US company pays cash for your poo!
Washington: An American non-profit is paying healthy people USD 40 for each sample of their poo in an effort to gather more materials for fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs). FMT is a relatively new but 90 per cent effective treatment for the debilitating Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).
Although many can carry the C difficile bacteria and suffer no ill effects, others will experience severe diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. FMT involves introducing the stool containing microbes that include bacteria, fungi and viruses from a healthy donor into the gut of the person suffering a C difficile infection.
While the acceptance for fecal transplants grows the amount of fecal matter available does not. Typically it is close relations who provide the material, ‘Gizmag’ reported. OpenBiome is seeking healthy donors who will be financially remunerated at USD 40 per sample, with those donating five times each week getting an extra USD 50. All donations must be done on-site at their Massachusetts suite and all donors go through a lengthy screening process and are rescreened each 60 days.
According to the non-profit, less than 20 per cent of people screened go on to become donors. For those on the receiving end, the company charges USD 250 per treatment to cover its costs. (PTI)
Indian foodies to get a taste of British curry next month
London: Indian foodies can look up to an authentic British gourmet storm next month when some of UK’s finest chefs set up base in Chennai and roll out 60 dishes like British Chicken Tikka Masala and Balti during a food festival that takes ‘curry’ back to its spiritual home. Though it sounds like selling ice to eskimos and carrying coal to Newcastle, Indian diners can tuck into British curry during the Taste of Britain Curry Festival from March 6-14. A team of the UK’s best curry chefs will be putting up the show which would include high street favourites such as British Chicken Tikka Masala, Balti and Jalfrezi.
Also on the menu will be ‘Madras’ — named after the city — which still tops the chart at British restaurants. Curry, the word traces its roots from the Tamil word ‘kari’ meaning sauce, has become UK’s top national food; some 12,000 eateries cater to the growing love for the Indian food.
The festival has even been endorsed by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who praised the organisers for “promoting the British curry industry in the UK and India.” “Curry, which of course originated in the Indian subcontinent, is now one of the most popular foods in the UK and has become part of the British way of life,” said Cameron.
Helicopter team rescues dog from US river
Los Angeles: In a dramatic airborne rescue, firefighters used a helicopter to save a small brown dog from drowning in a rain-swollen river here. The dog was spotted floating down Los Angeles River in Burbank following thunderstorms on January 30.
To carry out the rescue, a firefighter was lowered from a helicopter into the river near the Cahuenga Pass. He then swam towards the Corgi/Chihuahua mix, and caught it in his arms, before lifting it to safety. The seven-year-old dog did not have a tag or microchip but authorities believe the canine has an owner, as it had a collar and leash. “Any life is precious and I know there is an owner out there that is absolutely totally distraught their dog is missing,” John Terrusa, who rescued the dog, was quoted as saying by the ‘abc7.com’. The dog was taken to North Central Animal Shelter in Lincoln Heights where it is recovering. (PTI)
Los Angeles female-only mosque may be first in US
Los Angeles: A downtown Los Angeles mosque that forbids men from attending may be the first of its kind in the United States. The Los Angeles Times reports that more than 100 women gathered Friday at the interfaith Pico-Union Project for the inaugural prayer marking the launch of the Women’s Mosque of America, a nonprofit hoping to create space where Muslim women can learn and connect with other women. “Muslim women haven’t had a forum,” Yasmeen Ruhge, a cardiologist from Pasadena, said as she waited for the service to begin.
“When we go to the mosque, we have to sit on one side. Not that we aren’t equal, but this gives us a freedom to talk as all women and create an independent role.” Female-only mosques exist in China, Chile and India, but Muslim leaders say this could be a first for the United States. A 2011 study says about two-thirds of American mosques use a divider to separate men and women during morning prayers.
The number may be higher for Friday prayers. Such mosques allow women greater opportunities to ask the imam questions afterward. On Friday a female speaker addressed women’s issues and held a discussion circle after the service. Although the prayer space is only for women, other events and classes will be open to men. “When only half of the membership is contributing to the success of the whole, we’re not going to be as well-off as we could be,” said M Hasna Maznavi, who started the organization with Sana Muttalib. Often spaces for women in many mosques aren’t as appealing or accessible as the areas for men, and women are forced to enter through side or back doors to reach their areas, Muttalib said. (AP)
