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NCI Wins $14 Million Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield Network Enterprise Center Task Order

April 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

NCI, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCIT), a leading provider of information technology (IT),
engineering, logistics, professional services, and solutions to U.S. Federal
Government agencies, announced today that it has been awarded a single award
task order under the ITES-2S contract with a value of approximately $14 million,
if all options are exercised, to provide IT support services for the Network
Enterprise Center (NEC) at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, GA. The period
of performance for the base and option periods are March 2010 to March 2015. The
competitive task order represents new work for NCI.

Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield are the Army`s world-class training and
military armored power projection combination on the Eastern Seaboard of the
United States. This dynamic platform allows military units in the region to
deploy rapidly throughout the world. Under this contract, NCI will support the
U.S. Garrison at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, as well as the 3rd
Infantry Division, also located at Fort Stewart.

This task order provides IT services to the NEC including: support for Fort
Stewart and Hunter Army Airfields wireless and wired Local Area Networks (LANs),
including cybersecurity and information assurance support; server, storage,
cluster and database administration support; software support for desktop and
server systems; email and Active Directory (AD) administration; network fault
management, help and work order desk operation; and maintenance and repair of
microcomputer systems.

“NCI is proud to be awarded the Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield NEC task
order. We are keenly aware of Fort Stewart`s critical warfighting mission
responsibilities and look forward to providing outstanding support. Our unique
and deep experience working with other Army Network Enterprise Centers
(including Fort Bragg, Fort Belvoir, Fort Lewis, and Fort Carson); as well as
Major Army Commands (HQ Army Material Command and HQ FORSCOM) and Joint Commands
(USTRANSCOM, USNORTHCOM and USTRATCOM); along with our significant role in
supporting U.S. Army NETCOM provide us a powerful platform to help Fort Stewart
meet its mission requirements,” said Terry W. Glasgow, NCI President.

About NCI, Inc.:

NCI is a leading provider of information technology (IT), engineering,
logistics, and professional services and solutions to U.S. Federal Government
agencies. We have the following industry-leading and globally recognized
certifications: ISO 9001:2000, ISO 20000-1:2005, and CMMI Level 3 Appraisal.
NCI`s award-winning expertise encompasses areas critical to its customers`
mission objectives, including enterprise systems management; network
engineering; cybersecurity and information assurance; software development and
systems engineering; program management, acquisition, and lifecycle support;
engineering and logistics; health IT/medical transformation; and training and
simulation. The company is a member of the Russell 2000 and S&P Small Cap 600
indexes. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, NCI has approximately 2,800
employees and more than 100 locations worldwide.

Forward-Looking Statement: Statements and assumptions made in this press
release, which do not address historical facts, constitute “forward-looking”
statements that NCI, Inc. believes to be within the definition in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties,
many of which are outside of our control. Such forward-looking statements are
subject to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those anticipated results. These factors include but are not limited to: the
failure of the Government to allot funds to NCI to complete performance of the
task order; the risk of task order performance; government contract procurement
(such as bid protest) and termination risks; competitive factors such as pricing
pressures and/or competition to hire and retain employees; and material changes
in laws or regulations applicable to the company’s businesses. For a discussion
of these and other risks and uncertainties, please refer to the section titled
“Risk Factors” in NCI, Inc.’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission for the period ended December 31, 2009. The forward-looking
statements included in this news release are only made as of the date of this
news release and NCI, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update any of
the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new
information, subsequent events or circumstances, changes in expectations or
otherwise.

NCI, Inc.
Maureen Crystal, 703-707-6777
mcrystal@nciinc.com

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, fort lewis, Fort Stewart, Virginia

Seven die, 19 missing in West Virginia mine blast

April 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Rescuers raced to find 19 missing coal miners after an explosion killed seven of their colleagues on Monday at a West Virginia mine owned by Massey Energy.

The accident at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, also known as Whitesville, was one of the deadliest at a U.S. coal mine in recent years. The mine, owned by Massey’s Performance Coal subsidiary, is about 30 miles (48 km) south of the state capital Charleston.

Massey said seven miners were killed, about 20 were injured and 19 were unaccounted for.

“We want to assure the families of all the miners we are taking every action possible to locate and rescue those still missing,” Chief Executive Don Blankenship said.

Rescuers included officials from state and federal mine safety agencies and first responders from all levels of government, said Leslie Fitzwater, a spokeswoman for the West Virginia Department of Commerce.

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin called the news “devastating” and offered support to the miners’ relatives.

“For those families who are still waiting for news on their missing loved ones, I want them to know that we are doing everything possible in cooperation with federal officials and the company to get our miners out as quickly and safely as possible,” Manchin said on his website.

Manchin, who said he had spoken with President Barack Obama about the disaster, was headed to the mine site late on Monday and was due to meet with the miners’ families.

Massey, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

In after-hours trading, Massey shares were at $51.90, down 5.1 percent from the closing price of $54.69 on the New York Stock Exchange.

ACCIDENT RATE

Massey said on its website its accident rate fell to an all-time low for the company in 2009. It said its safety record last year was stronger than the industry average for the sixth consecutive year.

According to local media reports, the Upper Big Branch Mine has had three fatalities since it opened in 1994. Two of the miners died in roof collapses in 1998 and 2001, while a third was electrocuted in 2003 when repairing an underground car.

The mine extracts coal using the “longwall mining” method in which a rotating shearer tears coal from a lengthy face, leading the ground behind it to collapse. Critics say the method may cause surface subsidence and damage to buildings.

In the worst coal mine disaster in U.S. history, 362 miners died in an explosion in 1906 in the Monongah mine, also in West Virginia.

In January 2006, 12 miners died after an explosion in the Sago Mine, run by International Mines Corp in Tallsmansville, West Virginia, according to the U.S. Mine Rescue Association. In 2007, nine miners died in a collapse of the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah.

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said it was notified of the explosion at the Massey mine at about 3:30 p.m. EDT (1930 GMT) and that rescue efforts were underway.

Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia said in a statement he was “heartbroken along with the community by the tragic news unfolding of the explosion at Upper Big Branch South mine.”

(Reporting by Jon Hurdle in Philadelphia; Writing by Mark Egan; Editing by John O’Callaghan)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: administration., Branch Mine, stock exchange, subsidiary, Virginia

The pen may be mightier than the keyboard for schoolkids

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 17 (ANI): It may not be wrong to say that the pen is mightier than the keyboard, for a new study on schoolchildren so suggests.

Virginia Berninger, a University of Washington professor of Educational Psychology, looked at the ability of second, fourth, and sixth grade children to write the alphabet, sentences, and essays using a pen and a keyboard.

“Children consistently did better writing with a pen when they wrote essays. They wrote more and they wrote faster,” said Berninger.

The researcher further said that only for writing the alphabet was the keyboard better than the pen.

Results were mixed for sentences.

However, when using a pen, the children in the three grade levels produced longer essays and composed them at a faster pace.

The study also showed that fourth and sixth graders wrote more complete sentences when they used a pen, and that this ability was not affected by the children’s spelling skills.

The research also showed that many children don’t have a reliable idea of what a sentence is until the third or fourth grade.

“Children first have to understand what a sentence or a complete thought is before they can write one. Talking is very different from writing. We don’t talk in complete sentence. In conversation we produce units smaller and larger than sentences,” Berninger said.

She, however, added: “We need to learn more about the process of writing with a computer, and even though schools have computers they haven’t integrated them in teaching at the early grades. We need to help children become bilingual writers so they can write by both the pen and the computer. So don’t throw away your pen or your keyboard. We need them both.”

She further said: “We need more research to figure out how forming letters by a pen and selecting them by pressing a key may engage our thinking brains differently.” (ANI)

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Gene linked to male infertility identified

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 16 (ANI): Scientists from Virginia Commonwealth University have identified a gene that may contribute to male infertility.

The research team hopes that the new findings would lead to new approaches to male contraception.

Sperm are produced in the testicles through a three-step process called spermatogenesis.

During the final stage, known as spermiogenesis, a lot of changes take place, including the packaging of DNA into the sperm head and the formation of the sperm tail, which propels the sperm cell toward the egg.

The study conducted using mouse model showed that mice lacking a protein called meiosis expressed gene 1, or MEIG1, were sterile as a result of impaired spermiogenesis – the process that encompasses changes in the sperm head and the formation of the tail.

The team also found that MEIG1 associates with the Parkin co-regulated gene protein, or PACRG protein, and that testicular PACRG protein is reduced in MEIG1-deficient mice.

PACRG is thought to play a key role in assembly of the sperm tail, and the reproductive phenotype of PACRG -deficient mice mirrors that of the MEIG1-mutant mice.

“We discovered that MEIG1 is essential for male fertility. Moreover, our findings reveal a critical role for the MEIG1/PACRG partnership in the function of a structure that is unique to sperm, the manchette. The absence of a normal manchette in mice lacking MEIG1 totally disrupts the maturation process of sperm,” said Dr Jerome F. Strauss III, dean in the VCU School of Medicine.

“In addition to having an impact on fertility, the discovery identifies a new target for drug discovery for a much needed reversible male method of contraception,” he added.

The study is published in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (ANI)

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Chidambaram discusses counter-terrorism, 26/11 update with US officials

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 10 (ANI): Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram held meetings here with senior Obama administration officials, including National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. (retired) James Jones, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and the U.S. Attorney General Eric H Holder Jr. on Wednesday.

Enhanced co-operation between India and US on tackling terrorism particularly in South Asia dominated the discussions, sources said.

Pakistan’s inaction in dealing with the perpetrators of 26/11 was also raised.

Chidambaram also met Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Chairwoman of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Chidambaram is scheduled to meet the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday.

On Tuesday, officials from FBI, intelligence and security agencies and the New York Police briefed Chidambaram about the measures being taken by them to prevent a Mumbai-type terrorist attack.

From walking at the Penn Station, to a briefing by the New York Police, which had made several changes in its counter-terrorism measures post the 26/11 attacks, Chidambaram and his team of officials got to know what a mega city like New York can do to protect itself from terrorists without inconveniencing its residents.

Chidambaram was also informed about the coast guard facility at Staten Island. It was an important aspect of his trip given that the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26 last year entered Mumbai through the sea route.

Within hours of his landing in New York, Chidambaram visited the Joint Terror Task Force Centre of the FBI where he was given an exclusive briefing by the New York Police Department.

Before leaving New York City for Washington by train, Chidambaram was briefed about security of the Mass Transport System at the Penn station.

The Home Minister is also scheduled to meet the top US intelligence and security officials, including FBI Director Robert Mueller and Director of National Intelligence Dennis C Blair; besides meeting National Security Adviser, Gen (Retd) James Jones at the White House. A tour of the National Counter-terrorism Centre in Virginia is also on his itinerary.

Besides meeting experts and think-tanks” members, Chidambaram is expected to hold talks with key US lawmakers, including Senator Joe Lieberman, Chairman, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; and Congressman Sylvester Reyes, Chairman, House Select Committee on Intelligence. (ANI)

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Chidambaram meets FBI, New York Police officials, gets anti-terrorism tips

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New York/Washington, Sep.9 (ANI): India’s Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday, was briefed by officials from FBI, intelligence and security agencies and the New York Police about the measures being taken by them to prevent a Mumbai-type terrorist attack.

Within hours of his landing in New York, Chidambaram visited the Joint Terror Task Force Centre of the FBI where he was given an exclusive briefing by the New York Police Department.

Before leaving New York City for Washington by train, Chidambaram was briefed about security of the Mass Transport System at the Penn station.

In Washington, Chidambaram will meet with top Obama Administration officials, heads of intelligence and security agencies and influential lawmakers over the next three days.

Apart from discussing the 26/11 dossiers that India has submitted to Pakistan,Chidambaram will also discuss issues related to combating financing of terrorism and steps which will need to be taken in this regard as well as with regard to prevention of money laundering.

Ways to strengthen Indo-US anti-terrorism cooperation are among the issues likely to figure prominently in the talks on Wednesday and Thursday.

Chidambaram will meet his counterpart Janet Napolitano; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Attorney General Eric H Holder.

Besides meeting experts and think-tanks’ members, Chidambaram is expected to hold talks with key US lawmakers, including Senator Joe Lieberman, Chairman, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; and Congressman Sylvester Reyes, Chairman, House Select Committee on Intelligence. (ANI)

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Rihanna wants ‘stay away’ ban lifted off Chris Brown

September 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Sep 4 (ANI): Barbadian singer Rihanna is reportedly very furious and upset over the fact that her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown has been ordered to stay away from her.

Brown, 20, was formally sentenced on September 1 to five years probation for the February assault on Rihanna, and also to six months of community labour in Virginia.

He will be spending 1400 hours removing graffiti and washing cars.

He has also been ordered not to contact the ‘Umbrella’ singer in any way for the next five years.

He also must stay 100 yards from her, unless they are both at an entertainment-related event, in which he must stay 10 yards away.

But sources have revealed that Rihanna has been working to get Brown’s restraining order lifted.

“When Rihanna got word from her attorney that the judge refused to lift the ban, she was really upset,” News.com.au quoted an insider as having told Britain’s Now magazine.

“She started calling her friends and saying how stupid it was and that Chris would never hurt her again. She was really indignant about it,” the source added. (ANI)

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Chris Brown to wash cars, pick up trash as assault punishment

September 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 4 (ANI): R and B singer Chris Brown will be washing cars, picking up trash and removing graffiti as a part of the community service ordered by court for assaulting Rihanna.

The 20-year-old star has been given five years probation and ordered to serve six months hard labour in his home state of Virginia after pleading guilty to assaulting the ‘Umbrella’ hitmaker in February (09), reports Contactmusic.

Brown’s punishment has been revealed in a letter from Richmond, Virginia Police chief Bryan Norwood to the court in Los Angeles where Brown was sentenced.

The letter reads, “It is my understanding that the Court desires the imposed community service to be labour intensive. Along those lines, we are prepared to put Mr Brown to work in the community performing manual labour tasks, such as graffiti removal, trash pick up, washing cars, cleaning, maintaining grounds, etc.”

Brown has also been asked to pick up the bill for extra security during his punishment in case members of the public find out his location.

The letter adds, “He will be responsible for paying any costs incurred regarding the facilitation of this arrangement to include adequate security from the public (in the event they become aware of his presence) and one-on-one supervision where special projects are instituted.” (ANI)

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World’s oldest dog dies at 21

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 1 (ANI): The world’s oldest dog aged 21(147 in dog years) has died of natural causes.

Chanel, a wire-haired dachshund, took its last breath at Long Island at her owner’s home in Port Jefferson Station, a village 50 miles east of New York City.

Guinness World Records had named the pooch the world’s oldest dog in May this year during its 21st birthday party hosted by a pet food company at a Manhattan dog hotel and spa.

Owners Denice and Karl Shaughnessy had brought Chanel home from a pet shelter in Newport News, Virginia, when she was just six weeks old, reports the Daily Express.

Meanwhile, an owner of a dog from Louisiana named Max is now claiming the record for his pet. (ANI)

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475 MJ fans attempt world record dancing together to ‘Thriller’ in Leicester

August 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 30 (ANI): A group of Michael Jackson fans in Leicester attempted a world record for the most number of people dancing to the singer’s ‘Thriller’ in one place on his 51st birthday.

Some 475 people dressed as zombies packed into Orton Square participate in the event.

The current record is held by 242 dancers, who performed in Virginia in April this year.

“We wanted to celebrate his life and show people what an inspiration he is,” Sky News quoted Anand Bhatt, 29, the organiser of the attempt, as saying.

The mass dance was planned in April, two months before Michael Jackson died on June 25.

“His death just made us more determined to do this properly. With it being his birthday, it’s a fitting tribute,” said a woman participant.

Her sister added: “The mood has been vibrant throughout. I think it’s nicer today to do something positive, rather that dwelling on the circumstances surrounding his death.”

Adam, 10, said: “Michael Jackson’s my hero. I wish I could dance like him.”

While most dancers learnt the routine during free lessons at dance studios around Leicester, others practised the moves using tutorial videos posted online.

Although the even ran smoothly, its organisers are still waiting an official declaration from a Guinness World Record representative that the new record has been made. (ANI)

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Holidaying Obama sets himself grueling reading schedule of 2,300 pages

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Martha’s Vineyard (Virginia, US), Aug. 26 (ANI): US President Barack Obama has kicked off his vacation by revealing that, in addition to endless games of tennis and golf, he plans to read five books or an astonishing 2,300 pages.

His summer reading list, unveiled by a White House apparently keen to emphasise Obama’s highbrow credentials, contains two heavyweight works of non-fiction and three novels, The Independent reports.

On top of the pile stacked on Barack and Michelle’s bedside table at the 28-acre estate they have rented for 35,000 dollars is “Hot, Flat and Crowded”, the climate change polemic by New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman. Subtitled “why we need a green revolution”, it makes a leftish call to arms regarding the future of the planet.

Obama’s second choice is historian David McCullough’s magisterial biography of John Adams, the often underrated second US president, who was the subject of an award-winning HBO docu-drama last year.

The novels include two crime thrillers: Richard Price’s Lush Life, and The Way Home, a novel by George Pelecanos set in Washington, DC – which, much like Obama’s best-selling autobiography, explores the relationship between a father and his son.

Completing the set is the novel Plainsong, by a little-known writer called Kent Haruf. Set in a small town on the Colorado plains, its existence on the reading list may reassure voters that their metropolitan commander-in-chief has not ignored Middle America.

The books were unveiled to reporters on Monday afternoon, at an official press briefing.

President Obama has already spent a portion of his week so far playing golf, beating Michelle at tennis, and visiting friends.

To finish all five books, he would have to manage more than 300 pages every day – quite an “ask” when a small portion of his time must also be spent running the country. (ANI)

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Future smart materials may mimic fish biology

August 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, August 22 (ANI): In a new research, a team of scientists is aiming to develop smart material systems inspired by the biology of fish.

The remarkable ability of fish to maneuver in tight places, or to hover in one area efficiently, or to accelerate in a seemingly effortless fashion has researchers wondering if they can create smarter materials that emulate the biology of these vertebrates.

With an eye towards homeland defense needs, engineers have also noted that fish through neuromasts or ‘hairs’ in the lateral line are able to sense very small changes in their watery environment that allows them to detect and track prey and to form hydrodynamic images of the environment.

Michael Philen, assistant professor of aerospace and ocean engineering (AOE) at Virginia Tech, has pulled together a team of researchers to study these abilities and hopefully develop biologically inspired material systems that have hierarchically structured sensing, actuation, and intelligent control.

This research will lead to state-of-the-art advanced materials that can intelligently sense and actuate a network of distributed robust sensors and actuators.

As a post doctoral researcher at Penn State, Philen spent time on a three-year project with the Defense Army Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a new structure/actuation system inspired by the mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties of plants.

Philen’s proposal to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program to study fish to create smarter materials has received 1.95 million dollars in funding.

Philen’s co-principal investigators are Harry Dorn, professor of chemistry, and Don Leo, associate dean of engineering, both at Virginia Tech.

George Lauder, a professor of biology at Harvard, and James Tangorra, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics at Drexel, round out the team.

Working together, the team will develop distributed sensors and actuators using nanotechnology, advanced composite technology, and smart polymeric materials for understanding the organization and structure of the control systems fish use for sensing and maneuvering.

With the inclusion of Harvard University, the research team also plans to develop a traveling exhibit on robotic fish that showcases the biology of aquatic propulsion, new actuator and sensing technologies and how these can be integrated to design a robotic fish.

The team of researchers plans to create a robotic fish-like underwater vehicle by integrating their biological investigations of the fish with engineering knowledge about sensors and actuators.

“We view this as an exciting opportunity to create a transformative leap in the development of new biologically inspired material systems,” Philen said. (ANI)

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Michael Vick Eagles | Mike Vick Signs With Eagles | Mike Vick | Michael Vick | Espn | Philadelphia Eagles | Michael Vick Buffalo Bills | Eagles | Mike Vick Signs With Cowboys | Mike Vick Signs | Mike Vick News | Michael Vick- Eagles Agree to 2-Year Deal

August 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Michael Dwayne Vick is born on 26 June, 1980, in Newport News, Virginia is a professional American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He previously played for the Atlanta Falcons for 6 seasons before serving 23 months in prison for his involvement in an illegal dog fighting ring.

In April 2007, Vick was implicated in an extensive and unlawful interstate dogfighting ring that operated over a period of five years. In August 2007, he plead guilty to felony charges, and was indefinitely suspended from the NFL. He was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison, and began his incarceration in November 2007. With loss of his NFL salary and product endorsement deals, combined with previous financial mismanagement, Vick filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2008.

Vick was released from prison to home confinement on May 20, 2009. Falcons owner Arthur Blank stated that he did not want Vick on the Falcons, and after attempts to trade him failed, Vick was released. On July 27, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell conditionally reinstated Vick, and will consider him for full reinstatement by Week 6 of (Oct. 18-19) the 2009 season at the latest, and possibly as soon as Week 1.

On August 13, 2009, Vick signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He will earn $1.6 million in his first year and $5 million in his second year. Vick will be able to participate in all team practices and meetings, as well as the Eagles’ last two preseason games. He will then be eligible for reinstatement in week 6.

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Indian students stand second in non-US division of NASA supersonic design contest

July 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 11 (ANI): Sahaj Panchal and Dhrumir Patel from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Technology, Gujarat, India, have stood second in the category of ‘non-US team’ in a contest to design a supersonic airliner, hosted by NASA.

The contest saw college students from the US, Japan and India, who researched technology and created concepts for a supersonic passenger jet.

The Fundamental Aeronautics Program in NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate sponsored the competition.

The participants were challenged to design a small supersonic airliner and submit a research paper limited to 25 pages.

Designs had to be efficient, environmentally friendly, low sonic boom commercial aircraft that could be ready for initial service by 2020.

A team of undergraduates from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, and a team of graduate students from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta tied for first place in the US division.

A University of Tokyo undergraduate team won top honors in the non-US category, with Panchal and Patel from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Technology, standing second for their design called ‘RASTOFUST’.

A group of NASA engineers reviewed the entries. The judges based their scores on how well students addressed all aspects of the problem they chose to discuss.

The judges used the following criteria: innovation and creativity; discussion of feasibility; a brief review of pertinent literature; and a baseline comparison with the relevant current technology, system or design.

“We use these competitions to generate excitement for aeronautics and the engineering behind aviation,” said Peter Coen, principal investigator of the Supersonics Project at Langley.

“I was pleased by the number and diversity of the entries we received. And I was impressed by the quality and innovative thinking demonstrated in the designs,” he added. (ANI)

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Lashkar’s Gulf based terror cells planning attack on India: Report

July 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Virginia (US), July 7 (ANI): The threat perception on vital installations in three coastal states Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa has been increased manifold following intelligence reports of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) channelising huge amounts of money from its Gulf-based networks for terror strikes against the country.

According to a report in the Terrorism Monitor, a periodical published by the Virginia based Jamestown Foundation, intelligence authorities have revealed that the LeT’s marine wing is planning a repeat of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, and is on the look out for an incursion into India via the western sea-coast.

Recently, Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram had also raised fears about terrorists using the sea route to strike at strategic locations along the western cost.

Intelligence authorities have also confirmed the Gulf link to terror in India.

There are several LeT cells operating in the Gulf that have financed and facilitated terrorist operations against India, the report said.

The arrest of Muhammad Omar Madni, who is believed to be a close aide of Lashkar chief Hafeez Muhammad Saeed revealed the impending threat to India through the sea route.

Madni’s arrest and interrogation revealed several startling details, including new routes used by terrorists, the location of bases inside and outside India, terrorist finances, and the recruitment strategy of the LeT.

The investigations carried out by Mumbai Police’s crime branch also revealed that the November 2008 Mumbai attacks were financed by LeT’s Gulf cells, the report said.

During the probe it was also found that it was the Gulf-based operatives that had masterminded and executed a series of blasts in various cities such as Bangalore, Ahmadabad, Delhi and Surat in 2008, it added.

These serial terror attack was carried out with of the Indian Mujahedeen (IM) operatives and the banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the report went on to add.

With the increasing threat perception from the middle-east, India is now seeking a comprehensive anti-terrorism treaty with the Gulf nations, the report concluded. (ANI)

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Internet-based intervention may help treat insomnia

July 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 7 (ANI): A new study has suggested that an online insomnia intervention based on established face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy techniques could help patients get a good night’s sleep.

Cognitive behavioral therapy-a psychological treatment focusing on the behaviours and dysfunctional thoughts that contribute to sleep problems-is one of the most effective treatments for insomnia.

“Unfortunately, availability of cognitive behavioral therapy is severely limited for many reasons, including lack of trained clinicians, poor geographical distribution of knowledgeable professionals, expense and inaccessibility to treatment and clinicians,” the authors said.

Lee M. Ritterband, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of an Internet intervention based on cognitive behavioral therapy techniques among 44 adults (average age 44.9) who had a history of sleep difficulties lasting longer than 10 years on average.

A total of 22 participants were randomly assigned to a control group and 22 received the Internet intervention, SHUTi. The highly interactive nine-week program uses text, graphics, animations, vignettes, quizzes and games to present behavioral, educational and cognitive techniques for improving sleep.

For instance, patients were advised to avoid reading and watching television in the bedroom, stop daytime napping and change unhelpful beliefs and thoughts (including worries about the consequences of insomnia) that may exacerbate sleep difficulties.

Participants completed daily sleep diaries before and after the intervention and also rated their symptoms on the seven-item Insomnia Severity Index, which produces a score from zero (no symptoms) to 28 (severe insomnia).

Among individuals who received the intervention, scores on the index improved from 15.73 to 6.59, whereas scores did not change for the control group. These gains were maintained at a six-month follow-up assessment.

“An Internet intervention has the potential of meeting the large unmet treatment need of the population with insomnia by providing effective treatment through the Web,” they authors said.

“An effective and inexpensive Internet intervention would expand treatment options for large numbers of adults with insomnia, especially those whose geographical location prohibits access to relevant care, and could be a substantive first-line treatment choice,” they added.

The study has been published in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (ANI)

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Novel anti-infection technology to help soldiers wounded during wars

July 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 5 (ANI): Soldiers would soon be able to avoid infection on any injury they sustain during wars, thanks to a new anti-infection technology developed by West Virginia University researchers.

Dr. Bingyun Li, of the university’s Department of Orthopaedics, has revealed that the new technology is basically a drug-delivery system that involves microcapsules and nanocoating, which have been found to work in animal studies.

Writing about their work, the researchers have revealed that their tests have already involved interleukin-12, a drug currently in anti-cancer clinical trials.

“These pioneering techniques could be important to the United States because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The treatment of battlefield casualties is expensive, and the infection rate runs from 2 percent to 15 percent. In some cases, because the organisms have developed resistance, antibiotics don’t work,” Li says.

“Interleukin-12 will maximize the body’s natural response to an extent where infections can be prevented without the risk of the offending bacteria developing resistance to the treatment, as is becoming more of a problem with antibiotic therapy alone. With nanocoating, the drug is right where it needs to be – at the interface of the implant and your tissue.

“With the microcapsule, the drug can be injected or sprayed where desired, and the nanocoating and microcapsule prolong the half-life of interleukin-12,” the researcher added.

Unlike antibiotic therapy, both methods deliver the interleukin-12 locally rather than spread it throughout the body, and that is why side effects are minimal, Li said.

A research article describing the novel techniques has been published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. (ANI)

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‘Laser dazzler’ to stop careless drivers without blinding them

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 2 (ANI): Reports indicate that the Pentagon is developing a laser dazzler that will force drivers to stop without harming their eyes.

When a vehicle approaches a checkpoint at speed, ignoring warning signs to slow down, troops do not know whether the driver is simply careless or a suicide bomber.

This makes it necessary for troops to have a clear and harmless way of forcing drivers to stop.

Green laser dazzlers designed to temporarily blind drivers were sent to US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan for just this purpose.

But at short range they can damage the eye, and a number of US troops and civilians have ended up in hospital with eye injuries after “friendly fire” incidents.

US troops and civilians have been sent to hospital with eye injuries after ‘friendly fire’ incidents.

Now, according to a report in New Scientist, the US Department of Defense’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) in Quantico, Virginia is developing a pulsed laser designed to prevent eye damage.

Its wavelength means a portion of the light is absorbed by the vehicle windscreen, vaporising the outer layer of the glass and producing a plasma.

This absorbs the rest of the pulse and re-emits the energy as a brilliant white light that is dazzling but harmless.

Because the light is emitted from the windscreen, the effect on the driver’s eyes should be the same regardless of the vehicle’s distance from the laser.

According to Scott Griffiths of the JNLWD, a working prototype could be ready by next year. (ANI)

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58 percent of world’s seagrass meadows on the decline

June 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 30 (ANI): An international team of scientists has warned that accelerating losses of seagrasses across the globe threaten the immediate health and long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems, with 58 percent of world’s seagrass meadows currently declining.

The assessment, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows an acceleration of annual seagrass loss from less than 1 percent per year before 1940 to 7 percent per year since 1990.

Based on more than 215 studies and 1,800 observations dating back to 1879, the assessment shows that seagrasses are disappearing at rates similar to coral reefs and tropical rainforests.

The team estimates that seagrasses have been disappearing at the rate of 110 square-kilometers (42.4 square-miles) per year since 1980 and cites two primary causes for the decline: direct impacts from coastal development and dredging activities, and indirect impacts of declining water quality.

“A recurring case of ‘coastal syndrome’ is causing the loss of seagrasses worldwide,” said co-author Dr. William Dennison of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

“The combination of growing urban centers, artificially hardened shorelines and declining natural resources has pushed coastal ecosystems out of balance. Globally, we lose a seagrass meadow the size of a soccer field every thirty minutes,” he added.

“While the loss of seagrasses in coastal ecosystems is daunting, the rate of this loss is even more so,” said co-author Dr. Robert Orth of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science of the College of William and Mary.

“With the loss of each meadow, we also lose the ecosystem services they provide to the fish and shellfish relying on these areas for nursery habitat,” he explained.

“The consequences of continuing losses also extend far beyond the areas where seagrasses grow, as they export energy in the form of biomass and animals to other ecosystems including marshes and coral reefs,” he added.

“With 45 percent of the world’s population living on the 5 percent of land adjacent to the coast, pressures on remaining coastal seagrass meadows are extremely intense,” said co-author Dr. Tim Carruthers of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

“As more and more people move to coastal areas, conditions only get tougher for seagrass meadows that remain,” he added.

Seagrasses profoundly influence the physical, chemical and biological environments of coastal waters.

A unique group of submerged flowering plants, seagrasses provide critical habitat for aquatic life, alter water flow and can help mitigate the impact of nutrient and sediment pollution. (ANI)

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Queen Elizabeth to be present at Murray’s match

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, June 27 (ANI): Queen Elizabeth has cleared her appointments book in a hope to visit Wimbledon court to see British tennis star Andy Murray take on Roger Federer in the men’s final on July 5.

Murray has already had a letter of congratulation from Her Majesty after his win at Queen’s two weeks ago, and now it has been revealed the Queen is set to grace Wimbledon with her presence for the first time in 32 years, the Daily Express reports.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The Queen does not have an official appointment on July 5. That is as far as we can go.”

The last time the Queen was at the All England Club was in 1977 to see Virginia Wade lift the women’s title. That was the last time a British player won the singles event.

Murray faces Serb Viktor Troicki on the Centre Court in the third round today as he continues his progress towards the final.

The Queen has been enthused by Murray’s progress this year, and last night the world No3 pledged to carry on battering his way through the Wimbledon draw, thanks to the muscle power boosted by his intense sessions in the gym.

Murray cracked an impressive 11 aces in his 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 thumping of Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the second round on Thursday.

He said: “I haven’t changed my motion, it’s still exactly the same as it was. It’s because I have got physically stronger. I’m a lot more balanced now. Before, my legs were stronger than my upper body and I would collapse a bit. When you do that, you hit a lot of serves long.”

“Now I’m staying taller for longer and it’s less effort to hit a hard serve. Before, I used to try to serve huge on a lot of the points, and try to get to 130-140mph. But now I’m getting a higher percentage in and hitting the lines with a lot less effort,” he added. (ANI)

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