Knowledge Update

Kathmandu, Oct 21 (IANS) The Asian Development Bank has shown concern over low disbursement of its committed aid to Nepal. Only 66 per cent of its total pledged aid has been disbursed as of September 30.

Sydney, Oct 21 (IANS) Researchers have discovered a new species of long-necked dinosaurs in northeastern Australia that could have arrived from South America 105 million years ago, officials said on Friday.

The Savannasaurus elliottorum were between 12-15 metres long with a long neck, a relatively short tail and hips around 1.5 metres wide, EFE news reported.

The Savannasaurus belong to a branch of the sauropods known as titanosaurs, the largest land animals to have inhabited the Earth, Stephen Poropat, of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History (AAOD), said.

The paleontologist, whose study was published in the journal Scientific Reports, said they could recover only 20-25 per cent of the Savannasaurus, mostly parts belonging to its torso, limbs and the pelvis.

"Because they are very large animals it would take a fair bit of sediment to bury it before predators come along," Poropat said.

He added that teeth of carnivorous dinosaurs were also found at the site, which suggests there might have been scavenging of the remains of the Savannasaurus.

The first fossils of these titanosaurs were found in 2005 by grazier David Elliot, the chairman of AAOD in Winston in Queensland state.

Shortly after the AAOD and the Queensland Museum began excavating the fossil site, but it was nearly a decade till they could remove the bones from the rocks in which they were encrusted.

Besides the Savannasaurus, Poropat also described another dinosaur in his study that was discovered in Australia in 2009, Diamantinasaurus matildae, whose excavation enabled the discovery of the first skull of a sauropod in the country.

The discovery of the Savannasaurus and the Diamantinasaurus have sparked a controversy over the origin of the titanosaurs in Australia.

Earlier studies on megafauna suggested they were similar to dinosaurs from Laurasia, the ancient supercontinental landmass in the Northern Hemisphere.

However, Poropat argued against that theory explaining that Laurasia and Gondwana - which gave rise to the continental masses of the Southern Hemisphere: South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica - were separated.

According to the expert, the discovery shows the Savannasaurus and the Diamantinasaurus arrived from South America 105 million years ago through the Antarctica during an era of warmer temperatures and when the three continents were connected.

​New York, Oct 21 (IANS) Social hierarchy affects our health and uncertainty of staying at top in this hierarchy may increase the risk of chronic diseases, suggests new research.

According to the study, the findings apply to those uncertain at the top of the social hierarchy as also to those uncertain of their status in lower ranking, though the latter may have opportunities for upward mobility and this may be associated with better health. 

"Low social status is generally thought to lead to poorer health, yet so many exceptions undermine this apparent association that it is difficult to draw a direct relationship between status and health," said one of the researchers, Jessica Vandeleest from University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in the US.

Although the experiment was carried out in monkeys, the researchers believe that the findings could one day help doctors learn more about the way that social hierarchy affects the health of humans.

For the study, the researchers measured the level of certainty or uncertainty of social status in captive rhesus monkey groups. 

They did this by observing how the monkeys interacted with each other -- in cases where the monkeys were not interacting directly with other monkeys, their relationships were inferred through mutual social connections. 

The team used these indirect connections to decipher the social rank of the animals and how well they fit in the hierarchy.

The researchers discovered that high ranking monkeys with low certainty of their social status showed higher markers of inflammation, which can be a sign of a chronic disease state such as diabetes, than those with very certain status.

So high-ranking monkeys may experience some health risks, but only when their position is questionable and they are consequently at risk of losing their status.

The opposite pattern was found for low ranking monkeys - high dominance certainty was associated with higher markers of inflammation, whereas low certainty was associated with lower levels of inflammatory proteins. 

The study, published in the journal PeerJ suggests that uncertainty alone may be a risk factor for acute diseases, and that uncertainty in status over longer periods in relationship to rank are related to chronic disease states as well.

New York, Oct 21 (IANS) Researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed an inexpensive, simple method that allows them to convert footsteps into usable electricity.

The method puts to good use a common waste material -- wood pulp. 

The pulp, which is already a common component of flooring, is partly made of cellulose nanofibers. 

They are tiny fibers that, when chemically treated, produce an electrical charge when they come in contact with untreated nanofibers.

When the nanofibers are embedded within flooring, they are able to produce electricity that can be harnessed to power lights or charge batteries. 

And because wood pulp is a cheap, abundant and renewable waste product of several industries, flooring that incorporates the new technology could be as affordable as conventional materials.

While there are existing similar materials for harnessing footstep energy, they are costly, nonrecyclable, and impractical at a large scale.

"We've been working a lot on harvesting energy from human activities. One way is to build something to put on people, and another way is to build something that has constant access to people. The ground is the most-used place," said Xudong Wang, Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The team's method published in the journal Nano Energy is the latest in a green energy research field called "roadside energy harvesting" that could, in some settings, rival solar power -- and it does not depend on fair weather. 

Researchers like Wang who study roadside energy harvesting methods see the ground as holding great renewable energy potential well beyond its limited fossil fuel reserves.

New York, Oct 20 (IANS) Whole grain diet may help to significantly lower the risk of heart disease in overweight and obese adults who are under the age of 50, finds a new study.

​Florence, Oct 21 (IANS/AKI) Archaeologists have unearthed a luxurious ancient Roman villa complete with thermal baths and stunning mosaics near the central Italian city of Florence in what they described as an "exceptional" find.

"This is a completely exceptional building," said Federico Cantini, from the University of Pisa, who is leading the dig.

Such large and well preserved ancient Roman villas have only previously been found in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, which Constantine the Great founded as the new capital of the Roman Empire in 330 AD.

The sprawling aristocratic villa, located in a private property in the village of Capraia, has a hexagonal design with intact coloured mosaic floors including an oval mosaic with a wild boar hunting scene in its central reception room.

An inscribed slab of stone at the site refers to the villa's owner, fourth century AD pagan Roman senator Vettius Agorius Praetextatus, according to Cantini.

Praetextatus, who at the time of his death in 384 AD was praetorian prefect at the court of Emperor Valentinian II, completely refurbished the villa, which originally dates from the first century AD.

The villa was abandoned and plundered in the sixth century AD.

​Shillong, Oct 20 (IANS) Come Friday, and all roads in Meghalaya will lead to Madan Kurkalang in Bhoirymbong, Ri-Bhoi district for the seventh edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender, one of the biggest music festivals in India.

The two-day festival, which will entertain the region's music enthusiasts on October 21 and 22, will see many maiden performances by international and national artistes.

The international artistes expected are Steven Wilson, Natty, Rhythm Shaw, River, Mali, The Ritornellos and Vertical Horizon.

While the Indian part will include Farhan Live, Kumail, What Escapes Me, Elephant In The Elevator and Wild Palms.

They will perform over the weekend at the Shillong edition, and are expected to make it a night to remember for all music aficionados.

Other popular local artistes who will be performing at the festival this year will be Papon and Lucid Recess from Guwahati; Soulmate: History of the Blues, Aberrant, Blue Temptation and Dossers Urge from Shillong; Alobo Naga & Band from Dimapur and Imphal Talkies from Imphal.

The Shillong leg of the festival will host five stages - Bacardi Arena, The Dewarists, The Breezer Vivid Village, Bacardi House Party and Insider.

"Following the overwhelming response we got last year, we decided to start the festival from Shillong again this year. So here we come again," Only Much Louder's COO Vijay Nair said.

"It was one of the best Bacardi NH7 Weekender editions we have ever had. The support we received during the weekend from everyone - the local and state authorities, our fantastic local production and security crews," Nair said.

He also praised their brand partners, and the fans - "who were amazing". 

The NH7 weekender will have imaginative stage designs, exquisite art installations, eclectic food options and a specially curated bazaar for artists, craftspeople, DIYers and hobbyist entrepreneurs to showcase their creativity.

"I am super excited about playing at Shillong. Me being from the region and add to it the beautiful setting - surrounded by hills that no city location can beat - makes the Shillong edition of the Bacardi NH7 Weekender provide for a great exposure along with quality music and fun," singing sensation Agaraag 'Papon' Mahanta said.

Papon also termed the Shillong leg of the festival as one of the best musical extravaganza unfolding in the Northeast. "The Shillong edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender is definitely one of the best festivals I have played at, in terms of the vibe," he said.

Papon added that the region deserved such an initiative and the team behind OML has been instrumental in giving the region one of its biggest musical extravaganzas.

"The people of the Northeast deserved something like this, something of this magnitude. It's a remote region, so hats off to OML for taking the music to Shillong. It's great exposure for the region, and for the young people who are so talented with such great music traditions," the Assamese singer said.

Excited about his debut at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Shillong, noted singer Alobo Naga said, "We are happy and excited to be a part of the festival this year. Such music festivals are not only a treat for music lovers in the region as they get a chance to hear popular national and international bands and performers but also open doors for people from other parts of the country to travel and explore the region... a win-win situation."

Elaborate arrangements are being made by outdoor accommodation providers who are looking to house music lovers during the festival in tents and camps. Camp site Kite Manja, situated within 1.5 km of the venue, is planning to accommodate over 150 people. An additional 50 people will be provided with facilities if they bring their own tents. "On the first day of our tie-up with Make My Trip, we got 15 tent bookings. Seeing such a response, we have increased our capacity to 150 from our initial plan of 100 tents," Founder and Programme Director at Kite Manja, Jnandip Borgohain said.

Jnandip said the festival has been a boon for the local economy as the flow of music lovers to the city will add to many more allied activities.

"Festivals like Bacardi NH7 Weekender provide lots of opportunities to local people in terms of employment. At our campsite, a lot of local population is working. A lot of visitors will come to Shillong in the next many days and this indeed is a big boost to the local economy," he said.

​New York, Oct 21 (IANS) Parents may please take note that it is just not all right to hand your child a smartphone to calm him/her down at home even if it helps keep peace in the house, according to the new guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Friday.

Although there are specific instances when using digital media as a soothing tool is helpful, such as on airplanes or during medical procedures, parents should avoid using media as the only way to calm down children, the authors noted.

Using devices as a common soothing strategy may limit children's ability to regulate their own emotions, said one of the lead authors of the statement Jenny Radesky from University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in the US.

"Digital media has become an inevitable part of childhood for many infants, toddlers and preschoolers, but research is limited on how this affects their development," Radesky noted.

"What we do know is that early childhood is a time of rapid brain development, when children need time to play, sleep, learn to handle emotions, and build relationships. Research still suggests that excessive media use can get in the way of these important activities. Our statement highlights ways families and pediatricians can help manage a healthy balance," Radesky noted.

For children aged two to five years, media should be limited to one hour a day, the statement said, and it should involve high-quality programming or something parents and kids can view or engage with together.

With the exception of video-chatting, digital media should also be avoided in children younger than 18 months old, the authors noted.

Too much time using digital media in the wrong way is linked to children's quality of sleep, child development and physical health, according to the guidelines.

​New York, Oct 21 (IANS) An Indian-American researcher and his team have created life-size 3D hand models, complete with all five fingerprints using a high-resolution 3D printer that can produce the same ridges and valleys as a real finger.

Like any optical device, fingerprint and hand scanners need to be calibrated, but currently there is no standard method for doing so.

"This is the first time a whole hand 3D target has been created to calibrate fingerprint scanners," said Distinguished Professor Anil Jain from Michigan State University (MSU). 

"As a byproduct of this research, we realised a fake 3D hand, essentially a spoof, with someone's fingerprints, could potentially allow a crook to steal the person's identity to break into a vault, contaminate a crime scene or enter the country illegally," Jain cautioned.

Jain and his biometrics team were studying how to test and calibrate fingerprint scanners commonly used across the globe at police departments, airport immigration counters, banks and even amusement parks. 

To test the scanners, they created life-size 3D hand models complete with all five fingerprints.

"Another application of this technology will be to evaluate the spoof-resistance of commercial fingerprint scanners. We have highlighted a security loophole and the limitations of existing fingerprint scanning technology, now it's up to the scanner manufacturers to design a scanner that is spoof-resistant," Jain noted in a university statement. 

The study aims to design and develop standard models and procedures for consistent and reliable evaluation of fingerprint readers and is funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

"We are very pleased with this research and how it is showing the uncertainties in the process and what it can mean for the accuracy of the readers," said Nicholas Paulter, Group Leader for the Security Technologies Group at NIST and a co-author of the study. 

The FBI, CIA, military and manufacturers will all be interested in this project, he added.

Along with Jain and Paulter, the study was co-authored by Sunpreet Arora, MSU doctoral student. 

It's the era of the 'platform' business model, which crafts value by easing connections between consumers and producers. Facebook, Airbnb, Uber, Apple, Ola (Taxi Services in India), Careem (Dubai) are all efficacious models of businesses instituted on platform thinking. This is extremely different from the old business models, where value creation