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Getting grass to fight
terrorism
When June Medford came up with the idea to use tiny weeds as weapons in
the war against terror, she figured people would call it a joke. But US
government didn't laugh. Now armed with a half million-dollar grant from
the Pentagon, the plant biologist is trying to genetically engineer
Arabidopsis plants to change color rapidly if they sense a biological or
chemical agent. If it works, the technology could be used to turn forest
evergreens, backyard shrubs or even pond algae into sentinels for
scientists. Medford's lab is among scores across the US where scientists
and entrepreneurs are working on products that could help the US prevent
or respond to another terrorist attack. In Virginia, a biologist is
trapping insects such as beetles, crickets, bees and moths to see whether
they could be used as environmental monitors of biological land chemical
agents. In Menlo Park, California, researchers are trying to develop a
handheld voice-recognition translator that could help federal border
agents communicate with foreigners seeking to enter the US. Outside
Chicago, workers at a small research company are seeking to devise an
inexpensive DNA detector that could be used by people with no background
in molecular biology to diagnose, quickly and accurately, an infectious
disease such as smallpox.
Hindustan Times - May 29,
2003
Scientists look inside
the brain to catch liars.
Philadelphia: In the quest to build a better
lie detector, scientists are seeking to go beyond the body's indirect
signals to the very seat of deceit: the brain. Britton Chance, a
bio-physicist at the University of Pennsylvania, leads the headband
project, which uses near-infrared light to peek at the brain's prefrontal
cortex, the place where people make decisions - and where lies are born.
The Times of India - June 9, 2003
National Guard Bureau's
Automated Exercise and Assessment System (AEAS)
Easily deployed on personal computers, the
AEAS can be used to test readiness for WMD incidents, receive immediate
feedback on command decisions, observe the consequences of those
decisions, and receive response assessments on multiple levels.
AEAS allows the participating community to use its actual resources
against an incident in a geo-typical community. It is capable of
accommodating up to 20 participants on individually networked computers.
Each participant plays one of 41 different roles panning the entire
spectrum of emergency response activation. The software has simulated
e-mail and radio traffic generated by the players. The entire assessment
process takes approximately 12-14 hours and begins with an actual survey
of available local resources which are logged into the system to be
utilized during the expanding scenario. At the conclusion of the exercise,
AEAS provides a detailed, printable after-action report (AAR), containing
a diary of all exercise actions and their consequences.
The software is free to any jurisdiction and interested emergency response
and emergency management officials may request a copy of the CD at:
https://firstmuster.ngb.army.mil/aeas/ Science Applications
International Corporation, SAIC, provides three installation and training
packages and one train- he trainer package. Contact Mike Kerrigan at (407)
243-3751 or email aeas@orl.saic.com.
DERA Newsletter
from USA -June 2003
First GPS-equipped
electric bicycle to hit roads
Tokyo: National Bicycle Industrial Co. Ltd., an
affiliate of Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial, will launch the
world's first electric power-assisted bicycles in Japan in mid-August,
which will be equipped with GPS enabling owners to trace stolen bikes.
This, it is hoped, will deter theft.
The Indian
Express - June 18, 2003
Singapore launches driverless train
Singapore -
June 20, 2003 - A fully automated underground computer train system,
billed as the world's first, began carrying passengers in Singapore on
Friday. The new $4.6 billion (Singapore) North-East mass rapid transmit
line connects several of the city-state's main tourist destinations -
including Chinatown, Little India and the Harborfront - to the existing
subway system. Trains on the 20 km line will not have drivers, but
customer service representatives will be on board every train for at least
the first three months of operation to assist passengers. "As in any
complex system, teething problems can occur. This will not be a 100
percent perfect system form day one," the SBS Transit chief operating
officer, Ong Boon Leong, said in a statement. About 250,000 commuters are
expected to travel on new line each day and SBS Transit expects to break
even within two to three years.
The Hindu - June 21, 2003
EU may issue digital chip passports
Porto Carras (Greece) -
June 21, 2003 - European Union governments may soon issue passports
containing computer chips embedded with digital fingerprints or eye scans,
according to a plan approved by European leaders on Friday. The
"biometric" data would allow police officers to verify the authenticity of
European passports, which have been counterfeited in significant numbers
in recent years. The chips would also be implanted in visas given to non-EU
citizens, making it easier for governments to keep track of foreigners as
they travel through borderless Europe. But it could also become one of the
most controversial. Privacy activists oppose the computer chip idea,
saying it could lead governments to track individually more closely with
detailed personal information. "There is a complete lack of any kind of
accountability with this," said Mr. Trevor Hennings, deputy director of
Statewatch, a British organization that researches privacy issues.
The Asian Age - June 21, 2003
Guard tour brochure
Timekeeping systems of
Solon, Ohio, has published a new 16-page brochure describing its Guard1
Plus and the PIPE. Guard1 Pluss software provides a record of guard tours,
fire extinguisher checks, and safety inspections, and generates
professional reports in Microsoft Word. The PIPE is a rugged data
collector for guard tours. With no moving parts, it is made from stainless
steel with protection against shock and moisture.
Security Management - June 2003
Access control management
Software House, a
business unit of Tyco International's Fire and Security Division, has
released C-CURE 800 version 8.0., which allows organizations to extend
security beyond access control. It combines a person's clearance privilege
with additional criteria, such as, whether a room population has been
reached, a supervisor is required for entry, or clearance to a location
has expired. It also offers area lockout, so that when a cardholder is
accepted at one location, that cardholder is automatically locked out of
another area; this is designed for areas such as laboratories where
cross-contamination is a concern. The software supports the latest feature
set of the iSTAR controller.
Security Management - June 2003
Badge printer
The standalone Eltron
P310 printer form Zebra Technologies Corporation of Camarillo, California,
prints sharp bar codes, ID photos, graphics, and text from edge to edge.
Its easy-to-lead, low maintenance design makes it simple to operate.
Green, yellow, and red LED indicators display printer status, and printer
ribbon synchronization is automatic. The self-cleaning cartridge removes
dust before printing, minimizing missing dots and color-registration
problems.
Security Management - June 2003
Car security system
Hong Kong-based Shield
Guard Ltd. has introduced the SGH1080-AUTO, a wireless car security
system, that combines design, affordability, and ease of use. No
installation is required for this remote controlled motion-detector. The
system includes a 110-dB intruder alarm base unit (with a 70-dB option),
110 degree passive infrared motion-sending PF transmitter with integrated
vibration sensor, and chirp reply remote control. The battery operated
system features a false alarm/initial warning system and 256 secret code
patterns.
Security Management - June 2003
Access control software
Videx of Corvallis,
Oergon, has released version 1.3 of its Cyber Audit software, which
enhances the Cyber Lock System and supports the Cyber Key Authorizer
station with network and modem capabilities. Users can receive their
access privileges and entry authorization daily at the exterior of a
building by inserting their keys into the Authorizer station. A
comprehensive audit trail of all activity is stored in both the locks and
keys. Keys can be programmed to define access privileges and to
automatically expire at a certain time. One key can be programme to access
safes, doorways, cabinets, and padlocks throughout an entire facility.
Security Management - June 2003
Meals ready to wear
Los Angeles - Armies have
traditionally marched on their stomachs but in future they could find
themselves depending on their skin for their food. The US defence
department is sponsoring research into a nutritional patch which soldiers
could wear on duty. The transdermal patches, which like nicotine patches
worn to help quit smoking, are being developed by the National
Nutraceutical, which could be available by 2010 if the private sector
joins the military in develoing them. The patches could be used by troops
in combat zones or while wearing chemical suits.
Hindustan Times - June 25, 2003
Food for Thoughts
Find ecstasy in life;
the mere sense of living is joy enough.
- Emily Dickinson
***
Apparent failure may hold in its rough
shell the germs of a success that
will blossom in time, and bear fruit throughout eternity.
- Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
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