Indian shares at 25-mth closing high; techs mute

April 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MUMBAI, April 5 (Reuters) – Indian shares on Monday ended
up 1.4 percent at their highest close since February 2008,
propelled by gains in their Asian peers. Energy major Reliance
Industries (RELI.BO) and financials topped the gainers.

The 30-share BSE index .BSESN closed 1.37 percent, or
243.06 points, higher at 17,935.68 points, its best close since
Feb. 19, 2008. Twenty three of its components advanced.

Earlier in the session, the benchmark hit a high of
17,948.54 points — its highest since February 2008.

“The news flow has been positive both globally and on the
domestic front,” said R. Ganesh, director of Systematix Shares.

Firm Asian equities underpinned the market after a
three-day weekend, as data showed U.S. employers created jobs
last month at the fastest pace in three years, leading to hopes
of a sustained economic recovery.

Foreign funds have invested around $4.4 billion in Indian
stocks so far this year, of which most of the inflows came in
March.

Indian auto makers rose on the back of robust sales in
March.

Leading motorbike maker Hero Honda (HROH.BO) raced 4.4
percent after March sales climbed 17 percent from a year
earlier, while top vehicles maker Tata Motors (TAMO.BO) rose
0.6 percent on a 38 percent jump in March sales.
[ID:nSGE6300G4] [ID:nSGE63003D]

“Earnings optimism seems to be contained in the price. Any
disappointment there, could lead to a correction,” Ganesh said.

Top listed firm Reliance Industries, which has the highest
weight on the Sensex, gained 2.9 percent to 1,125.15 rupees.

Nomura upgraded the stock to “buy” from “neutral” and said
it expects Reliance’s earnings to grow 44 percent in fiscal
2011, driven by refining and exploration and production (E&P).

“With concerns mostly abating, the focus, in our view,
should now shift to large earnings growth (on a very large
base) and on significant potential E&P upside,” Nomura said in
a note.

Financials rallied as investors ignored near-term inflation
woes and focused on long-term prospects in a growing economy.

Top lender State Bank of India (SBI.BO) climbed 1.6
percent and leading private lenders ICICI Bank (ICBK.BO) and
HDFC Bank (HDBK.BO) rose 2.3 percent and 0.2 percent
respectively.

Top mobile operator Bharti Airtel (BRTI.BO) rose 4.5
percent to 315.60 rupees, as it caught up with gains in the
broader market after underperforming in 2009 and year to date.

Bharti, which was one of the worst performers amongst
Sensex constituents in 2009, is down 4 percent so far in the
year, including Monday’s gains, when the benchmark has gained
2.7 percent.

Software companies that get most of their revenue from
exports, did not participate in the rally, as the rupee rose to
a 19-month high leading to worries it could hit their margins.

Top outsourcer Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.BO) shed 0.6
percent while Wipro (WIPR.BO) closed barely changed.

IT bellwether Infosys Technologies (INFY.BO) erased early
losses and closed nearly 0.1 percent higher.

Last week, median forecasts from 35 foreign exchange
strategists showed the partially convertible rupee INR=
strengthening to 43.53 against the dollar by March 2011, due to
surging flows of funds. [ID:nLDE62T0LF]

Foreign funds have invested around $4.4 billion in Indian
stocks so far this year, of which most of the inflows came in
March.

In the broader market, more than three shares advanced for
every share that declined. Around 481 million shares changed
hands on the BSE, better than that in the previous session.

The 50-share NSE index gained 1.5 percent to
5,368.40 points.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , ,

Allana Potash Commences Phase I Drilling at Ethiopian Potash Project

April 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Apr 05 (MARKET WIRE) —
Allana Potash Corp. (TSX VENTURE: AAA) (“Allana” or the “Company”), is
pleased to announce that it has commenced its Phase I drilling programme
on its Ethiopian Potash Project in the Danakhil Depression. The drill is
active at hole DK-10-01 which is located on the northern extension of the
Musley Deposit and is designed to provide information on the potash
mineralization between Parsons holes 233, 238 and 159. Hole DK-10-01 is
expected to intersect the potash-bearing Houston Formation at a vertical
depth of 75 metres. The Phase I programme is comprised of between 2,500
and 3,000 metres of drilling and is expected to be completed in
approximately three months.

In addition to the start of drilling, camp construction is approaching
completion near the village of Hamadela and plans to expand the camp to
accommodate additional personnel have been initiated. The camp will
accommodate approximately 35 people and provide a safe and efficient base
of operations for all upcoming Allana activities.

The Phase 1 programme currently consists of 7 holes and is designed to
confirm historic drilling results, to confirm the accuracy of the
previous resource and to potentially increase the resource. It is
expected that drill holes will vary in depth from 200 metres to 800
metres and will test potash horizons near the current resource as well as
in the centre of the evaporite basin. It is planned that the drill
programme will be followed by down-hole seismic studies (vertical seismic
profiling) and a programme of surface 2D seismic over the southern part
of the basin.

Farhad Abasov, President and CEO of Allana Potash, stated: “We are
excited to start our drill program in the Danakil Depression almost 50
years after Parsons conducted its potash exploration. I would like to
commend and congratulate our in-country exploration team which has done a
terrific job in this regard. With the recently closed financing, Allana
Potash is now in a position to complete not only the first phase of
drilling, but also expects to complete 2D and down-hole seismic programs
followed by a planned drill campaign of 10,000 meters.”

About Allana Potash Corp.

Allana is a publicly traded corporation with a focus on the acquisition
and development of potash assets internationally with its major focus on
a previously explored potash property in Ethiopia with NI
43-101-compliant Inferred Mineral Resource of over 100 million tonnes of
potash mineralization (Sylvite and Kainite) with a composite grade of
20.8 % KCl (see News Release Sept. 17, 2008). Allana has approximately
114.8 million shares outstanding and trades on the TSX-Venture exchange
under the symbol “AAA”.

Peter J. MacLean, Ph.D., P. Geo., Allana’s Senior VP Exploration, is a
Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and has
reviewed and approved the technical information presented in this release.

Forward-Looking Statement

Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain
information contained herein constitutes ”forward-looking information”
under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information
includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the effect,
results and estimated timeline of the drill programme and camp
construction on the Company, estimated production, the estimation of
mineral reserves and mineral resources; the realization of mineral
reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production;
costs of production; capital expenditures; success of exploration
activities; permitting time lines and permitting, mining or processing
issues; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks;
unanticipated reclamation expenses; title disputes or claims; litigation
liabilities; limitations on insurance coverage and the effect of
terminating the investor relations contract. Generally, forward-looking
information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology
such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”,
“scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does
not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases
or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”,
“would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”.
Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of
management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements
of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied
by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information.
Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information,
there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated,
estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements
will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly,
readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any
forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are
incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable
securities laws.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS
THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

Contacts:
Allana Potash Corp.
Farhad Abasov
President and CEO
+1-416-309-2691
fabasov@allanapotash.com

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , ,

Standard Gold Announces New President

April 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MINNEAPOLIS–(Business Wire)–
Standard Gold, Inc. (OTCBB:SDGR) has hired gold industry veteran Steve Flechner
to serve as its president.

At Standard Gold, Mr. Flechner will be working closely with and relying upon two
highly-qualified mineral project specialists, Senior Technical Vice President
Clyde Smith, Ph.D. and Vice President of Exploration and Sustainability David S.
Smith. Together, they have plans for acquisition, exploration, development, and
mining of gold and other profitable mineral opportunities being considered and
pursued in North and South America.

Visit the new Standard Gold website at www.standardgoldmining.com

About Steve Flechner

Mr. Flechner is the former vice president and general counsel of Gold Fields
Mining Corporation, which was the U.S. subsidiary of the former Consolidated
Gold Fields of London. In that position, he established and directed Gold
Fields` land, legal, and environmental functions in order to acquire, permit,
finance, and develop low-cost, heap-leach gold mining operations at the Ortiz
Mine in New Mexico, the Mesquite Mine in California, and the Chimney Creek Mine
in Nevada. These three mines collectively produced over 400,000 ounces of gold
per year with high profitability. Mr. Flechner negotiated $150 million of gold
loans and equipment leases for these projects with Chase, Citibank, Mellon and
Westpac banks. He also served on management committees for budgeting,
environmental compliance, and community relations as Gold Fields grew from 20 to
1200 people. The Mesquite and Chimney Creek mines were later acquired by Newmont
Mining.

More recently, Mr. Flechner has worked with publicly-traded junior exploration
companies on project acquisitions and development. He was instrumental in the
acquisition of a major South Korean tungsten-molybdenum project (one of the
largest tungsten mines in the world) and the formerly-producing largest gold
mine in South Korea. He also assisted in establishing a major gold exploration
project in Papua New Guinea and has worked on other gold projects in Utah,
Nevada, Ireland, Slovakia, Mexico and Columbia.

Mr. Flechner holds a Doctorate in Law from Yale University and has lectured at
the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute on “Environmental Laws & Regulations
Governing Gold Mining in the West”. His track record with Gold Fields and his
experience in domestic and international mining project acquisitions are
indicative of his ability to significantly contribute to the growth of Standard
Gold.

About Dr. Clyde Smith

Dr. Smith, Standard Gold`s senior technical vice president, holds a B.A. from
Carleton College, a M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D.
from the University of Idaho. He is a registered Professional Engineer with the
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. Dr.
Smith has founded or co-founded five exploration companies and is responsible
for the discovery of four deposits: the Jason lead-zinc-silver deposit, Yukon
Territory, Canada; the Santa Fe gold deposit, Nevada; the North Lake gold
deposit, Saskatchewan, Canada; and the Solidaridad gold-silver-copper deposit,
Mexico.

About David S. Smith

Mr. Smith, Standard Gold`s vice president of exploration and sustainability,
holds a B.A. from Carleton College, a M.Sc. from the University of Oregon, and
an MBA from Bainbridge Graduate Institute. He has been involved in minerals
exploration for over 20 years in the US, Canada, Mexico, and China, serving most
recently as a chief geologist, exploration program manager, and sustainability
advisor. He has published research in the leading ore deposits journal Economic
Geology and brings substantial hands-on geologic, management, and project
development experience to the Standard Gold team.

About Standard Gold, Inc.

Standard Gold is a minerals exploration and development company. Through our
wholly-owned subsidiary, Hunter Bates Mining Corporation, we hold title to the
past producing gold mine in Colorado known as the Bates-Hunter Mine. We do not
claim to have any mineral reserves at the Bates-Hunter Mine. Our common stock
trades on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol “SDGR.” To find
out more about Standard Gold, Inc. (OTCBB:SDGR) visit our website at
www.standardgoldmining.com.

Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors

Certain statements included in this press release may constitute forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially. Such statements are valid only as of today, and we
disclaim any obligation to update this information. These statements are subject
to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future
experience and results to differ materially from the statements made. These
statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations as to such future
outcomes. These risks and uncertainties relate to Standard Gold and its
affiliates, and include, among others, the ability to obtain or maintain
regulatory approvals; the ability to obtain necessary financing; and other risks
and uncertainties described in Standard Gold`s filings from time to time with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Standard Gold disclaims any obligation
to update its forward-looking statements.

In addition, the exploration for and development of mineral deposits involves
significant financial risks, which even experience and knowledge may not
eliminate, regardless of the amount of careful evaluation applied to a process.
While the discovery of a mineral deposit may result in substantial rewards, few
properties are ultimately developed into producing mines. Moreover, we cannot
make any estimates regarding probable reserves in connection with any of our
projects and any estimates relating to possible reserves are subject to
significant risks. Therefore, no assurance can be given that any size of
reserves or grades of reserves will be realized. If a discovery is made, the
mineral deposit discovered, assuming recoverable, may differ from the reserves
already discovered and recovered by others in the same region of the planned
areas of exploration. Further, the cost of exploration and exploitation can be
extensive and there is no assurance that we will have the resources necessary or
the financing available to pursue projects we currently hold interests in or to
acquire interests in other mineral exploration projects that may become
available. The risks we face are numerous and detailed information regarding
these risks may be found in filings made by us with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including our most recent annual report.

Standard Gold Inc.
Stephen King, CEO, 612-490-3419
Investor Relations: Dan Schustack, 646-278-6787

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Indonesia’s Medco says to operate Libya oil block

April 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

JAKARTA, April 5 (Reuters) – Indonesian energy firm PT Medco Energi International Tbk (MEDC.JK) has become the operator of the Area 47 oil block in Libya, replacing Canadian energy firm Verenex [VNX.TO], it said on Monday.

Energy

Medco has said previously it plans to invest $1.7 billion between 2010-2014 in several major projects, including oil developments in Libya.

Medco Energi’s Area 47 project in Libya is expected to produce between 50,000-100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and is due to start production in 2014.

In December last year, shareholders of Verenex Energy Inc overwhelming approved the C$317 million ($314.8 million) sale of the small Canadian oil explorer to a Libyan sovereign wealth fund, ending an international takeover battle that saw Libya block a richer offer from China.

The statement said Medco was in the final stages of seeking a declaration of commerciality from the Libyan government for numerous discoveries made in Area 47.

“Currently, we are also in the process of mobilising a drilling rig to complete the drilling of two further appraisal wells and three exploration wells as part of the work programme in 2010,” Medco said in a statement.

Medco said drilling this year would also include the completion and testing of three previously drilled wells, which had been suspended.

Medco booked a net profit of $19.2 million in 2009, down 93.1 percent from $280.2 million in 2008. It said the drop was due to lower oil prices while crude oil production fell to 35,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2009, from 45,000 bpd in 2008.

(Reporting by Muklis Ali; Editing by Ed Davies)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , ,

Greenberg Glusker Environmental Litigation Team Wins Court Affirmation of Culver City Moratorium on New Oil Well Drilling by PXP

April 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Rights of Old Oil Do Not Trump Needs of New Residents; Related CEQA Lawsuit
Against LA County Set for April 5th Trial
LOS ANGELES–(Business Wire)–
Greenberg Glusker today announced that the Los Angeles Superior Court has upheld
the right of its client, the City of Culver City, California, to regulate
expansion and intensification of new oil well drilling in order to protect its
residents. In an order issued March 26, 2010, Judge James Chalfant rejected a
challenge by an oil company, Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP),
which sought a writ of mandate invalidating the City`s moratorium on new
drilling. The City had issued the temporary ban to allow it time to develop
proper regulations for new drilling to address health issues, including concerns
arising out of residents` reports of noxious fumes originating from drilling in
the Inglewood oil field in 2006.

Denying the writ of mandate, the court ruled that, despite an 85-year history of
oil field drilling in the Baldwin Hills area, the energy company does not have
an “absolute right to drill” and the City “remains free to condition or even
refuse to grant new drilling permits.” Culver City`s population has increased
dramatically since oil drilling began there.

“By ruling that cities can do more to protect their citizens than just enforce
fire and building regulations, the Court strengthened Culver City`s ability to
balance the needs of all its constituents – residents, leaseholders, and
landowners,” said Garrett L. Hanken, the Greenberg Glusker Partner who was lead
trial counsel for the City. Hanken`s extensive experience in environmental and
land use litigation includes resolving politically sensitive disputes among real
estate developers, government entities and regulatory authorities, and local
residents.

Other Greenberg Glusker attorneys who participated in the mandate proceeding
include David Cranston, who chairs the Firm`s Environmental Group and Climate
Change & Sustainability Group, Christopher Foster, Sedina L. Banks and Jenna
Guggenheim.

Cranston is lead counsel for Culver City in an upcoming related California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenge to the environmental impact report
(EIR) certified by Los Angeles County in connection with PXP`s plans for new
drilling in the portion of the oil field within the County`s jurisdiction. The
matter is scheduled for trial on April 5, 2010, and will also be heard by Judge
Chalfant. Culver City is joined in the lawsuit by several community activist
groups, Community Health Councils, Inc., National Resources Defense Council,
Citizens Coalition For a Safe Community, and Concerned Citizens of South Central
Los Angeles.

“The issues involved in the Culver City lawsuits – vested rights, old uses
versus new urbanization, conflicts between property rights and environmental,
health, and safety concerns – are tensions facing many cities today. Greenberg
Glusker`s Environmental Group plays a leading role in these cases that are
determining the future quality of life in local communities,” said Greenberg
Glusker Managing Partner Norman H. Levine. “We congratulate the entire Greenberg
Glusker team for this significant victory.”

Greenberg Glusker
Jonathan Fitzgarrald, 310-785-6864
JFitzgarrald@greenbergglusker.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

SE Asia Stocks-Malaysia at 25-month highs, Thailand ends flat

April 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

* Financials lead Malaysian gains

* Thailand flat, around 22-month highs

* S’pore, Indonesia, Philippines on holiday

By Viparat Jantraprap

BANGKOK, April 2 (Reuters) – Thai stocks ended flat on
Friday, sticking around 22-month highs as optimism grew over
the economic recovery, while Malaysia hit a 25-month high.

The region had a listless session as many Asian bourses
were closed on Good Friday, including Indonesia, Asia’s best
performer this year, Singapore and the Philippines, which
reopen on Monday.

Foreign investors poured money into Thai equities for the
sixth week, raising their net buying to $1.65 billion since
Feb. 22.

At one point on Friday the market climbed to its highest
level since June 9, 2008 before ending down 0.02 percent
.SETI. Asia’s fifth-best performer this year trades at 11.77
times forward price earnings, making it the second cheapest
market in Asia after Pakistan.

That compares with Malaysia’s 15.78, Indonesia’s 14.25 and
the Philippines’ 13.12, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Singapore’s forward price-to-earnings ratio is 15-18, according
to analysts.

A better-than-expected economic performance in the first
two months of 2010 has given investors greater optimism about
the 2010 economic outlook, which may encourage the Bank of
Thailand to raise interest rates in April, some analysts say.

“We still see an interest rate hike as a strong possibility
this month. This pointed to further appreciation in the Thai
baht and has played a large role in attracting foreign
inflows,” said Somprawin Manprasert, an economist at Tisco
Securities.

Political turbulence has had little impact on the economy
although an end to the “red shirt”, anti-government protests
that began in Bangkok three weeks ago is not in sight, he said.

Energy firms, which have a combined market weight of over
20 percent, rose across the board as oil prices rose for a
fourth day [O/R]. PTT Chemical PTTC.BK surged 4.4 percent and
PTT Exploration and Production (PTTE.BK) gained 1 percent.

Malaysia .KLSE added 0.46 percent to its highest since
March 4, 2008, led by a 1.4 percent rise in financial CIMB
Group (CIMB.KL) and a 0.85 percent gain in Public Bank
(PUBM.KL).

Malaysia Airports (MAHB.KL) climbed 3.1 percent to 4.95
ringgit. Broker OSK rated it a ‘trading buy’ with a target
price of 5.5 ringgit, citing its business and revenue outlook.
[ID:nSGE631003]

Vietnam .VNI, the smallest market in the region, rose for
the second session, adding 0.45 percent. Masan Group MSN.HM
was up 3.5 percent and Vincom VIC.HM was 1.6 percent higher.
(Editing by Alan Raybould)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ang Lee ‘working on film version of Life of Pi’

September 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Nevada (US), Sept 9 (ANI): Oscar winner Ang Lee is working with a writer on film adaptation of Yann Martel’s fantasy “Life of Pi” about a boy from Pondicherry, India, who survives 227 days after shipwreck, according to reports.

Lee is quoted as saying: “It’s a very strong story, but it’s hard to crack.”

Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, welcoming the film adaptation of this India influenced story, urged Lee to handle the Pi’s spirituality exploration and holistic edge with cultural sensitivity.

Expected to be released in 2011, Canadian Martel’s (Manners of Dying) Man Booker Prize and other awards winning novel is an adventure tale about 16-years old Pi Patel stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, orangutan, an injured zebra, and a hungry Bengal tiger in Pacific Ocean on his voyage from India to Canada.

It has sold well over one million copies and was a global publishing phenomenon. Keith Robinson adapted it into a play and toured England.

Oscar nominated M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men), and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen); and Dean Georgaris (What Happens in Vegas) have already dropped this project after preliminary exploration.

The Fox 2000 high profile film adaptation will be produced by Gil Netter (Personal Effects). (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Need to prevent periodontitis to cut head and neck cancer risk

September 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 8 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Buffalo have stressed on the need for increased efforts to prevent and treat chronic periodontitis, a form of gum disease, to reduce the risk for head and neck cancer.

Led by Dr. Mine Tezal at Buffalo, periodontitis is an independent risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

“Prevent periodontitis; if you have it already, get treatment and maintain good oral hygiene,” said Tezal.

Chronic periodontitis is characterized by progressive loss of the bone and soft tissue attachment that surround the teeth.

The researchers assessed the role of chronic periodontitis on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, as well as the individual roles on three subsites: oral cavity, oropharyngeal and laryngeal.

They used radiographic measurement of bone loss to measure periodontitis among 463 patients, 207 of whom were controls.

The results of the study revealed that chronic periodontitis might represent a clinical high-risk profile for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The strength of the association was greatest in the oral cavity, followed by the oropharynx and larynx, according to Tezal.

When they stratified the relationship by tobacco use, they found that the association persisted in those patients who never used tobacco.

The researchers did not expect the periodontitis-head and neck squamous cell carcinoma association to be weaker in current smokers compared to former and never smokers, according to Tezal.

However, this interaction, although statistically significant, was not very strong.

“Confirmatory studies with more comprehensive assessment of smoking, such as duration, quantity and patterns of use, as well as smokeless tobacco history are needed,” said Tezal.

“Our study also suggests that chronic periodontitis may be associated with poorly differentiated tumor status in the oral cavity. Continuous stimulation of cellular proliferation by chronic inflammation may be responsible for this histological type. However, grading is subjective and we only observed this association in the oral cavity. Therefore, this association may be due to chance and needs further exploration,” she added.

Andrew Olshan, Ph.D., said these results lend further support to the potential importance of poor oral health in this form of cancer.

Olshan said, “Although the study is comparatively small, the researchers were able to also see an association between bone loss and the risk of head and neck cancer.”

The results of the study have been published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Moonbell – the way to make sweet music from Moon!

September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Sept 2 (ANI): Food for thought: What would music made on the moon sound like? Stop scratching your head, for JAXA, Japan’s space exploration agency, has come up with the answer.

JAXA has created a strange little applet on its Web site called “Moonbell”, which is free to use.

It takes topographic data gathered by the agency’s Kaguya orbiter, and translates them into patterns of ascending and descending musical notes, reports The Telegraph.

Users can either play a full orbit or select the “free scratch” mode, which allows them to map their own routes across the Moon’s surface.

Like a record player, Moonbell translates the bumps and ridges it detects into musical notes.

The resulting compositions can be interpreted by any combination of more than 138 instruments. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NASA’s Orion spacecraft passes significant design milestone

September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 2 (ANI): NASA’s Orion spacecraft has passed a significant design milestone by completing the Orion Project’s preliminary design review (PDR), and thus taking a major step toward building the next crew exploration vehicle.

Orion is being designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and other destinations.

The preliminary design review is one of a series of checkpoints that occurs in the design life cycle of a complex engineering project before hardware manufacturing can begin.

As the review process progresses, details of the vehicle’s design are assessed to ensure the overall system is safe and reliable for flight and meets all NASA mission requirements.

The Orion features a capsule-shaped crew module designed for maximum crew operability and safety, a service module housing utility systems and propulsion components and a launch abort system for improved astronaut safety.

The preliminary design review evaluated the vehicle’s capability, as currently designed, to support three types of missions: flights to the International Space Station (ISS), weeklong missions to the moon and missions to the moon for up to 210 days.

“This is the successful culmination of all of the design trade studies and activities to date,” said Mark Geyer, manager of the Orion Project Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“As a project, a program and an agency, we are reviewing the design maturity, strategy and plans for NASA’s next human spacecraft and agreeing that this is the architecture we are going to build,” he added.

Teams representing each subsystem of Orion conducted focused reviews from February to July before proceeding to the overall vehicle-level review.

The preliminary design review lasted about two months and included reviewers from all 10 NASA field centers to evaluate the hundreds of design products delivered by the Lockheed Martin-led industry partnership.

According to Cleon Lacefield, vice president and Orion project manager at Lockheed Martin in Denver, “To date, we have completed more than 300 technical reviews, 100 peer reviews and 18 subsystem design reviews.”

The PDR process culminated with a review board that concluded on August 31 and established the basis for proceeding to the critical design phase of Orion.

NASA will continue the review process with an independent agency-level evaluation to validate the PDR results and gain formal approval to transition the project into the next life cycle phase. (ANI)

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Archaeologists to explore how prehistoric Italians made their living at end of the Ice Age

August 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, August 25 (ANI): Archaeologists at the University of Bradford are all set to lead an exploration into how prehistoric people made their living in Italy at the end of the Ice Age.

According to a report in Bradford Telegraph and Argus, the research aims to find out how hunter-gatherers in Mediterranean Europe survived before farming became widespread and why the transition to agriculture was a smooth one.

Researchers will use high-precision dating to accurately age occupation layers in archaeological cave sites and identify which animals were being hunted by the prehistoric people by studying bones found at sites. he team will also use isotope analyses to identify if the hunted animals migrated seasonally.

“This project brings together cutting edge scientific analyses and traditional archaeological approaches for understanding in the past,” said lead researcher Dr Randolph Donahue.

“It will assist us in explaining how and why people shifted smoothly towards adopting agriculture in Mediterranean Europe following its introduction from the Near East,” he added.

The work will include a study of the production and use of stone tools discarded at the sites to understand how prehistoric people were using the caves.

The results of these combined methods will evaluate which of two theories best explains the food procurement strategies of hunter-gatherers in Mediterranean Europe during the end of the Ice Age.

The first theory suggests prehistoric people followed herds of animals year round in order to hunt them for food while the second theory suggests people moved around the landscape far less by relying far more heavily on small animals, fish and plants.

The project involves more than 20 researchers at ten universities and research centres in the UK, Italy and Germany. (ANI)

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NASA successfully tests eco-friendly rocket propellant

August 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, August 22 (ANI): NASA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, or AFOSR, have successfully launched a small rocket using an environmentally-friendly, safe propellant comprised of aluminum powder and water ice, called ALICE.

“This collaboration has been an opportunity for graduate students to work on an environmentally-friendly propellant that can be used for flight on Earth and used in long distance space missions,” said NASA Chief Engineer Mike Ryschkewitsch at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

“These sorts of university-led experimental projects encourage a new generation of aerospace engineers to think outside of the box and look at new ways for NASA to meet our exploration goals,” he added.

Using ALICE as fuel, a nine-foot rocket soared to a height of 1,300 feet over Purdue University’s Scholer farms in Indiana earlier this month.

ALICE is generating excitement among researchers because this energetic propellant has the potential to replace some liquid or solid propellants.

When it is optimized, it could have a higher performance than conventional propellants.

“By funding this collaborative research with NASA, Purdue University and the Pennsylvania State University, AFOSR continues to promote basic research breakthroughs for the future of the Air Force,” said Dr. Brendan Godfrey, director of AFOSR.

ALICE has the consistency of toothpaste when made. It can be fit into molds and then cooled to -30 degree Celsius 24 hours before flight.

The propellant has a high burn rate and achieved a maximum thrust of 650 pounds during this test.

“A sustained collaborative research effort on the fundamentals of the combustion of nanoscale aluminum and water over the last few years led to the success of this flight,” said Dr. Steven F. Son, a research team member from Purdue.

“ALICE can be improved with the addition of oxidizers and become a potential solid rocket propellant on Earth. Theoretically, ALICE can be manufactured in distant places like the moon or Mars, instead of being transported to distant locations at high cost,” he added. (ANI)

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China’s carbon emissions may peak around 2030

August 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, August 18 (ANI): A panel of experts have determined that China’s carbon emissions output could peak around 2030 if the government continues to be serious about “strengthened measures” to improve energy efficiency and if it accelerates exploration of renewable energy.

According to the panel from the National Development and Reform Commission and the Development Research Center of the State Council, with the right policies, emissions growth could slow after 2020, with a peak around 2030.

This is the first time a Chinese think-tank has officially announced when it thinks China’s carbon emissions will peak.

The international community has closely watched the country’s carbon emissions curve because China and the US are the top two carbon emissions countries in the world.

The panel has advised China to invest significantly in low-carbon technology research and development, saying the strategy of developing such technology is “a stone killing two birds”.

“Only by using advanced low-carbon technologies can China’s greenhouse gas emissions peak around 2030; otherwise, the peak will be delayed and we don’t want to see the latter scenario,” said Jiang Kejun, a leading economist of the panel.

If the peak happens around 2030, the huge investment in low-carbon technologies could keep China’s economy growing at a fast pace and make China a global leader in cutting-edge technologies.

“I think China will become a major supplier of nuclear, wind and hydropower technologies and electricity transmission by 2030,” said Jiang. “And that should be a strategic goal for the Chinese government to pursue,” he added.

If China can achieve these goals, by 2050, its carbon emissions from fossil fuel “could fall to the same emissions levels as in 2005 or even lower”, the report said.

Jiang said that the Chinese government has been “on the right track” in making policy decisions to develop low-carbon technologies as new economic growth engines while countries worldwide are working on a plan by October to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire in 2012. (ANI)

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NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour launches to complete Japanese module

July 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, July 16 (ANI): Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew have set off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 15, to deliver the final segment to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory and a new crew member to the International Space Station (ISS).

Endeavour’s 16-day mission includes five spacewalks and the installation of two platforms outside the Japanese module.

One platform is permanent and will allow experiments to be directly exposed to space. The other is an experiment storage pallet that will be detached and returned with the shuttle.

During the mission, Kibo’s robotic arm will transfer three experiments from the pallet to the exposed platform.

Future experiments also can be moved to the platform from the inside of the station using the laboratory’s airlock.

Shortly before liftoff, Commander Mark Polansky thanked the teams that helped make the launch possible.

“Endeavour has patiently waited for this,” said Polansky. “We’re ready to go, and we’re going to take all of you with us on a great mission,” he added.

Polansky is joined on STS-127 by Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette and Tim Kopra.

Kopra will replace space station crew member Koichi Wakata, who has been aboard the station for more than three months.

Kopra will return to Earth during the next station shuttle mission, STS-128, targeted to launch in August 2009.

Endeavour’s first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for Friday, July 31 at 10:45 a.m. STS-127 is the 127th space shuttle flight, the 29th to the station, the 23rd for Endeavour and the third in 2009. (ANI)

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Launch of NASA’s Endeavour to take place on Sunday

July 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Cape Canaveral (Florida, US), July 12 (ANI): The lauch of the space shuttle Endeavour will take place on Sunday evening local time (on Monday morning IST) to give technical teams more time to evaluate lightning strikes at the launch pad.

Liftoff is scheduled for 7:13 p.m. EDT, a NASA release said.ensors on Friday indicated that there were 11 lightning strikes within 0.35 miles, which is inside the launch pad’s threshold.

Teams have seen nothing so far that indicates anything has been affected.

The Mission Management Team will meet at 8 a.m. Sunday to evaluate the latest data. Fueling of the external fuel tank is scheduled to begin at 9:48 a.m. Sunday.

The 16-day STS-127 mission will feature five space walks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory.

Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space. (ANI)

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Robotic grasshopper to help explore Mars’ rocky geography

July 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, July 6 (ANI): Scientists have come up with the first robotic grasshopper based on the spring mechanism the insect has to propel itself, which may help explore Mars’ rocky terrain.

The Jollbot was masterminded by Rhodri Armour, who spent a year building the robot with colleagues at the University of Bath.

The robot, which can jump and roll, enjoys an edge over other machines due to its ability to launch itself over obstacles.

The remote-controlled Jollbot runs on a motor connected to a battery pack and a series of springs around the circumference, which help it leap up to half a metre.

Weighing only one kilogram, it has been made from soft plastic, and borrows dynamics from insects when it bounces on landing.

Armour said: “I was inspired by the way insects like the grasshopper jump around in extremely rough environments. Even with their comparatively long legs, an insect’s small size limits the possibility of using its muscles to directly provide the contraction needed for take-off.”

The researcher added: “That means all insects and smaller jumping animals use some sort of spring mechanism to store muscle energy and release it when required. It’s a bit like a mechanical catapult – with a lengthy energy storage phase and rapid release.”

The boffin further revealed that the project was meant to be low-cost, adding: “Jollbot was always intended to be inexpensive and as such many could be sent on exploratory missions in place of a single conventional robot. This would allow for some of them to fail.”

Dr David Williams, director general of the British National Space Centre, said that the University of Bath’s research helped boost homegrown innovation in space exploration.

He added: “We wish the project all the best.” (ANI)

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Naga ancestral sites dated back to 7th century AD

July 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Dimapur, July 2 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have chronologically dated five ancestral settlement sites within Nagaland as belonging to the 7th century AD.

According to a report in The Morung Express, based on the study of oral tradition and folklore of the tribes of Kohima, Phek, and Mokokchung Districts, five prominent ancient settlement sites considered as important centres of population dispersal were identified.

An archaeological investigation was also carried out at the ancestral site at Chungliyimti, it informed.

Archaeological excavations were conducted at four of the ancestral settlement sites in the second phase of the project.

The archaeological investigation has revealed the dates of the sites extending back to as early as 7th century AD.

The radiocarbon dates obtained from the Beta Analytic Inc., Miami, Florida and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow from all the sites under excavation is being considered as a major breakthrough in the archaeology of Northeast India.

The Anthropological Society of Nagaland has also termed as significant the discovery of an early Neolithic cave site in the vicinity of Mimi village from the Naga Ophiolite Belt area in Kiphire District bordering Myanmar.

Few Neolithic tools, ash deposits, cord marked potteries, animal bones, and a human burial were also excavated from the limestone cave.

An AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) date on the ash deposit obtained from the Beta Analytic Inc., Miami, Florida place the site within Circa Cal. BC 4460 – 4340.

The team led by Dr. Tiatoshi Jamir and two other archaeologists Dr. David Tetso and Dr. Zokho Venuh who carried out the excavation has been conducting extensive exploration on the limestone caves since the early part of January this year.

According to the archaeologists, the date is significant as far as the Neolithic sites of Eastern and Northeastern region are concerned as it further pushes back the beginning of the Neolithic era in the region.

Thus far, no Neolithic site of this antiquity has been reported from the Eastern and Northeastern region of India.

Study on the ash deposits for identification of botanical remains, animal and human remains are currently underway and it is hoped that more scientific data on the cave evidence will come to light. (ANI)

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Prehistoric European cave artists were female, reveals analysis

June 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 27 (ANI): An analysis of hand stencils inside the 25,000-year-old Pech Merle cave has indicated that the handprints belong to females, which suggests that the majority of prehistoric European cave artists were female.

For about as long as humans have created works of art, they’ve also left behind handprints.

People began stenciling, painting, or chipping imprints of their hands onto rock walls at least 30,000 years ago.

Until recently, most scientists assumed these prehistoric handprints were male.

“Our hands are one of the features that make humans unique, something that links us all,” said Pennsylvania State University archaeologist Dean Snow.

But “even a superficial examination of published photos suggested to me that there were lots of female hands there,” Pennsylvania State University archaeologist Dean Snow told National Geographic News, referring to European cave art. y measuring and analyzing the Pech Merle hand stencils, Snow found that many were indeed female.

With support from the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration, he analyzed hand stencils at caves in Spain and France and found most of them were female.

“Before, most scientists had incorrectly assumed that it was a guy thing,” Snow said. (ANI)

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Traces of microbes in shallow ice layers may help find life on icy worlds

June 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 26 (ANI): A new research has indicated that living microorganisms and the food that sustained them can be detected in shallow ice layers, which will help find life on icy worlds.

The research is a part of the Project SLIce, which means, Signatures of Life in Ice.

Dominique Tobler and Jennifer Eigenbrode of NASA Goddard Space Science Laboratory, and Liane Benning of the University of Leeds, UK, show that not only living micro-organisms, but also traces of long-dead ones, and the food that sustained them can be detected in shallow ice layers, using methods rigorously tested in one of our own planet’s most extreme environments.

“With SLIce, we wanted to figure out the nature of the organic matter in ice and how what we find on Earth can be the basis for comparisons with organic matter on Mars,” explained Benning.

“The organic matter we find could be alive or dead, representing extant or extinct life, or even the nutrients that made life possible, and we want to identify the biological signals that point towards ice-dwelling life,” she added.

The SLIce team went to a glacial region of Svalbard to try taking ice samples in exactly the way it would be done on Mars, using a sequence of procedures and tests that they had developed as part of the AMASE project, a long-running international research program that has established Svalbard as a test bed for planetary exploration.

“We’re using sample devices, primarily to be operated from a rover, but we’re also testing how we go about taking and testing samples and keeping them separate,” said Benning.

“For SLIce, we applied the protocol we had developed to take ice cores, process them and analyze them in the field just as would happen on a rover on Mars, and then of course we took them back to the lab and did a much wider range of tests, so we really knew what we had found,” she said.

“There could be microbes living in the ice, but there could also be the dead bodies of microbes that used to live there, and there could be biological molecules that blew in from dust and micrometeorites. We need to identify what we’ve got, so that we know what it’s telling us,” she added. (ANI)

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Snoop Dogg, Buzz Aldrin team up for rap single Rocket Experience

June 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, June 25 (ANI): Snoop Dogg has teamed up with Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin to record a rap single Rocket Experience.

Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon, said he had reached his second mission of becoming a rap star, thanks to the collaboration with the hip hop artist.

Aldrin has continued his attempts to revive interest in space exploration and the track video, he revealed, was one such step.

“Young people have lost any interest in space that isn’t in a video game or a movie house. Many don’t really know that Man has stood on the Moon,” Times Online quoted him as saying.

“But these incredible rappers speak to the new generations and know how to reach them. The Americans who will take Man to Mars are already born and they don’t even know that space is Man’s fate,” he added. (ANI)

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