Study finds link between pesticides and autism

WASHINGTON: A California study out Monday found that pregnant women who lived near farms where pesticides are applied had a two-thirds higher risk of having children with autism. The findings in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives examine the association between living near commercial pesticide applications and having offspring with autism, but do not show cause-and-effect.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that ranges in severity and has been on the rise in recent years. Health authorities say it now affects as many as one in 68 children in the United States.

The latest research was based on data about commercial pesticide applications in California, combined with residential addresses of about 1,000 participants in a study of families with an autistic child.

"We mapped where our study participants´ lived during pregnancy and around the time of birth," said principal investigator Irva Hertz-Picciotto, vice chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at University of California, Davis. California law requires detailed records on what kinds of pesticides are applied, where and when and how much. "What we saw were several classes of pesticides more commonly applied near residences of mothers whose children developed autism or had delayed cognitive or other skills."

About one-third of study participants lived within 1.25 to 1.75 kilometers (about a mile) from a site where commercial pesticides were applied.

Researchers found risks of autism were highest when the chemicals were applied during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

The study authors said the developing fetal brain may be particularly vulnerable to pesticides.

"This study validates the results of earlier research that has reported associations between having a child with autism and prenatal exposure to agricultural chemicals in California," said lead study author Janie Shelton, a UC Davis graduate student. "While we still must investigate whether certain sub-groups are more vulnerable to exposures to these compounds than others, the message is very clear: Women who are pregnant should take special care to avoid contact with agricultural chemicals whenever possible.

Family who lost dog during Sandy finds it at pound

EATONTOWN: A New Jersey family whose terrier-pit bull mix escaped from their backyard during Superstorm Sandy went to an animal shelter this week to adopt a new pet and came home with their old dog.

Chuck James tells The Associated Press that his family searched for the brown-and-white dog named Reckless for months after the October 2012 storm before finally giving up hope.

"We reported him missing and called the shelters periodically, just hoping they had him," James said Saturday. "We always kept our hopes up, but eventually it's time to move on."

James said the family had planned in recent weeks to get a new dog as a 10th birthday surprise for their eldest daughter, Ally.

But when the family of five went to the Monmouth County SPCA on Thursday to adopt a new animal, James and his wife approached the first cage and saw a familiar face inside.

"He was a little bigger than I remembered because they had fed him well," James joked. "But then he was laying on my wife's feet, and I knew it was him. ... I was in disbelief. I know this dog is meant to be with our family."

When SPCA officials asked if they could prove the animal was their dog, a friend sent over a picture showing the family with their dog before Sandy hit the Jersey shore.

"We're all so happy to have him back," James said. "Thank God for no-kill shelters because every time they kill an animal, it's somebody's friend who might be lost. Thank God they didn't put him down because this would have been a different story."

SPCA officials say Reckless was picked up as a stray and has now been microchipped.

The family is living in a hotel while their storm-damaged Keansburg home is repaired. This weekend, the Jameses went on a camping trip with Reckless to celebrate the dog's return.

PIA finds degrees of 350 employees fake

KARACHI: Degrees of as many as 350 employees of the national flag carrier have been found ‘fake’. The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have terminated services of around 300 employees with immediate effect while remaining 50 cases are subjudice and courts’ decisions are waited for further action.

Such measures were adopted in compliance with instructions of Supreme Court of Pakistan. The PIA has been vigorously pursuing the issue of credential verifications of its employees, the General Manager Public Affairs PIA Muhammad Mashhood Tajwar said on Friday.

The Human Resource Administration Department of the PIA has been performing this gigantic task of verification of credentials of around 16,000 employees. The PIA launch the process of degrees verification some six months ago (since October, 2013), he mentioned.

“So far more than 30,000 degrees have been dispatched to concerned educational institutions (universities and boards) for the verifications. Meanwhile, dispatch process of remaining 3,000 degrees will be completed by mid of April. Up till now verification of now more than 6,000 degrees have been received and out of which 350 degrees were found fake”.

The verification process is going on in a very transparent manner across the board encompassing all categories and groups of employees without any discrimination. As per instructions of Supreme Court’s instructions a prompt action was taken against the fake degree holders according to Corporation’s Rules and Regulations, he claimed.

The PIA has expedited the task of verification, however, appropriate action can only be initiated once the replies from concerned universities or examination board’s is received, he concluded.

Hrithik Roshan finds a replacement for Sussanne Khan!

Not so long time ago there were reports that Hrithik Roshan will be moving out of his eighth floor apartment in El Palazzo. In the same building, his parents Rakesh Roshan and Pinky Roshan reside on the ninth floor, with a common entertainment area and a gymnasium on the tenth floor. So is the Krrish 3 actor actually moving out of this plush well-equipped home? Well, we hear that the actor will be temporarily moving into Prime Beach Apartments in Juhu. It’s the same building where Akshay Kumar owns his place. And Hrithik moving out has nothing to do with his separation from his wife Sussanne Khan. The actor is moving out as his apartment in El Palazzo is under renovation.

Well, this time around, Hrithik’s apartment isn’t being done by Sussanne but John Abraham’s brother Alan Abraham will be renovating it. Hrithik’s estranged wife Sussanne is an interior designer, who has not only designed several celebrity homes but also his El Palazzo apartment before.

Well, does Hrithik want no reminders of his relationship gone kaput which is why he replaced Sussanne with a new designer, we wonder. Anyways, as per reports, Hrithik is allergic to dust and that’s the only reason why he is moving out while his place gets renovated…

Beyonce finds Kim Kardashian-Kanye West’s wedding tacky

Pop star Beyonce has reportedly told friends that she doesn’t want to attend Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s much-hyped wedding.
The 17-time Grammy Award-winner thinks it is extremely tacky that the nuptials are going to be filmed for reality TV show ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’, reported Radar online.
“Beyonce has told husband Jay Z and his best pal, Kanye, that under no circumstances will she be a part of any filming on the wedding day if it is for Kim’s reality show,” a source said.
“Jay and Beyonce’s wedding was shrouded in secrecy and extreme lengths were made to make sure their wedding was an intimate affair for friends and family, only. This will be the complete opposite. She thinks it is just tacky.
“She knows she will have to go to the wedding, but really does not to want to,” the source added.