Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology refers broadly to field of applied science and technology whose unifying theme is the control of matter on the molecular level in scales smaller than 1 micrometre, normally 1 to 100 nanometers, and the fabrication of devices within that size range. It is a highly multidisciplinary field, drawing from fields such as applied physics, materials science, colloidal science, device physics, supermolecular chemistry, and even mechanical and electrical engineering.

Much speculation exists as to what new science and technology may result from these lines of research. Nanotechnology can be seen as an extension of existing sciences into the nanoscale, or as a recasting of existing sciences using a newer, more modern them. Two main approaches are used in nanotechnology. In the "bottom-up" approach, materials and devices are built from molecular components which assemble themselves chemically by principles of molecular recognition. In the "top-down"approach, nono-objects are constructed from larger entities without atomic-level control.

The impetus for nanotechnology comes from a renewed interest in colloidal science, coupled with a new generation of analytical tools such as the atomic force microscope (AFM), and the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Combined with refined processes such as electron beam lithography and molecular beam epitaxy, these instruments allow the deliberate manipulation of nanostructures, and led to the observation of novel phenomena.

Despite the great promise of numerous nanotechnologies such as quantum dots an nonotubes, real commercial applications have mainly used the advantage of colloidal nanoparticles in bulk from, such as suntan lotion, cosmetics, protective coatings, and stain resistant clothing. Modern synthetic chemistry has reached the point where it is possible to prepare small molecules to almost any structure.

These methods are used today to produce a wide variety of useful chemical such as pharmaceuticals or commercial polymers. The abillity raises thequestion of extending this kind of control to the next-larger level, seeking methods to assemble these single molecules into supramolecular assemblies consisting of many molecules arranged in a well defined manner. These approaches utilize the concepts of molecular self-assembly and/or supramolecular chemistry to automatically arrange themselves into some useful conformation through a bottom-up approach.

UFO found in China

Chinese scientist claim they filmed an unidentified flying object (UFO) for about 40 minutes, during the solar eclipse on July 22. Researchers at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing have said that they will spend the next 12 months studying the footage before reaching any conclusions.

In an interview with sina.com, Ji hai-sheng, the director of the observatory, said that scientists would not be speculating publicly on the nature of what was captured on film until it had been properly studied. "Purple Mountain Observatory and Chinese Academy of Sciences said that during the July 22 total solar eclipse observation, China had discovered near the sun an unidentified object and its physical nature remains to be further studied," the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

"Currently manpower is being organised to deal with this data, complete the data analysis and reveal the scientific result and this will take at least one year's time to finalise," he added.

The incident comes after a series of UFO sighting i China, which led to the object being filmed by students in Diqing.

Chandrayaan I

The Chandrayaan II is now in the offing, as Dr. K. Kasturirangan, former ISro Chief, has stated that even with the failed previous moon mission, much technology and scientific gains have been achieved for the successful launch of second such satellite by India. Claiming that Chandrayaan-I was a successful mission, the scientist-turned policymaker said, it helped mapping 50 per cent of the moon surface and 90 per cent of the mineralogy of the celestial body.

Dr. Kasturirangan was of the view that the mission was complete as far as infrared coverage and radiation monitoring dosage was concerned. For the first time a satellite cold come as low as 100 km from the moon surface, he said, adding that the earlier missions could reach up to 200km. "This gave us the opportunity to monitory every aspect of the moon surface," he said. Even the failed mission gave scientists substantial knowledge to take corrective steps for the next mission target the broadest of achievements.

Dr. Kasturirangan, however, claimed that the quality of imagery gathered from Chandrayaan-I is comparable with best in the world so far achieved. "In a period of 5 to 10 years the country has a plan to go aggressively in space sciences, Altogether 30 small satellites are in the pipe line and one or tow large satellites are in the process of launch," Dr Kasturirangan said.

The proposal to send this mission was approved by the government in November 2003 and abut Rs. 386 crores was spend on the mission from the conception to the execution stage. The design life of this spacecraft was two years, meaning it was expected to remain in the orbit at least up to October 2010

Black Box

On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 departed Puerto Vallarta,Mexico, heading for Seattle, WA, with a short stop scheduled in San Francisco, CA. Approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the flight, a problem was reported with the plane's stabilizer trim. After a 10-minute battle to keep the plane airborne, it plunged into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. All 88 people on board were killed.

With any airplane crash, there are many unanswered questions as to what brought the plane down. Investigators turn to the airplane's flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) also known as "black boxes," for answers. In Flight 261, the FDR contained 48 parameters of flight data, and the CVR a little more than 30 minutes of conversation and other audible cockpit noises.

Following any airplane accident in the United States, safety investigators from the Natioinal Transportation Safety Board (Director General Aviation) immediately begin searching for the aircraft's black boxes. These recording devices, which cost between $10,000 and $15,000 each, reveal details of the events immediately preceding the accident. In this article, we will look at the two types of black boxes, ­how they survive crashes, and how they are retrieved and analyzed.

Like that only Andhrapradesh (India) Chief Minsters death mystery also will be know after decoding black box which is with Investigation team. The Karnool District officials surrender the Black box and cockpit voice recorder to Investigation team. Results will be know after two three days.

NEW TREATMENT FOR OVARIAN CANCER

In the future, women with metastatic ovarian cancer could be treated with a radioactive substance that can seek and destroy tumour cells. An initial study in patients conducted jointly by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital has found that the treatment has no unwanted side-effects.
Our research team has long hoped to be able to target radiotherapy in this way," says oncologist Håkan Andersson from Sahlgrenska University Hospital, who is leading the research alongside professor Ragnar Hultborn from the Sahlgrenska Academy and radiation physicist Lars Jacobsson.
"There is a good chance of this treatment working, as the study indicates that a sufficient amount of the active substance reaches the tumour cells in the abdominal cavity without any measurable side-effects."The aim of this initial patient study, just published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, was to study the substance's distribution in the body and any side-effects in nine women with ovarian cancer.
The new treatment has been developed jointly over a number of years by researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital. The treatment entails injecting the patient with a radioactive isotope bound to carrier molecules. This complex has the ability to bind to structures on the surface of tumour cells where the isotope emits alpha particles with such a short range that only the very nearest tumour cells' DNA is destroyed. The injection is administered straight into the abdominal cavity.
"We have previously seen that mice with ovarian cancer given this treatment are generally cured without serious side-effects, so we hope that this will become an established and effective treatment for women with metastatic ovarian cancer," says Ragnar Hultborn, professor of oncology at the University of Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska Academy. "But it will still be several years of development."
The research is being funded partly by the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Cancer Society.
"In our next study, 80 women with ovarian cancer will receive this treatment as a supplement to their ordinary treatment so that we can scientifically test whether the effect is as good in real patients as the animal studies indicate," Håkan Andersson says.

NASA Cleared space junk at ISS

The international space might to fire its thrusters to avoid a piece of space junk that could pass within two miles of the orbiting complex and its 13 astronauts, NASA said on Wednesday.
The United States agency is tracking debris from a portion of a European rocket, the Ariane 5, that was launched more than three years ago. The debris could pass close enough to require astronauts to fire thrusters to move the station and special discovery that is docked there out of the way, NASA officials said at a briefing.

The debris, which is in an oval-shaped orbit that makes it difficult to track, will make its closest approach to the station at 11:06 a.m. EDT (3:06 p.m. GMT) on Friday, NASA said.

The debris will not force NASA to delay the second of three spacewalks planned outside the station on Thursday. NASA might decide to take no action, or could "reboost" the station from its current orbit 220 miles above the Earth after astronauts complete their second space walk, it said.

Discovery arrived at the station on Sunday to deliver more than seven tonnes of food, supplies, equipment and spare parts to the $100 billion, 16-nation orbital outpost.

Space junk is not uncommon -- about 19,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters are known to exist, according to NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office.China destruction of a weather satellite in 2007 and the accidental collision of American and Russian communications satellites in 2009 have greatly increased the number of large debris in orbit, the office said.

Is India going for Chandrayaan II ??

The premature loss of Chandrayaan - I is not going to thwart ISRO's future moon exploration plans. The space agency reiterated on 29th Sept., that it is going ahead with the even more ambitious Chandrayaan - II, a Rs 425 crore mission in collaboration with Russia. Indian space scientists plan to hoist in Indian into space by 2014, and thence on to lunar soil by around 2020.

India has completed the design of Chandrayaan - II spacecraft, a project that involves a lander and rover, to pick up samples of lunar soil, analyze, and beam home data on chemical and mineral on the moon The exact spot for the lander-rover to touchdown will be decided using the more than 70,000 images of the moon's surface send by Chandrayaan - I. While ISRO will develop the orbiter, Russia will make the lander and rover.