Itching is not about just about sratching

The molecule behind itch has been discovered, a new study says. The research done on mice by the National Institute of Health, USA identifies the small molecule, natriuretic polypeptideb (Nppb) as being behind the sensation. The molecule released in the spinal cord triggers a process that is later experienced in the brain as itch.

New turns and new worries in Asia

Giving jitters to USA and other western forces in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai visited India last week. According to the British newspaper Guardian, the Afghan president would seek Indian assistance to boost Afghan armed forces. Many Afghan army officials are being trained in India based on a pact between the two nations two years ago.

Is Lotus a plant or a mammal?

Lotus can generate heat and regulate its temperature on its own like birds and mammals, say researchers at the University of Adelaide, USA. The plant behaves like a warm-blooded animal by keeping its temperature at 32-34 degrees over a 2-3 day period, while the environmental temperature varies up to 30 degrees.