___Women live longer than men partly because their immune systems age more slowly, a study suggests. As the body's defences weaken over time, men's increased susceptibility to disease shortens their lifespans, say Japanese scientists. Tests of immune function could give an indication of true biological age, they report in Immunity & Ageing journal. The immune system protects the body from infection and cancer, but causes disease when not properly regulated. The Japanese study set out to investigate the controversial question of whether age-related changes in the immune system could be responsible for the difference in average life expectancy between men and women. Prof Katsuiku Hirokawa of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University and colleagues analysed blood samples from 356 healthy men and women aged between 20 and 90. They measured levels of white blood cells and molecules called cytokines which interact with cells of the immune system to regulate the body's response to disease. In both sexes, the number of white blood cells per person declined with age as expected from previous studies. However, closer examination revealed differences between men and women in two key components of the immune system - T-cells, which protect the body from infection, and B-cells, which secrete antibodies. |
| View Archived In the News |
 |
  |
_1347619554.gif)
American flag loftier at half-mast |
|||||||||
| America creates a new precedent of compassion in global history | |||||||||
|
What the arrogance of the American ballads of missiles, battalion and fleets had failed to achieve has been delivered by a gentle little stroke, a meek innocent sonnet of compassion and humility, even though it may not have been entirely intentional.
In modern-day politics, the language of arrogance pollutes the wide but dark broadways of hatred. Prejudice and violence are ruling the factories of sloganeering. The new age has scripted a moral blueprint in which power is the only virtue; weakness the only sin. 'The angry young man' is still missed-made the more forceful by his absence - and, in an age that has seen passion and prejudice raised to the level of cults, one could be forgiven for believing that a superpower is the last arena to straighten this skewed vision out. But, paradoxically, it has needed America to remind India of India's own message of dignity in peace, and the luminosity of love and compassion.
I have often felt that the problem with America is the American government. That is true of almost every nation these days. It, therefore, came as a bit of a surprise that history should have chosen America to create a new metaphor of love and compassion in public life, even if this metaphor might last but a bare fleeting moment.
There is a profound message - some of it perhaps unintended - in the US gesture of flying its national flag halfmast as mark of respect for the Sikh Americans killed in the Oak Creek outrage. America and violence have seldom been seen to resent each other. Hence, the symbolism has an even deeper meaning. No one need think that his single gesture can undo Iraq, Kuwait, Vietnam or other chapters of the American legend of brute force dictating international relations.
But, equally, no one need stiff at the Obama response to the Oak Creek racial disgrace. Nor does one need read too much electoral politics into it. After all, Sikhs are not the most significant voting cluster in the US. Second, the advantages to be gained out of a pro-Obama Sikh wave would have been negligible compared with the possible majority backlash that could ruin the Obama show.
What the Obama administration's gesture does is to turn our focus immediately onto how governments all over the world usually react to violence against innocents. One does not have to go far to find this out. We are all familiar with the 'big tree falls…earth trembles' disgrace of Rajiv Gandhi's period on India’s greatest hour of communal disgrace. Even the broad daylight brutal massacre of thousands of innocent and defenseless men, women and children on the streets of the national capital of the world's largest democracy had failed to elicit even single word of unqualified regret or apology from those at the helm of national affairs. The case of Gujarat presents no different an example. Leaders have continued to quibble and juggle with words. It needed a statesman of the stature of Atal Behari Vajpayee to show the vision and large-heartedness to call a disgrace a disgrace.
And these are not the only instances. And nor is India the only country where something matching the symbolism of Oak Creek has been sorely missing. From Tiananmen in China to Bamian in Afghanistan, politicians have shown a tendency fail to rise to statesmanship.
Obama's presidential baritone suddenly has a nursery choir inflexion, its simplicity matched only by its awesome innocence of faith, a faith that echoes a centuries-old rhyme - not through hatred, but through love, is hatred conquered; love spread further. And the climax of grace and innocence is more grace and more innocence.
Here is also a message for governments on what their citizens truly deserve.
A country's flag must flutter for all its citizens. By lowering it to half-mast, Obama ensured that this flag flies even higher. A flag is as much an anthem of national pride as it is a hymn of humility and compassion.
Courtesy : The Hindustan Times, Chandigarh
By Harcharan Bains,Media Advisor to CM Punjab Parkash Singh Badal
| Editor's Click Why Tirchhi Nazar turns Digital ? Our basic purpose is facilitating interaction with information. People must have... |
The Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Li Keqiang being received by...
more >>
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Recent comments by our online visitors |
| Sher Singh wrote : |
| Dear Mr. Baljit - your news dated 1st Apr'12 on the S.Pratap Singh Bajwa touring Gurdaspur "Bajwa lashes at SAD-BJP govt for ignoring border area development ", you have wrongly mentioned Smt. Aruna Chaudhary as former MLA. She is current incumbent MLA from Dinanagar Constituency. Kindly edit the news page and update your records for future news. Regards, Cpt Sher Singh PA to Aruna Chaudhary 98143-12678 |
| narinder chhabra wrote : |
| Respected Balli ji Congratulations for 6 lakhs visitors of Babushai.Com My wishes are with u for 6 crores earliest |
| H.S.HUNDAL Adv. wrote : |
| Respected Balli ji, Congratulations for touching the mark of Six Lakh Visitors.Keep up the spirit of courageous journalism and reporting.Congrats!!!! |
| Read More >> |
 |
