Executive Knowledge Lines - July 2007

July 2007

Rs 25

Vol. 2

Dh 10 US$ 3 Euro 2.5 S$ 5 SFr 4 Trivandrum

Homing Birds Navigation Skills

Rice As Edible Cholera Vaccine More underÂ… Journals Scan Books Scan Management Tech Brief

% ! $ !!

Issue 12

Brevity, Clarity and Simplicity in Knowledge Dissemination

News Scan

Space Hotel

Tourism Invades Space Technologies in Horizon

Stop Movie Piracy Camera Neutralizing Technology Energy

Energy Police A Chinese Model General

Chilli

Small, Beautiful & Enriched

Volume 2 Issue 12 July 2007

Editorial Office: Knowledge House, Mathrubhumi Road, Trivandrum 695 035, India.

Contact: P. G. Vinod, Knowledge Executive, Tel. 91 471 247 2928 E-mail: eklines@gmail.com www.knowledgelines.com

Glimpses from History

Sewing Machine - The Genesis

People have been sewing for over 20,000 years, as per estimates by archaeologists who discovered the bone needles with eyes used to sew together skins and furs.

The first known attempt to make a mechanical device for sewing was made by the German-born Charles Weisenthal, working in England. He was awarded a British Patent in 1755 for a double pointed needle with an eye at one end. In 1790, Englishman Thomas Saint patented the first sewing machine, but it never took off. The first really practical sewing machine was patented by Barthelemy Thimonnier, a French tailor in 1830. But a factory set up by French army with eight of these machines was destroyed by a mob of angry conventional tailors before the machines could gain widespread popularity.

It was Isaac Merritt Singer (1811-1875) whose name is synonymous with sewing machines, who created a revolution by patenting his rigid-arm sewing machine In 1851, incorporating a presser foot and a foot treadle, making the machine much easier to operate. Singer became the worldÂ’s largest manufacturer of sewing machines by 1860. He was awarded 20 additional patents. By the 1850s, Singer sewing machines were being sold at a price of $75 which was high for its time. But with his first ever installment plan in America, he could sell thousands of his machines.

Chief Editor N T Nair Technical Editor Dr. B N Nair Editorial Board Prof. V K Damodaran P R Chandran Prof. Harimohan Bhattathiri Advisory Committee Dr. D S Rane, Dr. P M Mathew (Vellore), Dr. V Nanda Mohan Authentication Editors Dr. C G Sukumaran Nair, Simon Zachariah CONSULTANT S Ideas & Design Narayana Bhattathiri Finance R Bhadrakumar FCA Production Ravisankar K V Director Advertising and Subscriptions S N Nair REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Chennai V Mohan Tel: 044 24348648

Kolkata T R R Menon Tel: 033 2471 5653

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Mumbai S G Nair Tel: 022 07617959

Editor s Desk

A single gadget doing many jobs through multitasking capability: Most welcome!

The efficacy of using the multitasking skills to attend to simultaneous demands for our attention from different quarters is under debate, as many find it as counterproductive. But it is not so in the case of inanimate objects that have become part of our daily life. Mobile, originally conceived as a device just for talking conveniently without the tentacles of wires, is continuously undergoing change. One wonders whether it is now a device for talking or a camera or radio or a light, address book or GPS or web browser, health monitor, organizer or e-newspaper In fact, all these are rolled into one single unit - that it is! The inconvenience of carrying multiple gadgets with their attendant problems - keeping track of each item, their chargers, etc. is slowly waning away as more multifunction units emerge.

Researchers are always on the lookout for packing more functionalities into the existing gadgets, as in the case of mobile .

Automated Teller Machines - ATMs - which started off as a machine to handle cash, is now made to handle many more functions like booking railway and cinema tickets, accepting payments for electricity, water etc The list is endless.

This new wave of integration is in a way beneficial from many angles. The first and foremost is convenience - a handy device doing all jobs for us. Secondly, it provides some relief to the burgeoning e-waste problem. The multifunction units are generally costly, acting as a deterrent to the current 'throw away' culture. The only possible negative could be the increased complexity in operating the gadgets. Designers will have to work extra hard to make the units 'layman friendly', as otherwise they may remain in shelves.

Trivandrum 1 July 07

N. T. Nair ntnair@gmail.com July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn !

Health

Alzheimer’s Disease Prevent or Postpone through Lifelong Learning Alzheimer s disease is the most common form of dementia, a group of conditions that all gradually destroy brain cells and lead to progressive decline in mental functions like memory, ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate, carry out daily activities etc. As Alzheimer s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.

In US alone, there are over 5 million people with Alzheimer s disease. However, people in India have an unusually low incidence of Alzheimer s disease, it is observed. Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer s,

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new treatments are emerging as a result of better insight into the biology of the disease.

It is well known that Alzheimer s occurs less commonly in well-educated people and studies show that life long learning is a good way to combat this disease.

Regular mental stimulation through work, continuing education, extensive reading, playing mentally challenging games like solving mathematical puzzles of sudoku and magic square, or learning a new language or musical instrument etc. can help keep the mental capabilities finely tuned. Such mental activities cause brain cells to grow more numerous connections that aid communication with adjoining brain cells. Scientists have discovered that, even in old age, some areas of the brain can actually create new cells in response to stimulation.

Participating in interesting social or leisure activities is found to diminish the risk of the disease.

In a study researchers found those

T H I R D QUESTION

who engaged in the greatest variety of leisure activities including hobbies, going on outings, visiting family or friends, volunteering, or joining group social events had the lowest risk of mental decline. Physical exercise also helps keep our cognitive abilities in good shape.

Exercise enhances mental agility and alertness, perhaps by improving blood flow to the brain.

In a study of exercise patterns in women, researchers found worsening mental abilities in 24%, who walked little, a half-mile each week. But in women who walked the most an average of 18 miles a week only 17% showed signs of mental decline.

Stress reduction with techniques like meditation, yoga, and breathing or relaxation exercises is also found to help in managing the disease.

Finally, good nutrition is also an important factor. A high-fat diet and obesity are factors that increase the risk for Alzheimer s.

Some of the nutrients that may offer protection include B-complex vitamins, monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, omega-3 fatty acids in fish and flax seeds, antioxidant vitamins C and E in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (especially blueberries, spinach, and seaweed), turmeric etc.

[For details: http://www.alz.org, http://www.alzheimers.org, other websites] [Important Note: This information is provided only to create some general awareness of the subject and is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice]

A new client had just come in to see a famous lawyer.

Can you tell me how much you charge? , asked the client.

Of course , the lawyer replied, I charge $200 to answer three questions!

Well that s a bit steep, isn t it?

Yes it is , said the lawyer, And what s your third question?

DSR July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn #

Potato Salad for better Immunity It has long been known that eating potatoes is good for bowel health, but new research suggests that they may also have a beneficial effect on the whole immune system. Especially if eaten cold or in a potato salad, Anne Pichon reports in Chemistry & Industry.

Spanish researchers found that growing pigs fed large quantities of raw potato starch (RPS) had a healthier bowel. Not a surprise, but they also found that RPS pigs had decreased levels of white blood cells, such as leucocytes and lymphocytes in their blood. White blood cells are produced as a result of

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inflammation or disease, generally when the body is challenged.

The general downregulation of leucocytes observed by the Spanish researchers suggests an overall beneficial effect, a generally more healthy body, according to immunology expert Lena Ohman at the Department of Internal Medicine, Gรถteborg University, Sweden. A reduction in leucocyte levels of about 15% was observed in the RPS pigs. Lower lymphocyte levels are also indicative of reduced levels of inflammation, but according to Ohman, the observed reduction in both lymphocyte density and

lymphocyte apoptosis by the Spanish researchers is surprising.

Pigs were fed RPS over 14 weeks in what is the longest study of it kind on the effect of starch on bowel health (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture doi:10.1002/jsfa.2835). Study leader José Francisco Pérez at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, said: The use of raw potato starch in this experiment is designed to simulate the effects of a diet high in resistant starch says Pérez.

Humans do not eat raw potatoes, but they do eat a lot of foods that contain resistant starch, such as cold boiled potatoes, legumes, grains, green bananas, pasta and cereals About 10% of the starch eaten

by human is resistant starch starch that is not digested in the small intestine and so is shunted into the large intestine where it ferments. Starch consumption is thought to reduce the risk of large bowel cancer and may also have an effect on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Ohman s team previously found that the overall lymphocyte levels do not vary for IBS patients, but that lymphocytes are transferred from the peripheral blood to the gut, which support the hypothesis of IBS being at least partially an inflammatory disorder. She says the decrease in lymphocytes observed by the Spanish is therefore interesting, and a diet of resistant starch may be worth trying in IBS patients.

With best compliments from :

Kerala Electrical & Allied Engineering Co. Ltd (A Government of Kerala Undertaking) Registered & Corporate Office: 7th floor, KSHB Office Complex, Panampilly Nagar Cochin 682 036, Kerala Telephones: 0484 - 2310012/13/14; Fax: 0484-2310015 e-mail: kelindia@eth.net; Website: www.kelindia.com July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn %

General

Info-Bits Plastic ..plastic In the 1950s the world made less than 5 million tonnes of plastic products, now we produce 80 million tonnes!

Car Fuel from Food Waste Chain of fast food eateries and restaurants world over, push out billions of gallons of animal fat and waste vegetable oil which is an untapped source of transportation fuel - cleanerburning bio-diesel. As a fuel source, bio-diesel has distinct

advantages over conventional diesel based on fossil fuels. When burned in cars, it produces far less carbon dioxide in most cases and can produce fewer sulfur compounds, claims advocates of bio-diesel.

In US, most food outlets currently pay 10 to 15 cents a gallon to waste disposal companies to haul away their &n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

food waste. The new bio-diesel companies entering the field, instead, will pay fast food outlets for their oil.

All are benefited, including the environment.

Humans as Professional Noses to Sniff out Pollution For years, dogs have been man s best friend when it comes to sniff out drugs. Now humans

themselves are being trained as professional noses to sniff for illegal emissions while patrolling the southern city of Guangzhou, in China.

Environmental experts train the selected people in the laboratory to differentiate between hundreds of odors and gauge their threat to human health. A dozen such sniffers will be employed by an environmental monitoring

station in the city to detect noxious gases released by chemical and rubber factories, as well as from rubbish dumps and sewers. The sniffers expect to receive certificates that will officially let them commence their careers as professional noses.

The certificates will be valid for just three years, though, because humansÂ’ olfactory capabilities tend to decline with aging.

Universal Cell Phone ChargerChinese Stipulation We are now in an era of portable gadgets, predominantly cell phones, powered by batteries to be re-charged regularly. Thus the charger has become part and parcel of people on the move, with its inconvenience.

China is now taking the lead to enforce a compulsory universal cell phone charger standard. The aim is to reduce the number of chargers that are thrown away each year because of very high cell phone upgrades in China - nearly 100 million cell phones are destroyed by the non-invasive radio waves.

Navigation Skills of Homing Birds One of natureÂ’s most intriguing mysteries is how some birds are able to retrace their path after the seasonal migration to places thousands of kilometres away. It

has long been recognized that birds possess the ability to use the EarthÂ’s magnetic field for their navigation. But the real scientific basis behind this navigation skill has not been clarified until very recently. The recent discovery of iron-containing structures in the beaks of homing pigeons in a new study by scientists at the University of Frankfurt offers some insight into this complex issue.

In histological and physicochemical examinations, iron-containing subcellular particles of maghemite and magnetite werefound in sensory dendrites of the skin lining the upper beak of homing pigeons.

These dendrites are found to be arranged in a complex threedimensional pattern with different spatial orientation designed to analyze the three components of

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the magnetic field vector separately. They react to the Earth s external magnetic field in a very sensitive and specific manner, thus acting as a threeaxis magnetometer.

The study suggests that the birds sense the magnetic field independent of their motion and posture and thus can identify their geographical position. The potential of these minute iron oxide crystals goes farther than their amazing ability to help p i g e o n s h o m e . N o w nanotechnologists are exploring their potential application for accurate drug targeting and even as a data storage device. But producing them synthetically for such other applications remains a major challenge.

China promotes Solar Water Heating Nearly 80 % of China s hot water requirements are met through solar water heaters.

According to a recent plan, the Chinese government is encouraging new buildings and major users of hot water such as hospitals, restaurants, swimming pools etc. to install solar water heaters as the technology has become mature and cost-effective. n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

A typical device, consisting of a two-square-meter collector with rows of glass tubes and a 180-litre storage tank, can provide hot water for a 3 to 4 person family at a minimum cost of around US$195. In 2006, the Chinese solar water heater industry had a turnover of more than US$2.6 billion and provided nearly 600,000 jobs.

The total installed capacity of solar water heaters nationwide has reached some 90 million square meters, or roughly 60 percent of the world total.

Crickets make Good Thermometers We can tell the ambient temperature by counting cricket chirps: Go outside at dusk or at night and find a chirping cricket, without disturbing it, as otherwise it will stop chirping.

Count the number of chirps it makes during a 15-second period. Then add 40 to the number of chirps. The total will be pretty close to what the actual temperature is in degrees Fahrenheit. A slightly modified version says to count the number of chirps in 14 sec and add 37 to get the spot temperature in Fahrenheit...exact.

Bioplastic beats Steel in Heat Conduction NEC Corporation of Japan has developed a corn-based bioplastic that conducts heat better than stainless steel. It is truly environmentally friendly, since it is made from plant-based materials mixed with carbon fibre.

With 10% carbon fibre, heat diffusion is comparable to stainless steel and at 30% carbon fibre content, the heat diffusion rate becomes double that of stainless steel.

Portable electronic devices are shrinking in size day by day, but they produce more heat due to denser circuits providing new, exciting features. Getting rid of this heat is a problem. Currently, fans and heat conducting sheets are used, but these limit how small or thin devices can be. With the new bioplastic, it is hoped some of those heat dissipating components will no longer be required.

But the issue of cost is there to be resolved. Of course, this new bioplastic is cheaper to produce than earlier versions of plastic, but is still more expensive than steel. NEC is hopeful of lowering the cost of bioplastic in due course and aim to massproduce the material starting in April 2008 for use in mobile

phones and other portable devices. NECÂ’s current goal is to replace 10% of plastic in all products it manufactures with bioplastic by 2010.

Black may be Beautiful, but not for Car Safety In a seven year study in Australia by Monash University Accident Research Centre, it was found that black coloured cars are more likely to be involved in a crash. They have a 12 per cent higher crash risk than white cars which came out unblemished.

Grey cars were behind black with an 11 per cent higher accident risk than white cars, while silver came in at third spot with 10 per cent.

Blue and red cars fared slightly better with a 7 per cent risk.

Cream, yellow and beige ranked close to white for visibility. No other colour was as safe.

During twilight hours, the link between car colour and accident possibility was even stronger according to the survey, July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn

but at night, colour was found to be less influential on crash risk.

In short, darker colours and colours with low contrast to the road environment, including silver, grey, green, red, blue and black, tend to be associated with a higher crash risk, particularly in daylight hours, researchers say.

Saltwater as Car Fuel John Kanzius, a former broadcast executive from Pennsylvania, with his background in physics and radio, was working using radio frequency nanotechnology to treat cancer from which he also suffers. He injected gold nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes as molecules into the cancer cells to be thermally destroyed by the non-invasive radio waves.

John Kanzius has found a way to burn salt water with the same radio wave machine he is using to kill cancer cells.

Kanzius was testing his external radio-wave generator to see if it could desalinate salt water, and the water ignited. A university chemist determined that the process is generating hydrogen, which can be burned n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

as fuel. Now, after experimenting with the desalinsation process, John Kanzius has potentially found an alternative fuel... salt water.

There are enormous opportunities, such as powering turbines or engines now running on gasoline, if his solution could work on a scalable basis. Kanzius is already on the path to find a treatment for cancer. As per his prediction, salt water could someday be used as a low-cost alternative fuel.

New Pregnancy and HIV Tests from IISC Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore have developed new laboratory techniques that can detect pregnancy much before a woman misses her period or HIV much earlier than today.

With this technique, patients donÂ’t have to wait for the molecules to get intensified and medical intervention can be earlier, researcher Ajay K Sood says.

The method, being patented, can be applied to detect several diseases not only faster but also with greater sensitivity and accuracy.

News Scan

Tyre / Road Noise An Environmental Problem Road traffic noise is emerging as a major environmental problem, world over. Road noise can be divided into noise generated by the power unit (engine, gearbox, ventilation and exhaust system) and noise generated by the rolling of tyres on the road surface. Reductions in the former noise sources have been significant, thanks to better designs of automobiles. In fact, the noise generated by individual cars has been reduced by 85 percent since 1970. But this technological progress has been largely cancelled out by increases in traffic and a trend towards

heavier and more powerful vehicles and wider tyres.

Tyre rolling noise is generally the dominant source of noise from road vehicles at medium and high speeds. It is now recognised that the tyre / road interaction noise is significant which is also a major contributor during acceleration and braking. Since safety is the crucial demand on road surfaces, the requirement at one end to design tyres with new low noise textures or textures with low rolling resistance must not risk the grip potential (especially under wet conditions).

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The noise which is radiated from the tyre surface is produced by severalmechanisms, including the vibration of the tyre surface, vibrations of the tread blocks and resonances of the air cavities in the contact patch between the tyre and the road surface.

Unfortunately, the tyre / road noise subject is still in the domain of research rather than existing knowledge.

With road network in India also in an expansion spree in recent times, the noise problem on roads is going to be a matter of concern here too, as is the case in US, UK and other European countries. Early attention to this menace is warranted from environmentalists and engineers.

[For details: www.highwaysmaintenance.com/ noise.htm, www.chalmers.se, www.diracdelta.co.uk]

Indian Professor as Dean MIT Dr Subra Suresh, a 1977 graduate of IIT, Madras, will be the next dean of the School of Engineering at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. He will assume his new leadership role in MIT on July 23, 07. Suresh received a master s from Iowa State University in 1979 before pursuing doctoral studies at MIT, where he received the Sc.D. in 1981.

Prof. Suresh s current research focuses on experimental and computational studies of the mechanical responses of single biological cells and molecules and their implications for human "n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

health and diseases. His prior and ongoing work has also led to seminal contributions in the area of nano- and microscale mechanical properties of engineered materials.

Many awards and honors that were conferred on him. Last year, he received the Acta Materialia Gold Medal for pioneering research into the mechanical properties of materials and was selected by MIT s Technology Review magazine for its TR10 list as one of the 10 scientists whose research will have a significant impact on business, medicine or culture in the years ahead.

Anti-bacterial Shirt Nanotechnology enters Fashion World Student fashion designer and fiber scientists at Cornell University have created a dress that prevents colds and flu and a jacket that destroys noxious gases. The garment never needs washing, and protects the wearer from smog and air pollution.

The two -toned gold dress and metallic denim jacket, contain cotton fabrics coated with electrostatically charged nanoparticles creating a protective shield around the cotton fibers in the top part of the dress, and the sleeves, hood and pockets of the jacket.

The upper portion of the dress contains cotton coated with silver nanoparticles. Scientists first created positively charged cotton fibers using ammonium and epoxybased reactions, inducing positive ionization. The silver particles, about 10-20 nanometers across, were synthesized in citric acid, to prevent nanoparticle agglomeration.

At nanoscale silver possesses strong, natural antibacterial qualities. This gives the dress the

ability to deactivate many harmful bacteria and viruses. The silver infusion also reduces the need to wash the garment, since it destroys bacteria, and the small size of the particles prevents soiling and stains.

The denim jacket includes a hood, sleeves and pockets with soft, gray tweed cotton embedded with palladium nanoparticles, about 5-10 nanometers in length. To create the material, negatively charged palladium crystals were placed onto positively charged cotton fibers. The resultant cotton fiber was incorporated into a jacket with the ability to oxidize smog. Such properties would be useful for someone with allergies, or for protecting themselves from harmful gases in the contaminated air, such as in a crowded or polluted city.

Probably this is the first time nanotechnology enters the fashion world. But the bottleneck at present is the garmentsÂ’ high price: one square yard of nano-treated cotton would cost about $10,000.

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First Cell Phone Call Dr Martin Cooper, a former general manager of Motorola Communications Systems is considered the inventor of the first portable handset and the first person to make a call on a portable cell phone on April 3, 1973. The first call he made was

Dr Martin Cooper

to his rival, Joel Engel, Bell Labs head of research, from the streets of New York, holding a brick like phone. weighing around 30ounces. Martin Cooper, now chairman, CEO, and co-founder of ArrayComm Inc, remembers: As I walked down the street while talking on the phone, sophisticated New Yorkers gaped at the sight of someone actually moving around while making a phone call. Remember that in $n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

1973, there weren t cordless telephones, let alone cellular phones. He continues: People want to talk to other people - not a house, or an office, or a car. Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire. It is that freedom we sought to vividly demonstrate in 1973, In 1973, Cooper started the 10-year process of bringing the portable cell phone to market.

Motorola introduced the 16ounce DynaTAC phone into commercial service in 1983, costing $3,500 a piece. It took seven additional years before there were a million subscribers in the United States.

Today, there are more cellular subscribers than wireline phone subscribers in the world, including India, with mobile phones weighing as little as 3 ounces.

[For details: Newstream/ Arraycomm,http:// inventors.about.com/]

Space Hotel

Tourism has finally turned to space travel by individuals for personal pleasure. Space tourism is still in its skimming price era, affordable only to wealthy individuals or corporates.

Russian space programme

currently offering tickets at $20 million per person, is understood to be fully booked until 2009.

The major attractions of this new era, technology packed tourism are experiencing weightlessness, getting the unique view of earth and above all the status symbol as a space returned , which can not be easily emulated by all, as health and money considerations could be the impediments.

Now, as part of space tourism, commercial space stations and space hotels are in the formation. Robert T. Bigelow

a hotel entrepreneur with a keen interest in space flight is the founder of Bigelow Aerospace which launched Genesis I, an experimental inflatable spacecraft, in July 2006. Bigelow hopes the watermelon-shaped craft could form the basis of a future space hotel. He has acquired the designs for inflatable space habitats from the Transhab program abandoned by NASA. The second test module, Genesis II was launched on 28 June 2007.

Other agencies interested in constructing space hotels include Excalibur Almaz, Virgin s Richard Branson who has expressed his hope for the construction of a space hotel within his lifetime.

Hilton International has announced the Space Islands Project to have 20,000 people on their space island by 2020, with the number of people doubling for each decade. British Airways has expressed interest in the venture.

If and when Space Hotels develop, it would initially cost a passenger $60,000, with prices lowering over time.

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Rice as Edible Cholera Vaccine Cholera affects lakhs of people in developing countries like India, Africa etc. The microbe (Vibrio Cholerae) that causes it, is carried through water, stool, and food where it can remain live for over a week.

Reaching the present cholera vaccine, which is short lived, to remote regions in poor countries presents a huge challenge. They often need

refrigerating, and medical workers need to be on hand to give injections. The work by immunologist Hiroshi Kiyono and his team at Tokyo University addresses these challenges.

They ve found a way of genetically engineering a strain of rice which contains a vaccine against cholera. The rice can be &n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

ground up and made into a pill or capsule, which will remain potent at room temperature for up to two years. This genetically modified rice could provide developing countries with a cheap and effective treatment against cholera. Once the clinical trials are successfully concluded, it could reduce the cost of storing and transporting vaccines by hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

The bacteria that cause cholera infect the gut and bloody the stool of victims. It travels from host to host in water and on washed food, where it can persist for almost a week. The present cholera vaccines provide shortlived protection. The Japanese researchers have created a strain of rice that can act as a vaccine and last for more than a year and a half at room temperature. They inserted the genetic material from the microbe responsible for producing cholera toxin into a rice plant, whose genome has recently been sequenced. The plants produced the toxin and when the rice grains were fed to mice for trials, they provoked immunity from the diarrheacausing bacterium. We are

considering rice as a new vaccine production and storage system, and natural vaccine delivery vehicle,” Kiyono says. The vaccine expressed in rice, or ricebased vaccine, will become a new form of vaccine production and delivery to fight cholera. Rice offers several advantages over traditional vaccines: it does not require needles, purification or refrigeration. In fact, the rice remained potent after 18 months of storage at room temperature and the vaccine did not dissolve when exposed to powerful acids in the stomach, the researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA . Dr Kiyono says rice is a good candidate for vaccine delivery.

Because rice grains contain varying amounts of the vaccine (roughly 30 micrograms per seed) a tablet or capsule has to be created to make sure people get the proper dose.

The rice plants would also have to be grown under carefully controlled conditions to ensure appropriate vaccine production.

Such rice-based vaccines need not be limited to fight cholera.

The same technique could be used to create rice grains bearing protection against the flu, botulism or anthrax, among other diseases. The day may not be far when a bowl of rice may keep certain diseases away.

[For details: w w w. r a d i o a u s t r a l i a . n e t . a u , w w w. p h y s o r g . c o m , h t t p : / / www.abc.net.au/worldtoday]

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Tech Brief

Aluminium Foil Lamps Threat to Incandescent Lights Yet another lamp is in the horizon to phase-out the already beleaguered incandescent lights, suffering from the onslaught of fluorescent, CFL and LED lamps. Research team led by Gary Eden, Professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois, is developing panels of microcavity plasma lamps that may soon provide light to all.

The thin, lightweight panels could be used for residential and commercial lighting, and for

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certain types of biomedical applications. Built of aluminium foil, sapphire and small amounts of gas, the panels are less than 1 millimeter thick, and can hang on a wall like picture frames.

Like conventional fluorescent lights, microcavity plasma lamp is glow-discharge type in which atoms of a gas are Photograph of an aluminum foil lamp having a radiating area of 225 square centimeters. The inset is a magnified view of several diamond-shapes microcavities. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Illinois)

excited by electrons, making it to radiate light. Unlike fluorescent lights, however, these plasma lamps produce the plasma in microscopic pockets and require no ballast,reflector or heavy metal housing. The panels are lighter, brighter and more efficient than incandescent lights and are expected, with further engineering, to approach or surpass the efficiency of fluorescent lighting.

The plasma panels are also six times thinner than panels composed of light-emitting diodes.

A plasma panel consists of a sandwich of two sheets of aluminum foil separated by a thin dielectric layer of clear aluminium oxide (sapphire).

At the heart of each lamp is a small cavity, which penetrates the upper sheet of aluminium foil and the sapphire. Each lamp is approximately the diameter of a human hair and an array of more than 250,000 lamps can be packed into a single panel.

In preliminary plasma lamp experiments, a luminous efficacy of 15 lumens per watt were achieved, compared to the typical incandescent light efficacy of 10 to 17 lumens per Watt. Values exceeding 30 lumens per Watt can be achieved by optimizing the design, Eden said.

The researchers also demonstrated flexible plasma arrays sealed in polymeric packaging. These devices offer new opportunities in lighting, in which lightweight arrays can be mounted onto curved surfaces on the insides of windshields, for example.

The flexible arrays also could be used as photo-therapeutic bandages to treat certain diseases such as psoriasis that can be driven into remission by narrowspectrum ultraviolet light, it is claimed.

[For details: w w w. s c i e n c e d a i l y. c o m , www.news.uiuc.edu, other websites]

“Strive to be first: first to nod, first to smile, first to compliment, and first to forgive.”

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Soap - Midair Mouse for PC PC Mouse conceived and introduced in 1963 by Douglas Engelbart of the Stanford (Picture Courtesy: warmbrain)

Research Institute, CA, USA, brought about a revolution in pointing devices, in a way reducing dependence on computer keyboard.

Then came the wireless mouse, freeing us from its umbilical cord connecting to the PC. But a flat surface was still needed to place the mouse and move it around.

The latest is Soap the new mouse which takes its mouse pad with it and can therefore be operated in mid-air, enabling us to navigate the PC using nothing but a bare hand. The brainchild of Patrick Baudisch of Microsoft s adaptive systems and interaction research group and an affiliate professor of computer n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

science at the University of Washington, Soap is essentially a wireless optical mouse surrounded by a fabric. Soap consists of two main elements, core and hull. The core is a roughly lentil-shaped wireless device that contains an optical sensor facing outwards.

The hull, which consists of elastic fabric, encloses the core. Any relative motion between core and hull is picked up by the optical sensor in the core and reported wirelessly to the appliance soap is connected to, such as a PC. Soap is basically a mouse and a mouse pad in the same device. But instead of moving the mouse over the mouse pad in the conventional way, here we move the mouse pad over the mouse.

The name Soap comes from the fact that it spins in our palm like a wet bar of soap while taking the shower. This floating mouse can be adapted for playing PC video games, clicking through presentations, and operating MP3 players and other personal electronic devices, developers say.

[For details: www.hight3ch.com, www.pcmag.com, www.technologyreview.com]

Technologies in Horizon

Camera Neutralizing Technology To Stop Movie Piracy A device that can block digital-camera function in a given area has been developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. The prototype device consisting of camera-mounted sensors, lighting equipment, a projector and a computer can scan for, find and neutralize digital cameras in a given area. The system works by targeting the special reflectivity and shape of the image-producing sensors (Charge

Coupled Device –CCD) used in digital cameras.

A cameraÂ’s image sensor is retroreflective, which means it sends light back directly to its origin rather than scattering it.

Once a scanning laser and photodetector locates a video camera, the system would flash a thin beam of visible white light directly at the CCD. This beam would overwhelm the target camera with light, rendering recorded video unusable.

Shown (l-r) are Jay W. Summet, PhD student; James R. Clawson, research technician; Gregory Abowd, associate professor, and Khai N. Truong of the University of Toronto.

July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn !

Researchers say that energy levels used to neutralize cameras would be low enough to preclude any health risks to the operator.

The new camera-neutralizing technology shows commercial promise in two principal fields protecting limited areas against clandestine photography or stopping movie copying in larger areas such as theatres. The smallarea product could prevent espionage photography in government buildings, industrial settings or trade shows. It could also be used in business settings

for instance, to stop amateur photography in special areas.

Movie piracy which is a $3 billion-a-year problem is especially acute in Asia. The camera-blocking technology can find wide application in movie theatres to prevent illegal copying of movies. Retroreflections would probably make it relatively easy to detect and identify video cameras in a darkened theatre.

First we developed digital cameras and now we are developing devices to prevent usage of cameras. What a paradox !

In Forthcoming Issues " Transparent transistors to realize e-paper . " Soft food - To escape from fast food problems " RuBee - The next generation of RFID to overcome the problems of reading around water and metal that have been the operational Achilles heels of present RFID. Heralded by industry observers as RFID 2.0, RuBee may be the most exciting development in the automatic identification marketplace. " Marine medicines Many invaluable substances that can be used in fight against cancer and other ailments are there in marine life and new ones are also being identified. A peek into the inexhaustible marine source. " Teardrops Innards unearthed to combat dry eye problems, say, of IT people "n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

Conserve

Environmental Thoughts If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago.

If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.

- Edward O. Wilson One of the first laws against air pollution came in 1300 when King Edward I decreed the death penalty for burning of coal. At least one execution for that offense is recorded. But economics triumphed over health considerations, and air pollution became an appalling problem in England.

- Glenn T. Seaborg, Atomic Energy Commission chairman, UK, 1969 Today s world is one in which the age-old risks of humankind - the drought, floods, communicable diseases - are less of a problem than ever before. They have been replaced by risks of humanity s own making - the unintended side-effects of beneficial technologies and the intended effects of the technologies of war. Society must hope that the world s ability to assess and manage risks will keep pace with its ability to create them. - J. Clarence Davies, 1984

We live for our children, but often forget that many of our actions are harming the environment they have to live in. " Seven tenths of our bodies are water, but this does not reflect in our attitude towards this precious natural commodity. There are hapless societies living on just 5.4 litres of water per person per day, bare minimum to live on. 80 litres of water are needed for a reasonable quality of living. Can we make an introspection every time we handle water, whether we are frugal in water use? " Reuse culture: At the end of the day, look at the waste bins to see if we or someone else could have made use of some portion of what is discarded.

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Energy

Energy Police A Chinese Model

China is getting more and more energy conscious and is deploying energy police to check whether energy consumption in offices, hotels, schools, shopping malls, supermarkets and other big buildings meet national standards such as keeping the air conditioning no cooler than 26 degrees Celsius and heating no higher than 20 degrees Celsius.

If energy consumption is found to be too high, the energy police will issue a warning note or even fine those ignoring the warning.

The central government of China launched a campaign recently to raise awareness of the need to save energy, emphasizing that all sectors of society have a responsibility to reduce consumption.

As part of the campaign, members of the public will be urged to use public transport or bikes to travel to work and to reduce the use of air conditioners at home.

Under its latest five-year plan, the government wants to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent by 2010.

Hydrogen from Chocolate Waste Hydrogen is one of the cleanest , renewable fuels offering huge potential as a carbon-free energy carrier. In fact, the world is now moving towards a hydrogen economy.

A break through development in the hydrogen domain has now been reported by a team of bioscientists from the University of Birmingham, UK. They have devised a way to produce hydrogen by feeding $n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

waste products from a chocolate factory to Escherichia coli (E. coli ) bacteria. The bacteria was fed with diluted caramel and nougat waste left over from the

other types of waste.

Using this process, food factories could utilise their own waste products to generate hydrogen to power their manufacturing operations, or to run hydrogen-powered vehicles.

In addition to energy and environmental benefits, the technique could provide the food industry with a gainful outlet for waste generated by their manufacturing processes, instead of disposing them off in landfill sites, as is being done now.

[For details: www2.bham.ac.uk, http://environment.about.com ]

chocolate-making process. They created conditions that caused the bacteria to ferment the sugars in the chocolate waste, which generated organic acids so toxic to the bacteria that they soon began converting formic acid to hydrogen. The hydrogen so produced was used to power a fuel cell, which generated enough electricity to run a small fan in the lab.

This method of extracting hydrogen from food waste could be a boon for both industry and the environment. The process isnÂ’t restricted to chocolate waste only.

It works equally well on many

Features "Knowledge dissemination "Brevity, clarity, simplicity "Trends in technology "New business practices

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Who Packed Your Parachute?

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and

parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, You re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier &n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

Kitty Hawk. You were shot down! How in the world did you know that? asked Plumb. I packed your parachute, the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude.

The man pumped his hand and said, I guess it worked! Plumb assured him, It sure did. If your chute hadn t worked, I wouldn t be here today. Plumb couldn t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bellbottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said Good morning, how are you? or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor. Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden

table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn t know.Now, Plumb asks his audience, Who s packing your parachute? Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day.

He also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional

parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachutes.

EKL Sudoku 11 (Hard)

Solving puzzles helps to improve concentration.

Fill each row, column and 3 x 3 grids in bold borders with each of the digits from 1 to 9 using reasoning.

[BNN] [ Solution in page 37 ] July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn '

Letters to the Editor

Sir, EKL Dec. 06 issue carried the story of a faithful dog, Hachiko, who used to accompany his master, a Japanese professor from home to Shibuya train station every day. One day, the professor died while in university and never returned to see his pet waiting for him. Even after the professor s death, the dog continued to go and wait at the railway station for 10 years, hoping that his master would return. Finally, the dog also died at the station. The public, touched by the devotion Sir, EKL seems to take an interest in hybrid vehicles. I too am interested in this new development. Probably as I am basically a mechanical engineer, I have often felt that the phenomenal advances in electronics have made us blind to certain other options in many product developments. For example, in wind power the emphasis has been on electric power generation; but traditionally wind power has been harnessed to grind grain, pump ! n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

of the dog, erected a statue at the railway station, in his memory.

Today, it is a popular meeting place for people. Here is a photo of the statue of Hachiko Amarnath Raja InApp, Trivandrum water etc. long before the industrial age. Not much has been done to harness the wind to lift water since. Today s wind pumps

are essentially identical to those used in the American Wild West back in the 19th century. I am not

saying that wind turbines for electric power are not important; it is just that the same effort has not gone into designing wind machines for other uses. So also wave power. So far all the money has gone into getting the waves to power generators. I don t see why the waves should not be used to directly drive ice factories. We have ice factories all along our coast consuming considerable electric power to make ice for preserving fish. Now coming back to hybrid vehicle technology I

have been associated with a project for building a hybrid diesel-electric bus. The obvious limitations of the batteries in recovering braking energy made me wish we could save the energy in the form of kinetic energy of a flywheel or compressed air. And I am now delighted to learn that others have similar ideas, for eg. hydraulic hybrid vehicles .

Regards D.K. Warrier, C-DAC

With best compliments from:

KERALA CHEMICALS & PROTEINS LIMITED Manufacturers of: GELATIN, OSSEIN, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE (FEED GRADE) & COMPOUND GLUE Corporate Office: P.B. No. 4262, 50/1002, SBT Avenue, Panampilly Nagar, Ernakulam, Kochi 682 036 Telephones: 0484 - 2317805 (6 Lines) Fax: 0484-2310568 e-mail: ro@kerchem.com

July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn !

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Subscribe easy: 1. Send SMS ekl to 94474 94739, 98950 62698 2. e-mail to eklines@gmail.com: Sub: subscribe ekl ! n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

General

Chilli Small, Beautiful & Enriched Indian cuisines in general are hot with the ingredient spice, chilli. India has become worldÂ’s largest producer chilli, and exports it to many countries across the world. It contributes 25% of worldÂ’s total production of chilli.

In India, it is known as mirchi (Hindi), marchu (Gujarati), and molukai (Tamil).

Experiments for cross breeding of chilli plants gave rise to several varieties of chilli. Today there are more than 400 different varieties of chillies found all over the world. India has a rich variety

of chilli in different sizes and lengths (from 1 to 20 cm) and different colours, green, purple, red, pink, violet, dark blue and white.

Origin of Chilli The origin of chillies is believed to date back to 7000 B.C. from when it was used in Mexico.

Chillies have been cultivated there in large scale from 3500 BC. Mexicans used it to spice up their food. Chilli was brought to the rest of the world by Christopher Columbus who discovered America in 1493. Christopher had

July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn !!

set from Spain to reach India to bring spices such as pepper back to his country. Christopher not only mistook America for India, but also mistook chilli as pepper.

That is how the chilli got the name chilli pepper. He took chilli pepper back to Spain where it became a very popular spice. Chilli spread to the rest of European countries. In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco-da-Gama reached Indian shores bringing with him the pungent spice.

Medicinal Benefits of Chilli Ever since its introduction in India in 1498, chillies have been included in Ay u r v e d i c medicines and used as tonic to ward off many diseases. Chillies are good for slimming down as it burns the calorie easily. Chillies stimulate the appetite, help to clear the lungs, and stimulate digestive system.

When chilli is eaten, it makes the brain to release endorphins, a natural painkiller !"n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

present in the body relieving pain caused by shingles (Herpes Zoster), bursitis, diabetic neuropathy and muscle spasm in shoulders, and extremities. It also helps in relieving arthritic pains in the extremities. The endorphin lowers blood pressure and helps to fight against cancer.

Chillies are excellent source of Vitamin, A, B, C and E with minerals like molybdenum, manganese, folate, potassium, thiamin, and copper. Chilli contains seven times more

Chillies to keep Elephants away

vitamin C than orange. The vitamin A present in chilli reduces inflammation of lungs and emphysema caused due to cigarette smoking. Its betacarotenoids acts as a powerful antioxidant. Together with cartonoid lycopene and folic acid found in chilli, it reduces the risk of colon cancer. It destroys free radical bodies. Usually, these radical bodies may travel in the body and cause huge amounts of damage to cells. These radical bodies could damage nerve and blood vessel in diabetes.

Vitamin B6 and folic acid found in chilli reduces high homocysteine level which has shown to cause damage to blood vessels and are associated with a greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It also converts homocysteine into other molecules which is beneficial to

In human-animal conflicts especially involving elephants, farmers are always on the lookout for ways to keep elephants away from their crop cultivation near forest areas. One of the ideas is to grow chillies between forest area and other crops of interest to elephants. Chilli may deter elephants from going over them.

[Source : Times of India] lower cholesterol level. The antioxidants present in the chilli wipe out the radical bodies that could build up cholesterol causing major heart diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Chillies give relief from nasal congestion by increasing the metabolism. It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing. It relieves chronic congestion in people who are heavy drinkers.

Capsaicin, a major constituent of chilli, is used for treatment for many diseases like arthritis. Sore throat, varicose ulcers, and laryngitis can be cured by using antibacterial chilli.

Man made capsaicin called Guafenesein is used in cough syrups. Capsaicin stimulates brain to excrete endorphin and gives a sense of pleasure when ingested.

July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn !#

Chilli Tips

" Fishes could not feel pungency of the chilli because they do not have pain receptors. " To get rid of burning feeling, it is advisable to take fat or greasy content like milk, curd, sugar, or ice cream. Drinking water will not relieve the burning of your mouth because capsaicin is insoluble in water. " Chilli can serve as an Antibiotic. Chillies brings fresh blood to the site of the infection. The fresh blood fights infection. The white blood cells and leukocytes present in the fresh blood fights viruses.

Other disease like cataract and arthritis like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing.

Chillies act as detoxifiers as they removes waste products from our body and increases supply nutrients to the tissues. Indian Chilli Varieties Chilli was introduced in India by the great Portuguese explorer Vasco-da-Gama. Chilli became extremely popular in India getting blended well in Indian cooking. The climate in India was favorable to cultivate chillies and soon many varieties of chilli were

available in India. Places like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Kashmir became famous for different varieties in chilli. Majority of chilli in India is cultivated in these States. Â Some famous names of Indian varieties of chilli are Naga Jolokia, Birdseye or Dhani Chillies, Byadagi or Kaddi chillie, Ellachipur Sanman Chillies, Guntur Sanman Chillies, Hindpur Chillies, Jwala Chillies, Kanthari Chillies, Kashmiri Mirch, Mundu Chillies or Gundu Molzuka, Nalcheti Chillies, and Tomato Chilli or Warangal Chappatta

Chilli Exports

Chilli exports in 2006-07 of value Rs. 807 crore account for 22% of the total spices exports of Rs. 3,575.75 crore from India.

Average price per tonne of chilli exported is Rs. 4000. Andhra Pradesh produces around 90% of the chilli in India. China, a competitor to India in chilli trade is likely to enjoy a bumper crop this year, affecting prospects of Indian chilli exporters. !$n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

Books Scan

‘Solar Energy’ The State of the Art ISES Position Papers Edited by: Jeffrey Gordon Published by: James & James (Science Publishers),UK The book, an initiative of International Solar Energy Society (ISES), is conceived as a reference book for solar energy practitioners, students, researchers and engineers wishing to gain a broad-based understanding of the theory, technology and applications and issues surrounding the vast, interdisciplinary field of solar energy. Each of the 12 chapters is written by renowned experts in the respective fields.

Contents: "Solar and natural resources for a better efficiency in the built environment " Energy consumption of buildings and urban climate " Passive cooling techniques: role of materials and green areas "Glazings and coatings "Electrochromic coatings "Thermochromic coatings " Selectively solar-absorbing surface coatings "Solar collectors

" Photo voltaic physics and devices "Solar concentrators "The cost of pollution and the benefit of solar energy "Solar process heat: distillation, drying, agricultural and industrial uses "Solar resource assessment "Solar thermal electricity "Wind energy review Solution to EKL11 Sudoku

July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn !%

‘The Environment’ What Every Business Needs to Know Book by: Stewart Anthony Published by: Middlesex University Press Ltd Every single business, be it small, medium or large, has an effect on the environment, in several important ways, as businesses consume energy for their activities, in varying degrees, depending on their type. The businesses also produce waste, in some form or other. On a local scale, many businesses are party to transport congestion on roads, either through the services they provide, deliveries they receive or their staff travelling to and from work. It should be the duty of the businesses to see how these activities can be done with less environmental impact.

Example of another environmental issue at a different plain is the acid rain which is a weak sulphuric acid, produced when sulphur dioxide (produced primarily from the burning of coal) mixes with rain in the high atmosphere, before falling to ground. Consequently, the soil is acidified and this results in the !&n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

release of aluminium, which poisons plants, notably trees, and leads to the acidification of lakes; this in turn leads to the death of plants and the fish.

The book addresses various environmental issues faced by the businesses and explains how businesses can become more efficient and therefore more profitable by managing the environmental pressures affecting them at present or in future.

Contents - Highlights: "Business and the environment "Relevance of environmental legislation for business " Some samples of legislation that impinge on the environmental aspects of business

"The packaging issue "Managing energy in business " Water and air essential environmental quality " Eco-design: business considerations "Environmental purchasing "Design and management of buildings and spaces "Steps to improvement "Environmental policy "Environmental management systems " Case studies and useful contacts in environmental matters "Future trends

and commercial activity (as at the end of 2004) - Environmental Protection Act 1990 - Clean Air Act 1993 - Water Industry Act 1989, responsible for restructuring the water industry and privatisation of water industries - Water Resources Act 1991 - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive(WEEED) -Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ROHS) Directive "What is waste ?

"Waste and your business

Health Conscious Phone A cell phone incorporating enose technology capable of smelling and recognizing the foods we eat has been developed. It can track the food intake irrespective of where we are and identify the type using the unique chemical signature of each item. After compiling the data for some period, the phone can inform whether our food intakes are balanced or deficient in some way.

July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn !'

Journals Scan

Harvard Business Review June 2007 Contents Highlights: " How Successful Leaders Think - Great leaders refuse to choose between A and B. Through holistic thinking, they forge an innovative third way.

There are conventional thinkers and integrative thinkers.

Integrative thinkers consider multi directional and non linear relationships among variables.

They see problems as a whole, examining how the parts fit together and how definitions affect one another. Integrative thinkers welcome complexity, because that is where the best answers come from.

"Make your Company a Talent Factory Any company aiming to grow and, in particular, to grow on the global stage has little hope of achieving its goals without the ability to put the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time, and fast. " Companies and the Customers Who Hate Them " Scorched Earth: Will Environmental Risks in China Overwhelm its Opportunities? " n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

" A Buyer s Guide to Innovation Bazaar "The Innovation Value Chain "Saving the Internet

Magic Sqaure Puzzle July’07 Construct a magic square by filling the blank cells with the missing numbers in the sequence 1 to 16. The magic sum is 34, which shouls be the sum of each row, column and diagonal

The Economist June 9-15, 2007

Contents - Highlights: "Lessons from Apple, the master of innovations: Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, re-invented it as a consumer electronics firm from its earlier focus on computers. iPod music player, which was a combination of clever technology with simplicity and ease of use. While most technology firms believed in the policy to embedding all the new technologies to bring out gizmos designed by engineers for engineers , Apple pursued simplicity route, which was well accepted by the market, as could be judged from the phenomenal success of iPods and iTunes. iPhone reaching the market now is expected to be yet another success story.

"Recycling: How to get people recycling more even if they do not particularly want to. " Cancer therapy: Drugs directed at precise molecular targets are helping cancer patients live longer.

"Technology Quarterly: -What really happens at a recycling plant -Incisionless surgery -Holographic data storage -Getting wind farms off the ground and putting them in the air instead -Hydrothermal cooling -Visual implants using digital camera technology to restore sight to the blind -Microbubbles to treat diseases -Natural orifice surgery -Speech recognition -Bringing free software down to earth July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn "

Management

Project Management A Concern for Institutions There are different kinds of projects around us right from construction of buildings, roads, shopping malls to airport.

Students have to complete their final year project as part of their curriculum. Cine actors often talk about new projects that they are into. We also hear and read about so many other projects in our day to day life through news papers and other media.

Project Management is all about planning,scheduling, requirements gathering and taking the project to completion.

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) : A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service .

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines Project Management as The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project .

PMBOK is a PMI Standard and " n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

an American National Standard (ANSI) for Project Management.

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is an inclusive term that describes the sum of knowledge within the profession of project management.

This full body of knowledge includes knowledge of proven, traditional practices, which are widely applied, as well as knowledge of innovative and advanced practices, which may have seen more limited use. The full body of knowledge concerning project management is that which resides with the practitioners and academics that apply and advance it.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a not for profit organization to promote the project management profession.

PMI is the largest organization of project managers in the world.

PMI is headquartered in Pennsylvania in the US and has over 200,000 members worldwide in 125 different countries. PMI

has chapters all over the world.

Apart from defining standards like PMBOK, PMI also has designed certification programs for Project Managers from all industries. The Project Management Profession (PMP is a well accepted and highly rated certification for Project Managers. PMI also has defined standards like The practice standard for scheduling , Practice Standard for Project Configuration Management , Practice standard for Work Breakdown Structures etc.

Good Project Managers are a need for any country and India currently is badly in need of good project managers to help take our country into a developed nation.

There are currently 7 PMI chapters in India promoting PM profession and professionals. The chapters conduct various programs, seminars and workshops in areas related to Project Management.

There are other similar professional bodies like the International Project Management Association (IPMA), Switzerland.

The IPMA (International ProjectManagement Association)

is a non-profit Swiss registered organisation whose membership is comprised primarily of national project management associations throughout the world. IPMA actively promotes the importance of efficient, enterprise-wide projectmanagement competencies to organizations.

Project Management Associates (PMA), Delhi is the Indian association of IPMA. IPMA has a 4 level certification program starting with Level D being the entry level and Level A the highest. The national associations of IPMA, like the PMA, conduct certification exams for project managers under the IPMA 4 level certification programs. The Association of Project Management conducts APMP exam which is equivalent to IPMA Level D certification.

IPMA currently has more than 40,000 members and 40 national associations spread across the globe.

All associations have PMBOK or a variant of PMBOK as the reference for certification.

[For details of PMI: www.pmi.org; details of IPMA : www.ipma.ch ] [ Brajesh C, NeST e-mail: brajesh.c@nestgroup.net] July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn "!

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Wishlist

Let Your Creative Ideas Bloom The purpose of this column is to bring out original and creative ideas from readers for consideration by researchers or entrepreneurs for development as products, systems or services for the benefit of the society.

Simplicity of operation, usage of minimum resources materials, energy, human effort etc - and speedy conversion from concept to consumer should be kept in focus while proposing ideas which should be truly original.

In case any of the ideas given in EKL are already in use, kindly inform us. e-mail your ideas to: eklines@gmail.com, giving address, e-mail ID, phone no. etc. Alternatively, ideas may be sent by post to EKL office: Attention: Knowledge Executive, Knowledge House, Mathrubhumi Road, Trivandrum 695 035, India.

New Ideas Mobile phones as Mike Can the mobiles be equipped with capability to be used also as portable microphones, in the place of cordless mikes now used in conferences for interaction among participants? During question and answer session, organisers can ask participants to register their cell phones asking for time to speak, which can be done by sending a particular code to the public address system -LCD projector combination. This system suitably equipped, can receive the signals from phones and flash each cell number on the screen in order of priority based on registration. The phone will then be allowed to act as a microphone. Time control can also be exercised, with the chance going to the next phone, on expiry of the allotted time.

[VPG] Bowling Robots Video is extensively used by cricket batsmen to study the bowling patterns of each bowler and prepare to face the bowling. There are bowling machines today which deliver balls in a predefined way. With the help of powerful computers and sophisticated software can these bowling machines be replaced by bowling robots, which can be made to learn from the videos of a bowler and bowl exactly like the human bowler?

July 2007n Executive Knowledge Linesn "#

Seven Wonders of the World Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes: 1. Egypt s Great Pyramids 2. The Taj Mahal in India 3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona 4. The Panama Canal 5. The Empire State Building 6. St. Peter s Basilica 7. China s Great Wall While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn t turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, Yes, a little. I couldn t quite make up my mind because there were so

many. The teacher said, Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.

The girl hesitated, then read, I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: 1. to touch...

2. to taste...

3. to see...

4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...)

5. to feel...

6. to laugh...

7. and to love.

The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.

May this story serve as a gentle reminder to all of us that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful - and we don t have to travel anywhere special to experience them.

The Last Word Every day I see at least one person who is struggling or having a hard day, and I try to smile or say, Hi, even if I don t know them. Sometimes that simple Hi that reaching out to them in a friendly way could change how they re feeling. Someone once wrote, Make yourself a blessing to someone. Your kind smile or pat on the back just might pull someone back from the edge. I live by that.

Sara, high school student Owned, Edited, Printed, and Published by N T Nair, 186, PTP Nagar, Trivandrum 695 038 Printed by Akshara Offset, TC 25/ 3230(1), Thoppil 3, Trivandrum 695 035 Published at Trivandrum. Editor: N T Nair "$n Executive Knowledge Linesn July 2007

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