Wednesday, April 30, 2014
The Road to Safety
India’s roads have acquired a reputation, quite deservedly, of being the most dangerous in the world. Rapid motorisation and fast-paced economic activity over several years have been accompanied by an annual toll of nearly 140,000 accident fatalities; injuries are estimated to be 15 to 20 times the number of deaths. In absolute numbers, more people die in road accidents in India than in any other country. Apart from the human dimension of the tragedy, avoidable death and disability seriously affect economic progress — by some estimates, 3 per cent of GDP is lost in a year due to the carnage. The recent decision of the Supreme Court to appoint a three-member committee to suggest ways to prevent road accidents and ensure accountability offers some hope that a new government at the Centre will be compelled to address the issue as an emergency. It is not as if suggestions for improvements for enhanced safety have not been proposed earlier. The Sundar Committee constituted by the Centre called for an apex agency to be created to assess all aspects of road safety, and to address the lacuna in scientific accident investigation. Although the recommendation was made seven years ago, it has failed to take off. Indians are travelling more miles per capita today, and are at high risk for injury or worse.
Unsafe transport, including services operated by government agencies, are a major part of the problem. Several ghastly accidents involving public transport vehicles have been reported, but the State governments involved have shown little sense of accountability. They routinely challenge even claims for compensation. Their response to the need for improved infrastructure has been woefully weak. In its recent report, the National Transport Development Policy Committee headed by Rakesh Mohan suggested that national, State and local-level institutions be set up, with responsibility to address the issue of safety. There is an urgent need to form these committees, and appoint professionals to them. They must be empowered to upgrade driver-licensing practices, road systems, public lighting and signage. Accident investigation, which remains a neglected area, requires a thorough overhaul, and CCTVs can help determine the cause of mishaps. Also, the neglect of the public district hospital network in most States, and the high cost of treatment at private hospitals affect access to good trauma care for accident victims. The right to life demands that the Central and State governments provide medical facilities at a proximate institution free of cost to all. The Supreme Court panel must give road accidents the status of a public health issue that has acquired alarming proportions. Reform to improve road safety cannot be delayed any longer.
Source & Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-road-to-safety/article5961392.ece
‘A greater role for NGOs in cyber crime awareness’
Every minute, on an average, nearly 80 people in India fall prey to some form of cyber crime and the awareness initiatives in place to prevent them are not enough, Governor K. Rosaiah said here on Tuesday.
Mr. Rosaiah was quoting statistics from a Norton-Symantec study on internal security in our country as part of his address at the 10{+t}{+h}anniversary celebrations of Cyber Society of India, a non-governmental organisation working for awareness on cyber security, held in T Nagar.
Courtesy & Source:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/a-greater-role-for-ngos-in-cyber-crime-awareness/article5961552.ece
How to know artificially-ripened fruits
Fruits ripened using the chemical will have an ash-coloured layer on the skin.
If you wipe this layer, you will find the skin of uniform colour without any green patches.
Also gradually, the skin gets dry and wrinkled and black spots develop.
Courtesy & Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/how-to-know-artificiallyripened-fruits/article5961561.ece
Special ‘yagam’ performed for rain
LAST RESORT:Priests performing a ritual at Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple inMadurai on Monday.— Photo: R. Ashok
Invoking the god of rains a special puja (‘Varuna Jeba Yagam) was performed at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in the early hours of Monday.
A special abishekam was performed on Nandi statue at the Veeravasantharayar Mandapam. Verses were recited from the Thirumurai of Sundaramoorthy Nayanar by the temple priests and a nagaswaram troupe performed music in Amrithavarshini, Meghavarshini, Anandha Bhairavi and Roopa Kalyani ‘raagams’ which are believed to bring rain. Devotees and visitors at the temple also took part in the proceedings. Speaking about the Yagam, P. Jayaraman, Executive Officer of the temple and Joint Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) department said owing to drought-like situation across Tamil Nadu, special pujas were being performed at all temples under the HR and CE control in the State.
Special pujas were also performed at the various sub-shrines of the Meenakshi temple
Courtesy & Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/special-yagam-performed-for-rain/article5961709.ece
‘Unnao digging was a waste of money’-K.A. Shaji
The much-hyped digging for hidden treasure by the Archaeological Survey of India (AAI) at the fort of Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh in October and November last year was a sheer waste of public money, a Right to Information (RTI) reply received by a Kochi-based activist has revealed.
The massive excavation was undertaken after seer Shoban Sarkar saw in his dreams that 1000 tonnes of gold was buried under the ruins of the 19th century fort. Experts involved in the mission, however, found only some pottery pieces from the Buddhist era.
In response to queries from advocate D.B. Binu of the Cochin Chamber of Lawyers here, AAI’s Lucknow Circle said two separate excavations were conducted in Unnao and nearby Piprahwa at a total cost of Rs. 13,87,135. The largest digging was in Piprahwa at a cost of Rs. 11,08,384. In the case of Unnao, the amount spent was just Rs. 2,78,751.
The excavations unearthed a few pieces of pottery, terracotta beads, two bone points, a few broken glass bangles and some iron nails. The digging was conducted after getting the consent of the director general of AAI. It was undertaken under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958, said the reply.
The digging had attracted wide national attention and came under sharp criticism from top scientists and social activists, including the former President, A.P.J Abdul Kalam.
Shobhan Sarkar had claimed that the Raja appeared in his dreams and told him about the treasure trove of 1,000 tonnes of gold worth Rs 31,000 crore that lay buried at the site.
Source & Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/unnao-digging-was-a-waste-of-money/article5961540.ece
Going driverless in California
Google says its self-driving cars are motoring along freeways comfortably, albeit with a driver ready to take control. But city driving with its obstacle course of stray walkers, bicyclists and blind corners has been a far greater challenge for the cars’ computers.
In a blog entry posted Monday, the project’s leader said test cars now can handle thousands of urban situations that would have stumped them a year or two ago.
“We’re growing more optimistic that we’re heading toward an achievable goal a vehicle that operates fully without human intervention,” project director Chris Urmson wrote.
Urmson’s post was the company’s first official update since 2012 on progress toward a driverless car, a project within the company’s secretive Google X lab.
The company has said its goal is to get the technology to the public by 2017. In initial iterations, human drivers would be expected to take control if the computer fails. The promise is that, eventually, there would be no need for a driver. Passengers could read, daydream, even sleep or work while the car drives.
Google maintains that computers will one day drive far more safely than humans, and part of the company’s pitch is that robot cars can substantially reduce traffic fatalities.
Basics in place
The basics already are in place. The task for Google and traditional carmakers, which also are testing driverless cars, is perfecting technology strapped onto its fleet of about two dozen Lexus RX450H SUVs.
Sensors including radar and lasers create 3D maps of a self-driving car’s surroundings in real time, while Google’s software sorts objects into four categories- moving vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and static things such as signs, curbs and parked cars.
Initially, those plots were fairly crude. A gaggle of pedestrians on a street corner registered as a single person. Now, the technology can distinguish individuals, according to Google spokeswoman Courtney Hohne, as well as solve other riddles such as construction zones and the likely movements of people riding bicycles.
To deal with cyclists, engineers initially programmed the software to look for hand gestures that indicate an upcoming turn. Then they realized that most cyclists don’t use standard gestures and still others weave down a road the wrong way.
Cyclist behaviour
So engineers have taught the software to predict the behaviour of cyclists based on thousands of encounters during the approximately 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) the cars have driven autonomously on city streets, Hohne said. The software projects a cyclist’s likely movements and plots the car’s path accordingly then reacts if something unexpected happens.
“A mile of city driving is much more complex than a mile of freeway driving, with hundreds of different objects moving according to different rules of the road in a small area,” Urmson wrote.
Now the technology can also read stop signs, including those held in the hands of school crossing guards, Hohne said. — AP
April 30, 2014 And the best restaurant in the world is ....
Noma gets thousands of reservation requests a day.— Photo: AP
Rene Redzepi’s daringly innovative Danish restaurant Noma has reclaimed the title of world’s top restaurant.
Noma which has a meticulous focus on simple, indigenous ingredients such as snails, moss and cod liver held the No. 1 spot onRestaurantmagazine’s annual ranking of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for three years before being bested in 2013 by avant-garde eatery El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain. During a ceremony Monday in London, Noma reclaimed the top spot while El Celler fell to No. 2.
Located on Copenhagen’s waterfront, Noma’s menu is almost obsessively defined by the Nordic landscape. Ingredients often are foraged nearby and the meals at the restaurant, which seats 45 and holds two Michelin stars, are meant to viscerally connect diners to the land and sea. The restaurant opened in 2004 and gets thousands of reservation requests a day.
El Celler, which has been run by brothers Josep, Jordi and Joan Roca since 1986, also was ranked No. 2 in 2011 and 2012. The restaurant is known for blending traditional ingredients and innovative cooking techniques.
In third place is Modena, Italy’s Osteria Francescana, the same rank it held last year. The restaurant has placed in the top 10 restaurants since 2010. — AP
Courtesy & source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/and-the-best-restaurant-in-the-world-is/article5961364.ece
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
E-Resource @ UGc Infonet Digital Library Consortium
The UGC-INFONET Digital Library Consortium subscribes to the following resources for its memberInstitutions. All electronic resources subscribes to the following resources for its member institutions.all electronic resources subscribed area available from the publisher’s Web site . following is the list of E- Resources with link
i) Institute of Physics
ii) J-STOR
iii)Manupatra
iv) Nature
v) Portland Press
Vi) Project Euclid
Vii) Westlaw India
Hanging stone pillar at Dharmapuri temple - R. Arivanantham
The hanging stone is at least two centimetres above its support base and one of the four pillars in the sanctum. —Photo: Special arrangement
An intricately carved stone pillar, weighing around two tonnes, hangs from the ceiling at the sanctum sanctorum of the Mallikarjuneshwar shrine at the Kotai Kamatchi Amman Temple here.
The hanging stone is at least two centimetres above its support base. It is one of the four pillars in the sanctum.
It is an engineering marvel of the Nulamba Pallava dynasty of 9th century, says S. Selvaraj, retired Regional Assistant Director of the State Archaeological Department.
King Mahendra Nulamba Pallava built the temple around 850 AD.
Terming it a cultural marvel, he says the hexagonal pillar has several images sculpted all the sides.
On one side, various forms of Lord Siva are carved. On the second, there are images depicting sacrifices and on the third side, there are dancing girls. And there are similar images on the other three sides.
Mr. Selvaraj says that the temple’s ‘vimanam’ is hallow. It also belongs to the Nulamba Pallava dynasty.
He suggests that this ‘vimanam’ might have been the inspiration for the ‘vimanam’ at the Thanjavur Big Temple.
“Ashta Thik Balagargal”
The ceiling has sculptures of “Ashta Thik Balagargal” (guards of the eight directions).
Another special feature of the sanctum sanctorum is that it is built on pedestal supported by 18 elephants. Images and sculptures at the base depict scenes from the Ramayana, starting with the birth of Luv and Kush.
King Mahendra Nulamba Pallava built the temple around 850 AD
Theosophical Society gets new president
Tim Boyd is the new president of the international Theosophical Society headquartered in Adyar.
Mr. Boyd, previously of the Theosophical Society in America, assumed charge as the eighth international president on Monday.
After the death of Radha Burnier, who served as the society’s president for 33 years, 61-year-old Mr. Boyd has taken charge and will serve as president for seven years. He won 7,190 votes, 2,948 more votes than C.V.K. Maithreya who competed against him for the post.
Mr. Boyd, who lives in Illinois, received a warm reception from members here at a function organised in the city.
Speaking toThe Hindu, Mr. Boyd said: “As the international president, I will have to travel extensively. But, I will shift to Chennai. I look forward to develop methods to acquaint people to the teachings of Theosophy.” He said digital methods would also be used to spread theosophy.
The Theosophical Society has over 26,000 members spread over 70 countries. Mr. Boyd and Mr. Maithreya were nominated by the international general council for the position. In Chennai, the Society has 14 lodges and 1,009 members.
UGC to go the online way, to introduce open courses
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to implement Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), its vice-chairman H. Devaraj has said.
MOOCs will help students pursue distance education in a big way, he said, adding, “We have lot of e-content and e-patshala available with us with which we will implement the new system.”
Delivering the convocation address recently at Sathyabama University, Semmanchery, Mr. Devaraj called upon educational institutions to concentrate more on accountability. Over the last 60 years, the country had achieved access and equity in the education system, he said. “As we have achieved access and equity, we now have to bring in excellence to the higher education system.”
Sathyabama University founder-chancellor Jeppiaar exhorted students to pursue higher education, stating that a mere undergraduation qualification would be unlikely to fetch them the big jobs. “You should pursue higher studies and become job-providers rather than job-seekers,” he said.
The university conferred honorary doctorate degrees on K. Sivan, project director (GSLV), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, film script-writer Arur Doss and Nagaswaram exponent Mambalam M.K.S. Siva.
A total of 1,539 undergraduate and 933 postgraduate students received their degrees, with a large number of them being gold medallists. Besides this, 85 research scholars received their doctorate degrees.
The placement record for 2013-14 stood at 72.83 per cent.
Courtesy & Sorce: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/ugc-to-go-the-online-way-to-introduce-open-courses/article5958220.ece
Country’s oldest photographic society takes a fresh look
One of the most iconic emblems of photographic history in the world, the Photographic Society of Madras refuses to be written off as a fossil of an antiquated era.
By organising the first international digital photography salon in the city, the society — touted to be the oldest in the country and the third-oldest in the world — continues to remain relevant in contemporary times.
The salon has on display the award-winning entries of a competition that reportedly received over 1,666 entries from across 22 countries.
The salon, which was inaugurated by legendary music composer and photography enthusiast Ilayaraja on Monday, is part of the ‘Photo Week’ concept introduced by the Society. As part of the event, a series of photography workshops will be open to the public till May 4.
V. Thyagarajan, a member of the Society, says, “A forum like this is extremely crucial for photographers because it allows us to meet other experts in the field, facilitating an exchange of ideas. It also allows us to truly evaluate our work on an international playing field.”
Seema Swami, a homemaker and an amateur photographer, emphasised the role played by such platforms in encouraging talent. She said, “I took up photography as a hobby but now as my work is being appreciated and showcased in competitions like this, I feel I can take this up more seriously.”
Sanjay Sridhar, president of the Society, expressed the hope that Photo Week would become a constant in the cultural calendar of the city.
Courtesy & Source:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/countrys-oldest-photographic-society-takes-a-fresh-look/article5958218.ece
The 100-year history of six schools in a petta - Asha Sridhar
The old and new premises of the Alamelu Manga Thayarammal Montessori School
The corridors of the six schools managed by the Chintadripet Secondary School Association, which celebrated its centenary recently, are populated not just with a list of alumni and history that can be traced back to 1845, but also anecdotes narrated by its former teachers and students.
Some of the schools, all located in Chintadripet, pre-date the formation of the Association. The first school, Chintadripet High School, was started by Kesavalu Naidu in 1845. Before being handed over to the Association in 1913, the schools were started and managed by various educationists and philanthropists, according to C. S. Rajavelan, president of the Association.
An alumnus of the Montessori, primary and the Chintadripet High School, Mr. Rajavelan said the Association was formed in 1913 by C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer. The oldest of the six schools, now called Chintadripet Higher Secondary School, is 169 years old.
In an article written almost two decades ago, retired IAS officer J.A. Ambasankar, who was an alumnus of the school, chronicles how the single teacher-manager and founder Kesavala Naidu started the first of the schools without any government aid and ran it for nearly forty years.
Writing about Chintadripet High School, he says that since the school was fulfilling the need of the locality, applicants could not be turned away because of space constraints. By this time, the school came under the Association’s wings and was housed in two rented buildings. Thatched buildings had to be put up to meet the demand, he writes.
The other schools managed by the Association are Chintadripet Kalyanam Higher Secondary School for Girls, Chintadripet Middle School, RBCCC Middle School, Dhanakoti Middle School and Alamelu Manga Thayarammal Montessori School.
One president of the Association who members fondly recall is T.P. Meenakshi Sundaranar. “He was instrumental in acquiring the site where Chintadripet Higher Secondary School is presently located,” said Mr. Rajavelan.
A separate school for girls was started with Rs. 20,000 given by philanthropist Kalyanasundaram Chettiar. Named after him, the Chintadripet Kalyanam Girls High School was upgraded into a higher secondary school in 1978.
Eighty-year-old V. Lakshmi, who retired from service in 1991 after teaching history and English at the girls’ school, recalled how she had gone and spoken to a girl’s parents to convince them to let her pursue her education. “Today, she is a doctor,” she recalled.
Courtesy & Source:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/the-100year-history-of-six-schools-in-a-petta/article5958613.ece
Soon, pre-book your autorickshaw too - Vivek Narayanan
Soon, you may be able to book an autorickshaw in advance just as you do with call taxis. The facility will be launched by the same organisation that launched the ‘SMS an auto’ facility.
The ‘SMS an auto facility’ was introduced on April 10 with over 1,000 autorickshaws affiliated to the All-India Trade Union Congress and other unions. By simply sending a text message to 9944733111, passengers will be picked up from their doorsteps, at an additional cost of just Rs. 10 above the meter fare. The service is available 24x7. Till date they have received over 5,000 SMSs from across the city and suburbs.
K. Navaneethan, a technology partner for the SMS facility, said that many passengers wanted a facility wherein they could book the autorickshaw in advance. “Many senior citizens wanted such a feature and felt it would be very helpful. We are working on a system which will facilitate this. It will be introduced soon,” he said.
However, not many passengers seem to be availing the facility at night. “The awareness about the service should be increased and people should start trusting us. Even drivers want the system to be streamlined as many drunkards call and book the autorickshaws at night. This leads to unnecessary problems for the drivers,” said Mr. Navaneethan.
He said that they are rectifying the glitches which are common during the launch of any service.
“Some customers type the spelling of the locality incorrectly and this leads to confusion and the service does not get billed,” he said.
J. Seshasayanam, secretary of Madras Metro Auto Drivers’ Association, affiliated to AITUC, said that drivers are slowly getting comfortable with the facility.
“The autorickshaw occupation should be organised like the call taxi services. This will benefit both the drivers and passengers,” he said.
Tracing the Ramayana route to Sri Lanka, by air and rail - N. Anand R. Sujatha
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) has launched a pilgrimage tour to trace the journey of Lord Rama from Ayodhya to Nuwara Eliya, where Sita was held captive in Sri Lanka.
This is the first time that IRCTC, South Zone has embarked on the Lord Sita-Rama temples circuit. The 2,200-km tour is divided into two parts: the visit to Sri Lanka is by flight for five days and to Ayodhya by train for 11 days.
About 30 pilgrims, aged above 55 years, participated in the maiden Sri Ramayana Yatra (Sri Lanka) tour, in which six historical temples were showcased. It included Sita temple, Ravanan temple and cave, Gayathri Peedam and Bhakta Hanuman temple among others.
IRCTC officials said, “We are going to touch Ayodhya for the first time, in the trip that commences on May 11. It is a half-day tour to Ayodhya on the third day. We will start the tour from Chennai Central to Allahabad, via Kasi and Ayodhya and end in Nepal. An exclusive ‘AC tourist train’ with pantry car, tour escorts and security are part of the package. This train will accommodate about 200 persons”.
In Nepal, the pilgrims will also visit Pashupathinath temple in Kathmandu, the Manakamana temple, and go sightseeing in Pokhara and Kushinagar. On their way back to India, the pilgrims will get to see Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha.
An IRCTC official said as they knew of the demand for the Ramayana trip among people in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, they decided to launch a similar circuit from the south zone.
R. Kasturi, a Coimbatore-based retired professor who took the trip with her friend, Gita Venkataraman, said, “There were some spots mentioned on a board near the Ravana falls. It is only a small fall and I have suggested that the tour should include the Buddha statues nearby. They are just 20km away so we should be able to make it”.
In their response sheet, visitors have sought inclusion of some other temples in Sri Lanka.
Vasanthi Rajiv, a resident of Chennai who took the trip, said, “If you include Kadirgamam, Tirukoneswaram in Trincomalee, Tirukeethiswaram in Mannar and Naguleswaram in Jaffna, the trip would be complete”.
Indian activist wins Green Nobel
Indian environment activist Ramesh Agrawal has won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the Green Nobel. He is among six recipients of the largest award for grass-roots environmental activism, given annually by the Goldman Environmental Foundation.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
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World's first self cleaning car is here!
photo:reuters
What if your car never gets dirty even when you come back home after a long countryside drive? Possible.
Japanese car-maker Nissan has unveiled a ‘self-cleaning’ car with ‘nano-paint technology’ that repels dirt before it gets a chance to take hold on the paintwork.
“The Nissan ‘Note’ is the first car to trial paint technology which could make car washes obsolete,” a company spokesperson was quoted as saying.
The ‘super-hydrophobic’ and ‘oleophobic’ paint also repels water and oils, media reports said.
According to a company press release, “by creating a protective layer of air between the paint and environment, the technology effectively stops standing water and road spray from creating dirty marks on the car’s surface”. The ‘Ultra-Ever Dry’ technology may cost around $750 (Rs.45,000).IANS
Zen and the art of decorating -
Cut out the clutter from your life and home with these tips from Teja Lele DesaiIn these busy and demanding times, most of us want a home that’s serene, welcoming and peaceful. Nothing works better than Zen, a way of life, a state of mind. The Japanese pronunciation of Chinese word “chán”, meaning “quietude”, Zen is an art of living that advocates slowing down, being at peace and taking time out to smell the roses!
In home décor, Zen is synonymous with clean simple lines, minimal furniture, natural colours, a soothing ambience and a relaxing home. Rule of thumb: Decorate with the five elements of nature - water, earth, fire, wood and metal.
Cut it out
The foundation of a Zen space rests in the maxim less is more. The key lies in relating Zen principles, which highlight harmony and simplicity, to the home.
Think minimalism, harmony, balance and relaxation. The first step is to declutter and ensure that your home isn’t bursting at the seams.
Open floor plans that keep walls to a minimum and open out to the exterior help create a Zen-like feel.
Figure out how much furniture you need and arrange it in a manner that gives your room a sense of airiness and space. Ensure a balance between the occupied and unoccupied space.
Keep accessories to a minimum – do you really need to display all artifacts, photos and paintings? Weed out visual clutter such as small decorative items, patterned fabrics and bold area rugs.
Connect with Nature
Zen décor has its roots in breaking the barriers between the indoors and the outdoors.
Sliding glass doors, French windows or expansive openings help bring in outdoor views.
If you have the space, a Japanese garden with a pond and seating areas can provide a few moments of peace each day.
Or else, opt for calming elements such as rocks, fountains, waterfalls, Asian sculptures, sand gardens, and greenery.
An Ikebana flower arrangement, which works with stems and leaves to emphasise shape, line and form, adds to the organic ambience.
Stay neutral
An earthy palette of colours - cool blues and greens, neutral sands and taupes, muted pastels and tranquil whites – helps create serene spaces.
Work with natural materials around the home. Try wood (for furniture and trims), bamboo (for floors, dividers, screens), stone or river rock (accent walls), cork (mats, dividers), silk (screens, accessories, lampshades) and hemp (lamps).
Ensure that even accessories create a calming feel. Rice paper lamps that throw off a diffused light work well. A straw mat enhances the appeal of a wooden floor, while a rice paper screen separate areas of a room with elan.
Build whatever relaxes you into your sanctuary - soft music, natural artwork, woven baskets, an indoor fountain, a bamboo plant, a wood figurine, candles or a collection of pebbles.
The lighting should be calming, not in your face – recessed fixtures and dimmable lamps work well.
Think you’ll end up with a space that’s sparse and Spartan if you go Zen? Far from it! What you’ll get is a home that’s an oasis of soothing tranquility!
Work with natural materials around the home. Try wood, bamboo, stone or river rock silk and hemp
Artificial skin layer grown in lab
In a major breakthrough, scientists have been successful in developing the first lab-grown epidermis — the outermost skin layer — which could replace animals in drug and cosmetics testing.
The new epidermis, grown from human pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), could also help develop new therapies for rare and common skin disorders.
The research, done by King’s College London and the San Francisco Veteran Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC), describes the use of human induced iPSC to produce an unlimited supply of pure keratinocytes — the predominant cell type in the outermost layer of skin.
This closely matches keratinocytes generated from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and primary keratinocytes from skin biopsies.
The epidermis forms a protective interface between the body and its external environment. — IANS
Friday, April 25, 2014
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