IGIHE

Category: Science &Technology

  • Russian-U.S. Crew Makes Belated Arrival at Space Station

    Russian-U.S. Crew Makes Belated Arrival at Space Station

    {{A Russian spaceship carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut made a belated arrival at the International Space Station on Thursday, returning the orbital outpost to full staff.}}

    Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev and NASA astronaut Steven Swanson blasted off aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket two days ago from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

    They had expected to reach the station, a $100 billion research complex that flies about 250 miles above Earth, six hours later.

    But about two hours after launch, the crew’s Soyuz capsule failed to fire its maneuvering engines as planned, forcing a delay to the next station docking opportunity on Thursday.

    The cause of the skipped rocket firing remains under investigation, said NASA mission commentator Rob Navias.

    Preliminary analysis shows the spaceship was 1 degree out of alignment from its predicted orientation, triggering the Soyuz computers to automatically abort the engine burn, Navias said during a NASA Television broadcast of the docking.

    Since Tuesday’s mishap, the Soyuz successfully conducted the necessary engine firings to reach the station.

    “Better late than never,” said Navias as the Soyuz made its final approach to the outpost.

    The crew’s prolonged journey ended at 7:53 p.m. EDT as the Soyuz slipped into a berthing port on the station’s Poisk module.

    The arrival of Skvortsov, Artemyev and Swanson returns the station to a full six-member crew. The orbital outpost, a project of 15 nations, has been short-staffed since two other cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut returned to Earth on March 11.

  • Ethiopias Giant Dam to Start Production 2015

    Ethiopias Giant Dam to Start Production 2015

    {{The 6,000 MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) hydropower project, worth US$4.7bn, will begin generating electricity in 18 months, according to the Ethiopian government.}}

    Two turbines from among 16 at the plant will start producing 750 MW of power from September 2015, depending on rainfall patterns.

    The project will become the largest power plant in Africa according to government officials, and is being built on the Blue Nile River, the main tributary of the Nile which is 30km from the Sudanese border.

    GERD will cover an area of 1,800 sq km and will be 170 metres tall, according to reports.

    According to Zadig Abraha, deputy general director of GERD’s National Coordination Office, Ethiopia is boosting electricity output to cater to growing demands and electricity production might have to increase to 35 per cent annually to feed the country’s growing economy.

    Increasing electricity generating capacity from the existing 2,000 MW will allow Ethiopia to sell excess power and reduce trade deficits of US$8.5bn. The East African nation already exports power to Sudan and Djibouti.

    Construct has already started on a transmission line to Kenya and the country’s government has also been in talks with Yemen and South Sudan over the export of electricity, added Abraha.

    “Once GERD is finished and other hydropower projects including the 1,870 MW Gibe III are online, Ethiopia may earn US$2bn a year from the exports,” Abraha said.

  • Scientists Created First Synthetic Chromosome for Yeast

    Scientists Created First Synthetic Chromosome for Yeast

    {{Scientists have created the first synthetic chromosome for yeast in a landmark for biological engineering.}}

    Previously synthetic DNA has been designed and made for simpler organisms such as bacteria.

    As a form of life whose cells contain a nucleus, yeast is related to plants and animals and shares 2,000 genes with us.

    So the creation of the first of yeast’s 16 chromosomes has been hailed as “a massive deal” in the emerging science of synthetic biology.

    The genes in the original chromosome were replaced with synthetic versions and the finished manmade chromosome was then successfully integrated into a yeast cell.

    The new cell was then observed to reproduce, passing a key test of viability.

    Yeast is a favoured target for this research because of its well-established use in key industries such as brewing and baking and its potential for future industrial applications.

    One company in California has already used synthetic biology to create a strain of yeast that can produce artemisinin, an ingredient for an anti-malarial drug.

    The synthesis of chromosome III in yeast was undertaken by an international team and the findings are published in the journal Science (yeast chromosomes are normally designated by Roman numerals).

    {{Chucking the junk}}

    Dr Jef Boeke of the Langone Medical Centre at New York University, who led the team, described the achievement as “moving the needle in synthetic biology from theory to reality”.

    He said: “What’s really exciting about it is the extent to which we have changed the sequence and still come out with a happy healthy yeast at the end.”

    The new chromosome, known as SynIII, involved designing and creating 273,871 base pairs of DNA – fewer than the 316,667 pairs in the original chromosome.

    The researchers removed repeated sections in the original DNA and so-called “junk” DNA known not to code for any proteins – and they then added “tags” to the chromosome.

    Dr Boeke said that despite making more than 50,000 changes to the DNA code in the chromosome, the yeast was not only “hardy” but had also gained new functions.

    “We have taught it a few tricks by inserting some special widgets into its chromosome.”

    One new function is a chemical switch that allows researcher to “scramble” the chromosome into thousands of different variants making genetic manipulations far easier.

    The hope is that the ability to create synthetic strains of yeast will allow these organisms to be harnessed for a wide range of uses including the manufacture of vaccines or more sustainable forms of biofuel.

    While genetic modification involves transferring genes from one organism to another, synthetic biology goes far further by designing and then constructing entirely new genetic material.

    Opponents of the field argue that scientists are “playing God” by designing new forms of life with the danger of unexpected consequences. A report for the Lloyds insurance market in 2009 warned that the new technology could pose unforeseen risks.

    The synthesis of chromosome III is the first stage of an international project to synthesise yeast’s entire genome over the next few years.

    A team at Imperial College London is tackling chromosome XI, one of the largest with 670,000 base pairs, using a similar technique of creating “chunks” of bases to insert into the yeast’s genome.

    New tricks
    Dr Tom Ellis, who is leading the work, described the creation of the first synthetic chromosome for a eukaryotic organism – the branch of life including plants, animals and fungi – as a “massive deal”.

    “Yeast is the king of biotech – and it’s great to use synthetic biology to add in new functions.

    “The fitness of the chromosome is in line with the natural one. Making all these design changes has not caused any major issues – it behaves as it should – and it’s great to see that others can do it.”

    The Imperial scientists have so far synthesised about one third of the DNA for their chromosome XI with about 5-10% inserted.

    Their research includes developing synthetic genes for yeast that would allow it to produce antibiotics and to turn agricultural waste into biofuel.

    With critics arguing that synthetic biology involves meddling in Nature with unknown effects, Dr Ellis and others stress that the new organisms are designed with in-built restrictions.

    The strains of yeast containing synthetic genetic material can only survive in a lab environment with specialist support.

    To highlight the benefits of the work, Dr Boeke stresses the importance of yeast throughout human history and its potential for the future.

    “Yeast has an ancient industrial relationship with Man – the baking of bread and the brewing of alcoholic beverages dates back the Fertile Crescent and today the industrial relationship goes far beyond that because we’re making medicines, vaccines and biofuels using yeast.”

    The paper describing the first synthetic chromosome concludes with a far-reaching vision looking beyond yeast to more sophisticated organisms, saying:

    “it will soon become feasible to synthesise eukaryotic genomes, including plant and animal genomes”.

    In his interview, Dr Boeke explained that this will not be immediate but is getting closer.

    “It’s still aways off in the future to do entire chromosomes for those organisms but certainly mini chromosomes containing tens or even hundreds of genes are definitely within the foreseeable future,” he said.

    It was only in 2010 that the scientific world was stunned when Dr Craig Venter unveiled the first synthetic genome for bacteria. So this new science is gathering pace and growing in ambition.

    BBC

  • Nissan Unveils Smarter Rear-View Mirror

    Nissan Unveils Smarter Rear-View Mirror

    {{Nissan just revamped the traditional rear-view mirror by integrating a wide-format LCD screen into it, linked to a rear-facing camera.}}

    The company’s Smart rear-view mirror eliminates viewing problems caused by rear-seat passengers and luggage by utilizing the rear camera to project a clear view onto the screen.

    Drivers can switch between the traditional mirror and LCD display by flipping a switch at the bottom of the mirror.

    Nissan will install the Smart rearview mirror in its ZEOD RC racing car, set to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 14-15 June.

    The company also hopes to improve aerodynamics in future vehicles as the new mirror – which obviates large rear windows – makes new vehicle shapes possible.

    The smart mirror tech will launch in Japan as a dealer option this year, then globally in 2015.

  • Microsoft CEO Unveils Office for iPad

    Microsoft CEO Unveils Office for iPad

    {{Microsoft Corp’s new Chief Executive Officer, Satya Nadella, finally unveiled Office for Apple Inc’s iPad in a polished debut that set him apart from his energetic predecessor while signaling his plans to make mobile apps the top priority at the world’s largest software company.}}

    At a news conference Thursday, executives demonstrated a new “touch-first” version of Office crafted for the iPad, available for download as a free app, though a subscription is needed to let users create or edit documents rather than just read them.

    Significantly, they did not demonstrate any software on Windows machines, telegraphing a departure from former Chief Executive Steve Ballmer’s focus on the personal computer operating software and its own devices.

    “Their absence speaks volumes,” said Daniel Ives, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets. “Nadella’s a cloud-centric guy; he’s going to focus on what’s been successful, and where the future’s going. Windows 8 thus far has been extremely underwhelming.”

    Nadella kicked off the presentation with a fluid, low-key introduction to Microsoft’s approach to the new mobile, cloud-centric world of computing, in his first public appearance since taking the helm 52 days ago.

    Dressed in a black polo shirt and dark jeans, the 46-year-old computer scientist threw in some geek humor and lines of poetry from T.S. Eliot, marking a change in style from his energetic predecessor Steve Ballmer. His lack of references to Windows indicated a deeper strategic shift.

    Nadella gave no indication of when Microsoft would release “touch-first” versions of Office apps for Windows 8, the latest version of the operating software, which he acknowledged had fallen behind in the mobile era.

    “The Windows strategy, there’s no change, except we want to be known as the innovative company that’s coming from behind in some categories,” Nadella told reporters in an ad hoc question and answer session after the presentation, another sign of new openness at the company.

    “If you look at the story of Windows, we lead in some, we have fallen behind in some. We’re grounded in that reality,” he said. “What we need to be is a challenger there and be able to show what we’re capable of doing in these new form factors.”

    Apart from the absence of any Windows devices, the Surface, one of Ballmer’s prized concepts, was conspicuously missing from a show floor at the event that included Google Inc Android tablets from Samsung and Acer as well as the iPad. Nadella did not mention the poor-selling tablet at all in conversations with reporters.

    {{OFFICE, AT LAST}}

    The Office apps are free to download from Apple’s app store, but to create new documents, users will need a subscription to Microsoft’s existing cloud-based service called Office 365.

    Microsoft’s Office 365 Home Premium, designed for home consumers, costs $100 a year. For businesses it costs $60 or more per year, depending on features.

    Apple gets its standard 30 percent cut of new Office 365 Home subscriptions sold through its app store, but no share of existing Office 365 revenue or multiple subscriptions bought by companies. That is analogous to the way Apple treats magazine subscriptions.

    “Welcome to the #iPad and @AppStore!” Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook tweeted after the announcement. “Thanks @tim_cook, excited to bring the magic of @Office to iPad customers,” Nadella tweeted back.

    Analysts have estimated that Microsoft could rake in anywhere from $840 million to $6.7 billion a year in revenue from iPad-native Office, although some fear it may have moved too late to grab the attention of many.

    Easy to use, touch-friendly work apps like Haiku Deck, Quip, Smartsheet and Evernote, not to mention Google Apps, have quickly gained a following among younger users who have never worked with Office applications, or relish the change.

    Sources have said an iPad-friendly version of Office – which encompasses such popular applications as Word, Excel and PowerPoint – had been ready for years, but the Redmond, Washington-based company had been reluctant to compromise its signature PC operating system. At the time, the sources could not speak because they were not authorized to talk to the press.

    However, Microsoft’s own efforts to produce a touch-friendly operating system capable of challenging the iPad have floundered, with poor sales of its Surface tablet, and a general lack of interest from third party hardware makers in making tablets running Windows 8.

    Nadella’s willingness to break with the Windows tradition, which remains co-founder Bill Gates’ most enduring legacy, helped spur Microsoft shares to $40-plus levels not seen since the dotcom boom of 2000.

    Wall Street is now guardedly optimistic on a company that, while still garnering billions of dollars in annual profit, risks gradual obsolescence in a mobile-powered tech industry.

    To some investors, steering a new course for such a massive entity – Microsoft is the second-largest U.S. tech company by market value – is a daunting task. Before Nadella’s appointment, some investors had hoped for an outsider open to change to take the reins.

    But bold moves with Office, and signifying a renewed drive to conquer the mobile arena and ‘cloud’ computing after years of shackling its best products to PC-centric Windows, are seen as a promising start.

    “He talks the talk,” said Ives at FBR, referring to Nadella. “Now the big question is, will he walk the walk?”

    {reuters}

  • 5 Countries in Efforts to Eradicate Cassava Viruses

    5 Countries in Efforts to Eradicate Cassava Viruses

    {{Five countries; Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, which are severely affected by two deadly cassava viral diseases, have joined efforts to tackle the problem by sharing their top five varieties with tolerance to the two diseases.}}

    The 25 varieties in total will then be evaluated in each country to identify those that are well adapted and acceptable to the local farming communities.

    {{Mass multiplication}}

    Together, cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD), are responsible for production losses amounting to more than $1b (Shs2.5t) every year and are a threat to food and income security for over 30 million farmers in the region.

    The first consignment of 19 varieties to each of the countries, as tissue culture virus-tested plantlets, was handed to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) that received them on behalf of the other national agricultural research systems.

    The handing over was held at the Genetics Technologies International Ltd, a tissue culture-based laboratory based in Nairobi, Kenya, that was tasked with mass multiplication of the varieties.

    The remaining varieties are still undergoing mass multiplication and will be sent out later.

    {{Efficient distribution}}

    At the event, Dr Joseph Ochieng, assistant director, KARI, said it marked an important step in the effort to control the two diseases in the collaborating countries.

    He thanked all the partner organisations for their effort in collecting, cleaning up, and multiplying the varieties.

    “The next task will be to ensure that, once these varieties are evaluated and the best varieties are identified, they reach the small-holder farmers by having an efficient seed distribution system in place,” Ochieng added.

    {{Evaluate and choose}}

    Also during the ceremony, Dr Leena Tripathi, IITA Kenya Country Representative, explained, “We are also looking to it to help our farmers cope with climate change as it is able to withstand harsh conditions such as drought and poor soils.

    However, for this to happen we need to control the spread of these two diseases. And one of the most sustainable ways to do so is to develop varieties that have dual resistance.”

    The five countries came together to freely share the best materials that are tolerant to the disease. Each country will have 20 new varieties to evaluate and choose for official release and multiplication to farmers.

    Dr Edward Kanju, the project coordinator, noted, “We have also taken steps to ensure that we are not spreading the diseases from one country to another and that the materials that we are distributing are virus free.”

    {{To increase yields}}

    Each country will receive 300 plantlets of the 25 varieties, which they will multiply in bulk and test across different cassava-growing areas to fast-track efforts to provide farmers with these varieties.

    Currently, the cassava yield in the five countries is very low averaging eight to nine tonnes per hectare but with these new varieties, yield could go up to 20 tonnes per hectare.

    To date, despite all the breeding efforts, no country has developed varieties with resistance to the two diseases and they therefore continue to spread in the region.

    However, varieties that are tolerant—showing mild symptoms but still giving acceptable yields—have been officially released and many more are in the final stages of official release in project target countries.

    {{About the Project}}

    This exchange of material is one of the key activities of the project, New Cassava Varieties and Clean Seed to Combat CMD and CBSD, led by IITA and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    {NMG}

  • Europe Starts Mars Site Selection

    Europe Starts Mars Site Selection

    {{The European Space Agency (Esa) has published the “longlist” of eight sites it is considering as a destination for the ExoMars rover.}}

    The 300kg vehicle will be put on the surface of the Red Planet in January 2019 to search for evidence of past or present life.

    It should operate for at least seven months and will carry a drill to probe up to 2m underground.

    The sites are generally clustered in a relatively tight zone close to the equator. They are: Hypanis Vallis, Simud Vallis, Mawrth, Oxia Planum (x2), Coogoon Valles, Oxia Palus and Southern Isidis.

    The ExoMars Landing Site Selection Working Group is meeting now in Madrid to begin the process of downselection.

    The teams that proposed these locations will make their case during the Spanish gathering (two, virtually identical proposals were received for Mawrth).

    It is hoped to have a shortlist of no more than four locations in June or July. These will then be intensively studied, calling on new high-resolution pictures and mineralogical data acquired by satellites in orbit at Mars.

    A final decision is likely to be announced in 2017. This will probably take the form of a first choice and a back-up.

    We’ve been talking about ExoMars for a long time. The project has had several ups and downs, but it is now moving positively in the right direction.

    The venture is a joint undertaking with the Russians, who, as well as providing the launch rocket in May 2018, and some of the instrumentation, will also build the landing system.

    This will see the rover enter the Martian atmosphere in 2019 in a protective shell, deploying parachutes and retro-rockets to reduce the descent velocity.

    The robotic vehicle will arrive at the surface on a legged lander, driving down a ramp to begin its grand traverse.

    Everything hinges on a safe touchdown, of course. However, scientifically, it’s vital ExoMars goes to the right place.

    I have used two maps on this page to help explain how the final decision will be made.

  • Kenya Gets US$692mn for Wind Power Project

    Kenya Gets US$692mn for Wind Power Project

    {{Lake Turkana Wind power project in Kenya will receive US$692mn in funds after 11 banking institutions signed a pact to finance the project.}}

    According to officials, construction is likely to begin in June 2014 and the wind farm will have a capacity of 300MW.

    The financiers include Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Standard Bank, PTA Bank, European Investment Bank and East Africa Development Bank, and shareholders will inject US$173mn.

    The US$861mn project is touted to be the largest single wind power scheme in Africa, and will aid consistent power supply in Kenya.

    According to a Kenyan official, a 428km transmission line would be built to transport the electricity from the wind plant.

    Carlo Van Wageningen, chairman of Lake Turkana Wind power project, said, ”Once constructed, Lake Turkana Wind Power will be the largest single wind power project in Africa. It is, to date, the largest single private investment in the history of Kenya.”

    The project expects to produce an initial 100MW in 2016, with the remainder expected to be produced in two years and eight months thereafter, added Van Wageningen.

    Kenya generates 1,664MW of electricity and is working on expanding its power supply by adding 5,000MW by 2017.

    The wind power scheme could help save Kenya up to US$150mn annually in money used to import fuel for thermal power generation, according to project sources.

    {africanreview}

  • Russian-U.S. Crew Blasts off For Space

    Russian-U.S. Crew Blasts off For Space

    {{Two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut blasted off for six-month stay aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday, a partnership unaffected by the political rancor and economic sanctions triggered by Russia’s annexation of Crimea.}}

    The Russian Soyuz rocket carrying cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev and NASA astronaut Steven Swanson lifted off at 5:17 p.m. EDT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

    The trip to the space station, a $100 billion research laboratory that flies about 260 miles above Earth, was scheduled to take about six hours. However, an unknown problem caused the crew’s Soyuz capsule to skip two planned steering maneuvers, delaying the crew’s arrival until Thursday.

    “The crew is in no danger. The Soyuz (is) equipped with plenty of consumables to go even beyond the next two days, should that be become necessary. Nobody expects that that will be the case,” mission commentator Rob Navias said during a NASA Television broadcast.

    Russian flight controllers expect to get more information about why the Soyuz’s thrusters failed to fire when the capsule flies over ground communications stations later on Tuesday.

    “Initial information indicates the problem may have been the spacecraft was not in the proper orientation for the burn,” NASA said in a status report posted on its website.

    Russia’s state television channel Rossiya-24 quoted national space agency Roscosmos as saying the flight of the Soyuz spaceship was now taking place “in a reserve mode” after its orientation engines failed to ignite.

    “It’s all normal on board,” it said.

    Docking was tentatively retargeted for 7:58 p.m. EDT on Thursday.

    Several hours before the docking, Soyuz will make a final emergency maneuver to enter the orbit of the space station, RIA news agency quoted a Russian space official as saying.

    The arrival of Skvortsov, Artemyev and Swanson will return the station to a full six-member crew. The orbital outpost, a project of 15 nations, has been short-staffed since two other cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut returned to Earth on March 11.

    The space station partnership, overseen by the United States and Russia, so far has been immunized from the political and economic fallout following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.

    “We don’t want to see political turmoil and it could ultimately get in the way of our spaceflight, but from the operator standpoint … this is absolutely a non-issue for us,” NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, who is due to fly to the station in May, said in a CBS News interview on March 18.

    Agencies

  • Zambezi Dam Could Collapse

    Zambezi Dam Could Collapse

    {{In Zambia, the Zambezi River Authority has allayed fears that the Kariba Dam wall faces imminent collapse, saying it was in a stable state, while a series of rehabilitation works are required to avoid gradual degradation. }}

    ZRA’s clarification came as Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and his Energy and Power Development counterpart Dzikamai Mavhaire are scheduled to meet Zambian officials over the matter in Kariba today.

    In a statement yesterday, ZRA spokesperson Ms Elizabeth Karonga expressed regret over the misrepresentation of facts about the alleged impending collapse of the dam wall.

    “While the situation at the Kariba Dam wall is cause for grave concern, the engineers on the ground have the situation under control,” she said.

    “This does not translate to an immediate calamity. However, all urgency is expected in order to avert such catastrophe as dam failure.”
    ZRA is a corporate body jointly owned by Zimbabwe and Zambia through bilateral agreements to co-manage the shared stretch of the Zambezi River and it has been managing Lake Kariba and its attendant infrastructure to facilitate and support hydro-power generation through the two countries’ power utility companies.

    Ms Karonga attributed stories on the dam collapse to the co-operating partners’ conference held early this year in Livingstone, Zambia, to mobilise funds for the Kariba Dam wall rehabilitation.

    She said the information denoted scenarios that could occur should ZRA fail to carry out maintenance and monitoring on the dam wall.
    “ZRA carries out inspections and surveys twice a year on the Kariba Dam,” she said.

    “In addition, every five years, a special safety inspection is undertaken with experts from France who were involved in the original design of the dam, with the last inspection having been undertaken in 2010.

    “Other ad hoc inspections are conducted from time to time when required.”
    Ms Karonga said several other instruments in the dam wall measure stress, changes or movement in the wall, water pressure and drainage.

    “These are continually inspected and have remained intact over the last 54 years,” she said.
    “In recent years, concern has been raised over the safety of the Kariba Dam wall, which was built over 50 years ago (and) the dam wall now requires a series of rehabilitation works in order to avoid gradual degradation of key dam safety features, while maintaining operation levels acceptable in accordance with international operating standards.”

    Ms Karonga said ZRA had also identified undertaking critical dam maintenance programmes in its five year strategic plan (2010-2014) and these were being implemented, while a lasting solution was sought.

    She identified these as the plunge pool re-shaping, requiring stabilisation to limit scouring and erosion that could undermine the dam foundation, leading to dam failure.

    “There is also the spillway refurbishment that involves designing, fabrication and installation of an emergency gate and a new gantry to prevent uncontrolled loss of water in the event of floodgate failure, which would result in dropping water levels below minimum operational levels and interrupting power production.”

    The programme, according to Ms Karonga, would also include the refurbishment of the upstream stop-beam guides and replacement of secondary concrete to prevent failure during operation of stop-beams.

    She said Zimbabwe and Zambia had appointed a resource mobilisation committee to ensure concerted resource mobilisation efforts for the critical works and other projects.

    {herald}