2014/06/11

Learn how plants reproduce

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 No comments

Learn how plants reproduce:

Flowering plants require not one but two sperm cells for successful fertilisation.

Plants give us life, but how do they reproduce has long been a mystery. Now, biologists from the University of Leicester have undressed the genetic hierarchy in plant sperm cell formation.

The researchers have discovered a pair of proteins made by flowering plants that are vital for the production of the sperm present within each pollen grain.

“We often take for granted sexual reproduction in plants and its role in our lives. It is a complex process and it is only recently that we are beginning to get a grip on the underlying mechanisms,” explained David Twell, professor at University of Leicester’s department of biology.

Flowering plants require not one but two sperm cells for successful fertilisation — one to join with the egg cell to produce the embryo and the other to join with a second cell to produce the nutrient-rich endosperm inside the seed.

The mystery of this “double fertilization” process is how each single pollen grain is able to produce twin sperm cells.

Researchers have found a pair of genes called DAZ1 and DAZ2 that are essential for making twin sperm cells.

Plants with mutated versions of DAZ1 and DAZ2 produce pollen grains with a single sperm that is unable to fertilise.

DAZ1 and DAZ2 are controlled by the protein DUO1 that acts as a “master switch”.

“DUO1 and the DAZ1/DAZ2 genes work in tandem to control a gene network that ensures a pair of fertile sperm is made inside each pollen grain,” Twell noted.

Interestingly, DAZ1 and DAZ2 perform their role by cooperating with a “repressor” protein called TOPLESS.

TOPLESS acts as a brake on unwanted gene activity that would otherwise halt sperm and seed production.

“We hope to further demystify the fascinating process — of how plants make the fertile sperm inside the pollen grains — that are essential for the vast majority of our food crop production,” researchers emphasised.

Such information may become increasingly important as we strive to breed superior crops that maintain yield in a changing climate, scientists concluded in a study published in the journal Plant Cell.

24 city students feared washed away in HP

Monday, June 09, 2014 No comments

24 city students feared washed away in HP

At least 24 engineering college students from Hyderabad were feared washed away in river Beas in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh late on Sunday evening.

The students were reportedly washed away by the flash floods that occurred in the river after water was released from the upstream Larji Hydro electric project. The engineering students who had entered the river bank on the Mandi-Manali highway were apparently taking photographs at Thalot.

The sudden surge of water swept away at least 18 boys and 6 girls of VNR Institute of Engineering and Technology catching them completely unaware. The college is located in Bachupally on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

There were 61 tourists, including 48 students of the engineering college, who were travelling to the hill station of Manali. Out of 24 missing students, 6 were girls, police said.

The local administration said the gates at Pandoh dam in Mandi, about 15 kms downstream, have been shut to fish out the bodies. The vehicular traffic on the busy Mandi-Manali highway has also been closed to conduct the rescue operations.

The students were on an industrial tour and left Hyderabad on June 3. One of the students, Pratyusha who saved herself said that they were on their way to Kullu from Shimla and they were taking pictures on the river bed. Some students went a bit deep into the waters and they couldn’t rush back as the gushing waters swept them away.

“The project officials had sounded an alert but we did not hear it,” she said sobbing uncontrollably seeking the help of the media to bring them back. “There has been no assistance so far from the HP authorities except for the police grilling us about the number of students,” she lamented.

Resident Commissioner:

Andhra Pradesh Resident Commissioner Shashank Goel said that information given by the Mandi Deputy Commissioner Dwesh Kumar said: “The Deputy Commissioner has not confirmed any casualties.”

Himachal Pradesh officials said that the students who were feared washed away could surface in Pandoh dam, which is 15 kms downstream of the site of the tragedy. “Himachal Pradesh officials have requisitioned the services of divers and rafts to take up relief and rescue operations,” Mr. Goel said adding that a two-member team of AP Bhavan – P.Ravin Shankar (Assistant Commissioner) and M. V. S. Rama Rao (Protocol Officer) are leaving by the first flight to Kullu, which has an airport.

Four in 10 Americans believe God created earth 10,000 years ago

Monday, June 09, 2014 No comments

Four in 10 Americans believe God created earth 10,000 years ago

This image provided by NASA and posted to Twitpic by astronaut Douglas Wheelock on Oct. 31, 2010 shows a night view of the Nile River winding up through the Egyptian desert toward the Mediterranean as seen from the International Space Station.

This may come as a shock to you but nearly 40 per cent U.S. citizens reject the evolution theory and believe that God created earth around 10,000 years ago.

According to a new Gallup poll, four in 10 Americans believe God created earth and anatomically modern humans around 10,000 years ago.

About half of Americans believe humans evolved over millions of years, with most of those people saying that God guided the process.

Religious, less educated, and older respondents were likelier to espouse a young earth creationist view — that life was created some 6,000 to 10,000 years ago — according to Gallup’s “Values and Beliefs Survey”.

“Though the per centage of people who believe in creationism has changed little over the decades, the per centage of people who believe humans evolved without God has more than doubled,” the poll suggested.

As part of the survey, Gallup called a random sample of 1,028 landline and cellphone users.

About 42 per cent espoused the creationist view presented whereas 31 per cent said God guided the evolutionary process. Just 19 per cent said they believe evolution operated without God being involved.

A 2013 Pew survey showed that about 80 per cent of Americans believe in miracles and three—quarters believe in the virgin birth of Jesus.

Guide to Buying a Quality Acoustic Guitar

Wednesday, June 04, 2014 No comments

Guide to Buying a Quality Acoustic Guitar

A no-nonsense guide to buying an acoustic guitar, for the beginner or seasoned player.

Whether you are planning on purchasing your first acoustic guitar, or whether you are adding to your collection, it is always best to do a little refresher on the fine craft of guitar-making before making the commitment. Several years ago, I had a decent beginner guitar become “not so decent” as my skill and discernment improved. It's not that the guitar changed, but that my understanding of what makes a quality guitar improved, as well as my ear for a fine acoustic guitar sound. Before making your first purchase, read this overview to be sure to purchase the best beginner acoustic guitarfor your money. If you are a more advanced player, this will also serve as a good resource to help you inspect your next major guitar purchase to be sure it is the best for your investment.

Understand Quality Materials-
When I was a kid, my older brother's friend disobeyed his parents and he made a cake when they were not around. Only, instead of using a few cups of sugar, he mistook salt for sugar. I got to taste a bit of that old cake and believe me, it drew your mouth worse than a lemon. Needless to say, this same principle applies to guitar making. You can't make a quality guitar from the wrong or inferior ingredients.
Many guitar companies are using laminates (layered, glued woods), composites (plastics) and other conglomerate material to form the backs and sides of guitars, affecting the overall tone quality and long -term value. In order to get the most out of your guitar career, it is best to purchase the highest quality guitar you can afford. Inferior models will at some point prove disappointing, so it is best to do all of your homework to understand what makes a quality guitar.

The Body Materials (top, back and sides)
For the top of the guitar, or the soundboard, look for quality Sitka Spruce as the most common quality tonewood used for steel string guitar tops. A few other alternatives for the top are Engelmann Spruce, Cedar (which is the primary wood used for classical guitar tops), Mahogany, Maple, and Koa. All of these materials produce different tones and project better in different frequency ranges.

For the back and sides of the guitar, some cheaper materials have been used in recent years, such as composites, laminated woods (or fine plywood), pressed wood composites, and a few other plastic derivatives and natural materials. In order to make a good investment in a guitar that will keep it's value, and grow in quality with age, you should focus on guitars that use some of the following tonewoods for the back and sides:

Indian or Brazilian Rosewood (full projecting sound in low, mid and high range)

Mahogany (bright, punchy sound in the mid and high range – less bass projection)

Maple (less overall projection, with more sound coming from the mid and upper range)

Sapele (more mid and upper range tones similar in richness to Mahogany)

Koa (very warm, lush sound used in Hawaiian guitars)

There are other less popular and more exotic woods, as well as alternate species of some of the woods listed above that are also quality, but the list mentioned above are the most commonly used solid tonewoods. For the longevity and value of the instrument, it is best to avoid laminates and composites that are used in mass produced acoustic guitars to retain an authentic acoustic guitar sound.

Finish: The guitar finish is a personal preference, but you should inspect it under various angles of light to find any flaws or blemishes. Overall, it is best to understand 3 basic finished and how they affect the sound of a guitar.

High gloss or Glossy: These guitars will project the most sound with the brightest character.

Satin: Just like house paint, acoustic guitar finishes come in satin. Satin finished create a more mellow sound than a high gloss finish will, and will take the edge off of the bright tones or high end in general.

Dull or flat: Some guitars are finished with such a flat coat that it is difficult to tell whether it has been given a finish coat. The dull or flat coat will give the guitar the least projection and the warmest tone, having the least “edginess” or “crispness”.

Tuners:
The tuners, tuning keys, or machine heads are also very important. Tuning keys that are low quality or are fairly loose when wound taut with string are not very reliable and can cause the guitar to lose tune often and easily. Good machine heads are necessary for a quality guitar and guitar sound.

Strings:
Although strings have a significant affect on the sound and overall tone personality of the acoustic guitar, they are not very important in the purchase decision because they are easily replaceable and are not a permanent structure of the guitar.

Set or Action:
When you buy a new guitar, the action has been set at the factory. The action refers to the height of the strings from the fretboard and the bow in the neck (controlled by tightening or loosening of the truss rod – which should be done by a technician unless you really know what you are doing). Usually, this can be adjusted to find the optimum setting for the best projection, lowest action for playability without being too low and causing what is called “fret buzz”. Strings that are set too high are difficult to play. Strings that are set too low are easy to chord and play, yet they can cause an unwanted sound or buzz on the fretboard. Most quality guitars have a truss-rod and a certified technician can alter the set or action to suit your ability and comfort preferences.

Overall craftsmanship and “gut feel”.
Finally, when you have done all of your research to determine what makes a quality guitar, and what kind of sound you prefer, give the guitar one last critique. Look at the seams and bindings. Read other reviews from more advanced players instead of beginners (often beginners do not understand and can give a quality review based on excitement rather than a seasoned eye and ear). Feel the guitar in your hands if you can to see whether it feels flimsy or solid (unless you are buying online which is perfectly advisable, as long as thorough research is done and you are confident and comfortable with your decision). Finally, be at peace that you did your best. As long as you did all of your homework and are able to understand all of the qualities and “specs” of your acoustic guitar purchase, then you should find a good instrument for your money.

Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions ( TNEA - 2014 )

Wednesday, June 04, 2014 Anna University 2014, Anna University Updates, counselling-2014, Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions( TNEA - 2014 ) No comments

Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions
( TNEA - 2014 )

Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission (TNEA) is the process through which more than 1.5 lakh engineering aspirants get themselves enrolled into engineering colleges of Tamil Nadu through single window counselling.

Latest Notifications

Counselling Procedure

educationalblog99.blogspot.in

More than 100 Keyboard Shortcuts must read

Keyboard Shorcuts (Microsoft Windows)

1. CTRL+C (Copy)
2. CTRL+X (Cut)
3. CTRL+V (Paste)
4. CTRL+Z (Undo)
5. DELETE (Delete)
6. SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
7. CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
8. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
9. F2 key (Rename the selected item)
10. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
11. CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
12. CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
13. CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
14. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
15. CTRL+A (Select all)
16. F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
17. ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)
18. ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
19. ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)
20. ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
21. CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents opensimultaneou sly)
22. ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)
23. ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)
24. F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
25. F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
26. SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
27. ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)
28. CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
29. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu) Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
30. F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
31. RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)
32. LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)
33. F5 key (Update the active window)
34. BACKSPACE (View the folder onelevel up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
35. ESC (Cancel the current task)
36. SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROMinto the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)

Dialog Box - Keyboard Shortcuts

1. CTRL+TAB (Move forward through the tabs)
2. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the tabs)
3. TAB (Move forward through the options)
4. SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the options)
5. ALT+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option)
6. ENTER (Perform the command for the active option or button)
7. SPACEBAR (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)
8. Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)
9. F1 key (Display Help)
10. F4 key (Display the items in the active list)
11. BACKSPACE (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Shortcuts
1. Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)
2. Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)
3. Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)
4. Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows)
5. Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restorethe minimized windows)
6. Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)
7. Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)
8. CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)
9. Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)
10. Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)
11. Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)
12. Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)
13. Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts
14. Right SHIFT for eight seconds (Switch FilterKeys either on or off)
15. Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (Switch High Contrast either on or off)
16. Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK (Switch the MouseKeys either on or off)
17. SHIFT five times (Switch the StickyKeys either on or off)
18. NUM LOCK for five seconds (Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off)
19. Windows Logo +U (Open Utility Manager)
20. Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts
21. END (Display the bottom of the active window)
22. HOME (Display the top of the active window)
23. NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
24. NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder)

MMC COnsole Windows Shortcut keys

1. SHIFT+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)
2. F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)
3. F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
4. CTRL+F10 (Maximize the active console window)
5. CTRL+F5 (Restore the active console window)
6. ALT+ENTER (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for theselected item)
7. F2 key (Rename the selected item)
8. CTRL+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console)

Remote Desktop Connection Navigation
1. CTRL+ALT+END (Open the Microsoft Windows NT Security dialog box)
2. ALT+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right)
3. ALT+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left)
4. ALT+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
5. ALT+HOME (Display the Start menu)
6. CTRL+ALT+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)
7. ALT+DELETE (Display the Windows menu)
8. CTRL+ALT+Minus sign (-) (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)
9. CTRL+ALT+Plus sign (+) (Place asnapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboardand provide the same functionality aspressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

Microsoft Internet Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts
1. CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)
2. CTRL+E (Open the Search bar)
3. CTRL+F (Start the Find utility)
4. CTRL+H (Open the History bar)
5. CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar)
6. CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box)
7. CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)
8. CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box,the same as CTRL+L)
9. CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box)
10. CTRL+R (Update the current Web )