Helen Hodgetts and Dylan Jones, professor of psychology at Cardiff University, examined the cost of such interruptions in terms of the time taken to complete a simple seven-step computer task.

“Our findings suggest that even seemingly brief and inconsequential on-screen pop-up messages might impact our efficiency, particularly given their frequency over the working day,” says Hodgetts.

They found that, even after only a five second interruption, people take longer than normal to complete the next step in the task they are working on.

But in a more realistic work environment, where there is more information to retrieve after the interruption, the loss of concentration could have a greater impact on performance.

Other results from the study show that an interruption lag — a brief time between a warning for a pop-up and the interruption itself — can reduce the time we lose trying to find our place again.

A warning sound was found to be most effective because it allows us to consolidate where we are in the current task before transferring our attention to the interruption.

Conversely, a flashing warning signal on the screen can be just as disruptive as the interruption itself, said a Cardiff release.

Researchers suggest that e-mail alerts and similar pop-up messages should be as small and discreet as possible and should not obscure the original activity.

Source: http://www.zeenews.com/news585905.html

Skipper Dhoni & his young guns will try to keep islanders on bay after grabbing top spot in the ICC Test rankings.
However, India have started their journey in shortest version of game superbly but in the year 2008-09 Team India completely failed to prove its metal in the game. After winning inaugural Twenty20 world Cup in South Africa, Dhoni and his brigade were not upto the mark.

Team India only managed to win against Sri Lanka, Ireland and Bangladesh while it went down to Australia, New Zealand West Indies, South Africa and England.

On the other hand, Sri Lankans were runner up in the second T20 World Cup.

It will be a test of character for Indian cricketers when they will take on Sri Lanka today. They will have to smoothly accommodate into the shortest version of game after playing Test series.

Comeback boy S Sreesanth is doubtful starter for today’s T20 as he has been suffering from tummy bug. However, the final decision on Sreesanth will be taken just before the start of play.

On the other hand, the visitors are keen to take revenge of Test series. Sri Lanka side is capable enough to turn the table but it is not less than a suicide to predict in a cricket match.

Source: http://www.samaylive.com/news/1st-t20-india-vs-srilanka-match-preview/670106.html

So Manisha is taking long vacations with him in different cities of the world, far away from the media’s eye. But we hear through people close to Manisha that she is mighty impressed with Dorris, a sports counselor, author and entrepreneur.

According to a close friend, Manisha wanted to move in with Dorris to test what life would be like when they stay together, because she wants to be sure before tying the knot. It is a late marriage for Manisha and she doesn’t want to regret her decision. Manisha actually went to Paris for around four months and lived in with him to see his habits.

“Manisha also wanted to see how much she would have to adjust to make the relationship work smoothly. She believes that unless you stay with the person, you don’t get to know how he really is.” said a close of Manisha Koirala.

It is also believed that the two might have already said ‘I do’ in Paris in a secret ceremony.

However when contacted, Manisha rubbished the gossip of a secret wedding. But she confirmed that Dorris and she have been spending quality time with each other in Paris and many other world cities. “I went on my own to Paris and met Chris much later. Chris and I have travelled to many places together,” she replied.

Source: http://www.samaylive.com/news/manisha-may-marry-with-christopher-dorris/670071.html

When 6 MPs against whom questions were listed did not bother to show up for the Question Hour, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari was left to wonder if the virus had spread to the chamber.

“Is this a virus?” The Lok Sabha virus has reached Rajya Sabha,” he said describing the malaise.

“I was meeting a minister in the central hall and never realised that my question will come so soon,” said Rajiv Shukla, a Congress MP.

Empty benches during some of the most crucial debates of national importance are not unusual.

* During the passing of Right to Education, there were only 55 MPs in the Lok Sabha
* During the debate on internal security in Rajya Sabha, only 45 were present
* The debate on price rise was postponed in Lok Sabha twice due to lack of quorum

The opposition has been objecting to Prime Minister’s foreign tours saying for the last two years during each major session, the PM has been out at least twice.

“The Prime Minister should follow the schedule of the Parliament,” said CPM leader Sitaram Yechuri.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/hamid_ansari_upset_as_mps_bunk_session.php

India’s largest private sector firm RIL was up 1.69 per cent, Tata Steel 1.89 per cent and Hindalco 1.89 per cent in early trade.

The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer Sensex was quoted at 17,067.30 at 1015 hours, up 84.16 points or 0.50 per cent over its previous close.

The National Stock Exchange’s 50-share Nifty also rose by 20.45 points or 0.40 per cent to 5,087.15 at 1015 hours from its last close.

Tata Steel said yesterday that its sales rose 34.5 per cent to 498,000 tonnes in November over the corresponding period last year.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/Sensex-regains-17000-level-in-early-trade/articleshow/5313270.cms

John Fernandes  unsuccessfully contested the  Assembly elections in 2007 as a candidate for the Save Goa Front.

The alleged victim says Fernandes spiked her drink  and then raped her in his car on the first of December.  The victim, who works at a Goa hotel, says she met Fernandes through a mutual friend, who is also from Russia.  The victim and her friend had dinner with Fernandes on the first of December.  The victim says the politician raped her after they dropped her friend home.

The victim and her boyfriend have repeatedly said that they are under pressure to drop the case against Fernandes, who is from South Goa.

The researchers examined patients with asthma who were assessed each for the severity of their asthma and allergy, given questionnaires to determine the extent of their smoke-induced symptoms, and then underwent bronchial biopsies. Of the total of 147 patients, 66 never smoked, 46 were ex-smokers and 35 were current smokers.

In addition to the changes in the epithelial thickness, Broekema found distinct differences between the current smokers and the ex- and non-smokers.

“In addition to the epithelial thickening, we found that cigarette smoke negatively affects levels of exhaled nitric oxide, making it an unreliable indicator of asthma severity in smokers,” she said.

Current smokers also had more mucous-producing goblet cells in their epithelium and, the epithelial cell layer contained more mucus protein overall, when compared to never-smoking asthmatics.

“These pathological findings were associated with the severity of phlegm production reported by the asthma patients, suggesting a causal relationship between the two. Smoking asthmatics also showed a distinct inflammatory profile in their lungs compared to never-smoking asthmatics, with a lower number of eosinophils and higher number of mast cells,” said Broekema.

“Furthermore, our data suggest that smoking cessation can reverse the thickening of the lining of the airways,” Broekema added.

To determine the role of exposure length on asthmatic lungs, the researchers divided the ex-smokers into two groups: those with fewer than the median 3.4 pack-year exposure and those with more than 3.4 pack-years.

Interestingly, while they expected to find evidence of a dose-response effect between smoking and epithelial remodeling, no such association was apparent between the number of pack-years or duration of smoking cessation and epithelial remodeling.

“To our surprise, these two sub-groups of ex-smokers showed no difference in any outcome measure. These sub-analyses indicate that the amount of smoke exposure in the past does not influence our outcome measures,” Broekema said.

“This study shows again how important smoking cessation is for pulmonary health, and this appears to be especially true for asthmatic patients. The good news is that quitting appears to have a measurable benefit in these individuals,” Broekema added.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/health/Kicking-the-butt-beneficial-for-asthmatics/articleshow/5310753.cms

However, the censors’ latest campaign against content that harms public morality appears to have encouraged Internet users to look for porn online.

Within the first 24 hours, a hotline set up Friday by Internet Illegal Information Reporting Centre was flooded with more than 500 phone calls and 13,000 online tips, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The centre is looking for websites and mobile phone-accessible sites that contain obscene material or advertise sex products, the report said.

Rewards ranging from 1,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan will go to the first person to report each website, the centre said in a notice, adding a committee would review the tipoffs to determine what award was appropriate, Xinhua said.

China has launched several Internet crackdowns on pornography, con artists and political activists in the past.

Earlier this year China threatened to sanction major websites, including search engine giants Google and Baidu, alleging that pornography and other material that could corrupt young people was turning up in search results.

Source: http://www.zeenews.com/news585152.html

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs GM Siddeshwara, Sudarshan Bhagat and Sumitra Mahajan, Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh Sarvey Sathyanarayana and AIADMK MP M Thambidurai were the MPs who were absent as Speaker Meira Kumar invited members to ask questions.

Congress MP from Kerala K Sudhakaran was also not present but his name was not mentioned in the list of questions for oral answers. The total questions listed for oral answers were 20 out of which the house could consider only six.

Speaker Meira Kumar said Sumitra Mahajan had informed her that she would not be able to attend the Question Hour on Monday.

Congress MPs PT Thomas, Shruti Choudhary and Madhu Goud Yashki and Kerala Congress MP Jose K Mani, who were criticised for not being present in the house last Monday, were present in the house during question hour this time.

However, another Congress MP Anto Antony came late while BJP MP Varun Gandhi was absent.

A total of 34 MPs with questions listed against their names were not in the house last Monday and question hour virtually collapsed because of the missing members.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had sought an explanation from party MPs on their absence from the Lok Sabha last Monday.

Speaker Meira Kumar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had also expressed concern over the state of the Question Hour.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/only-five-mps-miss-question-hour-on-monday/106638-37.html

Rahul will meet industrial workers, rickshaw pullers and labourers upto an age of 35 years on December 8, city Congress President Mahesh Diskhit said, adding anyone more than 35 years of age will not be allowed to meet him.

During his meeting with the workers, Rahul will listen to their problems and try to come out with solutions, MP from Kanpur and Union Coal Minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal told PTI.

The MP from Amethi constituency will also muster support of youth in party’s membership drive.

The Indian Youth Congress has launched a membership drive, ending December 15, in 26 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state to draw youths towards the party.

“Rahul is expected to visit a number of constituencies where the membership drive is going on. He also plans to meet youth party leaders during his one-day trip,” Jaiswal said.

During his visit, Rahul will meet probable candidates for 2012 Assembly polls, he said.

Later in the day, the Congress leader will also attend programmes to be organised in Kannuaj, Farrukhabad and Etawah and Kanpur (rural).

Rahul will also meet city’s young businessmen where he will discuss their problems, he said.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/35_plus_in_kanpur_no_rahul_gandhi_for_you_1.php