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Sunday, June 29, 2008
How even fallen trees help curb global warming
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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
City firm designs disaster management lessons on the lines of Snakes and Ladders
Pune June 23 UNICEF and UN-ISDR evince interest in the computer-based game; plan to take the idea forward
Taking a cue from the established fact that learning is best acquired if taught in a fun manner, Pune-based Neeti Solutions Pvt Ltd has devised a new version of the timeless game Snakes and Ladders. In its new avatar, the computer game is aimed at teaching children about fires and earthquakes and how best to cope with them.
"The disaster management textbooks in schools do not provide practical knowledge on what to do in such situations. In the US, all students — from the youngest to the oldest — are taught about evacuation drills and what to do in case of a disaster. In India the awareness is very low because of the lack of knowledge on the subject. This motivated me to start working with schools after I devised this game. We launched this game also with a motive to switch the interest of children from violent video games to something more constructive," said Dr Parag Mankeekar, CEO, Neeti Solutions.
Mankeekar is currently in talks with UNICEF and United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR), both of who have plans to take the idea forward and implement it in other countries.
The game that was conceived in June 2007 is a 3D computer-based game and has been modified to fit the disaster management training in an innovative way.
"Whenever a player reaches the base of the ladder or the mouth of the snake, a question regarding disaster management pops up. A correct answer by participants helps them escape the snake or climb the ladder while a wrong one gets them gobbled up by the snake or restrains them from climbing the ladder. Also for each dice roll, there is a piece of information regarding disaster," explained Mankeekar.
The project was completed in October 2007 and was showcased at the Asia Pacific Regional Workshop on School Education and Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangkok from 8-10 October, where it was much appreciated.
Neeti Solutions, along with their Netherlands-based partner E-Semble, has also created a platform called DiaboloVR that is used to simulate any disaster scenario and build a response-training program around it. "We haven't launched it yet on the Internet but we have promoted it by giving away CDs to different schools," he said.
In January, to test the methodologies they were working on, Mankeekar's team conducted a two-day workshop, a testing field of sorts, in the Film and Television Institute of India campus, in which 500 students from 50 schools in Pune participated.
An erstwhile president of the Indian Chapter of IERN and presently in the running for the US-based Ashoka Fellowship, already having cleared its first round, Mankeekar hopes to use both these networks of people (there being around 200 Ashoka fellows spread over the world) for the widespread dissemination of the game and also to sell the game in India and abroad at subsidised prices.
He has a presentation ready for the contention of the Ashoka Fellowship, which would categorise the development of the game Snakes and Ladders as social entrepreneurship and would financially support the venture.
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Sunday, June 15, 2008
FOCUS North America May 2008 Update
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008
device that can see through walls: for search and rescue
Israeli company invents device that can see through walls; could aid in military operations, as well as search and rescue
Military and rescue operations around the globe will now get a tad easier with the invention of a portable radar system that can see through walls.Developed by Israeli firm Camero, the Xaver 400 – which has already been sold to several security forces around the world – is capable of "seeing through" reinforced concrete, cinder block, brick, stucco, adobe, drywall and other common wall types, with a range of up to eight metres.
Weighing just over 2.5kgs, and slightly smaller than a laptop, the device provides the operator with a display that indicates the real-time location and number of people behind a wall. This enables tactical teams to make critical decisions before stepping into hostile situations.
"The Xaver 400 unit represents a huge leap forward in the evolution of through-wall sensors," says Robert Judd, President of Camero USA. "It incorporates various features that Special Operations users have specifically asked for."
The gadget boasts of wireless transmission capability to ensure a common "operational picture" for the whole ground team as well as the command post.
Also, it is ready to go at the push of a button, requiring no warm-up time or complicated boot-up routines.
The company feels that the device could also be beneficial for human operations, such as locating people trapped in burning buildings.
"The idea of seeing through walls has been around since the 1960s, but modern technology is now ripe enough to enable it to happen," Camero's technology director Amir Beeri said.
"When we established the company in 2004, we intended to develop sufficiently high vision resolution to allow an untrained user to see through a wall," he added.
Camero's unique radar utilises Ultra Wide Band (UWB), a technology that has come of age recently – and with the use of special algorithms, can process data picked up by the detector to give a reasonable image of anything behind the wall.
"Rapid target acquisition, real-time situational awareness and a common operating picture are critical components of Special Forces' ability to find, fix and finish the enemy," said Lieutenant General (Ret) Philip Kensinger, of the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), who has had a chance to use the system.
"The Xaver 400 provides our troops with enhanced capabilities in all three critical areas," he added.
The system, however, still cannot penetrate solid metal walls, like those of shipping containers.
The firm's CEO, Aharon Aharon, is optimistic about the future of the technology.
"Like the Israeli army's night vision system, which was once an expensive product and eventually came into broad, general use, we hope that our radar too will become standard issue for all military units," he said.
MUMBAI MIRROR BUREAU AND AGENCIES
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Monday, June 9, 2008
SEVEN AILMENTS YOU SHOULD BE WARY OF
The trickle of patients with monsoon diseases, which hospitals have started getting, will turn into a deluge if you do not take precautions
CASES IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS
The figures, provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's epidemiology cell, are of patients admitted to only public hospitals from 8 am on Sunday to 8 am on Monday; but they give an idea of the diseases that we need to be wary of.
Jaundice and typhoid have not been included in the list because the incubation period of these two diseases is longer than a couple of days. Doctors, with the experience of the past few monsoons, say these cases will start pouring in in the next few days.
It is a bacterial infection caused by the leptospira bacteria spread through water contaminated with the urine of rats and dogs.
Symptoms include high fever, muscle aches, severe headaches, abdominal pain and vomiting or loose motions. The patient may have a damaged kidney or develop respiratory distress if the initial symptoms are left untreated.
The incubation period varies between 5 days and 4 weeks.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Avoid wading through flood water especially if you have cuts or abrasions on your feet/legs. Always wash your feet after walking through muck.
AROUND THE WORLD
Leptospirosis outbreaks were reported even in Florida and Illinois in 2007.
It may be caused by a host of viral infections which result in raised body temperatures and weakness.
Symptoms include fever, chills, body ache, coughs and colds.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Avoid getting wet in the rain. Change into dry clothes and shoes if you do and avoid sitting in an airconditioned room.
It is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite and is usually of two types: vivax or falciparum. The second is more worrying and could be life-threatening.
Symptoms include fever with chills and a flu-like illness.
The incubation period varies between 3 days and 5 days.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Empty out all water collected in flower pots, old tyres or pans or other articles, regularly clean overhead tanks in buildings and use mosquito nets and insecticides.
AROUND THE WORLD
Between 35 crore and 50 crore cases of malaria are reported worldwide each year; they cause over 10 lakh deaths.
It is an infectious disease carried from person to person by the tiger mosquito (Aedes aegypti).
Symptoms include a sudden onset of fever, severe headache, a falling platelet count; it could occassionally cause shock and haemorrhage, leading to death.
The incubation period varies between 5 days and a week.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Keep mosquitoes away and avoid collection of water around home or office.
AROUND THE WORLD
There are around 5 crore to 10 cases of dengue fever and several hundred thousand dengue haemorrhagic fever cases every year. The average fatality rate of the latter is about 5 per cent.
It is an infection or inflammation of the digestive tract and may be caused by a virus or bacterium.
Symptoms may include vomiting, a watery diarrhoea with or without fever. The incubation period varies between 12 hours and 24 hours.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Avoid ice, roadside food, cut fruits and boil your drinking water.
AROUND THE WORLD
Gastro-intestinal infections are common everywhere and, even in the United States, it is estimated to cause 23 million illnesses a year.
It is an illness brought about by the inflammation of the intestines and is caused by Salmonella typhi bacteria.
Symptoms include unrelenting fever, rashes and overall weakness.
The incubation period is usually 10 days.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Drink boiled water, wash your hands after visiting the toilet and try to avoid outside food as drinks or foodstuff contaminated with the bacteria can give you the ailment. Vaccines are available as well.
AROUND THE WORLD
There are only about 400 cases of typhoid annually in the United States and 75 per cent of these are acquired through international travel.
It is a c o n d i t i o n associated with an increase of bilirubin in the blood, which can cause liver disease. It is caused by the hepatitis virus.
Symptoms include yellowness of eyes and skin and vomiting.
The incubation period varies between 15 days and 20 days.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Drink boiled water; hepatitis vaccines are available.
Icons: Deepa Suryanarayanan
Posted by Unknown at 7:58 PM 0 comments
Saturday, June 7, 2008
This monsoon, keep a hammer with you
Traffic Police issues a list of do's and don'ts for motorists this year; advises people to keep water, snacks handy when driving
With memories of the paralysing 26/7 deluge of 2005 refusing to fade from the minds of people, the Mumbai Traffic Police have drawn a list of precautionary measures for motorists.Seventeen persons had lost their lives in the floods, in 14 separate incidents, when the central locking system of their vehicles got jammed. All persons had suffocated to death inside their vehicles.
Taking no chances this year, the traffic police authorities have now issued a list of 'do's' and 'dont's', some of which read as particularly interesting.
KEEP A HAMMER
For one, traffic authorities suggest drivers keep a hammer inside their vehicles. They say it can be they can use it to break windshields in case of an emergency. "In 2005, over a dozen of people died of suffocation when the central locking system of their cars failed. The cars had been submerged in water, causing the doors to jam. During calamities, people tend to lose their presence of mind and start to panic. It's always better to be prepared and so we have suggested people be equipped with a hammer," said Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Sanjay Barve.
It has also been suggested that motorists keep two litres of drinking water and sufficient amounts of snacks at all times, in case of severe traffic jams. And since high tides contribute to water logging, they have asked motorists to keep tuned in to FM channels and keep a check on high and low tide situations of their areas.
MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLE
The list also raises concerns about the way vehicle owners maintain their four/two wheelers and the manner they drive them during rains. According to the police, roads get especially slippery after the first few showers due to accumulated dust and lubricants. Therefore, they say it's best to avoid over speeding and breaking suddenly, while driving. Among others things, they say vehicles should be serviced properly before rains and wipers and car batteries be kept in good order. Worn out tyres should also be replaced and a spare tyres be kept handy.
KNOW ABOUT TIDES
The traffic police have cautioned motorists travelling in low lying areas to be careful especially when high tide coincide with heavy rains, as they result in flooding. In such cases, they say, its' best to leave their car at assigned parking places.
"These are the general guidelines for the public, which is for their safety. We are sure if people adhere to them, the monsoon will be safe," said DCP Harish Baijal who has additional charge of traffic (North).
To know about parking lots, weather forecast, route diversions and timings of high tide one can visit www. trafficpolicemumbai.org, the official web site of Mumbai Traffic Police.
SOME PRECAUTIONS FOR CITY MOTORISTS
• Check wipers and car battery. Keep a small torch.
• Check brakes, brake oil and condition of the brake axel and brake liners.
• Keep sufficient quantity of fuel in the fuel tank.
• Get your air conditioner serviced before monsoon.
• Check the central locking system of the vehicle and tool kit box.
• Keep fire extinguisher in the vehicle and First Aid Box in ready condition.
• Pool your cars, save fuel and the hassle of driving yourself everyday.
• Avoid frantic calls as it jams cellular networks.
• Try staggering office hours to reduce congestion in the Public Transport System.
• Do not panic, if faced with adversities, call the Traffic Police Control room on 24937746, 24937755, 2 4 9 3 7 7 4 7 , 24939717,24940303 ext - 100.
• Help others in distress — whenever possible.
Posted by Unknown at 2:37 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Seven Mudras for Amazing Health Benefits
Health in Your Hand: Seven Mudras for Amazing Health Benefits
by valli, Oct 2, 2007Mudras are very powerful. If you practice these mudras regularly you can see the wonderful health benefits.
Long before this much publicity came to yoga my grand father used to practice asanas, chakras and mudras in yoga. To my knowledge my grandfather has never gone to a doctor. He has neither diabetes nor blood pressure. He taught us the way to practice mudras. Mudras are very powerful. If you practice these mudras regularly you can see the wonderful health benefits.
Gyan Mudra (Mudra of Knowledge):
Method:
Touch the tip of the thumb to the tip of the index finger, with the other three fingers stretched out.Specialty:
As it is a mudra of knowledge, it enhances the knowledge. The tip of thumb has centers of pituitary and endocrine glands. When we press these centers by index finger the two glands work actively.Time duration:
There is no particular time duration for this mudra. You can practice by sitting, standing or lying on bed whenever and wherever you have time.Benefits:
- Increases memory power and sharpens the brain
- Enhances concentration and prevents Insomnia
- If we practice it regularly, it will cure all psychological disorders like Mental, Hysteria, Anger and Depression
Prithvi Mudra (Mudra of Earth):
Method:
Tip of the ring finger touches the tip of the thumb, with the other three fingers stretched out.Specialty:
It reduces all physical weaknesses.Time Duration:
It has no particular time duration. You can practice it any time you want.Benefits:
- It helps to increase the weight for weak people
- It improves the complexion of skin and makes the skin to glow
- It makes the body active by keeping it healthy
Varuna Mudra (Mudra of Water):
Method:
Tip of little finger touches the tip of thumb, with the other three fingers stretched out.Specialty:
It balances the water content and prevents all diseases which come due to lack of water.Time Duration:
It has no specific time duration and one can practice it according to their time.Benefits:
- It retains clarity in blood by balancing water content in the body
- Prevents the pains of Gastroenteritis and Muscle Shrinkage
- Vayu Mudra (Mudra of Air)
Method:
Keep the index finger on the base of the thumb and press with thumb keeping the other three fingers straight.Specialty:
It prevents all the diseases that occur due to the imbalance of the air.Time Duration:
The practice of this mudra for 45 minutes reduces the severity of the disease in 12 to 24 hours. For better results practice it for two months.Benefits:
- It cures Rheumatism, Arthritis, Gout, Parkinson's disease and paralysis without any medicine
- It is useful for Cervical Spondilytis, paralysis to face and catching of nerve in neck
- It corrects the disorder of gas in the stomach
- Shunya Mudra (Mudra of Emptiness):
Method:
Keep the middle finger at the mount of Venus and press it with thumb.Specialty:
It reduces the dullness in our body.Time Duration:
One can practice it for 40 to 60 minutes daily until to be cured from the disease.Benefits:
- It relieves an earache within 4 or 5 minutes
- It is useful for the deaf and mentally challenged, but not for inborn ones.
- Surya Mudra (Mudra of Sun):
Method:
Bend the ring finger and press it with thumb.Specialty:
It sharpens the center in thyroid gland.Time Duration:
Practice it daily twice for 5 to 15 minutes.Benefits:
- It reduces cholesterol in body and helps in reducing weight
- It reduces anxiety
- It corrects indigestion problems
- Prana Mudra (Mudra of Life):
Method:
Bend ring finger and little finger and touch the tip of thumb with their tips keeping the remaining two fingers stretched.Specialty:
As it is the mudra of life, it improves the power of life. Weak people become strong. It reduces the clamps in blood vessels. If we practice it regularly, we will become active.Time Duration:
No specific time duration. One can practice it any time.Benefits:
- It improves immunity
- Improves the power of eyes and reduces eye related diseases
- It removes the vitamin deficiency and fatigue
Apana Mudra (Mudra of Digestion):
Method:
The tips of middle finger and ring finger touch the tip of thumb while the other two fingers are stretched out.Specialty:
It plays an important role in our health as it regulates the excretory system.Time Duration:
Practice it daily for 45 minutes, but practice for longer time yields more benefits.Benefits:
- It regulates diabetes
- It cures constipation and piles
- It helps excreting the normal waste regularly
Apana Vayu Mudra (Mudra of Heart):
Method:
The tips of the middle finger and ring finger touch the tip of thumb, while the index finger touches the base of thumb and little finger stretched out.Specialty:
It benefits the heart. It works like injection in the reduction of heart attack. It is as powerful as sorbitate tablet. It reduces the gas content in body.Time Duration:
Practice it as many times as you can. Heart patients and BP patients can practice it for 15 minutes daily twice for better results.Benefits:
- It strengthens the heart and regularizes palpitation
- It regulates excretory system
- It redeems gastric trouble
Linga Mudra (Mudra of Heat):
Method:
Interlock the fingers of both the hands and keep the thumb of the left hand vertically straight and encircle it with the thumb and the index finger of the right hand.Specialty:
It generates heat in our body. Take milk, ghee, more water and fruit juices in addition to practice of this mudra for much benefits.Time Duration:
Practice it any time you want. But don't practice it a lot as it produces heat in the body. It can cause sweating even in winter if you practice it longer.Benefits:
- It stops production of phlegm and gives power to lungs
- It cures severe cold and bronchial infection
- It invigorates the body
It is amazing but true. If you want to see the results, start today!]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Posted by Unknown at 9:01 PM 0 comments
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