Kannur, July 24: A local court Friday adjourned to August 18 the preliminary hearings in the trial of seven of the 22 persons charged with operating network with a Kashmir-based ultra outfit to carry out subversive activities. Thalassery Additional District Sessions Court Judge K Babu deferred the hearings after Special Public Prosecutor P V Hari sought more time to study the chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team probing links of persons from Kerala with the Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit in Kashmir. The seven accused were today produced before the court, where security was beefed up in view of the commencement of proceedings in the case. The web of terrorist network being operated from Kerala was exposed after four youths from the State, including two from Kannur, were killed in an army encounter in Jammu and Kashmir in October last year. T Naseer, a native of Kannur, who allegedly masterminded the subversive activities by luring youths to be part of the operation, is still at large.
reference : Malayala Manorama
Sunday, 26 July 2009
World's most powerful supercomputer functional
Washington: The world's fastest and most powerful supercomputer, named Novo-G, has become operational at the University of Florida. Novo-G gets the first part of its name from the Latin term for "make anew, change, alter" and the second from "G" for "genesis."A "reconfigurable" computer, it can re-arrange its internal circuitry to suit the task at hand. Applications range from calculations with data from space satellites to other supercomputers, said Alan George, professor at the University of Florida's (UF) National Science Foundation Centre (NSF) for high-performance reconfigurable computing. "It is very powerful technology, but it is also very complicated technology," George said. "We don't want this important technology to be accessible only to experts." Traditional computers use so-called "fixed logic devices" to perform a large variety of tasks. But this jack-of-all-trades approach requires a substantial amount of overhead in space and energy, no matter what work needs to be done. On the other hand, special-purpose computers can be built to perform certain tasks very well but are not flexible. Reconfigurable computers make the best of both worlds, George said. That is because they can rearrange their internal circuitry like Lego blocks, creating the most appropriate architecture for each assignment. As a result, a reconfigurable computer can be from 10 to 100 times faster than other computers its size while using five to 10 times less energy. Although the concept has been proven, reconfigurable computers remain at the research stage and are not easy to use. One of the main goals of the NSF Centre is to pioneer techniques to make reconfigurable computers more accessible.
Reference : Malayala Manorama
Reference : Malayala Manorama
First women BSF recruits
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram took the salute from the passing out parade of the first batch of 178 women recruits at the Subsidiary Training Centre of the at Kharkan on Saturday.
Addressing a gathering after the ceremony, he said that women are not less then men as they are progressive in all fields and are contributing their share in the development of country. He also said that women of the country had a great strength and could play their role more effectively to make the nation rich and prosperous.
They had already doing commendable job in civil as well as in Army sector, he said.
He said that keeping in view their successful role in Army, women had been assigned to work in paramilitary forces and their recruitment had been started.
The first batch of 178 recruits had completed 36 weeks of rigorous training.
In fact, this is first ever in modern India, when women were being deployed on combat role on the international border in parity with their male comrades-in-arms in true spirit of Indian government policy of women empowerment.
Further recruitment of women recruits would also be done in future, he said. He appreciated the first impressive passing out parade of women recruits.
The Union Home minister gave away the prizes to the women recruits for their outstanding performance during training.
BSF Director General M L Kumawat said that the first ever recruitment of Mahila Constable in Northwest India as conducted at BSF Headquarters at Jalandhar on June 11, 2008.
As many as 640 women were selected out of approximately 8500 applicants.
Their selection process consisted of preliminary medical screening, physical efficiency test, written test, interview and final medical examination.
Training of first batch started on November 10, 2008 at BSF Kharkan Camp, Hoshiarpur.
Their training is at par with that of male constables, and they have been trained in physical training, drill, field engineering, camp training, intelligence and vigilance, internal security duties and natural calamity.
There are approximately 300 fencing gates on 553 km long Punjab border (IB) with Pakistan, he said.
These gates facilitate farmers and their women folk to go across for cultivation on their farms and lands, existing ahead of fencing.
The newly passed out Mahila Constables will be deployed on Border Out Posts (BOPs) for search and frisking of women folk going ahead of fencing gates, he said.
Their services, if required, will also be used on internal security duties and counter insurgency roles being performed by the Border Security Force, he said.
Press Trust of India, Saturday July 25, 2009, Hoshiarpur
Ahmedabad blasts: One year later
It was a year back when multiple blasts in Ahmedabad left 58 people dead and several hundred injured.
A 10-year-old boy, Yash Vyas, who lost his father and brother in the tragedy battled death for several months, and today he represents a steely resolve of a city showing defiance against perpetrators of violence.
Little Yash was with his father Dushyant and elder brother Rohan taking a ride on his new bicycle inside the civil hospital compound. A deafening blast killed his father and brother. Yash, who got seriously injured, battled for life for over eight months and survived. A year on, the tragedy lingers but the little boy is looking ahead. He is back to school and loves it there.
"I go to the school. I enjoy it and during lunch time, I have lots of snacks and play with my friends. I want to be an engineer," said Yash.
It was a traumatic year for his mother Geetaben. She had to cope with the loss of her husband and son, and pray continuously for Yash's recovery. Her dream now is to ensure that little Yash has a bright future.
"I will do whatever to educate him. That is the reason why I took up a small job. Whatever he wants to become in life, I will do everything for that," said Geetaben.
Some distance away, Gumansinh Rajput still shudders as he recounts the horror of 26/7. Gumansinh was near the civil hospital where most number of people died. He and his friends heard the loud explosions and rushed there despite a risk of more blasts. They took the injured to hospitals, arranging for blood, and in the process saving many lives.
"It was a traumatic day. Bodies were lying all around and the injured were bleeding. Even today when I get those nightmares I wake up. I can't get those traumatic moments out of my mind," said Gumansinh.
And as the city continues to remember the innocent people who lost their lives, it is people like Yash who represent a steely resolve for fight back.
Rohit Bhan, Ahmedebad
A 10-year-old boy, Yash Vyas, who lost his father and brother in the tragedy battled death for several months, and today he represents a steely resolve of a city showing defiance against perpetrators of violence.
Little Yash was with his father Dushyant and elder brother Rohan taking a ride on his new bicycle inside the civil hospital compound. A deafening blast killed his father and brother. Yash, who got seriously injured, battled for life for over eight months and survived. A year on, the tragedy lingers but the little boy is looking ahead. He is back to school and loves it there.
"I go to the school. I enjoy it and during lunch time, I have lots of snacks and play with my friends. I want to be an engineer," said Yash.
It was a traumatic year for his mother Geetaben. She had to cope with the loss of her husband and son, and pray continuously for Yash's recovery. Her dream now is to ensure that little Yash has a bright future.
"I will do whatever to educate him. That is the reason why I took up a small job. Whatever he wants to become in life, I will do everything for that," said Geetaben.
Some distance away, Gumansinh Rajput still shudders as he recounts the horror of 26/7. Gumansinh was near the civil hospital where most number of people died. He and his friends heard the loud explosions and rushed there despite a risk of more blasts. They took the injured to hospitals, arranging for blood, and in the process saving many lives.
"It was a traumatic day. Bodies were lying all around and the injured were bleeding. Even today when I get those nightmares I wake up. I can't get those traumatic moments out of my mind," said Gumansinh.
And as the city continues to remember the innocent people who lost their lives, it is people like Yash who represent a steely resolve for fight back.
Rohit Bhan, Ahmedebad
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday led the nation in paying tributes to the martyrs on the 10th anniversary of the victory in the Kargil conflict, the first time that the UPA political leadership has joined such celebration."I join the entire nation in paying homage to the martyrs of the Kargil war. They sacrificed their lives in defence of Indian unity and integrity," the Prime Minister wrote in the visitor's book at Amar Jawan Jyoti here."The best tribute we can pay to the gallant officers and jawans is to dedicate ourselves to the gigantic task of nation building and work steadfastly to protect the unity and integrity of our nation," he added.At the time of the Kargil conflict, the Congress had attacked the BJP-led government on lapses that led to the incursions by the Pakistani regulars who had to be evicted from 13 mountain peaks after a nearly two month-long war.The Congress has always downplayed the events to commemorate the end of the conflict and this is for the first time that the Prime Minister of the UPA coalition attended the function.Singh was accompanied by Defence Minister A K Antony, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Army Vice Chief Lieutenant General Noble Thamburaj and Air Force Vice Chief Air Marshal P K Barbora.Soon after the ceremony, the Prime Minister left for Vishakhapatnam where he will be launching the indigenously developed nuclear submarine INS Arihant for sea trials.As many as 533 jawans and officers had sacrificed their lives while re-capturing 13 hill points from Pakistani troops after they had sneaked into Indian posts and occupied the heights in 1999.Joining the war, the Indian Air Force had launched its Operation 'Safed Sagar' to evict the enemy troops sitting on the peak. It had lost two MiG 27s and one Mi-17 helicopter in the battle.To mark the tenth anniversary of the Operation Vijay, the Army is holding a series of events in the Kargil-Dras sector, which are being attended by the officers who took part in the war, gallantry award winners and their families and senior Army officials."Army and Air Force personnel will be heli-dropped on the recaptured peaks, which will be lighted during the night and photo exhibition, beating retreat and felicitation of war awardees will be the highlights of the programme," Army officials said.
Press Trust of India, Sunday July 26, 2009, New Delhi
'Artificial gravity prevents muscle loss in space'
When the Apollo 11 crew got back from the moon this week some 40 years ago, they showed no ill-effects from a week spent in weightlessness. But as space men began conducting longer-duration space flights, scientists noticed a disturbing trend: the longer humans stay in zero gravity, the more muscle they lose.
Space travellers exposed to weightlessness for a year or more -- such as those on a mission to Mars, for example -- could wind up crippled on their return to Earth, unable to walk or even sit up.
Now, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston (UTMB-G) have conducted the first human experiments using a device intended to counteract this effect.
It is a NASA centrifuge that spins a test subject with his or her feet outward 30 times a minute, creating an effect similar to standing against a force two and half times that of gravity.
Working with volunteers kept in bed for three weeks to simulate zero-gravity conditions, they found that just one hour a day on the centrifuge was sufficient to restore muscle synthesis.
"This gives us a potential countermeasure that we might be able to use on extended space flights and solve a lot of the problems with muscle wasting," said Douglas Paddon-Jones, senior study co-author.
"This small amount of loading, one hour a day of essentially standing up, maintained the potential for muscle growth," he added.
Fifteen healthy male volunteers participated in the study.
The results showed that members of the centrifuge group continued to make thigh muscle protein at a normal rate, while the control group's muscle synthesis rate dropped by almost half.
Paddon-Jones cautioned that the rate of muscle protein synthesis alone does not necessarily predict changes in muscle function.
But, he pointed out, it was still a strong indicator that a relatively brief intervention could have a positive effect in preventing zero-gravity muscle loss -- one that might also be applied on Earth.
These findings were published in the July issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
Indo-Asian News Service, Thursday July 23, 2009, Washington
Space travellers exposed to weightlessness for a year or more -- such as those on a mission to Mars, for example -- could wind up crippled on their return to Earth, unable to walk or even sit up.
Now, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston (UTMB-G) have conducted the first human experiments using a device intended to counteract this effect.
It is a NASA centrifuge that spins a test subject with his or her feet outward 30 times a minute, creating an effect similar to standing against a force two and half times that of gravity.
Working with volunteers kept in bed for three weeks to simulate zero-gravity conditions, they found that just one hour a day on the centrifuge was sufficient to restore muscle synthesis.
"This gives us a potential countermeasure that we might be able to use on extended space flights and solve a lot of the problems with muscle wasting," said Douglas Paddon-Jones, senior study co-author.
"This small amount of loading, one hour a day of essentially standing up, maintained the potential for muscle growth," he added.
Fifteen healthy male volunteers participated in the study.
The results showed that members of the centrifuge group continued to make thigh muscle protein at a normal rate, while the control group's muscle synthesis rate dropped by almost half.
Paddon-Jones cautioned that the rate of muscle protein synthesis alone does not necessarily predict changes in muscle function.
But, he pointed out, it was still a strong indicator that a relatively brief intervention could have a positive effect in preventing zero-gravity muscle loss -- one that might also be applied on Earth.
These findings were published in the July issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
Indo-Asian News Service, Thursday July 23, 2009, Washington
Scientist clone mouse from skin cells
Chinese researchers have cloned mice from adult mouse skin cells that were reprogrammed to turn them into a versatile embryo-like state. The development is a landmark advance in stem-cell research that could possibly be used to treat Parkinson's disease, paralysis and diabetes.
The study, published online in the journal Nature, showed for the first time that it is possible for adult tissue to develop into the full range of the body's different cell types, in a manner similar to embryonic stem cells.
Skin cells were taken from adult mice and then these were reprogrammed to turn them into a versatile, embryo-like state by modifying four key genes using viruses.
If the technique were to be repeated in humans, it could open the way for limitless supply of an individuals own stem cells that could be utilised to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease, paralysis and diabetes, The Times newspaper said in a report on Friday.
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who conducted the study, named the first mouse pup born Tiny, or "Xiao Xiao" in Mandarin.
According to the report, the advance will address some of the ethical objections as the reprogrammed cells, known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), do not require cells to be taken from an embryo.
Press Trust of India, Friday July 24, 2009, London
The study, published online in the journal Nature, showed for the first time that it is possible for adult tissue to develop into the full range of the body's different cell types, in a manner similar to embryonic stem cells.
Skin cells were taken from adult mice and then these were reprogrammed to turn them into a versatile, embryo-like state by modifying four key genes using viruses.
If the technique were to be repeated in humans, it could open the way for limitless supply of an individuals own stem cells that could be utilised to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease, paralysis and diabetes, The Times newspaper said in a report on Friday.
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who conducted the study, named the first mouse pup born Tiny, or "Xiao Xiao" in Mandarin.
According to the report, the advance will address some of the ethical objections as the reprogrammed cells, known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), do not require cells to be taken from an embryo.
Press Trust of India, Friday July 24, 2009, London
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