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India Air Force activates Nyoma airfield close to China border

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 18 (ANI): The Indian Air Force in a significant move today activated its Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) to support the Army in carrying out operations in the inhospitable terrain.

An IAF AN-32 aircraft landed at Nyoma ALG, which is located at an altitude of 13,300 feet in Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir, at 6:25 a.m. today. It is located 23 kms from the Line of Actual Control. (LAC).

The successful landing of a fixed wing aircraft at Nyoma marks the culmination of joint effort by the IAF and Indian Army to enable the IAF to operate in the inhospitable terrain of Leh-Ladakh region in support of the Army.

The landing comes just fifteen months after an AN-32 landed at Daulat-Beg-Oldie (DBO), the highest airfield in the world situated at an altitude of 16,200 feet.

Group Captain SC Chafekar touched down on the Nyoma airstrip. Air Marshal NAK Browne, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Lieutenant General PC Bharadwaj, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command on board.

Though helicopters have been landing at this ALG, this is for the first time that a fixed wing aircraft has landed at the compact airstrip of Nyoma.

After deliberating on all aspects and carrying out aerial and ground inspection, it was concluded that Nyoma could be developed for fixed wing operations as well.

The Engineer Regiments of 14 Corps undertook the herculean task of developing the ALG to the standards required for fixed wing operations.

Joint development of Nyoma braving the extremely difficult working conditions and hostile weather is yet another step towards enhanced joint partnership between the two services.

Nyoma has been developed with an aim to connect the remote areas of Ladakh region to the mainland. This would also ensure movements in the area when the road traffic gets affected, during the harsh winters besides enabling improved communication network in the region. (ANI)

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Lap dancing, a routine part of British workplaces

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sept 18 (ANI): Lap dancing has become a part of British working life, a campaign group has said.

According to The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for women’s rights, companies in the UK are turning a blind eye to the use of sex clubs by workers.

The group found that some firms knowingly authorise the use of staff expenses for entertaining clients in lap dancing and strip clubs, reports The Telegraph.

After studying lap dancing clubs’ websites and contacting them directly to ask about their work with corporate clients, Fawcett researchers identified more than 300 such clubs in the UK.

Some 41 per cent of UK lap dancing clubs directly target employers through marketing on their websites, the researchers found.

Kat Banyard, the Fawcett Society researcher who wrote the report, described the sex industry as “a major threat to women’s equality at work”.

She said: “The sex industry is increasingly targeting the corporate market, with lap dancing clubs marketing themselves as ideal venues to host meetings and client entertaining. Yet lap dancing clubs are a form of commercial sexual exploitation and fuel sexist attitudes towards women. Their use in a work context discriminates against female employees and undermines women’s status at work.

She added: “For too long, employers have engaged with the sex industry without due regard for the impact on female employees, and have failed to prevent the illicit use of the sex industry by employees in a work context.” (ANI)

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Study on sheep shows link between personality, survival, and reproductive success

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 16 (ANI): Canadian researchers have established a link between personality, survival, and reproductive success by carrying out a study on male bighorn sheep.

Denis Reale, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UQAM and Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Ecology, says that the new study offers insight into personality differences in animals and humans, from an evolutionary perspective.

Since 1969, several teams of researchers have been studying this population of bighorn sheep in Alberta, Canada. They have collected considerable data over the years.

Working in collaboration with researchers from the University of Sherbrooke and the University of Alberta, Reale identified the rams in terms of boldness and docility.

The researchers then conducted paternity tests to determine which rams were reproducing.

They point out that in a system like that of bighorn sheep where there is strong competition among the males for impregnating females, large size and high dominance status are normally key factors in a male’s success.

Males usually attain these conditions in the prime of life, between 6 and 12 years, the researchers say.

However, the paternity tests showed that some young males manage to fertilize females.

The researchers also concentrated on the risk associated with participation in the rut-males can be injured or fall from a cliff in fighting.

Reale and his colleagues hypothesized that the young males that manage to reproduce would be the boldest and most combative, and analysis of the data confirmed it.

However, in exchange for sexual precocity and risk-taking, these rams often die younger than their more docile peers. The latter, instead, invest in the long term, breed later and reach an older age.

Based on their observations, the researchers came to the conclusion that their findings indicate a variation in the personalities and life histories of the population, with two extreme types: one that could be characterised as “live fast and die” and the other as “slow and steady wins the race”.

Depending on their personality, the males managed to breed and to transmit their genes, but in different ways.

The study demonstrates that personality has a direct influence on the lifestyle of individuals.

A research article describing the study has been published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. (ANI)

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Malaysian Indian Congress delegate suspended over slipper garland for ex-PM

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Sep.16 (ANI): The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has suspended a delegate who suggested a garland of slippers for former Prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The Star quoted MIC President S. Samy Vellu as saying in a statement: “With the powers vested in me as the president under the MIC constitution, I have suspended the membership.”

He said the party would wait for recommendations by the disciplinary committee to the Central Working Committee CWC) before deciding on any further action.

The disciplinary committee had to issue a show-cause letter asking the delegate, who was not named, to provide an explanation, and they would decide on any action based on the explanation, he said.

The party constitution provides for the disciplinary committee to warn, suspend or sack the delegate, but it has to be endorsed by the CWC. (ANI)

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Samy Vellu’s men sweep MIC elections

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Sep. 13 (ANI): The team chosen by Malaysian Indian Congress president S. Samy Vellu has won all top four positions at the party elections held on Saturday.

The clean sweep has silenced Samy Vellu’s critics who were saying that the MIC president was losing grip on the party, the Star Online reports.

G. Palanivel led the charge by fighting off a strong challenge from S. Subramaniam to retain his deputy presidency by 82 votes.

The other challenger, S. Sothinathan, also failed to fare any better.

Other three vice-presidents elected are-Dr S. Subramaniam, S.K. Devamany and M. Saravanan.

Nineteen out f 23 central working committee posts were won by Samy Vellu’s men.

Following the result declaration, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak urged the MIC to re-unite and strengthen itself to face the challenges ahead. (ANI)

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Stay-at-home parents ‘most stressed workers’

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 12 (ANI): Parents who stay at home and look after the household are the most stressed out, a new UK study claims.

According to a research conducted by Mindlab Organisation, mothers or fathers who do household chores are more frazzled than those with traditionally high-pressure jobs, like city trading, teaching or nursing.

Stress levels were investigated in British adults as per their “work” roles – stay-at-home parents, taxi drivers, teachers, nurses and city dealers.

The conclusion was reached by measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout an average working day.

It was found that stay-at-home parents proved to be the most under pressure. Nurses ranked second in the list, followed by the traders, then teachers and finally, taxi drivers.

A bio-monitoring equipment was used to measure and record the heart rate and skin conductance.

The participants were connected to the equipment and tested over a seven-hour period.

Also, samples of saliva were taken at crucial junctures during the day to measure cortisol, which is a direct indicator of stress.

“The key here is the degree of control each of these professionals feel able to exercise over their lives,” the Daily Express quoted Dr David Lewis, who was part of the research, as saying.

“Stay-at-home parents receive little or no specific training and are furthermore typically isolated from other adults for much of the day,” he added.

Psychologist Jenni Trent Hughes said: “The answer is simply to be selfish and take some time out. After 21 years of running around after the family, pets, supermarket and the house, women have earned it.

“If you’re not taking care of your- self then how can you properly take care of anyone else?

“If you’re ratty or short-tempered, tired or at your wits’ end how can you possibly be the best you can be for your partner, children, family and last but definitely not least yourself?” (ANI)

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Coach must take pride in his work: Aaqib Javed

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep.11 (ANI): Former Pakistan fast bowler and assistant coach Aaqib Javed has said a coach of a national squad should take pride in his work and not impose himself on the players.

Javed, who was sacked from the assistant coach post by the Pakistan Cricket Board last month, said a coach should be able to communicate effectively with the players.

“I’m not one for shouting at the players, or making a lot of noise for the sake of it. Coaching players is all about taking pride in your work and ensuring that you show a caring attitude towards the players,” Javed told PakPassion.net.

Javed said a coach must earn the respect of teammates and added that he preferred working hard for the players instead of imposing himself on them.

“You have to earn the respect of the players you are working with. We have to be pulling in the same direction. I work very hard with the players and in return the players who work hard for me get their rewards,” he said.

The PCB had axed Javed over Pakistan’s poor performance during the Sri Lanka series.

Sources said his ouster came due to negative reports about him filed by coach Intikhab Alam, who felt Javed was getting too involved with some of the senior players.

Captain Younis Khan is also said to be unhappy with Javed’s presence in the team.

Javed has been replaced by Mohtashim Rasheed, younger brother of former Test batsman, Haroon Rasheed.

When enquired about Javed’s sacking, PCB chief Ijaz Butt had said he has ‘better plans’ for the former fast bowler. (ANI)

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

September 10, 2009 By admin 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)

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Malaysian Indian Congress working committee has two Punjabis candidates

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Sep. 7 (ANI): In an unprecedented move, the Malaysian Indian Congress has kept two Punjabi hopefuls on the preferred list of candidates for the party’s central working committee (CWC).

MIC President S. Samy Vellu has endorsed J. Randhir Singh from Johor and G. Jaspal Singh from Selangor among 27 candidates, who will be part of party’s decision making body.

According to a part source, one of the two was being groomed by Samy Vellu to fill the vacancy left by former vice president K.S. Nijhar.

“But it will be an uphill task since both are newcomers and are going for the same allocation. And there are only a few north Indian delegates,” the New Strait Times quoted him, as saying.

“There are many candidates vying for the 23 CWC seats and these two are newcomers. They have so little time and the delegates want to get to know them more. They will have to work hard in whatever little time they have,” said another source.

Though popular in their own states, the two candidates are relatively unknown at the national level.

But Randhir is not letting that hamper his chances. He is leveraging on his father Jasbir Singh’s popularity, who has been the Pontian division chairman for the past 45 years.

“I am using the picture with my father because many people recognise my father for his long service to the party. I want to tell them that I am the second generation who will continue what he has been doing for the community,” Randhir said of an appeal in newspapers which shows him along with his father.

Being a non-Tamil speaking candidate in a predominantly Tamil speaking party is a non-issue, as far as he is concerned.

“My father doesn’t speak Tamil as well and he has been division chairman for 45 years. Language is not a barrier. What is important is your ability and willingness to work for the betterment of the community,” he said.

Being on Samy Vellu’s list of endorsed candidates showed that the president recognises the work of non-governmental organisations, he said. (ANI)

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Malaysian Indian Congress working committee has two Punjabis candidates

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

MIC President S. Samy Vellu has endorsed J. Randhir Singh from Johor and G. Jaspal Singh from Selangor among 27 candidates, who will be part of party’s decision making body.

According to a part source, one of the two was being groomed by Samy Vellu to fill the vacancy left by former vice president K.S. Nijhar.

“But it will be an uphill task since both are newcomers and are going for the same allocation. And there are only a few north Indian delegates,” the New Strait Times quoted him, as saying.

Though popular in their own states, the two candidates are relatively unknown at the national level.

But Randhir is not letting that hamper his chances. He is leveraging on his father Jasbir Singh’s popularity, who has been the Pontian division chairman for the past 45 years.

Being a non-Tamil speaking candidate in a predominantly Tamil speaking party is a non-issue, as far as he is concerned.

“My father doesn’t speak Tamil as well and he has been division chairman for 45 years.

Language is not a barrier. What is important is your ability and willingness to work for the betterment of the community,” he said.

Being on Samy Vellu’s list of endorsed candidates showed that the president recognises the work of non-governmental organisations, he said. (ANI)

TCS to open 6 passport offices in October

September 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 4 (ANI): Six offices across India in October to provide passport services will be opened by the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

In the first phase of this 100 billion rupee project, computerized passport facilitation centres will be opened in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Ambala, Bangalore, Mangalore and Hubli, according to the TCS.

With the launch of the Passport Seva Project, the processing time for issuance of passport is expected to be reduced to three days and to one day under the Tatkal (immediate) scheme.

The Ministry of External Affairs will monitor the working of the Passport Seva Project, which was awarded to TCS in 2008. (ANI)

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Reddy, a leader committed to ideologies of Congress: PM

September 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 3 (ANI) : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described the departed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajsekhar Reddy as “a dynamic and tall leader of the party”.

Speaking to reporters after the Congress Committee meeting Singh said, “We express great sorrow on the untimely demise of Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy, who was a tall and dynamic leader of the Congress party. With his intense and hard efforts he made the party as a natural choice of administration in Andhra Pradesh.”

“With the profound interest in the development he made the Andhra Pradesh to emerge as a model of governance,” Singh said.

With the death of Dr.Reddy the Congress lost an outstanding leader who is committed to the ideas and ideologies of the party. At this juncture, we express our deep condolences to the family and colleagues of Dr. Reddy and also to the families of other four members who died with him,’ Singh said.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi described Rajasekhara Reddy as a hard working leader.

“The congress party is shocked over the untimely death of Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy. The party expressed its deep condolences to the party workers leaders and the colleagues of YSR. At this time we assure to Reddy’s family and also the families of all those who travelled with him and did not return that the party will stand with them to overcome the deep loss,”said Sonia Gandhi. (ANI)

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Brain function of earthquake survivors gets acutely affected

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 1 (ANI): The earthquake that jolted Wenchuan, China, in 2008 has had an acute impact on the brain function of physically healthy survivors, and even poses a risk to their mental health, according a new research.

Working with collaborators from universities in China, the US and Liverpool, researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry focussed on the survivors of the earthquake that occurred on May 12 last year.

The researchers wanted to gain a better understanding of how functional brain systems adapt to severe emotional stress.

Previous animal studies have demonstrated the importance of limbic, paralimbic, striatal, and prefrontal structures of the brain in stress and fear responses.

Human studies, which have focused primarily on patients with clinically established posttraumatic stress disorders, have reported abnormalities in similar brain structures.

But not much is known about potential alterations of brain function in trauma survivors shortly after traumatic events such as an earthquake.

The epicentre of the devastating earthquake was in Wenchuan, in the Sichuan Province of China.

The tremor measured 8.0 on the Richter scale and severely affected many geographical regions including Yingxiu, Wenchuan, Dujiangyan, and Shifang, where 45 million people were directly affected.

The researchers found that a significant proportion of the survivors (around 20 per cent) are likely to develop stress-related disorders, such as acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Given the serious and persistent impact of these highly prevalent psychiatric disorders, it is vital to develop a better understanding of the alterations of cerebral function evident in the early stages of adaptation to trauma. Such knowledge may lead to a better understanding of posttraumatic responses and the development of more effective early interventions,” said Dr Andrea Mechelli from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London.

The researchers used a method known as ‘resting-state fMRI’ to examine 44 healthy survivors and 32 controls shortly after the massive psychological trauma.

They found that significant alterations in brain function similar to those observed in posttraumatic stress disorders could be seen shortly after major traumatic experiences, highlighting the need for early evaluation and intervention for the survivors.

The results of the study show that individuals experiencing severe emotional trauma showed hyperactivity in certain areas of the brain, and decreased functional connectivity in others, shortly after the massively traumatic Wenchuan earthquake.

Particularly, the findings indicated that traumatic experiences affect not only regional function but also dynamic interactions within brain networks.

It is not clear if this pattern of brain alteration remains the same or evolves further over the following weeks or months after the traumatic experiences.

“A better understanding of the impact of traumatic events on brain function may help us identify those in need of early treatment and reduce the long-term psychological impact in trauma survivors of national disasters, military conflict, and other causes of severe emotional distress,” said Mechelli.

The results of the study have been published in PNAS online. (ANI)

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Carbon monoxide exposure may up heart problem risk for the elderly

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 1 (ANI): Carbon monoxide exposure has been found to elevate the risk of hospitalisation for the elderly with heart problems in an American study.

The nationwide study of 126 urban communities has shown that an increase in carbon monoxide of 1 part per million in the maximum daily one-hour exposure is linked with a 0.96 percent increase in the risk of hospitalisation from cardiovascular disease among people over the age of 65.

The connection remains even when carbon monoxide levels are less than 1 part per million, which is well below the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 35 parts per million.

The finding has indicated that an under-recognized health risk to seniors.

Presently, the EPA is evaluating the scientific evidence on the link between carbon monoxide and health to determine whether the health-based standard should be modified.

“This evidence indicates that exposure to current carbon monoxide levels may still pose a public health threat. Higher levels of carbon monoxide were associated with higher risk of hospitalisations for cardiovascular heart disease,” said Michelle Bell, the study’s lead investigator.

Working in collaboration with experts from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, Bell analysed hospital records for 9.3 million Medicare recipients and data on air pollution levels and weather, gathered between 1999 and 2005.

The analysis considered the health effects of other traffic-related pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, fine particles, and elemental carbon.

“We found a positive and statistically significant association between same-day carbon monoxide levels and an increased risk of hospitalisation for cardiovascular disease in general, as well as for multiple, specific cardiovascular disease outcomes, including ischemic heart disease, heart rhythm disturbances, heart failure and cerebrovascular disease,” said Bell.

Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odourless gas that is a component of automobile exhaust.

The researchers stressed the need for additional research to investigate whether carbon monoxide or a combination of it and other traffic-related pollutants could result in increased cardiovascular hospitalisations in the elderly.

Their most recent findings have been detailed in a research article published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. (ANI)

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Warped debris disks around stars a result of interstellar wind

August 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, August 29 (ANI): In a new research, a team of scientists has determined that the warped shapes of the dust-filled disks where new planets may be forming around other stars, may be due to interstellar wind.

The dust-filled disks where new planets may be forming around other stars occasionally take on some difficult-to-understand shapes.

Now, a team led by John Debes at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has found that a star’s motion through interstellar gas can account for many of them.

“The disks contain small comet- or asteroid-like bodies that may grow to form planets,” Debes said. “These small bodies often collide, which produces a lot of fine dust,” he added.

As the star moves through the galaxy, it encounters thin gas clouds that create a kind of interstellar wind.

“The small particles slam into the flow, slow down, and gradually bend from their original trajectories to follow it,” said Debes.

Far from being empty, the space between stars is filled with patchy clouds of low-density gas.

When a star encounters a relatively dense clump of this gas, the resulting flow produces a drag force on any orbiting dust particles.

The force only affects the smallest particles – those about one micrometer across, or about the size of particles in smoke.

“This fine dust is usually removed through collisions among the particles, radiation pressure from the star’s light and other forces,” explained Debes. “The drag from interstellar gas just takes them on a different journey than they otherwise would have had,” he said.

Working with Alycia Weinberger at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and Goddard astrophysicist Marc Kuchner, Debes was using the Hubble Space Telescope to investigate the composition of dust around the star HD 32297, which lies 340 light-years away in the constellation Orion.

He noticed that the interior of the dusty disk – a region comparable in size to our own solar system – was warped in a way that matched a previously known warp at larger distances.

“Other research indicated there were interstellar gas clouds in the vicinity. The pieces came together to make me think that gas drag was a good explanation for what was going on,” Debes said.

“It looks like interstellar gas helps young planetary systems shed dust much as a summer breeze helps dandelions scatter seeds,” Kuchner said.

As dust particles respond to the interstellar wind, a debris disk can morph into peculiar shapes determined by the details of its collision with the gas cloud. (ANI)

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100,000 Pakistani labourers expected to work in Malaysia by end 2010

August 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Aug.27 (ANI): With an estimated three-fold increase in workers, Pakistan is set to join Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar as the largest primary source of foreign labour for Malaysia.

Pakistan High Commissioner to Malaysia, Liutenant General (retired) Tahir Mahmud Qazi said the expected surge in number of labourers would help Malaysia cope up with the increasing demand due to the boom in the construction industry.

“By December next year, I expect the number of Pakistani workers in the country to increase to 100,000. This will be the culmination of joint efforts to bring them here to assist in the development of Malaysia,” Qazi said.

He said the massive influx was made possible due to the memorandum of understanding inked between the two countries in 2005.

Qazi said Pakistanis over the years, have proved that they are hard working and sincere.

“We want more of them to come here to work. They have a proven track record of being hardworking and dependable,” The Newstraits Times quoted Qazi, as saying.

He said senior Pakistani officials would be visiting Malaysia next month to search for investment opportunities in the country and introduce investment opportunities to the Malaysian business community.

“There are huge opportunities awaiting Malaysian businessmen in Pakistan. We need a variety of goods and services, including hypermarkets, communication, information technology facilities and low-cost housing,” Qazi added. (ANI)

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Oriya dance group emerges winner in TV reality show

August 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Aug 23(ANI): The Prince Dance Group from Orissa won the grand finale of a TV reality show “India’s Got Talent” that was staged in Mumbai on Saturday night.

The group won a cash prize of Rs five million and a Maruti Suzuki Ritz car.

The group, comprising 26 artistes held the audience and the judges engrossed with their act from the mythological Mahabharata.

“I always had faith on these children. They are very hard working. I wanted to make a group by teaching these kids but I cant believe that we could reach at this level. We are here today all because of God’s grace and our hard work,” said Krishna, lead dancer of the group.

While, renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, actors Sonali Bendre and Kirron Kher judged the show, Bollywood stars Shahid Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee, also made their presence felt on the occasion and promoted their forthcoming movie ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’.

“Whenever you come and watch such unique performances, you actually get a lot to learn and take back something new. Be it their art or their story it definitely touches you. So we actually took back,” said Sonali Bendre. (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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Kristen Stewart strips for James Gandolfini’s ‘Welcome to The Rileys’

August 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 21 (ANI): Actress Kristen Stewart will appear nude in her new film Welcome to The Rileys.

The Twilight star plays a young lap dancer plus prostitute, and walks around naked in many scenes in James Gandolfini’s new flick.

Apparently, the teenage star was a little nervous to film the scenes, and so she asked her Twilight co-star Nikki Reed to join her on the set of the film in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“I’m going with Kristen to New Orleans… while she’s shooting and I’m a good support system… I have to go to be with Kristen,” Contactmusic quoted Reed as telling About.com.

But Stewart is excited about the film and feels that her nude shots will lure her fans to theatres.

She said: “It’s an independent movie that nobody would normally see and now it’s like, ‘Oh, let’s go see Bella (Twilight character) in this stripper movie; it’ll be crazy!’”

Also, Kristen is delighted to work with the Sopranos star and considers the role in the film to be the hardest she has ever done.

She added: “Working with James Gandolfini and (co-star) Melissa Leo, who is just incredible, was the most fruitful life-changing experience on a movie that I’ve ever had.

“It was just the hardest subject matter I’ve ever had to deal with – I play a very broken young girl who is a runaway. She’s a street kid. She’s working in a strip club and James Gandolfini’s character is just as dead inside as she is – and they wake each other up.” (ANI)

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Congress minister and lawmakers take a 20% salary cut

August 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug 20 (ANI): Congress party has said its ministers and lawmakers will take a 20 percent cut in salaries to express solidarity with poor people facing a severe drought in the country.

A special meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) discussed the country’s drought situation here on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Party spokesperson Janardan said that the austerity measure was mooted by Party President Sonia Gandhi.

“She (Sonia Gandhi) proposed that Congress Members of Parliament, state legislatures including ministers and other salary office holders will accept 20 per cent voluntary cut of their salaries for one year with effect from September 1, 2009. This was unanimously adopted,” he added.

Dwivedi quoted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who attended the meeting, as saying that the country was capable of tackling the twin problems of drought and price rise.

“He (Manmohan Singh) accepted that the situation is bad but efforts are also being made to meet the situation with equal efficiency and he expressed the hope and said that country has the capability and will to takle this problem successfully,” Dwivedi said.

The Congress party has also urged the government to keep prices of essential commodities in check with special emphasis on oil seeds and pulses.

Meanwhile in Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said that he has apprised the central ministries concerned about the drought-like situation in the state.

“We met all the ministers concerned and discussed elaborately about the condition of Bihar with them and also asked them to take immediate action as the situation has worsened here,” he added.

India’s monsoon rains have been 29 percent below normal since the beginning of the June-September season, hurting crops such as rice and cane and triggering a sharp rise in food prices in India and sugar futures abroad. (ANI)

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