Space Harpoon

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) built a prototype capable of launching test harpoon tips across a distance of a mile (1.6 km). It would be safer to collect correct material using the space harpoon before landing on the celestial bodies.

The samples thus collected will help reveal the origins of the planets and how life was created on Earth. NASA’s Stardust mission had recovered particle samples in 2002. These samples included an amino acid, glycine, which is used by living organisms to create proteins. It endorsed the fact that some of life’s ingredients had formed in space and were delivered to Earth meteorite and comet impacts.

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Argyle Pink Jubilee

The largest rough pink diamond ever found in Australia was discovered in a west Australian mine owned by Rio Tinto. The 12.76-carat rough pink diamond was christened the Argyle Pink Jubilee.

The light pink Argyle Jubilee is a similar colour to the 24-carat Williamson Pink given to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift which was later set into a Cartier brooch for her coronation. The Williamson was discovered in Tanzania in 1947 and is ranked among the finest pink diamonds in existence

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NACP and MAPT linked to Parkinson’s disease

Scientists identified at least two genes, NACP and MAPT linked to Parkinson’s disease, a finding which will help for better treatments for the second most prevalent neurological condition after dementia.

The two genes are related to protein accumulation in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease and can indicate how quickly the disease will progress in a person.

Parkinson’s disease is characterized by the abnormal accumulation in the brain of a protein called synuclein, as well as the loss of dopamine producing cells in an area of the brain known as the substantia nigra.

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Scientists transformed Skin Cells directly into Brain Cells

Scientists recently transformed skin cells directly into brain cells. This scientific finding could bypass the need for stem cells. Stem cells can be turned into any other specialist type of cell ranging from brain to bone. Therefore, these cells are used in a range of treatments. Alternatively, skin cells can be reprogrammed into introduced stem cells. These could be made from a patient’s own cells and transformed into the required cell type. However, the process can activate cancer-causing genes. Therefore, the scientists are trying to convert a person’s own skin cells into specialist cells

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GPON Technology to Telecom Equipment Makers

C-DOT indigenously designed and developed GPON technology, which can be used to provide triple play (voice, video and data) through fibre-based networks. The present GPON standards specify 2.5 Gbps downstream and 1.25 Gbps upstream data capability to customer premise.

GPON carry information from a central office to subscribers up to 60 km away without needing any intermediate repeaters the doing away with the requirement of power, shelter and upkeep services.

The GPON technology was tested, validated, field-evaluated and made operational in BSNL’s network in Ajmer (Rajasthan). The technology will help fulfil requirements of major national programmes like the National Optical Fibre Network and the State Wide Area Network.

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Electronic Nose to Fight Tuberculosis

The Electronic Nose, which has the potential to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) in symptomatic patients, was awarded a $950,000 grants from Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill & Melina Gates Foundation to enable it to support further development and testing of this ground-breaking technology.

TB claims close to 1.7 million lives yearly and is second only to HIV / AIDS as the world’s most deadly infectious disease.

The two-year grant given to Electronic Nose will be used to validate the finding the finding in four centres throughout India.

Dr. Ranjan Nanda of the New Delhi-based International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, one of the lead researchers on the electronic nose project, aims to have a validated prototype by December 2013.

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Uruguay win Copa America

This year, Uruguay beat Paraguay to win the Copa America football tournament and be crowned South American champions for a record 15th time. Uruguay’s Luis Suarez’s, selected as player of the tournament.

The Copa America previously known as South American Championship, is an international football competition contested between the men’s national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport’s continental governing body. It is the oldest international continental football competition. The highest finishing member of CONMEBOL has the right to participate in the next edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup.

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India-West Indies ODI series

In the five Match ODI series played between India and West Indies, India won the series by 4-1.In the fifth and fifth and final ODI played on December 11, 2011, India registered a 34 run win over the West Indies.

Rohit Sharma was declared Man of the Series

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2012 Australian Open

Defending champion Serbia’s Novak Djokovic defeated Spain Rafael Nadal in a five-set Australian Open final which lasted for 5hr, 53min, the longest title match in Grand Slam history.

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister releases a book

Shimla: Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister released the book titled ‘Role of Competition –Commission of India’ written by Advocate Ms. Shikha Chauhan here last evening.

The Chief Minister said that the book provides a peep into the business world and unveils the acts of big business houses who mint money at the cost of common-man.

He said that the book would act as a guide for those who want to look into the legal peripheries provided for the competition world and the monitoring forces above it.
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