Stress Watch

Stress Watch

This watch not only looks fantastic, but serves a great purpose which really should have been invented before now. But alas, it is now available.

The stress watch is aimed at busy people, with hectic lives, as it monitors stress levels throughout the day, and indicates your levels via a black bar graph on the screen.

The blues and greens indicate a mellow mood, compared to pinks, reds, and oranges which indicate a stressed out individual.Thankfully, the watch also tells the time (as you may expect), so you will never miss an appointment or meeting, though these meetings may cause your stress levels to soar.

Once the stress levels hit a peak, you can take a rest and watch as your levels (hopefully) begin to drop.The device is currently only a prototype, but one which many, many people would like to see come into production. Myself included.

HTC Touch Pro Smart Phones

HTC Touch Pro Smart Phones

HTC has always come up with pleasant surprises for its mobile users. For those who wish to own stylish and high-tech mobile models, there’s good news coming up: HTC Touch Pro mobile phone has stepped in to the mobile scene.

At first glance, one can easily guess how truly and efficiently it would perform in the hands of mobile users. A fabulous build and an impressive design is what describes this brilliant mobile model by HTC in the best way. Expect a lot from it to deliver as it has endeavored to ease you with some contemporary facilities.

The first attribute to mention is the look and feel of this mobile phone model. It imbibes quite a robust build with impressive dimensions of 102 X 51 X 18.1 mm. The handset is extremely lightweight which you can easily carry in your pocket wherever you go. Certainly the dazzling appearance makes it look smart and cool in your hands.

The HTC Touch Pro mobile is integrated with a touch screen TFT display that accompanies 65k color contrast. The screen is 2.8 inches wider having a pixel resolution of 480 X 640 pixels. You will be startled to discover some amazing features like Handwriting recognition, touch FLO 3D finger swipe navigation, touch sensitive navigation controls and accelerometer sensor to have easy auto screen rotate facility.

HTC Touch Pro mobile imbibe some of the impressive sound alerts including MP3, WMA, ringtones, downloadable polyphonic along with a powerful vibration feature. HTC mobile has a wonderful camera resolution with 3.5 mega pixels accompanying an autofocus and LED flash feature. A VGA video call camera come up as a bonus to the set and is a pleasant surprise for those who wish to experiment with their mobile photographing experience.

This mobile model is not an exception when it comes to basic features. Like all other HTC mobiles, this HTC mobile model is also bundled with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 professional. It is a perfect kit to get handy with various types of messaging including text, MMS, e-mail and to have threaded view of messages. It has FM stereo with RDs support. It incorporates a standard Li-ion battery that offers an uninterrupted call time of 8 hours chat and standby time of 406 hours

Cold Fusion Is Hot Again

Cold Fusion Is Hot Again

Twenty years ago it appeared, for a moment, that all our energy problems could be solved. It was the announcement of cold fusion - nuclear energy like that which powers the sun - but at room temperature on a table top.

It promised to be cheap, limitless and clean. Cold fusion would end our dependence on the Middle East and stop those greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. It would change everything. But then, just as quickly as it was announced, it was discredited. So thoroughly, that cold fusion became a catch phrase for junk science.

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to oblivion - for many scientists today, cold fusion is hot again. "We can yield the power of nuclear physics on a tabletop. The potential is unlimited. That is the most powerful energy source known to man," researcher Michael McKubre told 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley.

McKubre says he has seen that energy more than 50 times in cold fusion experiments he's doing at SRI International, a respected California lab that does extensive work for the government. McKubre is an electro-chemist who imagines, in 20 years, the creation of a clean nuclear battery. "For example, a laptop would come pre-charged with all of the energy that you would ever intend to use. You're now decoupled from your charger and the wall socket," he explained.

The same would go for cars. "The potential is for an energy source that would run your car for three, four years, for example. And you'd take it in for service every four years and they'd give you a new power supply," McKubre told Pelley.

Energen Wave Power

Energen Wave Power

The Energen Wave Power device is a new invention that uses the motion of near shore ocean surface waves to create electricity. It is an attenuating wave device designed for efficiently extracting all the energy available from a single wave over a large surface area. It has a simple robust design that will enable it to withstand harsh sea conditions. The design of the generator allows for single or modular installations. Modular installations will reduce costs making power generating sites more financially viable. The size of each generator can be changed to accommodate regional wave conditions to maximise power output and reduce energy unit costs.
All proprietary power generating equipment is housed in the parallel floating pontoons, providing essential protection from the harsh corrosive sea conditions. All hydraulic and electrical power generating equipment are standard and readily available.

The Energen device consists of a series of semi-submerged cylindrical pivoting torque tubes connected to two large cylindrical pontoons. The wave-induced movement of these torque tubes is resisted by a hydraulic system which pumps high pressure oil through hydraulic motors. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity.

A 50th scale model has been tested at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Stellenbosch and using actual wave data off the South African coast it is estimated that a single device will produce 1.4Mw of power, or 979Gw hours of electricity per annum.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to medical articles for long term implantation, including blood and tissue contacting medical articles for long term implantation.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various medical articles are known that comprise porous polymeric regions. One particularly beneficial method for forming such medical articles is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,972 to Wong, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference to the extent that it does not conflict with the present disclosure, in which medical articles are made by a procedure in which fibers are wound on a mandrel and overlying fiber portions are simultaneously bonded with underlying fiber portions. For instance, a polymeric solution can be extruded from a spinneret, forming filaments which are wound onto a rotating mandrel, as the spinneret reciprocates back and forth relative to the mandrel. The drying parameters (e.g., drying environment, solution temperature and concentration, spinneret-to-mandrel distance, etc.) are controlled such that some residual solvent remains in the filaments as they are wrapped upon the mandrel. Upon further evaporation of the solvent, the overlapping fibers on the mandrel become bonded to each other.

Vascular grafts are examples of porous polymeric medical articles, which may be made using the above and other methods. Certain vascular grafts, including small diameter vascular grafts (e.g., grafts with a diameter of 6 mm or less), are known to have very poor long term patency.
Intraluminal stents are commonly inserted or implanted into body lumens, for instance, into a coronary artery after a procedure such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (“PCTA”). An example of one such stent 100 is illustrated in FIG. 5. Such stents are used to maintain the patency of the coronary artery by supporting the arterial walls and preventing reclosure or collapse thereof, which can occur after PCTA. Such stents 100 may also have a polymeric coating from which an antiproliferative agent is released to inhibit re-narrowing or restenosis of the blood vessel, which can occur in some patients due to smooth muscle cell proliferation after implantation of the stent 100. Ideally, endothelial cells will grow from the artery wall and over the drug eluting stent struts 100s to form a confluent layer of endothelial cells, particularly after the drug is either completely eluted or the dosage has dropped below an effective antiproliferative level, for example, to prevent smooth muscle proliferation from occurring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the present invention, medical articles for long term implantation are provided which include the following: (a) first and second body contacting (e.g., tissue and/or body-fluid contacting) porous polymeric layers; (b) a polymeric barrier layer disposed between the first and second porous polymer layers; and (c) a reinforcement element.

An advantage of this aspect of the present invention is that medical articles may be provided, in which the surface pore size and/or porosity can be readily varied, depending on the application at hand.

Another advantage of this aspect of the present invention is that medical articles may be provided which have good biocompatibility, including medical articles that are substantially non-thrombogenic and non-immunogenic.

Another advantage of this aspect of the present invention is that medical articles may be provided in which fluid leakage (e.g., blood, serum, etc.) may be minimized upon puncture of the medical article (e.g., during suturing, AV needle puncture, etc.)

Another advantage of this aspect of the present invention is that medical articles may be provided, in which compliance may be varied from application to application.

Another advantage of this aspect of the present invention is that tubular medical articles may be provided, which have enhanced kink resistance and compression resistance as well as good compliance.

According to another aspect of the present invention, tubular medical articles for long term implantation are provided, which comprise: (a) a reinforcement element; (b) a blood contacting porous polymeric layer having a surface energy ranging between 20 and 30 dynes/cm disposed over an inner surface of the reinforcement element and; and (c) an additional porous polymeric layer formed over an outer surface of the reinforcement element.

An advantage of this aspect of the present invention is that tubular medical articles may be provided, which have good biocompatibility, for example, in the case of tubular vascular articles, encouraging the formation of a covering layer of endothelial cells at their inner surfaces.

Dorm Vault Laptop Case

Dorm Vault Laptop Case

Let's face it - your roommate is nice enough. Seems trustworthy. Only eats his food, and doesn't touch your stuff. But do you really trust him with everything? Would you trust him with your wallet? Your phone? Your laptop? That laptop is your entire life! It's got all your papers on it, your music - maybe even pictures of you and your girlfriend at Spring Break! You know... those pictures.You might think that a cable-lock would be adequate to secure your laptop, but not only can those things just be clipped off with a cheap bolt-cutter, someone can still turn on and use your laptop without even removing it! No - that's not really security.

What you need is some serious armor. Something that can lock your lappy down, keeping it physically safe from pilfering hands, as well as potential data-thieves.What we found is so simple and yet totally ingenious. A big metal box with a lock (simple), that bolts to your dorm-furniture from the inside (ingenious)! With the lid closed and locked, the wing-nuts that hold the vault in place get locked in with your valuables. It's one of those "gah, I wish I had thought of that" things.Big enough to hold a 17" laptop and accessories, you could even put a portable drive or two in there, your phone - even your wallet if you were so inclined.Now you don't have to worry about whether or not your roommate is trustworthy. As they say, good locks make good neighbors. Or, is that fences? Doesn't matter - it still applies!

Features

* Rugged steel construction* 16' x 13" x 5"

* Weighs 9 pounds

Laptop Safe for Dorm Room or Apartment

Attaches to Furniture

* Holds up to 17" laptops and Personal Accessories

* Comes with mounting brackets, multiple-size bolts, wingnuts and combination lock

Mini Soccer Shaped Fan

Mini Soccer Shaped Fan

For soccer fans everywhere, looking forward to the World Cup next year in South Africa, there have been a series of soccer shaped fans manufactured.

These solar powered fans are soccer-shaped and provide a touch of relief from the warm Summer weather.

This clever, solar-powered Soccer-shaped fan circulates the air to help reduce the temperature without the need for standard electricity.It is handy and easy to use.

The blades will spin as long as the round fan is opened and the sunlight falls on the solar panel. The solar fan is really a must for soccer fans or people going out.

The price of this item is £7.41.

Native American Inventions

Native American Inventions

West Coast First Peoples consider that the first totem pole was a gift from Raven. It was named Kalakuyuwish, "the pole that holds up the sky." The totem poles were often used as family crests denoting the tribe's descent from an animal such as the bear, raven, wolf, salmon, or killer whale.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, "There are seven principal kinds of totem pole: memorial, or heraldic, poles, erected when a house changes hands to commemorate the past owner and to identify the present one; grave markers, house posts, which support the roof; portal poles, which have a hole through which a person enters the house; welcoming poles, placed at the edge of a body of water to identify the owner of the waterfront; mortuary poles, in which the remains of the deceased are placed; and ridicule poles, on which an important individual who had failed in some way had his likeness carved upside down."

GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS

GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Constellations of Low-orbiting satellites hold the key to today's flexible global telephone networks. These systems integrate satellite communications with existing land-line and cellular networks to provide truly global coverage from a mobile phone.

This enables people in remote areas, even those on tiny pacific islands or high in the Himalayas, to keep in touch with the rest of the world. Satellite systems are the next logiccal step in the mobile-phone resolution that swept the world in the late 1990s.

Iridium was the first system to offer a commercial service. It was conceived and developed by the US electronics company Motorola and began operation on 1 November 1998. The system was named after the 77th chemical element in the Periodic Table, as there were originally to be 77 Satellites in the network.

Other networks offering a similar service include Globalstar, which operates with a constellation of 48 satellites.

MEASURING TIME

MEASURING TIME

All Timekeeping devices depend on counting a regularly-repeated phenomenon. The earliest timekeeping devices were based on daily, monthly, or yearly cycles of the sun or moon. Most modern clocks are based on repeated mechanical or electronic oscillations (vibrations).

The more frequent the vibrations, the greater the potential accuracy of the clock. The crystal in a quartz watch typically vibrates at 32,768 hertz (32768 times a second), so it keeps better time than a pendulam clock, whose pendulam typically swings twice a second.

The most accurate time keeping devices are atomic fountains, which are based on oscillations of caesium atoms. Global communication, technologies, such as computer networks and broadcasting, rely on the world using one accurate time standard. This is called UCT (Universal Coordinated Time) and is based on the average time signal received from over 200 atomic clocks worldwide.

The more we rely on high technology for precise timekeeping, the more vulnerable we become to problems with that technology, for example the bug that threatens to strike at the beginning of the new millennium.

EMERSON CT

EMERSON CT

As a world supplier of AC & DC drives, controls and drives systems, Emerson CT has continually strengthened their design and development capabilities to provide optimum industrial automation solutions with high level technical performance and flexibility for customers in various industries like textile , printing , machine tools, and elevator etc throughout china.

Emerson CT will showcase a wide range of AC & DC drives, servos, HMI, PLC and drive control solutions as well as their vast experiences in the textile industry.

DTC SYSTEMS

DTC SYSTEMS

DTC System (Honk Kong) is an agent of serveral manufacturers products for the china market, including Deatacolor's computer color matching and quality control systems, and Autofoam's foam fininshing systems.

It also sells laboratory dispensers, dyeig machines and dye house integration systems.

LATEST VERSION OF WEBFOLIO LAUNCHED BY GERBER

LATEST VERSION OF WEBFOLIO LAUNCHED BY GERBER

Gerber Technology, a supplier of automated CAD/CAM and PLM solutions for the sewn products and PLM solutions for the sewn products and flexible materials industry, released webfolio 2.0, part of its Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution for the digital design, collaboration and creation of collections.

Gerber Technology's webfolio 2.0 functions as a globally accessible solution enabling designers to organize and create content in a digital environment and effectively communicate information with internal associates, customers and vendors.

This new product is easy to learn and operate allowing it to rapidly become an essential tool within a designer's tool kit, as it can be used as a stand-alone product or easily integrated with Gerber;s webPDM product. This robust and intuitive format is the ideal solution for the creation, organisation and management of apparel collections, the company says.

APS AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

APS AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The advanced photo system was announced in 1995 as a breakthrough in photographic technology. Developed over five years by a consortium of film and camera manufacturers(Kodak,Sony, Nikon, Fuji, Canon, Minolta), the APS was designed to maximize the quality of images taken by amateur photographers, and to overcome some of the most common problems encountered.

The key to this new system is the "smart" film with its drop-in and automatic load cassette. The film contains a magnetic strip, which records information specific to each shot, such as lighting conditions, magnification, date and time, and communicates this data to the processing equipment in the minilab.

Once processed, the photographer receives a set of index prints, the photographs in any one of three different print sizes, and the developed film stored within the original cassette. APS film can be directly scanned and digitized, allowing the new system to bridge the gap between conventional 35mm film and digital photography.

INTERACTIVE TELEVISION

INTERACTIVE TELEVISION

The future of Television is undoubtedly digital. Television of video signals can be converted from their normal analogue form (continuously varying) into a digital form, which consists of a series of definite pulses rather like Morse code.

Digital signals can be transmitted , compressed and manipulated by computers without any unwanted 'noise' affecting data. One of the advantages of digital technology is that video data can be manipulated to make interactive television possible.

Interactive 'video on demand (VOD) services allow users to watch the material of their choice from a large central video vault. A digital server enables many users to watch the same film, starting at different times, by sending the video data in small "packets" to them.

Other services include news programmes, games, music and electronic shopping. With the latter, the user 'strolls' through a virtual shop and uses a credit card to buy items, which are then delivered to the home within days.

WORLD WIDE WEB

WORLD WIDE WEB

Since 1993, The World Wide Web(WWW) has become one of the fastest growing communication systems in history. Consisting of an expanding pool of 'pages' created by companies, associations, and individuals, it is accessible to anyone connected to the internet.

Two features of the Web make it appealing. The first is the non-linear method of presenting information known as 'hypertext'. This enables users to jump between documents of subject-related material at the click of the mouse. The second is the multimedia format of web pages, which can be designed using sophisticated graphics, sound and animation and displayed on-screen by a program called a 'graphical browser'.

Since the development of the browser, the Web has become more sophisticated and easier to use and interest in the WWW has exploded.

TRAMS AND BUSES

TRAMS AND BUSES

As City populations exploded in the 1800s, there was an urgent need for mass transportation.

Trams were an early solution. The first trams, like buses, where horse-drawn, but in 1881, electric street tramways appeared in Berlin, Germany. Electric trams soon became widespread throughout Europe and North America. Trams run on rails along a fixed route, using electric motors that receive power from overhead cables. As road networks developed, motorized buses offered a flexible alternative to trams.By the 1930s, they had replaced tram systems in many cities.

City buses typically have doors at both front and rear to make loading and unloading easier. Double-decker designs are popular occupying the same amount of street space as single-decker buses but able to transport twice the number of people. Buses are also commonly used for inter-city travel and touring. Tour buses have reclining seats, large windows, luggage space, and toilets. Recently as city traffic has become increasingly congested many city planners have designed new tram routes to run alongside bus routes as part of an integrated transport system.

FERTILIZATION

FERTILIZATION

Fertilization is the fusion of male and female gametes(sex cells) to produce a zycote(embryo). Following pollination the pollen grains that contains the male gamets are on the stigma, some distance from the female gamete (ovum) inside the ovule. To enable the gametes to meet, the pollen grain germinates and produces a pollen tube, which grows down and enters the embryo sac ( the inner part of the ovule that contains the ovum). Two male gamets, travelling at the tip of the pollen tube, enter the embryo sac. One gamete fuses with the ovum to produce a zygote that will develop into an embryo plant. The other male gamete fuses with two polar nuclei to produce the endosperm, which acts as a food store for the developing embryo. Fertilization also initiates other changes: the integument forms a testa around the embryo and endosperm ; the petals falls off; the stigma and style wither; and the ovary wall forms a layer around the seed. Together the pericap and seed form the fruit, which may be succulent. In some species, apomixis can occur: the seed develops without fertilization of the ovum by a male gamete but endosperm formation and fruit development take place as in other species.

DOON WALKING

DOON WALKING

Delhi based Surekha Narain, known for her heritage walks around the capital, is set to bring her expertise to the Doon Valley trip to Dehradun.

Those interested will get to visit the acclaimed, lush century-old estate of the Forest Research Institute and its beautiful buildings, the Indian Military Academy and also get to walk around Doon School's campus. That's not all: the walk encompasses Tibetan monasteries, the havells of Old Dehradun, the surrounding forests of the valley and even a trip to an NGO involved in the education and empowerment of women and children in the village of Purkal.

Finally, nature lovers will be guided by local experts on tree or bird walks.

SETEX SCHERMULY TEXTILE COMPUTER

SETEX SCHERMULY TEXTILE COMPUTER

Setex will bring to ShanghaiTex 2009 the Secom controller family with enhanced features for better productivity.

The task for the new family was to create a "universal" controller, which is easy-to use and can release the features needed for the task. Special focus was placed on productivity in today's complex production environments.

For Setex OrgaTEX users, more benefits are revealed on the controller, including reduced downtime cost, user management with RFID technology, graphical stop reasons tracking, and paperless workflow.

To save the environment, the Secom controllers are manufactured against RoHS (restriction of Hazzardous substances) conformity, Setex says.

NEW JEANS USING DOW XLA FIBER LAUNCHED

NEW JEANS USING DOW XLA FIBER LAUNCHED

Dow Fiber Soltions, a business unit of The Dow chemical company, partnered with Paige Premium Denim to launch a next generation Dow XLA fiber in an exclusive "Paigeaholic" Jean.

Dow fiber solutions describeds Dow XLA as the world's first and only olefirn based stretch fiber, offering benefits for the treatment, durability and comfort of denim.

Dow fiber solutions has aggressively penetrated Dow XLA fiber in the denim market with premier partners at all levels of the supply chain, from world-class denim textile mills to globally recognized consumer brands. Holiday watson, global public affairs and brand leader for Dow fiber solutions explained that these collaborative partnerships play an important role to influence other global brand leaders to use Dow XLA fiber to bring differentiated value to the market.

FADIS

FADIS

Fadis offers machinery to prepare yarns, in the form of packages or hanks. This year, Fadis will present the Sincro M, new innovation of winding machiner with precision crossing and electronic yarn guide which can reach speeds up to 2000 m/min (mechanical speed up to 2500 m/min).

With the Sincro M machine, it is possible to produce FAPP low density packages (Fadis Precision Package), which allow for wide retraction margins of the yarn during the dyeing phase, thus keeping a high residual elasticity percentage of the elasticized yarn. Therefore, with this technological system and other machines of Fadis, it is possible to obtain qualitative results quite similar to hank dyeing but with the same simplicity and economy typical of yarn package dyeing, the company says.

The fundamental innovation of these machines is the use of the precision crossing with electronic yarn guide and positively driven swift instead of a positively driven bobbin. With the "precision crossing with positively driven swift" technology, it is possible to obtain FAPP with a controlled yarn laying, without patterning, which are a guarantee for good unwinding at a constant tension, thus allowing to keep elasticity and a high performance during subsequent production phases, according to Fadis.

BRUCKNER

BRUCKNER

Presented by Bruckner, the new Power-Frame stenter generation is characterized by the proven and patented Split-Flow air circulation system achieving an optimum temperature distribution across the complete dryer length and width. This is important for heat-setting processes and in the end decisive for the quality of the fabric. An easy reproducibility of production data is ensured with the Multicontrol Plus machine control, and more than 500 different recipes can be memorized. The preparation times are short and a uniformly high fabric quality with heat-setting processes is ensured.

With the newly developed energy-saving systems, Bruckner achieved to make the stentering processes even more profitable, the company says. Additionally, the dryer concept newly designed by Bruckner allows to increase the production output by up to 25% with an energy consumption that has been reduced simultaneously by 25%. The more intense combination of suction and air circulation allows a homogeneous drying across the fabric width/fabric thickness and thus an optimum fabric quality with the best achievable residual shrinkage, the company says.

HYPING SCIENCE

HYPING SCIENCE

When a two-decade-long search for an effective vaccine to prevent HIV infection has been a failure, the pressure to hpe and provide spin to make results of a trial look successful increases. More so as only two trials have managed to reach Phase III, the final step in testing a vaccine. Aidsvax, the first Phase III vaccine trial done on more than 5000 volunteers in Thailand, was found tobe a failure in November 2003. The phase II Merck trial in2007 not merely failed; it is increased the risk of HIV infection in those vaccinated. Unsurprisingly, the pressur to make the latest phase III trial conducted in Thailand on more than 16000 volunteers seem successful became overpowering. How else to explain the compulsions behind the positive portrayal of the Thai trial (RV144) results on September 24? It was announced that the trial using two different vaccines in a prime-boost regimen produced a modest preventive effect of 31 percent in those who received the vaccine. What followed was euphoria among those working in the HIV vaccine field; this was the first time vaccine was found to have the long-sought-after preventive effect.

The euphoria gave way to disappointment when the full results were announced in Paris on October 20 and published simultaneously in The New England Journal of Medicine. The paper contained other data (intention to treat, and per protocol) not mentioned in the initial announcement; and they failed to show a statistically significant protective effect. Why did the sponsors who were aware of these data in September not disclose them? The modified intention to treat analysis which was not part of the original protocol design, was added six months before the data were analysed. This design helped remove seven volunteers who tested positive thereby increasing the odds of a successful outcome. Unlike other HIV vaccine trials, this one had 76 per cent of individuals at low- and moderate risk. The trials claim to success was based on moderate protection seen in those at low and moderate risk and not in those at high risk of infection. This Vital information was withheld initially. By cherry picking the positive results, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) one the sponsors of the trial, has laid itself open to the charge of breaching the ethical norms for reporting clinical trial results. Hyping results and imparting spin to the interpretation of trial data is clearly detrimental to science, and is not something expected from a nodal agency responsible for oversight.

WEATHER

WEATHER

Weather is defined as the Atmospheric conditions at a particular time and place; climate is the average weather conditions for a given region over time.

Weather is assessed in terms of temperature, wind, cloud cover, and precipitation, such as rain or snow. Fine weather is associated with high-pressure areas, where air is sinking.

Cloudly, wet changeable weather is common in low-pressure zones with rising, unstable air.

Such conditions occur at temperate latitudes, where warm air meets cool air along the polar fronts. Here, spiralling low-pressure cells known as depressions (mid-latitude cyclones) oftern form.

A depression usually contains a sector of warmer air, beginning at a warm front and ending at a cold front. If the two fronts merge, forming an occluded front, the warm air is pushed upwards.

An extreme form of low-pressure cell is a hurricane ( also called a typhoon or tropical cyclone), which brings torrential rain and exceptionally stron winds.

EAR

EAR

The Ear is the organ of Hearing and Balance. The outer ear consists of a flap called the auricle or pinna and the auditory canal.

The main functional parts - the middle and inner ears - are enclosed within the skull. The middle ear consists of three tiny bones, known as auditory ossicles, and the eustachian tube, which links the ear to the back of the nose.

The inner ear consists of the spiral-shaped cochlea, and also the semicircular canals and the vestibule, which are the organs of balance.

Sound waves entering the ear travel throught the auditory canal to the tympanic membrane (eardrum) where they are converted to vibrations that are transmitted via the ossicles to the cochlea.

Here the vibrations are converted by millions of microscopic hairs into electrical nerve signals to be interpreted by the brain.

CRETACEOUS PERIOD

CRETACEOUS PERIOD

The Mesozoic Era ended with the Cretaceous Period, which lasted from 146 to 65 million years ago.

During this period, Gondwanaland and Laurasia were breaking up into smaller land-masses that more closely resembled those of the modern continents. The climate remained mild and moist but the seasons became more marked.

Flowering plants, including deciduous trees, replaced many cycads, seed ferns, and conifers.

Animal species became more varied, with the evolution of new mammals, insects, fish, crustaceans, and turtles.

Dinosaurs evolved into a wide variety of species during Cretaceous times; more than half of all known dinosaurs - including Iguanodon, Deinonychus, Tyrannosaurus, and Hypsilophodon - lived during this period.

At the end of the Cretaceous period, however, dinosaurs became extinct. The reason for this mass extinction is unknown but it is thought to have been caused by climatic changes due to either a catastrophic meteror impact with the Earth or extensive volcanic eruptions.

THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Architecture of the Early 2oth Century is notable for radical new types of steel-and-glass buildings - particularly skyscrapers - and the widespread us of steel-reinforced concrete.

The steel-framed skyscraper was pioneered in Chicago in the 1880s but did not become widespread until the first decades of the 20th century.

As construction techniques were refined, skyscrapers became higher and higher; for example, the Empire State Building of 1929-1931 has 102 storeys.

Many buildings of this period were constructed from lightweight concrete slabs, which could be supported by cantilever beams or by pilotis (stilts), as in the Villa savoye.

The early 20th century also produced a great variety of architectural styles, some of which are illustrated opposite. Despite their diversity, the styles of this period generally had one thing in common; they were completely new, with few links to past architectural styles.

This originality is in marked contrast to 19th century architecture much of which was revivalist.

PADDLE WHEELS AND PROPELLERS

PADDLE WHEELS AND PROPELLERS

The invention of the steam Engine in the 18th Centuary made mechanically driven ships fitted with paddle wheels or propellers a viable alternative to sails. Paddle wheels have fixed or feathered floats, and the model shown below features both types.

Feathered floats give more propulsive power than fixed floats because they are almost upright at all time in the water.

Paddle wheel were superseded by the propeller on ocean-going vessels in the mid-19th century.

Prpellers are more efficient, work better in rough water, and are less vulnerable in collisions.

The first propellers were two-bladed but later three- and four bladed versions are moe powerful; the shape and pitch of blades have also been refined over the years.

At the beginning of the 18th Century, tillers were susperseded on many larger ships by the ship's wheel as a means of steering.

MODERN MECHANICS

MODERN MECHANICS

A typical Modern car has several thousand individual mechanical components.

These are assembled to form the car's various mechanical systems; engine and exhaust, transmission, steering , suspension, and brakes.

To ensure that each system functions properly, components are manufactured to extremely fine tolerances - to within a five hundredth of a millimetre ( about on ten thousandth of an inch) in some cases.

The Earth's Crust

The Earth's Crust

The Earth's crust is the solid outer shell of the Earth. It includes continental crust ( about 40 kilometers thick) and oceanic crust ( about six kilometers thick).

The crust and the topmost layer of the mantle form the lithosphere. The lithosphere consists of semi-rigid plates that move relative to each other on the underlying asthenosphere ( a partly molten layer of the mantle).

This process is known as plate tectonics and helps explain continental drift. Where two plates move apart, there are rifts in the crust. In mid-ocean, this movement results in sea-floor spreading and the formation of ocean ridges; on continents, crustal spreading can form rift valleys.

When plates move towards each other, one may be subducted beneath ( forced under ) the other. In mid-cean, this causes ocean trenches, seismic activity, and arcs of volcanic islands. Where oceanic crust is subducted beneath continental crust or where continents collide, land may be uplifted and mountains formed.

Plates may also slide past each other -along the san Andreas fault, for example. Crustal movement on continents may result in earthquakes, while movement under the seabed can lead to tidal waves.

HONK KONG BUZZ

HONK KONG BUZZ

With a top tourist destination like Hong Kong - perennaially alive with cultural activities, entertainment, nightlife and shopping - one would think that there really is no 'best time' to visit it.

Wrong. There is no better time to visit the place than now. The Hong kong Tourism Board has specially orgainsed a host of cultural programmes, events, discounts and deals to lue tourists.

Vacationers can witness the Hong kong International Kung Fu Festival, which celebrates this martial arts form with a carnival, competitions, films and exhibitions.

There's also the Hong kong Book Fair and the Food Exhibition where visitors can sample international cuisines and note the latest dining trends. The younger lot needn't fret - Hong kong Disneyland has fun-filled activities for kids.

Plus serious food lovers will love the special food and wine options on offer at some of the best restaurants in town courtesy of the fact that 2009 has been earmarked as the Hong kong food and wine year.

MOON WATCH (50)

MOON WATCH (50)

To Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Speedmaster - the watch worn by Buzz Aldrin on the moon - Omega has released three limited - edition models: the Stainless steel (7969 pieces), 18 -carat gold and the platinum version ( 69 pieces each), the last of which comes for a whopping RS 35,78,100.

The elegant timepiece features a case body as well as hour and minute hands in platinum.

ANCIENT ROME

ANCIENT ROME

In the early periods of the Roman Empire, extensive use was made of an ancient Greek architectural ideas, particularly those of the Corinthian order.

As a result many early roman buildings such as the Temple of vesta - closely resemble ancient Greek Buildings.

A distinctive Roman style began to evolve in the first century AD. This style developed the interiors of buildings ( the Greeks had concentrated on the exterior) by using arches, vaults and domes inside the buildings, and by ornamenting internal walls. Many of these features can be seen in the Pantheon.

Exterior columns were often used for decorative, rather than structural, purposes as in the Colosseum and the Porta Nigra.

Smaller buildings had timber frames wiht wattle and daub walls, as in the mill.

Roman architecture remained influential for many centuries, with some of its principles being used in the 11th century in Romanesque buildings and also in the 15th and 16th centuries in Renaissance buildings.

DRAWING

DRAWING

Drawings can be finsihed works of Art, or preparatory studies for paintings and other visual arts.

They can be made using a wide variety of drawing instruments such as pencils, graphite sticks, chalks, charcoal, pens and inks and silver wires.

The most common drawing instrument is the graphite pencil.

A graphite pencil consists of a thin rod of graphite mixed with clay, encased in wood.

Charcoal is one of the oldest drawing instruments. It is produced by firing twigs of willow, vine or other woods at high temperatures in airtight containers.

Erasers can be used to rub out marks made by drawing materials such as graphite pencils or charcoal, or to achieve a particular effect - such as smudging.

Fixative is often applied - using a mouth diffuser or aerosol spray fixative - to prevent smudging once a drawing is finished.

Silver lines can be produced by drawing silver wire across specially prepared paper a technique known as silverpoint. The lines are permanent and cannot be erased. In time the silver lines oxidize and turn brown.

SPINE

SPINE

The Spine has two main functions:

It serves as a protective surrounding for the delicate spinal cord and forms the supporting back bone of the skeleton.

The spine consists of 24 separate differently shaped bones (vertebrae) with a curved, triangular bone (the sacrum) at the bottom.

The sacrum is made up of fused vertebrae; at its lower end is a small tail-like structure made up of tiny bones collectively called the coccyx.

Between each pair of vertebrae is a disc of cartilage that cushions the bones during movement.

The top two vertebrae differ in appearance from the others and work as a pair; the first, called the atlas, rotates around a stout vertical peg on the second, the axis.

This arrangement allows the skull to move freely up and down, from side to side.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

The Respiratory system supplies the oxygen needed by body cells and carries off their carbon dioxide waste.

Inhaled air passes via the trachea (windpipe) through two narrower tubes, the bronchi, to the lungs.

Each lung comprises many fine, branching tubes called bronchioles that end in tiny clustred chambers called alveoli.

Gases cross the thin alveolar walls to and from a network of tiny blood vessels.

Intercostal (rib) muscles and the muscular diaphragm below the lungs operate the lungs like bellows, drawing air in and forcing it out at regular intervals.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES 2009 -NATURAL SITES

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES 2009 -NATURAL SITES

Two Natural sites in Europe also got on the list.

The Wadden Sea, Stretching from Germany to the Netherlands, is one of the last remaining large-scale undisturbed inter-tidal ecosystems in the World.

Far away from the sea, Italy's Dolomites count as one of the great European mountain ranges.

Many of the world's finest mountaineers, including Reinhold Messner trained here.

LA GRANDE BRADERIE DE LILLE, FRANCE

LA GRANDE BRADERIE DE LILLE, FRANCE

One of Europe's biggest flea markets, the ' Grande Braderie' in Lille dates back to medieval times.

On the 5th and 6th September of each year, 200 km of pavements are taken over in an outdoor market, with everyone from dealers to grandmas selling everything from attic junk to genuine antiques and paintings.

One million visitors attend, with bargains sure to be found.

Tank School, Brandenburg, Germany

Tank School, Brandenburg, Germany

If you have ever wanted to get behind the wheel of what the bulk of the Indian Army's armoured divisions scoot around on, here's your chance.

Near Brandenburg, Germany, a former East German army tank driver decided to fix up a few rusting Russian T-55 Tanks.

In 2003 he opened his' tank school ' to the paying public, but it's only last year that the media picked up the story.

You can't fire the cannons but you can dress up in battle gear and roar your beast of war around a muddy field.

SEA QUEEN

SEA QUEEN

Kochi had a royal visitor last month.

The cruise liner - until recently the largest in the world, and still the longest- is going around the world, in 80 days.

Kochi was one of the 20 destinations on the cruise. Freedom of the seas, as the largest ocean liner, it still holds many other records.

The liner boasts of the first planetarium at sea, the first suites with private lift access, the largest library at sea, the largest ballroom with the largest dance floor, the longest jogging track and the most extensive wine cellar at sea.

Many visitors preferred to go on the famous backwater cruises, while other shopped.

It is estimated that the passengers spent a whopping Rs 2.5 crore in the 24 hours that the ship was anchored here.

Kochi has become the favourite port call for cruise vessels.

As many as 32 cruise liners have berthed at the port since the beginning of the tourist season.

ALL ABOARD

ALL ABOARD

India has jumped aboard the Trans-Asian Railway bandwagon by ratifying the UNESCAP- supported inter-governmental Agreement.

Indian Railways will build the 315km link between Jiribam in India and Moreh in Myanmar.

Myanmar will pitch in with some of the RS 1,100 Cr that will be required.

The 81,000 km long Trans Asian railway is a link between 32 Asian Countries from Russia to Singapore and Indonesia and Turkey and Iran to Korea.

With the new link expected to be complete by 2015, the dream of an uninterrupted rail journey from Indonesia to Turkey and onward to Europe will be a reality.

BIG WHEEL

BIG WHEEL

Modelled on London's Eye and rising to 60m, Eye on Malaysia is the largest portable wheel in the world.

Offering an entirely new perspective of Kuala Lumpur, the Eye provides fabulous views all the way across Lake Titiwangsa to KL Tower.

The viewing wheel is made up of 42 airconditioned gondolas, 39 of which are equipped to carry 8 passengers apiece.

For those who need pampering, there's even a special VIP Gondola fitted with plush leather seats, a mini fridge, a DVD player and plasma screen.

Make the most of your 12 min ridel.

WOMAN'S WORLD

WOMAN'S WORLD

The WOW (Women on Wanderlust) club was set up to provide the perfect solution for women who want to travel, but don't like the idea of travelling alone.

For ladies who want to travel alone or with other men, the club is arranging a trip summer to Greece or Istanbul.

The Nine-day tour will take in such Turkish delights as a cruise on the Bosphorus, sightseeing at the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, and shopping at the Grand covered Bazaar.

The Greece Segment will feature visits to the Acropolis, Temple of Poseidon, Hadrian's Arch and the like, as also trips to Delphi and the islands of Santorini and Mykonos.

NEW BATTERY-POWERED BRA

NEW BATTERY-POWERED BRA

A hi-tech bra which can boost a women's breasts by an entire cup size while she sleeps has been unveiled in the US.

The computerised bra works by creating a vacuum in small domes in the cups of the bra that gently stretch and pull the breast tissue. The breast cells respond by developing new breast iitissue.

Powered by a tiny battery, the bra's makers Biometrics claim it has no negative side-effects and say that after 10 weeks of use a woman will find her breasts have grown by a whole cup size.

It has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration after initial clinical trials.

UNIVERSITIES LEADING THE WAY IN TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH

UNIVERSITIES LEADING THE WAY IN TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH

Kentucky's universities have also jumpted on the high-tech bandwagon in a big way. Noting that three-quarters of economic growth in the U.S today is the result of technological advances, nearly all of which comes from university based research, the state's institutions of higher learning are becoming increasingly technology-driven.

In an article in The Lane Report, a Lexington business publications, University of Kentucky President Lee Todd, Jr., commented on the university's aggressive efforts to achieve "Top 20" status as a research institution, an effort that has been further enhanced by the annoucement that the university recently surpassed the $ 1 billion mark in its fundraising efforts.

"The future of the American economy lies in the commercialization of university-driven research ," says Dr. Todd. " We can no longer compete in the low-wage economic sectors where China, India and other Asian and Latin American countries can offer cheaper land and cheaper labor," he says, adding that"we must compete with innovation, and in the 'brain game,' universities must lead the way."

In its effort to lead the way, the UK Board of Trustees has approved the establishment of the Institute for Workplace Innovation (iWIN) to improve work environments for Kentucky-based companies. Among the proposed services are creating a corporate roundtable of top employers to discuss developing and maintaining high-quality work environments; conducting research on Kentucky's workforce and the practices of Kentucky-based employers; and engaging the business community in adopting innovative workplace practices by offering services such as executive and management coaching and organizational consultation.

THE LOW COST OF DOING BUSINESS

THE LOW COST OF DOING BUSINESS

When thinking about bocation ( or relocating) a business, the cost of doing so looms large -- or in the case of Kentucky, small. Kentucky has the second-lowest overall cost of doing business in the eastern U.S., according to the Web site Economy.com, while the update of The North American Business Cost Review, which measures the cost of doing business based on a State's Unit labour cost, tax burden and energy, ranks it as the fifth-lowest nationally in the overall cost of doing business. Just where does Kentucky's competitive edge lie?

For the sixth year in a row, the state, with its wealth of natural resources, has offered the lowest industrial electrical rates in America, averaging $0.033 per kilo watt-hour(kwh), compared to the national average of $ 0.053 per kwh, as noted by the U.S Energy Information Administration.

In addition to its competitive edge in energy costs, Kentucky's coal production (third in the nation for the past 50 years, producing upto 119 million tons in one year alone), plentiful water from the state's vast network of lakes, rivers and streams, and its extremely competitive natural gas prices ensure an abundant local supply of fuels to keep utility costs low.

Combine that with a wide range of tax and financial incentives and innovative licensing and marketing assistance programs, and never has such high qulity come at such a low cast. By issuing the state's first comprehensive energy strategy , geared to developing Kentucky's energy resources in a responsible manner while at the same time maintaining environmental integrity, Governor has taken steps to ensure the state's low cost energy future.

LEXINGTON.KY

LEXINGTON.KY

A stay in the Bluegrass lets you sample traditions as deep as the limestone on which they were built.

Discover world-reowned horse farms, explore centuries-old bourbon distilleries, and tour our many historic homes.

With a strong economy, an educated workforce, the nation's third lowest electric utility rates, affordable housing and high quality of life, the Bluegrass is the ideal place to locate a business.

Lexington - rated one of America's premiere cities by Forbes Magazine.