ICC World Cup brings bonanza for travel cos as 6,000 Indians fly to Australia

Posted on by

The author has posted comments on this articleTasmayee Laha Roy & Ravi Teja Sharma, ET Bureau | Feb 9, 2015, 12.54PM IST

While Tourism Australia said about 6,000 Indians will travel for the world cup, the Australian High Commission here said the number of tourist visa applications received this January was 37% higher than the same month last year.

"These sports events are the new holiday (and) travel destinations of well-heeled Indians, especially the superrich," said T C Guruprasad, managing director at Centrum Direct, which has processed around 500 visas for Australia for the world cup through its travel arm Club7 Holidays. "For a minimum one match holiday people are spending close to Rs 1.5 lakh whereas those planning an Australian holiday around the matches are spending up to Rs 12 lakh," he added. READ ALSO: World Cup calls Indian fans pad up to visit Australia

Dr B N Raghukumar, a doctor based in Mumbai, will take a 12-day tour of Australia with seven family members. Not only has he booked the best seats inside the stadium for the India-Pakistan match on February 15, but also ensured top hotels for stay. "Centrum helped me customise our holiday around the India-Pakistan match and let us choose hotels of our choice like Palazzo Versace at Gold Coast (Queensland), Four Seasons in Sydney and Crowne Plaza in Melbourne," he said. The group is spending Rs 25.69 lakh in all.

While Tourism Australia said about 6,000 Indians will travel for the world cup, the Australian High Commission here said the number of tourist visa applications received this January was 37% higher than the same month last year.

"There isn't a huge demand, but it is surely better than the usual demand for Australia," said Mayank Khandwala, co-founder of Mumbai-based Cutting Edge Travels, one of the official travel agents for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

He said school board exams in the country almost coinciding with match dates has turned out to be a bit of a dampener.

Cutting Edge Travels will send between 500 and 800 people for the World Cup, Khandwala said. "This would include individual travellers as well as people being sent by corporates such as Reliance Communications, Samsung, LG, Greenply, HDFC Bank and others."

Some corporates are sending top performing retailers, distributors and dealers. Centrum, too, is organising holiday for a MICE group of 600 people to Australia and New Zealand for three clients with a grand launch on the eve of the India-South Africa match.

See the original post here:

ICC World Cup brings bonanza for travel cos as 6,000 Indians fly to Australia

New Zealand conditions suit India more than Australia: Mohinder Amarnath

Posted on by

India play their first four World Cup league fixtures in Australia, after which they travel to New Zealand to play two matches.

New Delhi: Former India cricketer Mohinder Amarnath believes that conditions in New Zealand will suit Indian batsmen better than those in Australia at the 2015 World Cup which starts on Saturday.

"The conditions in New Zealand will provide Indian batsmen more opportunity and options. It will suit their style because New Zealand wickets - though they may seem so - are not as quick as Australian wickets. Plus smaller grounds will come handy for Indian batsmen," Amarnath, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning India squad, told IANS in an interview.

India play their first four World Cup league fixtures in Australia, after which they travel to New Zealand to play two matches against minnows Ireland and Zimbabwe March 10 and 14, respectively.

Amarnath, who is famously known for clinching the World Cup-winning wicket in the 1983 final against the West Indies, said one of the reasons for India's failure in Australia has been the inability of the batsmen to adjust to the conditions Down Under.

"The way Indian players bat against quick bowlers, specially in Australia, they have not been able to adjust to the pace and bounce. Probably they are trying to play too many shots which they have not been able to play successfully because of their style, balance and technique," said the 64-year-old, who was Man-of-the-Series at the 1983 World Cup.

India have been in Australia for more than two-and-a-half months during which they lost the four-match Test series 0-2, lost all games and failed to make the final of the One-Day International (ODI) tri-series against Australia and England. More recently, they were once again hammered by Australia in a World Cup warm-up fixture by 106 runs.

"The important factor from the batting point of view is that the top order needs to have a good start and someone has to carry on the innings till the end and only then you have a chance to put pressure on the opponents," added the former all-rounder, who was also Man-of-the-Match in the 1983 World Cup final.

"In Australia and New Zealand, if you are a good backfoot player, you score a lot of runs because this is what they are going to get from bowlers, they are not going to pitch them up."

Though India haven't had a good Australian summer, Amarnath says there is not much to worry about when asked about the chances of the champions defending the title.

View post:

New Zealand conditions suit India more than Australia: Mohinder Amarnath

Software behind 'Big Hero 6' pushes envelope on computer animation

Posted on by

"Big Hero 6" has been a critical and commercial hit for Walt Disney Animation Studios, scoring an Oscar nomination and taking in more than $500 million at the box office.

But the more important number may be the 39,000 hours Disney Animation spent developing the computer program that made the movie possible.

The software, called Hyperion, simulates the physics of light, which can make animated films more lifelike or give them an otherworldly look.

FULL COVERAGE: Oscars 2015

It's the latest salvo in a technological arms race among animation houses. One of Disney's rivals, DreamWorks Animation, had a research and development group of about 120 people as of last year among them nearly a dozen former employees of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

Disney Animation's sister company, Pixar, has long been a trailblazer, producing the first feature-length computer-animated film, 1995's "Toy Story."

But Hyperion could transform animation.

"It's a major step for them," said Dan Sarto, co-founder and publisher of Animation World Network. "They are only as good as the tools they allow their artists to use."

Computer-animated films are big business: In most years, a handful rank among the top 10 U.S. box-office hits. They can also generate toys, clothes and other products that will produce big profits.

Disney Animation's "Frozen" grossed more than $1 billion and has bolstered profits for several business units of the studio's parent, Burbank-based Walt Disney Co.

Visit link:

Software behind 'Big Hero 6' pushes envelope on computer animation

Okyanos Stem Cell Therapy Launches Orthopedic Lifestyle Survey

Posted on by

Freeport, Grand Bahama (PRWEB) March 09, 2015

Okyanos, the leader in cell therapy, launched its next in a series of studies today to determine the emotional impact and lifestyle influence orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis and sports-related injuries have had on those affected. The survey focuses on people between the ages of 55 and 75 living with orthopedic health issues and is designed to examine the toll on those afflicted as well as their relationships.

According to Okyanos VP Marketing Carol Montgomery, Millions of people suffer disorders of the joints, bones, muscles and connective ligaments, tendons and cartilage debilitating conditions on a daily basis, ranging from reduced function to crippling pain but have exhausted available methods of treatment. These restrictions affect them in a variety of ways and our ongoing lifestyle surveys measure the effects such chronic conditions have on todays aging population. Many are turning to solutions like adult stem cell therapy for treatment with excellent results.

The Okyanos Lifestyle and Relationship Survey for Heart Disease, of nearly 700 adults, uncovered a staggering 93% were open to alternatives to their existing heart disease treatment plan showing a growing discontent with their current options. A majority 68% were emotionally impacted and felt they were saddled with restrictions imposed by their heart conditions such as chronic fatigue and shortness of breath.

Adult stem cell therapy has emerged as a new treatment alternative for those who are restricted in activities they can no longer do but are determined to live a more normal life. Okyanos cell therapy uses a unique blend of adult stem and regenerative cells derived from a patients own fat tissue, thereby utilizing the bodys own natural biology to heal itself.

Just 50 miles from US shore, Okyanos cell therapy is available to patients suffering with the daily discomfort of orthopedic conditions including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sports-related injuries and spine disease.

Patients with a severe orthopedic condition, interested in participating in the study can go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ortho_Okyanos

For a copy of the Okyanos Heart Disease Lifestyle Report that reveals the emotional toll and lifestyle impact heart disease has on patients in the United States, visit: Heart Disease Lifestyle Report

Patients can contact Okyanos to learn more and request a free consultation at http://www.Okyanos.com or by calling 1-855-659-2667.

About Okyanos: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Okyanos brings a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease, tissue ischemia, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic neurological and orthopedic conditions. Okyanos Cell Therapy utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from patients own adipose (fat) tissue which helps improve blood flow, moderate destructive immune response and prevent further cell death. Okyanos is fully licensed under the Bahamas Stem Cell Therapy and Research Act and adheres to U.S. surgical center standards. The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of the river Okyanos, symbolizes restoration of blood flow.

Here is the original post:

Okyanos Stem Cell Therapy Launches Orthopedic Lifestyle Survey

MS stem cell treatment hailed 'miraculous' as patients make dramatic recovery

Posted on by

Pioneering treatment has allowed wheelchair-bound patients to run again Patient given high dose of chemotherapy to wipe out faulty immune system Therapy then uses person's own stem cells to fight the devastating disease It may be the first ever treatment tosuccessfullyreverse symptoms of MS

By Fiona Macrae for the Daily Mail

Published: 13:27 EST, 1 March 2015 | Updated: 02:54 EST, 2 March 2015

11k shares

94

View comments

Britons left wheelchair-bound by multiple sclerosis can walk, run and even dance again after being given a pioneering stem cell treatment.

Doctors have described the recoveries as miraculous, while patients say they have been given their lives back.

The treatment uses a patients own stem cells the bodys master cells to fight the disease.

Recovery: MS sufferer Holly Drewerybecame wheelchair-bound after the birth of daughter Isla, but thanks tothe stem cell transplant shecan dance, run and chase after Isla in the park

View post:

MS stem cell treatment hailed 'miraculous' as patients make dramatic recovery

'Stem cell' test could identify most aggressive breast cancers

Posted on by

Testing breast cancer cells for how closely they resemble stem cells could identify women with the most aggressive disease, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that breast cancers with a similar pattern of gene activity to that of adult stem cells had a high chance of spreading to other parts of the body.

Assessing a breast cancer's pattern of activity in these stem cell genes has the potential to identify women who might need intensive treatment to prevent their disease recurring or spreading, the researchers said.

Adult stem cells are healthy cells within the body which have not specialised into any particular type, and so retain the ability to keep on dividing and replacing worn out cells in parts of the body such as the gut, skin or breast.

A research team from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, King's College London and Cardiff University's European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute identified a set of 323 genes whose activity was turned up to high levels in normal breast stem cells in mice.

The study is published today (Wednesday) in the journal Breast Cancer Research, and was funded by a range of organisations including the Medical Research Council, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Cancer Research UK.

The scientists cross-referenced their panel of normal stem cell genes against the genetic profiles of tumours from 579 women with triple-negative breast cancer - a form of the disease which is particularly difficult to treat.

They split the tumour samples into two categories based on their 'score' for the activity of the stem cell genes.

Women with triple-negative tumours in the highest-scoring category were much less likely to stay free of breast cancer than those with the lowest-scoring tumours. Women with tumours from the higher-scoring group had around a 10 per cent chance of avoiding relapse after 10 years, while women from the low-scoring group had a chance of around 60 per cent of avoiding relapse.

The results show that the cells of aggressive triple-negative breast cancers are particularly 'stem-cell-like', taking on properties of stem cells such as self-renewal to help them grow and spread. They also suggest that some of the 323 genes could be promising targets for potential cancer drugs.

Read the original here:

'Stem cell' test could identify most aggressive breast cancers

The International Society for Stem Cell Research announces annual meeting details

Posted on by

CHICAGO -- The International Society for Stem Cell Research's 13th annual meeting will take place June 24-27, 2015 at the Stockholmsmssan Exhibition and Convention Center in Stockholm, Sweden. The meeting will bring together approximately 4,000 stem cell scientists, bioethicists, clinicians and industry professionals from over 50 countries to present and discuss the latest discoveries and technologies within the field.

"The ISSCR is excited to bring its annual meeting to Stockholm, a city that shares our passion and reputation for great scientific research and collaboration," said ISSCR President Rudolf Jaenisch, M.D., Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. "We look forward to learning more about the strong work being done in Sweden and across Europe."

The meeting will open with the Presidential Symposium on June 24 from 1:15-3:15 p.m. local time. The symposium sets the stage for the meeting with world renowned speakers, including Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka. It is also the platform for the formal recognition of the 2015 recipients of the McEwen Award for Innovation and the ISSCR Public Service Award. Another prestigious award, the ISSCR-BD Biosciences Outstanding Young Investigator Award, will be presented during Plenary VI on June 27 from 9-11:20 a.m. and followed by an award lecture.

"I look forward to the Presidential Symposium setting the tone for the entire program," Jaenisch said. "A thread throughout will be the use of stem cells to drive our understanding of development and disease, as we explore disease modeling, gene and tissue engineering technologies and other important advances that are bringing stem cells into the clinic."

Presidential Symposium speakers will include:

Fred H. Gage, Ph.D., Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, U.S.

Jrgen Knoblich, Ph.D., Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austria

Shinya Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D., Center for iPS Cell Research & Application, Japan

Jeannie Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, U.S.

The McEwen Award for Innovation award winners (Presidential Symposium):

Read this article:

The International Society for Stem Cell Research announces annual meeting details

ESAs new Space Shuttle: IXV may expedite future missions to Mars – Video

Posted on by


ESAs new Space Shuttle: IXV may expedite future missions to Mars
Originally published on 09 February, 2015 Sign up for a free trial of News Direct #39;s animated news graphics at http://newsdirect.nma.com.tw/Reuters.aspx -----------------------------------------...

By: NMANewsDirect

Read more from the original source:

ESAs new Space Shuttle: IXV may expedite future missions to Mars - Video

Boeing preps for 'space taxis'

Posted on by

It will also permit NASA to increase the size of the American crew on the station, and double the amount of scientific research that the team can perform, according NASA spokesperson Stephanie Schierholz.

NASA awarded Boeing a $4.2 billion contract in September to develop a transportation capable of carrying human passengers, according to Kelly Kaplan, a spokesperson for Boeing. Other reports indicate Space X received $2.6 billion for manned space missions at the same time.

Read MoreTech investors make billion-$-baby boom

Both companies, along with others, have other space contracts with NASA.

The commercial crew program is expected to improve the quality of the research being done on the station, by getting research samples from space to scientists on the ground faster; under the terms of the contract, crew have to be returned within an hour of landing and critical cargo have to be retrieved within two hours.

"The longer you have something from microgravity sitting in gravity," said NASA's Shierholz, "the more degradation there is, and the tougher it is to study it as it would be in space."

Read more:

Boeing preps for 'space taxis'

SPACE-STATION SALUTE Astronaut gives 'Mr. Spock' farewell salute from orbit

Posted on by

Published February 28, 2015

A NASA astronaut on board the International Space Station tweeted a picture Saturday from orbit of a 'Vulcan' hand salute as a tribute to actor Leonard Nimoy, known best for his 'Star Trek' role as 'Mr. Spock.'

Nimoy, who died Friday at 83, of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his Los Angeles home, with family at his side, said his son, Adam Nimoy.

His final public statement, last Sunday on Twitter, was thoughtful and bittersweet.

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory," he wrote, followed by his customary "LLAP" signoff - shorthand for "Live long and prosper," Spock's catch phrase.

The reaction to his death was swift, on Earth and in space.

Astronaut Terry W. Virts tweeted out the Vulcan hand salute from the space station with Earth's blue seen through the window. He was joined by Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti who tweeted, "Live Long and Prosper, Mr. Spock!" tweeted Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, aboard the International Space Station.

William Shatner, whose often-emotional Captain Kirk was balanced by the composed Nimoy.

"I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love,"

President Barack Obama said, "I loved Spock."

Read the original:

SPACE-STATION SALUTE Astronaut gives 'Mr. Spock' farewell salute from orbit

US astronauts spacewalk to prepare ISS for commercial spacecraft

Posted on by

Video will begin in 5 seconds.

Mocked Dancing Man to party with celebrities

Turks cry 'No to violence against women'

Why was a man on the roof of British parliament?

Trial adjourned for Al Jazeera journalists

Selma anniversary 'Our march is not yet ended'

Two US astronauts whipped through a third spacewalk outside the International Space Station to rig parking spots for new commercial space taxis. RAW VISION.

Miami:Two US astronauts on Sunday made speedy work of their third spacewalk to get the International Space Station ready for the arrival of more commercial spacecraft in the coming years.

Tethered to the outside of the orbiting outpost, space station commander Barry Wilmore and flight engineer Terry Virts reported no problems with their spacesuits during the outing, but Mr Virts discovered a small amount of water building up in his helmet after he re-entered the space station.

A similar problem occurred after Wednesday's spacewalk, when about three inches of water collected in Mr Virts' headpiece, but NASA said the problem did not put the astronauts in danger.

See more here:

US astronauts spacewalk to prepare ISS for commercial spacecraft