Washington, Feb 18 : British actress Kate Winslet credits her toned physique to "a wing and a prayer", insisting she's "too busy" to even think about exercising.

The Oscar nominee, who has struggled with weight since she was a teenager, insists she hasn''t been slimming down for the big ceremony.

When asked if she was dieting, Winslet said, "N. O. (I) absolutely do not. I''m very sort of relaxed and vocal about these things. I have not done a stitch of exercise since October. I literally have not had the time."

Washington, Feb 18 : Actor Ashton Kutcher is in final negotiations to star in football-themed film Traded.

The plot of the comedy film revolves around a superstar NFL quarterback and a 12-year-old middle school geek who magically trade bodies, and then quickly learn valuable lessons about humility and courage, reports the Variety.

The script has been written by David Stem and David Weiss of "They Came From Upstairs," fame.

Kutcher, who recently starred in "What Happens in Vegas," has two films in his kitty: the indies "Personal Effects" and "Spread."

Washington, Feb 18 : Indoor plants can reduce formaldehyde levels in the air, according to a new study.

The sources of the toxic gas formaldehyde are building materials including carpeting, curtains, plywood, and adhesives.

As it is emitted, it deteriorates the air quality, which can lead to `multiple chemical sensitivity' and `sick building syndrome', medical conditions with symptoms such as allergies, asthma, and headaches.

The prevalence of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOC) is greater in new construction.

Washington, Feb 18 : Robot playmates may soon be able to help autistic kids learn the social skills that they naturally lack, courtesy the development of a system that allows a robot to monitor a child''s emotional state.

"There is a lot of research going on around the world today trying to use robots to treat children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It has shown that the children are attracted to robots, raising the promise that appropriately designed robots could play an important role in their treatment," says Nilanjan Sarkar, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University.

Washington, Feb 18 : Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have identified a gene that plays key role in regulating liver cancer progression.

According to researchers, the discovery could one day lead to new-targeted therapeutic strategies to fight the highly aggressive disease.

In the study, researchers found that the astrocyte elevated gene-1, AEG-1, plays a key role in regulating Hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC, or liver cancer in series of cellular models.

Washington, Feb 18 : A new market analysis released by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade-monitoring network, has determined that the few surviving elephants in Indo-China are under increasing threat from booming illegal ivory prices in Vietnam.

An assessment of the illegal ivory trade in Viet Nam said Vietnamese illegal ivory prices could be the highest in the world, with reports of tusks selling for up to 1500 dollars per kg and small, cut pieces selling for up to 1863 dollars per kg.

Most of the raw ivory was said to originate from the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, with small amounts from Viet Nam and Cambodia.