Russia plans aerospace university

Moscow: Russia is planning to set up an aerospace university to produce a new generation of professionals for the aviation and space industries, a minister said.


Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said: "We have plans connected with the creation of a modern aerospace university, where we will produce a broad range of specialists, for aviation, and also the rocket and space industries."


Rogozin on Saturday visited the Khrunichev rocket factory, north of Moscow, and invited specialists from the centre to discuss the plan. IANS

Parliament passes IIT bill

New Delhi: The Parliament on Monday passed a bill which will make the six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) capable of granting degrees to the engineers that pass out.

The Institute of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2010, along with the National Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2010, was passed by the Rajya Sabha by voice vote on Monday. Both the bills have already been passed by the Lok Sabha.

The institute of technology bill adds eight new Indian Institutes of Technology in Bhubaneshwar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Jodhpur, Mandi, Patna, Ropar and Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), to the list of IITs. All these institutions will be declared as institutions of national importance.

The National Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2010, amends the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007, to add a schedule of five Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), established in Kolkata, Pune, Mohali, Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram. IANS

Akhilesh's laptop, tablet poll sop to materialise soon

Taking a step towards providing free laptops and tablets to students who have passed class X and XII, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has formed a committee to oversee their purchase and subsequent implementation of his Samajwadi Party's poll promise.

The committee, headed by chief secretary Jawwed Usmani, would be entering into detailed negotiations with Information Technology (IT) majors and try to "get the best deal" for the state. The high-powered committee, other than the chief secretary, would have nine principal secretaries, including those of Information, Finance, IT, Planning, and Higher Education besides secretary (Secondary Education), among others.

The committee would first be inviting proposals for the supply of some 47 lakh tablets and laptops and would then hold discussions to scale down the prices, since the poll sop of the Samajwadi Party (SP) is likely to bear a price tag of Rs.4,555 crore. The number of class XII students in the state is pegged at 18.19 lakh while the number of class X students is 28.14 lakh.

The government, at the highest level, has already explored the possibility of procurement of laptops and tablets with IT major HCL whose chairman Shiv Nadar and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav have already held "preliminary parleys" on the matter, an official said.

While the IT giant has expressed its willingness to supply the required number of laptops and tablets to the state, the government wants to "explore the market" further.

"The chief minister has made it amply clear that we need to go for competitive bidding and to get the best and cheapest and we are working in that direction." said Secretary Secondary Education Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, a member of the committee which is overseeing the implementation of the ambitious project. He added that the work was "underway in right earnest and right direction".

Sources say that the state government is working on a time-bound schedule and that the tablets and laptops might begin to roll out sometime around September. "It is a massive exercise, right from procurement, stocking to distribution and it will definitely take some time," an official said. The chief minister is learnt to be monitoring the project directly. IANS

Haryana university to generate own power

To meet its requirement of electricity for laboratories and class rooms and ensure uninterrupted supply, a university in Haryana plans to generate 500 KW electricity through solar devices installed on its buildings, its vice chancellor said on Saturday.

Murthal-based Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology Vice Chancellor H.S. Chahal said solar energy was being utilised for street lights and heating water in the hostels.

He said that now solar energy generated on the university campus will be utilized to supply power to laboratories and classrooms.

He said the Haryana government had also honoured the university for bagging first position in energy conservation at state level.

Murthal is about 50 km from Delhi. IANS

Hon'ble Union Minister for MSME Mr. Virbhadra Singh graces the event as the chief guest @ indiaMART.COM

Hon'ble Union Minister for MSME Mr. Virbhadra Singh graces the event as the chief guest
-- Presence of over 500 SMEs makes the grand finale a resounding success
-- Power panel discussion to discuss the 5-point agenda (HR & Training, Marketing, IPR, Finance & Innovation in Technology) steals the limelight
-- Associations, Institutes & SMEs acknowledged in a felicitation ceremony for their contribution to the sector
-- 'Special Breakaway Roundtable' was also organised prior to the main event

More thrust is needed in terms of financial aid and technology upgradation for MSMEs, highlighted Hon'ble Union Minister for MSME Mr. Virbhadra Singh at the recently concluded Zee Business presents IndiaMART Emerging Business Forum in New Delhi. He graced the occasion as the chief guest. With its four months long journey across13 different cities of India, the forum emerged as the biggest ever platform to address and discuss pain points of SMEs.

Inspiring over 4500 SMEs to take the 'Next Big Leap' in this journey, the forum catalysed knowledge-sharing by luminary panelists and enlightening insights from SME clusters across the country. The sole aim was to churn out practical solutions for varied business functions and pertinent challenges faced by the SMEs. The presence of over 500 SMEs at the finale ensured that it turned out to be a spectacular event.

Appreciating this initiative by IndiaMART.com and Zee Business, Hon'ble Union Minister for MSME, said, "This activity of taking note of contribution of MSMEs is taking momentum in the country. The industries in MSME sector are gaining momentum day by day especially with the interest taken by the prime minister, by setting up the task force." He added that the government is giving a lot of impetus to credit guarantee to MSMEs. However, he shared that much more is required for financial assistance to these units. On the current economic scenario, he said, "We are passing through a difficult phase but India is on a recovery mode. Let us not be disheartened. Slowdown is a global phenomenon and mighty countries such as US, Europe, Japan, are also facing the same downturn. There is no need to panic and we have enough sources to fight the present situation."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, IndiaMART.com, said, "We are extremely thankful to the Honourable Union Minister of MSME Shri Virbhadra Singh for gracing the finale of IndiaMART Emerging Business Forum. This forum is unique not only because of the huge participation by SMEs, industry associations and policymakers at all 13 on-ground events but also because of the efforts put in to find solutions to the issues faced by SMEs, instead of just touching upon them. We also extend our thanks to Zee Business for their support in making this a success."

The event began with the keynote by Mr. Brijesh Agrawal, COO, IndiaMART.com. He shared, "Each large enterprise was once a start up. They are at this stage led by their zealous entrepreneurs whose vision, grit and determination have let them taste success. At IndiaMART.com, we have been committed to empower SMEs to move up this value chain, achieve scale and global competitiveness. Emerging Business Forum is a reflection of the same. Such a tremendous response from SMEs across the country to this endeavour reaffirms our commitment." This was followed by an address by Mr. Barun Das, CEO, Zee News.

The finale also entailed a power panel discussion on a five-point agenda where Mr. H P Kumar, Chairman & MD, NSIC, Mr. N K Maini, Deputy, MD, SIDBI, Mr. Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, IndiaMART.com, Mr. A Sakthivel, President of Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA) and Mr. Saurabh Srivastava, Founder, India Angel Network delved on finding solutions to aspects concerning SMEs such as marketing, HR and training, credit facilitation, IPR and innovation in technology.

The forum also felicitated SMEs and associations that have contributed to the growth of the sector. The details are mentioned below:

Industry Associations
. Tirupur Exporters' Association (TEA)
. Agra Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Chamber (AFMEC)
. Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SGCCI)

Special Contribution to Policy Making
. Mr. Dinesh Rai

Innovation in Technology
. Data Resolve Technologies

HR & Training Excellence
. Sandhar Technologies

Manufacturing Excellence
. Dawar Footwear Industries

Marketing Excellence
. Cocoberry

SME Credit Facilitation
. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Prior to the grand finale, a 'Special Breakaway Roundtable' was also organised. It brought together policymakers and industry representatives from across the country on a single platform. While the latter sought views and responses on SME specific challenges, the former highlighted initiatives undertaken by the government. The esteemed participants included Mr. R K Mathur, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, Government of India, Mr. S K Goel, Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Mr. Dinesh Agarwal, Mr. Rohit Mehta, President, Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr. Rajiv Chawla, President, Faridabad Small Industries Association, among others. 

Sterlite Industries (India) Limited Consolidated Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended 31 March 2012

2012 Highlights

● Operational Performance

○ Record production of refined Zinc, Lead and Silver at Zinc-India operations

○ Record Power production

▪ Commissioned two 600 MW units of the Jharsuguda power plant and synchronized the fourth 600 MW unit

● Reserves and Resources

○ Zinc-India added 27.1 mn tonnes of R&R, prior to depletion of 8.04 million tonnes

○ Mine life extended at all three assets at Zinc-International

● Financial performance

○ Revenues Rs. 40,967 crore, up 35%

○ EBITDA at Rs. 10,169 crore, up 26%

○ PAT at Rs. 7,761 crore, up 6% after exceptional items of Rs. 473 crore.

● Strong balance sheet with cash and liquid investments of Rs. 23,403 crore

● Highest ever dividend at Rs. 2/share for FY2012, including interim dividend Re.1/share

● Contribution of around Rs. 5,500 crore to Indian exchequer in terms of taxes, duties and royalties

● Merger with Sesa Goa Limited and Vedanta Group Consolidation announced.

Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd said; "Sterlite Industries delivered strong operating and financial performance during the year, despite macroeconomic headwinds. We continue to deliver on our growth projects, expanding and optimizing our assets to generate strong returns for our shareholders. The board has approved a dividend of Rs. 2/share for FY2012. Last quarter, we announced a merger of Sterlite with Sesa Goa, and simplification of the Vedanta Group structure. The merger process is well on track to create one of the world's largest natural resource majors, and deliver significant long term value for shareholders."

HCL Infosystems Introduces First Connect Conversation in Kolkata Session on Mumbai Dabbawalas presents lessons in best practices for corporates; Exclusive workshops on Cloud Computing and Trends in latest technology and products

Kolkata, West Bengal, India, Friday, April 27, 2012 -- (TR Reporter) -- HCL Infosystems Ltd., India's premier ICT System Integration, Services, Hardware and Distribution Company today initiated the Connect Conversation series in Kolkata with the launch of the First HCL Connect Conversation, Kolkata Chapter at the Oberoi Grand. An interesting executive session on the supply chain management and business practices of the Mumbai Dabbawalas was presented by Dr. Pawan Agarwal, PhD on Mumbai Dabbawalas and an International speaker. 

The session on "Out of the Box Technology" by Mr. Mohammed Salman, Senior Vice President, Application Services, HCL Infosystems demystified Out of the Box Thinking and unleashed a debate on the different aspects of IT and its innovative usages in businesses. Senior representatives from the government and private sector in large numbers attended the First Connect Conversation in Kolkata.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. APS Bedi, Executive Vice President, HCL Infosystems said, "I am very thankful to all the CIOs across verticals both from the government and corporates of this magnificent city for their wholehearted participation in the HCL Connect Conversation and making it a grand success. The Connect Conversation Series is a unique platform that I am sure will drive powerful synergies amongst various stakeholders towards growth and development across the nation. The first chapter in Kolkata will be a catalyst for bringing in innovation and increased competitiveness for industries in the region and we look forward to many more such enriching sessions here as part of the Connect series."

Exclusive parallel workshops were also organized during the daylong event to discuss Cloud Computing and a 360 degree perspective on the trends relating to the latest technology and products available in the market. HCL Infosystems has a strong presence in the Kolkata region and has provided best in class solutions for various organizations such as the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Department of School Education, Government of West Bengal and United Bank of India among others.

Strengthening Indo-Tunisia Scientific Technological Collaboration Tunisian Minister Calls on Dr. Ashwani Kumar

Mr. Hedi Ben Abbes, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Government of Tunisia today called on Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Minister of State for Planning, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences in New Delhi to discuss further steps for strengthening the Indo-Tunisia scientific technological collaboration. 

A Fresh Program of Cooperation for the period of 2012-14 was signed on 19th December 2011 during the 2nd Indo-Tunisian Joint Committee on S&T. Dr. Ashwani Kumar and H.E. Mr. Hedi Ben Abbes discussed the current Program of Cooperation which provides opportunities for bilateral S&T cooperation through exchange of researchers, training of researcher in Indian laboratories, organization of workshops and joint R&D projects. 

The two countries agreed on certain specific areas of cooperation, identified for cooperation under the current Program of Cooperation. This included biotechnology, material sciences, information science (including software development), renewable energy sources, medical sciences, water technology, geospatial technolog8es and science popularization. 

During the meeting, Dr. Kumar called for further consolidation of unique partnership between the two countries. He informed Minister Abbes, that India is committed to faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth by harnessing its knowledge and potential in science and technology and that innovation is a key focus area for the government. The government proposes to enhance its total R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP to 2% by the end of 2012. Dr. Kumar informed Minister Abbes that India had expended S&T cooperation with technologically advanced countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, USA, UK and Korea and also with the EU. Government has taken steps to build national capability and capacities in the area of supercomputing, open drug discovery, national geographical information systems (GIS) etc. As a result of indigenous efforts India has emerged as a country with advanced defence and strategic capabilities. 

The Tunisian Minister conveyed that his country was committed to strengthening S&T ties with India and assured of increased collaboration between S&T establishments of the two countries. 

Tusinia and India have a long standing relationship in the field of Science & Technology Bilateral collaboration in the area has been strengthened over time through the projects undertaken by the Indo-Tunisia cooperation conducted mainly under India’s Technology Diplomacy Policy. 

Punjab government takes on Thapar University

The Punjab government has sought a complete report on the status of the private Thapar University following the controversy over abolition of Punjab quota seats in engineering and technical courses there, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Monday.

Taking strong exception to the move of the Patiala-based university amending rules to deny admission quota to students of Punjab in the engineering and polytechnic courses "without any prior permission from the state government", Badal directed officials of the technical education department to take all preventive, corrective, legislative and legal measures to stop the university "from denying legitimate admission quota to state students".

In a strongly worded statement issued here, Badal said that Thapar University, which was earlier known as Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, was allotted 250 acres prime land at highly concessional rate by the Punjab government in 1956, with the aim of providing quality technical education to the students of state.

"Thapar University cannot be allowed to tweak rules, regulations and guidelines, denying the legitimate admission quota, without taking the permission of state government. Punjab government will not allow Thapar University to deviate from the basic philosophy of educating students of Punjab for which the state government had given it land in the year 1956," he said.

He said that the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has already sought intervention of union Human Resource Development minister Kapil Sibal on this issue.

The chief minister would soon call on the union minister "to put a stop to the mischief of Thapar University," he added.

The Thapar University, located at Patiala, 150 km from here, had recently announced its decision to abolish the 50 percent quota for Punjab students. The university said that it had done so in accordance with University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. IANS

AGNI-V Success A Great Moment for Indian Scientific Community: Antony

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony today described the maiden test flight of Long Range Ballistic Missile (LRBM) Agni-V as a great moment for India and its scientific community. Shri Antony spoke to DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat and Project Director Shri Avinash Chander immediately after the event and congratulated the entire team for the immaculate success. 

Shri Antony said today’s achievement is a major milestone in the country’s Missile Programme and it reminds us of the untiring efforts of numerous unsung scientists of DRDO who have worked relentlessly years together to bring the nation to this threshold. Shri Antony also spoke to former DRDO chief Mr M. Natarajan and fondly remembered his contribution to various projects of the organisation. 

Official says weak security hampers cyber efforts

Washington: International cooperation on developing better tools and methods to prevent cyber attacks is being undermined by poor computer security among US allies, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday.

The director of intelligence at the US Cyber Command, Rear Adm. Samuel Cox, said sharing cyber security information with a friendly country that operates computer systems susceptible to penetration creates opportunities for adversaries to steal the data. 

"Lots of intelligence (gathering) works in this fashion," Cox said at a conference on cyber security held at Georgetown University. "Don't go against the hard target. You go against the weak one and work your way in there."

Cox did not name any of the countries, although he said the problem does not apply to Britain and Australia, both large US allies with more sophisticated systems for sharing and protecting information.

The top secret nature of the information is another factor that complicates cooperation.

"It's still an extremely difficult environment to try to navigate through," Cox said. "The bottom line is we're trying to accomplish our own national objectives as well as those of allied and friendly countries because it is a global problem."

A potential solution is to transfer sensitive US technologies more quickly to allies, which would allow them to make their networks more secure. Steven Schleien, the Pentagon's principal director for cyber policy, said discussions are ongoing on how to accelerate the export control process.

"It's on our list of issues to look at," he said.

12 billion year old white dwarf stars identified

London: In a new study, astronomers have identified two white dwarf stars considered to be the oldest and closest known to man. 

A University of Oklahoma assistant professor and colleagues identified these 11-12-billion-year-old white dwarf stars only 100 light years away from Earth. 

According to the OU researcher, these stars are the closest known examples of the oldest stars in the Universe forming soon after the Big Bang.

Mukremin Kilic, assistant professor of physics and astronomy in the OU College of Arts and Sciences and lead author on a recently published paper, announced the discovery.

“A white dwarf is like a hot stove; once the stove is off, it cools slowly over time. By measuring how cool the stove is, we can tell how long it has been off. The two stars we identified have been cooling for billions of years,” Kilic said.

Kilic explained that white dwarf stars are the burned out cores of stars similar to the Sun. In about 5 billion years, the Sun also will burn out and turn into a white dwarf star. It will lose its outer layers as it dies and turn into an incredibly dense star the size of Earth.

Known as WD 0346+246 and SDSS J110217, 48+411315.4 (J1102), these stars are located in the constellations Taurus and Ursa Major, respectively.

Kilic and colleagues obtained infrared images using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope to measure the temperature of the stars. And, over a three-year period, they measured J1102’s distance by tracking its motion using the MDM Observatory’s 2.4m telescope near Tucson, Arizona.

“Most stars stay almost perfectly fixed in the sky, but J1102 is moving at a speed of 600,000 miles per hour and is a little more than 100 light years from Earth,” John Thorstensen, co-author of the study from Dartmouth College, said.

“We found its distance by measuring a tiny wiggle in its path caused by the Earth’s motion—it’s the size of a dime viewed from 80 miles away,” he said.

Piotr Kowalski of Helmholtz Centre Potsdam in Germany modelled the atmospheric parameters of these stars. Based on these temperature measurements, Kilic and his colleagues were able to estimate the ages of the stars.

“Based on the optical and infrared observations of these stars and our analysis, these stars are about 3700 and 3800 degrees on the surface,” Kowalski, co-author of the study, said.

The study will be published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 

Scientists create hair thin solar cells

London: Scientists have created solar cells so thin and flexible that they can be wrapped around a single strand of human hair.

The ultra-thin film consists of electrodes on a plastic foil and is only 1.9 micrometres thick, a tenth of the thinnest solar cells present available, according to researchers. 

Being extremely thin, light and flexible, they can be used in portable electrical charging devices or electronic textiles worn on clothing, the journal Nature Communications reports. 

Tsuyoshi Sekitani, from the University of Tokyo, said: "Being ultra-thin means you don't feel its weight and it is elastic. You could attach the device t your clothes like a badge to collect electricity (from the sun). 

"Elderly people who might want to wear sensors to monitor their health would not need to carry around batteries," added Sekitani, according to the Telegraph. 

Scientists and consumers in Japan are increasingly turning to alternative energy sources following last year's nuclear crisis in Fukushima. 

Hopefully, the new ultra-thin solar cells, which were created jointly by researchers from Johannes Kepler University of Austria and contributors from University of Tokyo, will be put to practical use within around five years. 

The research teams are now working on increasing the rate at which the device is able to convert sunlight into electricity in order to apply it to specific appliances, as well as exploring an increase in cell size, according to Sekitani. 

'Coronal cells' spotted on Sun

Washington: Researchers have for the first time observed a pattern of cells with bright centres and dark boundaries occurring in the sun's atmosphere, the corona. 

Neil Sheeley, a solar scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C, looked through the images of the sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). 

The cells looked somewhat like a cell pattern that occurs on the sun's surface - similar to the bubbles that rise to the top of boiling water - but it was a surprise to find this pattern higher up in the corona, which is normally dominated by bright loops and dark coronal holes. 

Sheeley discussed the images with his Naval Research Laboratory colleague Harry Warren, and together they set out to learn more about the cells. 

Their search included observations from a fleet of NASA spacecraft called the Heliophysics System Observatory that provided separate viewpoints from different places around the sun. 

They have described the properties of these previously unreported solar features, dubbed “coronal cells”. 

The coronal cells occur in areas between coronal holes – colder and less dense areas of the corona seen as dark regions in images and “filament channels” which mark the boundaries between sections of upward-pointing magnetic fields and downward-pointing ones. 

Understanding how these cells evolve can provide clues as to the changing magnetic fields at the boundaries of coronal holes and how they affect the steady emission of solar material known as the solar wind streaming from these holes. 

“We think the coronal cells look like flames shooting up, like candles on a birthday cake,” said Sheeley. 

“When you see them from the side, they look like flames. When you look at them straight down they look like cells. And we had a great way of checking this out, because we could look at them from the top and from the side at the same time using observations from SDO, STEREO-A, and STEREO-B.” 

The researchers used time-lapse sequences obtained from the three satellites to track these cells around the sun. When an observatory looked down on one of these areas, it showed the cell pattern that Sheeley first noticed. 

But when the same region was viewed obliquely, it showed plumes leaning off to one side. Taken together, these two-dimensional images reveal the three-dimensional nature of the cells as columns of solar material extending upward through the sun's atmosphere, like giant pillars of gas. 

To round out the picture even further, the team turned to other instruments and spacecraft. 

The original SDO images were from its Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, which takes conventional images of the sun. Another instrument on SDO, the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), provides magnetic maps of the sun. 

The scientists superimposed conventional images of the cells with HMI magnetic field images to determine the placement of the coronal cells relative to the complex magnetic fields of the sun's surface. 

The team also constructed Doppler images – images that show how quickly and where solar material in the sun's atmosphere moves toward the viewer – of the coronal cells using the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on the Japanese Hinode spacecraft. 

These images show that the centres of the cells move upward faster than their boundaries, further rounding out the physical image of these giant candles with a section rising from the middle. 

The study has been published online in The Astrophysical Journal. 

Loss of predators tied with deforestation

Washington: The unbridled growth of moose, deer and other herbivore populations is contributing to deforestation thanks to the loss of predators such as wolves.

This loss has allowed animal populations to greatly increase, crippling the growth of young trees and also reducing biodiversity, researchers have concluded.

Densities of large mammalian herbivores were six times greater in areas without wolves, compared to those in which wolves were present, the European Journal of Wildlife Research reports.

"These issues do not just affect the United States and a few national parks," said William Ripple, professor of forestry at the Oregon State University, who led the study, according to an Oregon statement.

"The data from Canada, Alaska, the Yukon, Northern Europe and Asia are all showing similar results. There's consistent evidence that large predators help keep populations of large herbivores in check, with positive effects on ecosystem health," added Ripple.

They also found that combinations of predators, such as wolves and bears, can create an important synergy for moderating the size of large herbivore populations.

"Wolves can provide food that bears scavenge, helping to maintain a healthy bear population," said Robert Beschta, professor emeritus at Oregon and study co-author.

"The bears then often prey on young moose, deer or elk - in Yellowstone more young elk calves are killed by bears than by wolves, coyotes and cougars combined," he added.

Sexually reproducing animals have genetic advantages

London: Courtship rituals can be a full-time activity, demanding time and effort, but now scientists have discovered why it might be worth it. Animals and plants which reproduce sexually are at a considerable advantage to those species - such as some insects and reptiles - that reproduce without a partner. 

University of Edinburgh researchers studied sexual reproduction in tiny fruit flies to learn more about how DNA is randomly shuffled when the genes of two parents combine to create a new individual, the journal Genome Biology and Evolution reports. 

They suggest the findings may also pave the way for higher yielding crop species, according to an Edinburgh statement. 

They found that this recombination of genetic material allows for damaging elements of DNA - which might cause disease or other potential drawbacks - to be weeded out within a few generations. 

Individuals who inherit healthy genes tend to flourish and pass on their DNA to the next generation, while weaker individuals are more likely to die without reproducing. 

The findings, made possible by genome sequencing technology, provide strong evidence to back up a long-standing theory that sexual reproduction, rather than asexual cloning of an individual, has long-term benefits for a species. 

Coming soon: A machine to filter your toilet waste into water?

London: British scientists claim they are developing a unique device which can turn used toilet waste into drinking water.

A team at Manchester University, led by Sarah Haigh, says the innovation -- which has been funded by billionaire Bill Gates -- could transform the lives of millions of people in the third world. 
In fact, the scientists plan to have a prototype ready to demonstrate by 2013, the 'Daily Mail' reported. 

Haigh, an expert in nanotechnology, believes a new range of materials could extract energy from human waste. Although the result may not be bottled mineral water, she says the results could be the difference between life-and-death in regions without clean water. 

She said: "There is a lot of energy already present in human waste. Nano-scale materials mean that you can harvest the hydrogen and turn it into hydrozene -- which is basically rocket fuel." 

The scientists believe that a scaffold device holding a mixture of bacteria and tiny metal nano-particles will react with the water to extract useful hydrogen, with the remainder filtered again to produce clean water. 

Dr Haigh said: "The phrase 'off to spend a penny' is used in polite society to refer to a visit to the lavatory. We plan to turn this essential everyday outgoing into an investment by developing novel materials that convert natural waste into a useable resource. 

"This technology will be particularly important for remote locations in developing countries and will have the added benefits of reduced pollution and lower waste disposal costs." 

'NASA's spacecraft fuel shortage can be tackled by 2017'

Washington: Shortage of spacecraft fuel that has cast doubts over NASA's future space missions may soon be prevented, as the US space agency is likely to receive new batches of plutonium-238 by as early as 2017.
The US hasn't produced plutonium-238 -- a radioactive isotope that's been powering NASA space probes for five decades -- since the late 1980s, and planetary scientists say stockpiles are worryingly low.

But a production restart is now underway, according to officials with the US Department of Energy (DOE) that supplies plutonium-238 to the space agency.

"We have turned the spade in starting the project for renewed plutonium production," Wade Carroll, DOE's deputy director of space and defence power systems, was quoted as saying by SPACE.com.

"It'll take probably five or six years before the next new plutonium is available," Carroll said at the Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space conference in Texas recently.

Plutonium-238 is not used to make nuclear weapons though its isotopic cousin, plutonium-239, is a common bomb-making material. However, scientists take advantage of radioactive nature of the isotope, as they convert the heat it emits to power using a device called a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG).

RTGs have long been the power system of choice for NASA missions to destinations in deep space, where scant sunlight makes solar panels impractical. RTGs have powered some of the space agency's most famous spacecraft, including the Voyager probes that are nearing the edge of the solar system and the Cassini spacecraft currently surveying Saturn and its moons.

Plutonium is also fuelling NASA's New Horizons probe, which launched in 2006 and will make a close flyby of Pluto in 2015, as well as the car-size Curiosity rover, which is due to land on the Red Planet this August.

While the DOE doesn't publicly disclose the size of the nation's plutonium-238 stores, many planetary scientists think the cupboard is almost bare after the November launch of Curiosity, which carries 3.6 kg of the stuff.

NASA officials, for their part, have said there's enough of the isotope left to fuel space missions through 2020 or thereabouts. 

NE India should go for traditional housing

Agartala: Quake-prone north-eastern India should switch to traditional forms of house-building, including houses made of bamboo and cane, that are flexible and able to withstand tremors, said experts at a meet here.

Considering north-eastern India's vulnerability to earthquakes, the experts at the Indian Building Congress (IBC) here Sunday called for strict adherence to the building code to make houses in the region quake-resistant.

"Reasons for earthquakes are well-known. The vital thing is strict adherence of the building code so that the damage can be mitigated to a certain extent during any medium or major quake," Director General of Central Public Works Department (CPWD) C.S. Prasad told reporters.

He said: "It is generally established that a tremor of different intensity hits one part of the region occasionally, but this periodicity or time of occurrence is not certain."

Ahead of the seventh annual general conference of the Tripura chapter of IBC, Prasad said that "periodic shifts of tectonic plates" in the mountainous northeast lead to earthquakes.

IBC is the apex professional body of civil engineers at the national level.

IBC's founder president O.P. Goel said that the traditional methods of constructing houses and buildings in northeastern states could be improved upon in terms of strength and durability, if reinforcement bars were used in every "joints and junctions" of the structures.

He said: "The traditional houses made of bamboo and cane are much more flexible in bearing quake shocks."

On the concept of 'green building', Goel said that the CPWD was trying to make sure all buildings in the northeastern region are 100 percent green.

"It is a recognised concept of making buildings environment-friendly and minimising depletion of natural resources. There are altogether 34 pre-conditions to be fulfilled for making a building 100 percent green," Goel added.

According to the renowned civil engineer, if 50 percent conditions of the green-building are met, the building is marked as one star while fulfilment of up to 70 percent of the preconditions makes it three-star and fulfilment of preconditions up to 100 percent makes it five-star.

Prasad said that the IBC in association with the IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Chennai had conducted a comprehensive nation-wide survey to find out quake-prone parts of the country in 2002 and suggested measures for making buildings earthquake-resistant.

"After the survey, three-volume books were published in 2005 suggesting detailed guidelines, architectural norms and types. These volumes have been circulated to departments of all the state governments and the Centre for implementation."

Besides, if there is any confusion, our experts and IIT professionals are always available to put in ideas and impart training on ways to construct quake-resistant buildings," Prasad said.

The Geological Survey of India had earlier notified that the northeastern region could experience a devastating earthquake as the region, according to seismologists, falls in Zone V, the worst quake-prone belt in the world.

Tangible Progress in talks with ULFA

A tripartite meeting involving the representatives of Government of Assam, and ULFA was held under the Chairmanship of Union Home Secretary, Sh. R.K.Singh in New Delhi today to discuss demands submitted by ULFA. 

The delegation was led by Shri Arabinda Rajkhowa, Chairman, ULFA. Chief Secretary, Sh. N.K.Das, Government of Assam, Sh. P.C. Haldar, Government of India Representative for Peace Talks, Special Secretary, IS, Sh. Ajay Chadha, Joint Secretary, (North East) Sh. Shambhu Singh, MHA, Additional DGP, Sh. K. Sharma, and Home Commissioner, Sh. Jishnu Barua and Shri G.D.Triphati, Secretary(Home) West Bengal Government were also present. 

There was tangible progress in the talks. Both sides were satisfied with the progress made. Government of India’s Representative Shri P.C.Haldar has been requested to hold further meetings to discuss some aspects in detail. Noting the tangible progress in talks with ULFA, Union Home Secretary stated that he would review the progress of talks with ULFA periodically.