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IPL Auction: Record Price for Pietersen and Flintoff

2009-02-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

England's Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff fetched $1.55 million each at the Indian Premier League player auction Friday, setting a record for the highest amount paid for players in the Twenty20 competition.

Flintoff was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings, which last year set the previous record of $1.5 million for India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Bangalore's Royal Challengers secured Pietersen.

Bangalore's owner Vijay Mallya said he was prepared to pay more for Pietersen.

"It was a very worthwhile investment," Mallya told reporters after the first round of bidding.

"Team balance was important and Kevin was certainly important in maintaining that balance."

England players were not involved in the IPL last year, but have now been permitted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to play for the first three weeks despite a clash with its own domestic season.

South African J.P. Duminy, who starred in his nation's recent successful tour of Australia, was sold for $950,000 to Mumbai Indians, more than three times his reserve price.

Australia paceman Shaun Tait was the first player auctioned, going to defending champions Rajasthan Royals for $375,000, where he will join former Australia teammate Shane Warne.

Rajasthan then made aggressive bids to buy both Pietersen and Flintoff, but could not get either. They later bought New Zealand's Jesse Ryder for $160,000.

The most dramatic bidding came for Bangladesh's Mashrafe bin Mortaza, whose reserved was set at $50,000 but soared to 12 times that amount before Kolkata Knight Riders clinched him for $600,000.

His Bangladesh teammate Mohammad Ashraful went to Mumbai Indians at the base price of $75,000 in the second round after most teams had exhausted their 10-player quota of foreign players.

The prices are for each year of two-year contracts. Last year, the teams had to sign contracts for three years at bid prices.

Cricketers will get paid on a prorata basis depending on their availability for the duration of the six-week tournament. The 2009 IPL season will be held from April 10 to May 29. While England players will only be available for the opening weeks, Australian players will only join late after national team duty.

South Africa's Tyron Henderson fetched the fourth-highest price, going to Rajasthan for $650,000, more than six times his base price, while England all-rounder Ravi Bopara went for $450,000 to King's XI Punjab.

Delhi Daredevils bought England pair Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah for $275,000 each, while Deccan Chargers picked up the West Indies pair of Fidel Edwards ($150,000) and Dwayne Smith ($100,000).

Kyle Mills of New Zealand went to Mumbai Indians for $150,000, while Chennai Super Kings added Sri Lanka's Thilan Thushara to their lineup for $140,000.

West Indies pacemen Jerome Taylor went for his base contract price of $150,000 to King's XI Punjab, while George Bailey, who plays for Australia's Tasmania state team, was the cheapest acquisition at $50,000 to Chennai Super Kings.

Of the 50 players available for bidding, those who did not attract bids included Australia's Stuart Clark and Phil Jaques, England's Luke Wright and Samit Patel, South Africa's Gulam Bodi and Morne van Wyk, and Sri Lanka pair Chamara Kapugedera and Nuwan Kulasekara.

This year's auction was different to that of 2008, when teams had to pick their entire squad. This time they only had to top up their playing lists with a few players to fill in vacancies.

The IPL governing body permitted franchisees to terminate the contracts of the players from Pakistan bought at last year's auction after Pakistan's government prevented its cricketers playing in this year's event owing to political tension between the south Asian neigbors.

February 20, 2008

A summary of the eight rounds in the IPL Players' Auction, held in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Player	Country	Bought by Franchise	Price (in USD)	Base Price (USD)
Round 1: Dhoni fetches the highest price
MS Dhoni	India	Chennai	1.5 m	4,00,000
Adam Gilchrist	Australia	Hyderabad	7,00,000	3,00,000
M Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	Chennai	6,00,000	2,50,000
M Jayawardene	Sri Lanka	Mohali	4,75,000	2,50,000
Shane Warne	Australia	Jaipur	4,50,000	4,50,000
Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	Kolkata	4,25,000	2,50,000
Round 2: Mukesh Ambani-owned Mumbai buys Jayasuriya, Bhajji
Anil Kumble	India	Bangalore	5,00,000	2,50,000
Harbhajan Singh	India	Mumbai	8,50,000	2,50,000
Sanath Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	Mumbai	9,75,000	2,50,000
Kumar Sangakkara	Sri Lanka	Mohali	7,00,000	2,50,000
Glenn McGrath	Australia	-	No bid	3,50,000
Mohammad Yousuf	Pakistan	-	No bid	3,30,000
Round 3: Symonds is second million-dollar player
Ricky Ponting	Australia	Kolkata	4,00,000	3,35,000
Brett Lee	Australia	Mohali	9,00,000	3,00,000
Andrew Symonds	Australia	Hyderabad	1.35m	2,50,000
Michael Hussey	Australia	-	No bid	2,50,000
Daniel Vettori	New Zealand	Delhi	6,25,000	2,50,000
Matthew Hayden	Australia	Chennai	3,75,000	2,25,000
Brendon McCullum	New Zealand	Kolkata	7,00,000	1,75,000
Jacob Oram	New Zealand	Chennai	6,75,000	2,00,000
Round 4: Mallya buys Kallis for US $9,00,000
Stephen Fleming	New Zealand	Chennai	3,50,000	3,50,000
Graeme Smith	South Africa	Jaipur	2,50,000	2,50,000
Herschelle Gibbs	South Africa	Hyderabad	5,75,000	2,50,000
Chris Gayle	West Indies	Kolkata	8,00,000	2,50,000
Shoaib Malik	Pakistan	Delhi	5,00,000	3,00,000
Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	Hyderabad	6,75,000	2,25,000
Younis Khan	Pakistan	Jaipur	2,25,000	2,25,000
Mohammad Asif	Pakistan	Delhi	6,50,000	2,25,000
Jacques Kallis	South Africa	Bangalore	9,00,000	2,25,000
Zaheer Khan	India	Bangalore	4,50,000	2,00,000
S Sreesanth	India	Mohali	6,25,000	2,00,000
Round 5: Dinesh Karthik goes to Delhi
Dinesh Karthik	India	Delhi	5,25,000	2,00,000
AB de Villiers	South Africa	Delhi	3,00,000	2,00,000
Mark Boucher	South Africa	Bangalore	4,50,000	2,00,000
Parthiv Patel	India	Chennai	3,25,000	1,50,000
Kamran Akmal	Pakistan	Jaipur	1,50,000	1,50,000
Tatenda Taibu	Zimbabwe	----	No bid	1,25,000
Round 6: Mohali pays US $9,25,000 for Irfan Pathan
Albie Morkel	South Africa	Chennai	6,75,000	2,25,000
Ajit Agarkar	India	Kolkata	3,50,000	2,00,000
Shaun Pollock	South Africa	Mumbai	5,50,000	2,00,000
Irfan Pathan	India	Mohali	9,25,000	2,00,000
Scott Styris	New Zealand	Hyderabad	1,75,000	1,75,000
Fervez Maharoof	Sri Lanka	Delhi	2,25,000	1,50,000
Tillakaratne Dilshan	Sri Lanka	Delhi	2,50,000	1,50,000
Cameron White	Australia	Bangalore	5,00,000	1,00,000
Yusuf Pathan	India	Jaipur	4,75,000	1,00,000
Joginder Sharma	India	Chennai	2,25,000	1,00,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan	West Indies	--	unsold	2,25,000
Simon Katich	Australia	--	unsold	2,00,000
Justin Langer	Australia	--	unsold	2,00,000
Gautam Gambhir	India	Delhi	7,25,000	2,20,000
Robin Uthappa	India	Mumbai	8,00,000	2,00,000
S Chanderpaul	West Indies	--	unsold	2,00,000
Ashwell Prince	West Indies	--	unsold	1,75,000
VVS Laxman	India	Hyderabad	3,75,000	1,50,000
Wasim Jaffer	India	Bangalore	1,50,000	1,50,000
Rohit Sharma	India	Hyderabad	7,50,000	1,50,000
Loots Bosman	South Africa	--	unsold	1,50,000
Mohammad Kaif	India	Jaipur	6,75,000	1,25,000
Suresh Raina	India	Chennai	6,50,000	1,25,000
Manoj Tiwary	India	Delhi	6,75,000	1,00,000
Chamara Silva	Sri Lanka	Hyderabad	1,00,000	1,00,000
David Hussey	Australia	Kolkata	6,25,000	1,00,000
Round 7: Uthappa, Rohit Sharma hit jackpot
Ramnaresh Sarwan	West Indies	--	unsold	2,25,000
Simon Katich	Australia	--	unsold	2,00,000
Justin Langer	Australia	--	unsold	2,00,000
Gautam Gambhir	India	Delhi	7,25,000	2,20,000
Robin Uthappa	India	Mumbai	8,00,000	2,00,000
S Chanderpaul	West Indies	--	unsold	2,00,000
Ashwell Prince	West Indies	--	unsold	1,75,000
VVS Laxman	India	Hyderabad	3,75,000	1,50,000
Wasim Jaffer	India	Bangalore	1,50,000	1,50,000
Rohit Sharma	India	Hyderabad	7,50,000	1,50,000
Loots Bosman	South Africa	--	unsold	1,50,000
Mohammad Kaif	India	Jaipur	6,75,000	1,25,000
Suresh Raina	India	Chennai	6,50,000	1,25,000
Manoj Tiwary	India	Delhi	6,75,000	1,00,000
Chamara Silva	Sri Lanka	Hyderabad	1,00,000	1,00,000
David Hussey	Australia	Kolkata	6,25,000	1,00,000
Round 8: SRK buys Ishant for US $950,000
Nathan Bracken	Australia	Bangalore	3,25,000	2,25,000
RP Singh	India	Hyderabad	8,75,000	2,00,000
Murali Kartik	India	Kolkata	4,25,000	2,00,000
Makhaya Ntini	South Africa	Chennai	2,00,000	2,00,000
Lasith Malinga	Sri Lanka	Mumbai	3,50,000	2,00,000
Chaminda Vaas	Sri Lanka	Hyderabad	2,00,000	2,00,000
Ramesh Powar	India	Mohali	1,70,000	1,50,000
Umar Gul	Pakistan	Kolkata	1,50,000	1,50,000
Dale Steyn	South Africa	Bangalore	3,25,000	1,50,000
Dilhara Fernando	Sri Lanka	Mumbai	1,50,000	1,50,000
Ishant Sharma	India	Kolkata	9,50,000	1,50,000
Piyush Chawla	India	Mohali	4,00,000	1,25,000
Munaf Patel	India	Jaipur	2,75,000	1,00,000
Nuwan Zoysa	India	Hyderabad	1,10,000	1,00,000
Reserve players
Glenn McGrath	Australia	Delhi	3,50,000	3,50,000
Michael Hussey	Australia	Chennai	2,50,000	2,50,000
Tatenda Taibu	Zimbabwe	Kolkata	1,25,000	1,25,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan	West Indies	Mohali	2,25,000	2,25,000
Simon Katich	Australia	Mohali	2,00,000	2,00,000
Justin Langer	Australia	Jaipur	2,00,000	2,00,000
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	West Indies	Bangalore	2,00,000	2,00,000
Loots Bosman	South Africa	Mumbai	1,50,000	1,50,000

Mohd Yousuf				Withdrew
Ashwell Prince				Withdrew

Satyam fraud | shocks investors, employees (Lead)

2009-01-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

Hyderabad, Jan 7 (IANS) Satyam Computer founder-chairman B. Ramalinga Raju’s disclosure of committing a Rs.40-billion ($823-million) fraud has shocked corporate India, especially the investors and over 50,000 employees of the country’s fourth largest IT services company.The corporate world was astonished when Ramalinga Raju quit after confessing to the fraud that had been going on for years.

“It is shocking. While we were sensing some trouble ever since the management decided to acquire two companies owned by his family members, we never imagined that the fraud would be on this scale and the chairman himself will admit it,” said a shareholder.

There was panic among Satyam employees as they faced an uncertain future. They were seen discussing the developments among themselves at Satyam development centres here.

Ramalinga Raju’s resignation along with that of managing director B. Rama Raju came a day after over 100 employees of the company quit their jobs, fearing trouble.

The latest developments could force more employees to hunt for jobs in other companies. Satyam has nearly 53,000 employees and development and delivery centres in India, the US, Canada, Brazil, Britain, China, Hungary, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

The firm delivers consulting, system integration and outsourcing solutions to over 690 clients, including 185 Fortune 500 companies in 65 countries.

Besides the company shareholders and employees, this key IT hub was also jolted with companies fearing wider ramifications for the entire sector in Hyderabad.

Since Satyam was considered a brand ambassador of Hyderabad, the companies fear that it could have an impact on the business as a whole and hit their orders.

“The companies operating out of Hyderabad will be looked at with suspicion and the number of orders might also come down,” said a top executive of an IT services firm, who did not want to be named.

Ramalinga Raju was once considered the pride of Andhra Pradesh. Now the fraud he has admitted to has badly shaken all industrialists in the state.

“I was one of the greatest fans of Ramalinga Raju, but today I am very upset,” said Harish Chandra Prasad, vice-chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Andhra Pradesh.

“This is the saddest say for investors. The fraud has badly shaken their confidence in India Inc. and it is very difficult to restore their confidence,” said market analyst C. Kutumba Rao.

He said the manner in which Satyam tried to acquire Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties had raised doubts in many minds. “There was something behind the move. It was a desperate attempt by Ramalinga Raju, but nobody had imagined that the company had committed such a huge fraud,” he said.

Referring to the sharp fall in Satyam shares, he said it was a natural reaction by the investors. “Satyam’s share today is not even worth Rs.10,” he said.

The crisis in Satyam was triggered by the management’s aborted bid to acquire Maytas Properties and Maytas Infra for $1.6 billon (Rs.79.2 billion) Dec 17.

Live streaming : 3rd test,Australia vs South africa, Live score and Highlights

2009-01-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

Australia vs South africa 3rd test, Australia vs South africa 3rd test live streaming, Australia vs South africa 3rd test live score, Australia vs South africa 3rd test highlights, Australia vs South africa 3rd test live link.

Australia vs South africa 3rd test live streaming will start from 3rd Jan from Sydney Cricket Ground.

Series Statistics:

Team: Australia vs South Africa
Matches: 3 Test Matches
Played: 2 Test matches
South Africa: Won 2 matches
Australia: loose 2 matches

Sydney Cricket Ground History:

The Club, previously known as UTS-Balmain Cricket Club took a new direction in 2007/08 and joined with The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust as a partnership to form the Sydney Cricket Club.

The Club is now a reality and playing under its new banner in the Sydney Cricket Association’s Grade Competition.

Sydney cricket has never had a Club with the structure and objectives of the new Club. It has been founded on similar lines to the Marylebone and Melbourne Cricket Clubs. While the Club does not have the lengthy and august history of those Clubs it is anticipated that, in time, the Club will be held in the same high esteem as those famous and prestigious Clubs.

The Sydney Cricket Club will provide cricketers, coaches and administrators:-

A foundation on which to attain NSW and Australian selection

The opportunity to play the game for its sheer enjoyment

The opportunity to contribute to the development of the game both domestically and internationally.

Of course the Balmain Cricket Club, from which this new venture has sprung has a long and proud tradition in Sydney cricket. One hundred and ten years in fact.

The original Balmain Electorate Club first participated in 1897 with its headquarters at Birchgrove Oval. In 1900 that Club joined with Leichhardt to form the Balmain-Leichhardt Club, another 4 years passed before the Club adopted the name of the Balmain District Cricket Club. In 2001-02 the Club entered into a partnership with the University of Technology and became known as UTS-Balmain Cricket Club.

The club moved to Drummoyne Oval in 1946 and that ground has been its major ground since that time. Probably the most famous Balmain players are Archie Jackson and Arthur Mailey but the list of international and state players with Balmain at one time is star studded.

Now the new venture is away and running in the form of the Sydney Cricket Club. The name may be different but the tradition continues. The famous Black and Gold colours and the Tigers logo have been synonymous with the district for many years and they remain part of the new Club’s identity.

South Africa : Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Australia : 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Andrew Symonds, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Brett Lee, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Nathan Hauritz, 11 Peter Siddle.

Australia

vs

South Africa

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2nd ODI Live Streaming : NZ vs WI, Live Score & Highlights

2009-01-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

NZ vs WI 2nd ODI, NZ vs WI 2nd ODI live streaming, NZ vs WI 2nd ODI live, NZ vs WI 2nd ODI live score, NZ vs WI 2nd ODI highlights, New Zealand vs West Indies 2nd ODI live streaming

Watch New Zealand vs West indies 2nd ODI live from Christchurch on Jan 3rd.

Watch New Zealand vs West indies 2nd ODI live Streaming free and online

New Zealand
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West Indies

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Live Streaming: 1st ODI New Zealand vs West Indies, Live score and Highlights

2008-12-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

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New Zealand vs West Indies 1st ODI live from Queenstown Events Centre on 31 Dec 2008 at 12:00 local, 23:00 GMT.

New Zealand vs West Indies 1st ODI

The two teams may have shared the Tests and Twenty20, but when it comes to one-dayers their form could hardly be more contrasting: New Zealand have won all their series this year, while West Indies have been victorious in only two of their last 13 ODIs against Test-playing countries.

One of the main problems for West Indies is their over-reliance on senior batsmen Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Despite one of that pair making a century in each of the three ODIs against Pakistan last month, West Indies ended up losing 3-0. It remains to be seen whether the likes of Xavier Marshall follow the lead of newcomer Brendan Nash, who made two responsible half-centuries in the Tests.

In terms of rankings, there's little at stake for West Indies in this series - the best they can do is climb one place from eighth. However New Zealand, who would have been as high as second had they not dropped a game against Bangladesh in October, will sink to eighth if they lose all five upcoming matches.

ODI form guide (last five games, most recent first)

West Indies: LLLWW
New Zealand: WWLWW

Watch out for

Chris Gayle has starred in both the Tests and the Twenty20s and remains New Zealand's biggest threat in the one-dayers as well. Besides his explosive form on the tour so far, he's coming off two centuries in the three-match series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi last month.

Brendon McCullum is now one of the most feared hitters in international cricket, and the small grounds in New Zealand will make him even harder to stop. Six years after his debut, he still has only one ODI century; he will fancy his chances of improving that count in this series.

Jesse Ryder: He is already forming a destructive partnership at the top of the order with McCullum. He is also expected to contribute with the ball, with captain Daniel Vettori indicating that Ryder's medium-pacers could be used in the death overs.

Team news

With the pitch expected to favour the quick bowlers, New Zealand are contemplating going in with only one spinner. That means Jeetan Patel could miss out despite effective performances in the Twenty20s. Uncapped Otago batsman Neil Broom is the other player expected to miss out. The trio of allrounders - Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram, and Grant Elliott - gives them plenty of options with the ball.

New Zealand (probable): Brendon McCullum (wk), Jesse Ryder, Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Daniel Flynn, Grant Elliott, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori (capt), Tim Southee, Mark Gillespie, Kyle Mills.

West Indies are expected to go in with a four-pronged pace attack, leaving no room for left-arm spinner Nikita Miller. The inclusion of Carlton Baugh in the squad has also increased the pressure on vice-captain Denesh Ramdin to deliver with the bat as well as behind the stumps.

West Indies (probable): Chris Gayle (capt), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Xavier Marshall, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, Lionel Baker.

Pitch and conditions

The Queenstown track has traditionally favoured the bowlers, with the highest total at the ground in six ODIs being 236. Wednesday is likely to be no different with Peter Domigan, the man in charge of the pitch, saying it is "nice, hard and shiny" and that it has some "fast bounce".

Stats and Trivia

Australia are the only team to have won a one-day series in New Zealand since February 2001.
All six matches at Queenstown have been won by the team batting second.
New Zealand have lost only four of their 21 ODIs against West Indies since 2000.

WI vs Nz 1st ODI live streaming

New Zealand

vs

West Indies

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Live Streaming : Day 3, Australia vs South Africa 2nd test, Live Score | Highlights

2008-12-26T23:24:00.000-08:00

Australia vs South Africa 2nd test day3, Australia vs South Africa 2nd test live streaming, Australia vs South Africa 2nd test live score, Australia vs South Africa 2nd test live telecast sopcast link will be available on Deac 28th from melbourne.

South Africa trail by 196 runs with 3 wickets remaining in the 1st innings after the end of day 2.

Detail Scorecard:

Australia (1st Innings) :

Score: 394/10
Ponting 101(126)
clarke 88(208) notout
katich 54(109)

South Africa (1st Innings) :

Score: 198/7
Smith 66(113)
Duminy 34(63) notout
kallish 26(53)

Bowled, Bruce
The third umpire Bruce Oxenford and one of the on-field officials Aleem Dar are both former first-class players who bowled legspin, and an hour before play began they were testing their skills on the MCG. The men were sending down tweakers to a single stump in the ground, Oxenford tossing them up and Dar pushing them through a bit quicker. Oxenford played eight matches for Queensland in the early 1990s and with the unpredictability of Australia's spin selection policy this year he might just be a chance for a surprise call-up, judging by the good length he was hitting today.

One-eyed Rudd
Oxenford had a couple of decisions to make in his role as the TV umpire, one when Hashim Amla pinched a quick single to cover. Michael Clarke's throw hit the stumps and Amla had just made his ground but Australia's prime minister Kevin Rudd, who was a guest commentator on Channel 9 at the time, thought it should have been out. "We'll review his visa," Rudd said jokingly of the third umpire, perhaps unaware that Oxenford is a fellow Queenslander.

Did it carry?
A more contentious call for Oxenford came when Nathan Hauritz edged Dale Steyn to slip, where Graeme Smith reached low and collected the ball with his fingers on the turf. It was unclear whether Smith had taken the ball cleanly and he himself couldn't say for certain, so Dar and Billy Doctrove asked for help from Oxenford. The replays were inconclusive and it would not have been surprising had Hauritz been given the benefit of the doubt but between them the three officials decided the ball had carried and Hauritz was on his way.

Smith's ton
It was Smith's 100th catch in his 74-Test career and he was the second South African to reach the milestone. Like the South African run tally Jacques Kallis holds the record - he has 136 catches - but they might both be marks that Smith chases down over the course of his career.

Brought to their feet by Pete
It's nearly a decade since the Melbourne fans have had a Victoria fast bowler to cheer for during the Boxing Day Test, so when Peter Siddle took the new ball there was a sense of anticipation. The roar when Siddle rattled Neil McKenzie's stumps with his fourth delivery was deafening and the fans jumped to their feet to shout support for their new local hero. He also won plenty of cheers when he dug in a quick bouncer that jammed Amla on the knuckles in the same over.

Appeal zeal
It wasn't the only time during the day Siddle would lift the spectators out of their seats. There were cheers when he found an edge from Graeme Smith and his spell became so fierce that the crowd was cheering and chanting every ball. He even won a good-natured laugh from the fans when he appealed for AB de Villiers' wicket, unaware the ball had clipped off stump. The TV cameras captured Siddle roaring out his appeal to Billy Doctrove while Brad Haddin and Michael Hussey pointed to the dislodged bail, and Siddle threw his head back in delight.

Watch Australia vs South Africa 2nd test Live streaming online

Australia

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Live Streaming : 2nd test, Australia vs South Africa, day2, Live Score and Highlights

2008-12-26T22:50:00.000-08:00

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Australia scores 394 in 1st innings against southa frica 2nd test match.

Australia(1st Innings):

Score: 394/10

Ponting 101(126)
clarke 88(208) notout
katich 54(109)

Australia vs South Africa 2nd test Day 2 Live streaming
Australia
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South Africa
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Sri lanka vs Bangladesh 1st test, Live Streaming, Live Score and Highlights

2008-12-25T23:24:00.000-08:00

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Watch Sri lanka vs Bangladesh 1st test live streaming from Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on 26th Dec 2008 at 09:30 local, 03:30 GMT.

Team: Sri lanka vs Bangladesh
Date: 26th Dec to 30th Dec

Sri lanka

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Bangladesh

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Live streaming : 2nd test,Australia vs South africa, Live score and Highlights

2008-12-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

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Australia vs South africa 2nd test live streaming will start from 26th Dec from Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Melbourne Cricket Ground History:

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is one of Australia's greatest assets. It is the biggest stadium in Australia with a capacity of just under 100,000. The MCG is an extremely busy venue accommodating International Cricket, Australian Rules Football, Rugby League & Union, Soccer, as well as Concerts, Dinners and other major functions on its natural turf arena.

The MCG is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar redevelopment which include re-building about 55% of the ground. For more details, click on 'Redevelopment Information' in the right-hand menu.

The MCG is very heavily utilized. There are more than 90 days of cricket and football each year and attendances exceed 3.5 million people annually.

The Melbourne Cricket Club manages the stadium and has progressively expanded the MCG's role as both an entertainment centre and a world-class tourist destination.

Today it sits proudly alongside other internationally recognized attractions as a venue uniquely symbolic of Melbourne, Victoria and Australia generally.

South Africa : Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Australia : 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Andrew Symonds, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Brett Lee, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Nathan Hauritz, 11 Peter Siddle.

Australia

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South Africa

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Mumbai Terrorsit Attack | Live videos | Pictures | Live Coverage

2008-11-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

In Mumbai (heart of India) terrorist enter in to railway station, Hotla Taj, and Oberai, Nariman House and killed over 125 people and 350 get insured.

Still Mumbai fight between terrorist and Indian force is going on for last 40 hours.

Terrosrist taken some 40 people as hostages in oberai hotel. One Policeman says that still 2 to 3 terrorist may be in hotel Taj.

Militants armed with automatic weapons and grenades attacked luxury hotels, hospitals and a famous tourist cafe in India’s commercial capital Mumbai late on Wednesday, killing at least 101 people. Some evidence seem to lead to Kashmir.

A militant holed up in a Jewish centre in Mumbai phoned an Indian television channel on Thursday to offer talks with the government for the release of hostages, but also to complain about abuses in Indian Kashmir. "Ask the government to talk to us and we will release the hostages," the man, identified by the India TV channel as Imran, said, speaking in Urdu in what sounded like a Kashmiri accent.

"Are you aware how many people have been killed in Kashmir? Are you aware how your army has killed Muslims. Are you aware how many of them have been killed in Kashmir this week?"

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the attacks were probably plotted by a group based in a neighbouring country.

Indian governments often blame neighbouring Pakistan or sometimes Bangladesh for supporting or harbouring militant groups which have launched attacks on Indian soil.

Singh said that he would "take up strongly“ the use of neighbours’ territory to launch attacks on India.

WHO IS BEHIND THE ATTACKS?

Witnesses say the attackers were young South Asian men speaking Hindi or Urdu, suggesting they are probably members of an Indian militant group rather than foreigners.

The attacks were claimed by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen in an e-mail to news organisations. Deccan is an area of southern India.

Analysts say that while it is not clear whether the claim is genuine, the attacks were most likely carried out by a group called the Indian Mujahideen. The name used in the claim of responsibility suggests the attackers could be members of a south Indian offshoot or cell of the Indian Mujahideen.

WHO ARE THE INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN?

Indian police say the Indian Mujahideen is an offshoot of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), but that local Muslims appear to have been given training and backing from militant groups in neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh.

SIMI has been blamed by police for almost every major bomb attack in India, including explosions on commuter trains in Mumbai two years ago that killed 187 people.

Police said the Indian Mujahideen may also include former members of Bangladeshi militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad al Islami.

WHY ARE THEY SUSPECTED OF BEING BEHIND THE MUMBAI ATTACKS?

In an e-mail in September, the group denounced Mumbai’s police anti-terrorist squad, accusing them of harassing Muslims.

"If this is the degree your arrogance has reached, and if you think that by these stunts you can scare us, then let the Indian Mujahideen warn all the people of Mumbai that whatever deadly attacks Mumbaikars will face in future, their responsibility would lie with the Mumbai ATS and their guardians,“ it said.

The Indian Mujahideen have made credible claims of responsibility for most of the recent major attacks on civilian targets in India over the past two years.

The Mumbai attacks appear to have been carefully coordinated, well-planned and involved a large number of attackers. A high level of sophistication has also been a hallmark of previous attacks by the Indian Mujahideen.

The Mumbai attacks also focused clearly on tourist targets, including two luxury hotels and a famous cafe.

In May, the Indian Mujahideen made a specific threat to attack tourist sites in India unless the government stopped supporting the United States in the international arena.

The threat was made in an e-mail claiming responsibility for bomb attacks that killed 63 people in the tourist city of Jaipur. The mail declared "open war against India“ and included the serial number of a bicycle used in one of the bombings.

WHAT OTHER ATTACKS HAVE INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN CARRIED OUT?

The group first emerged during a wave of bombings in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in November 2007, sending an e-mail to media outlets just before some of the bombs exploded.

Their next attacks were the Jaipur blasts.

On July 25, eight small bomb attacks in the IT city of Bangalore killed at least one person and wounded 15. There was no known claim of responsibility.

A day later, at least 16 bombs exploded in Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, killing 45 and wounding 161. Shortly before the blasts, an e-mail in the name of the Indian Mujahideen was sent to local media warning that people would soon "feel the terror of death“ in the name of Allah.

It said the attacks were revenge for the Gujarat riots of 2002, when around 2,500 people, most of them Muslims, were killed by Hindu mobs. A later e-mail accused several state governments of harassing, imprisoning and torturing Muslims and threatened consequences if they did not stop.

In September, at least five bombs exploded in crowded markets and streets in New Delhi, killing at least 18 people.

The Indian Mujahideen sent out an e-mail moments after the first blast in New Delhi, saying the explosions were to prove its capability to strike in the most secure of Indian cities.

WHAT WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE MUMBAI ATTACKS?

All previous incidents in which the Indian Mujahideen are suspected involved coordinated serial bombs.

The Mumbai attacks also show clear signs of coordination but were carried out by gunmen, some carrying grenades.

The tactics -- a military-style assault on soft targets, singling out foreigners, and taking hostages -- are rare and do not fit the usual methods of militant attacks on civilian areas.

However, similar attacks have been carried out before, notably the May 2004 attacks in the eastern Saudi city of Khobar.

Gunmen attacked two oil industry installations and a foreign workers’ housing complex in the city, taking more than 50 hostages and killing 22 of them.

WHAT ALTERNATIVE THEORIES ARE THERE

Some analysts say the level of sophistication of the attacks, and the fact that foreigners were targeted, point to the involvement of a more experienced and al Qaeda-influenced group, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba. The group, based in Pakistan and fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, denied any role in the attack.

The group has been blamed for several attacks including an assault on India’s parliament in 2001 that brought Indian and Pakistan to the brink of war.

diwali greetings

2008-10-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

Diwali is a unique confluence of happiness, bliss and prosperity. Come together and enjoy the lights and sounds of this wondrous occasion.From our collection of Diwali Greetings, Diwali Greetings Cards and Deepavali Greetings send wishes to your friends and family. All Diwali Greetings, Diwali Greetings Cards and Deepavali Greetings are free in livesports-videos.com

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Chandrayaan-1 lifts off for the Moon, ISRO and NASA Sign MOU on Chandrayaan-1

2008-10-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

Mr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO, and Dr Michael Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of USA today (May 9, 2006) signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) at ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore, on inclusion of two US Scientific instruments on board India's first mission to Moon, Chandrayaan-1. These instruments are - Mini Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini SAR) developed by Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University and funded by NASA and Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M³), jointly built by Brown University and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA.

Mr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO (centre) and
Dr Michael Griffin, Administrator, NASA (right),
signing MOU on Chandrayaan-1 at ISRO Satellite Centre.

Chandrayaan-1, scheduled during 2007-2008, is India's first unmanned scientific mission to moon. The main objective is the investigation of the distribution of various minerals and chemical elements and high-resolution three-dimensional mapping of the entire lunar surface. ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV, will launch Chandrayaan-1 into a 240 km X 24,000 km earth orbit. Subsequently, the spacecraft's own propulsion system would be used to place it in a 100 km polar orbit around the moon.

The Indian payloads on board Chandrayaan-1 include: a Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC), a Hyper Spectral Imager (HySI), a High-Energy X-ray spectrometer (HEX), a Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument (LLRI) and a Moon Impact Probe (MIP).

The two US instruments, Mini SAR and M3, were selected on the basis of merit out of 16 firm proposals from all over the world received in response to ISRO's announcement of opportunity. The main objective of Mini SAR is to detect water in the permanently shadowed areas of lunar polar regions. The objective of M3 is the characterisation and mapping of minerals on the lunar surface.

Earlier, three instruments - Chandrayaan-1 Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer (CIXS) from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK, developed with contribution from ISRO Satellite Centre; Near Infra-Red Spectrometer (SIR-2) from Max Planck Institute, Germany; and Sub keV Atom Reflecting Analyser (SARA) from Swedish Institute of Space Physics developed in collaboration with ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre -- were selected from the European Space Agency besides a RAdiation DOse Monitor (RADOM) from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The inclusion of US instruments on Chandrayaan-1 has added fillip to the Indo-US cooperation in the space arena which dates back to the very beginning of the Indian space programme. More recently, the India-US Conference on Space Science, Applications and Commerce held at Bangalore during in June 2004 led to the setting up of a Joint Working Group to enhance the cooperation in civil space between India and USA. The Joint Working Group, comprising representatives of government, academic institutions and industries, had its first meeting in Bangalore in June 2005.

During the signing of MOU today, senior NASA and US Embassy officials and senior officials from ISRO and Ministry of External Affairs were present. Dr Griffin also visited the laboratories at ISAC and interacted with senior scientists. He would also be visiting Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thiruvananthapuram and Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR at Sriharikota.

Potential Diagnosis And Treatment For LAM Lung Disease

2008-10-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

New studies are providing clues into the treatment and diagnosis of LAM, or lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a progressive and deadly lung disease that affects women in their childbearing years. There currently are no treatments for LAM and scientists estimate as many as 250,000 women may be going misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.

Researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine reported on a study testing the drug sirolimus in patients with LAM or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) with angiomyolipomas, benign kidney tumors common to both diseases. Approved to help transplant patients fight organ rejection, sirolimus treatment resulted in a 50 percent reduction in tumor growth; a significant improvement in lung function was observed in LAM patients. In addition, a letter published in the same issue of NEJM reports on preliminary data to support the use of a serum marker test to confirm a diagnosis of LAM. The disease has traditionally required a lung biopsy or CT scan for confirmation of diagnosis, contributing to diagnosis complications.

"These studies represent significant advances for LAM patients," said Leslie Sullivan-Stacey, J.D., President and CEO of The LAM Foundation, a supporter of both studies. "The LAM Foundation has been the driving force behind major breakthroughs in LAM research over just the last decade, and we now have scientific evidence to support further study of treatments and diagnostic tools. The sirolimus study already is serving as the basis for other studies in TSC and LAM, including the first-ever LAM treatment trial, now enrolling patients."

In addition to these U.S. studies, a second letter to the editor from researchers in the United Kingdom reports on a Phase II study of sirolimus in patients with TSC and sporadic LAM. An editorial authored by Drs. Elahna Paul and Elizabeth Thiele of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, expresses enthusiasm and caution in the interpretation of the sirolimus research.

Sirolimus Study

The Phase I/II open-label study enrolled 25 patients with either LAM or TSC and angiomyolipomas. Sirolimus was administered to 20 patients for 12 months; 18 patients were followed 12 months after treatment was stopped. Researchers observed a 50 percent reduction in the primary endpoint -- angiomyolipoma volume at 12 months.

Secondary endpoints included average tumor size at 24 months and spirometric measurements of lung function. Angiomyolipoma volume increased to 85 percent of baseline at 24 months. In 11 patients with LAM, 12 months of sirolimus treat resulted in a 10 to 15 percent improvement in lung function. Researchers said improved pulmonary function was likely caused by a reduction of gas trapping in the lungs and a decrease in airflow obstruction.

Disease manifestations in the lungs, skin, brain and kidneys were also observed as these organs are affected by both diseases. The study was a non-randomized, open label proof of concept trial to lay the groundwork for larger trials to address questions about the safety and effect of sirolimus in LAM and TSC patients.

"Our patients suffer tremendously from their disease," said John Bissler, M.D., lead author of the study and Physician-Scientist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the Cell and Cancer Biology Program at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. "We currently treat their severe renal and pulmonary disease with surgery and organ transplantation. We hope that our results and additional research with sirolimus and other drugs will lead to specific targeted therapies that minimize the need for such surgeries."

"We're encouraged to see progress with diseases for which there were no new therapies on the horizon," said Frank McCormack, M.D., study co-author, Division Director of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at the UC College of Medicine, and Scientific Director for The LAM Foundation. "We can now design larger trials powered to observe treatment effects on the lungs and kidneys."

Both TSC and LAM are associated with gene mutations that result in inappropriate activation of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), an enzyme that helps control the growth and proliferation of all cells. Researchers suspect that sirolimus works by inhibiting mTOR signaling. Several new studies are currently underway, including a Phase III double-blind, randomized trial to examine the effect of sirolimus on lung function in patients with LAM.

Side effects observed in the proof of concept study included mouth ulcers, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections and joint pain. Support was provided by The LAM Foundation, the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance (with funding from the Kettering Fund), Wyeth, the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health.

VEGF-D Serum Test

In a Jan. 10 letter to the editor published in NEJM, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine investigators reported the serum VEGF-D may be a clinically useful diagnostic test for LAM. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major angiogenic growth factor produced by malignant cells. Previous research reported elevated levels of VEGF-D, but not VEGF-A or VEGF-C in patients with LAM.

Investigators found VEGF-D levels were elevated up to 30-fold in LAM patients, but were normal in patients with lymphangiomatosis, PLCH, and emphysema, suggesting the serum may distinguish LAM from S-other cystic and chylous lung diseases.

Following validation in a larger, longitudinal study, the test could be used to test for LAM in women who present with characteristic symptoms of LAM, such as a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) and/or lung cysts. Women who have tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) may also be tested, as 40-50 percent of women with LAM develop TSC kidney tumors.

"Beyond its use as a potential clinical diagnostic for LAM, VEGF-D may prove useful as a potential biomarker for the development of LAM treatments," said Lisa Young, M.D., Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at the UC College of Medicine, and study co-author. "It may prove useful in testing outcome measures similar to the way we used kidney tumor volume as a measurement in the sirolimus study."

Researchers say that if validated as a biomarker, the serum test may improve the ability to conduct trials more quickly. Furthermore, identification of a biomarker for LAM may have treatment implications for other diseases with similar pathways that affect millions of Americans, including breast cancer, diabetes, obesity and even autism.

The studies are published in the Jan. 10 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Support for the serum study was provided by The LAM Foundation, the Rare Lung Disease Consortium, the LYMF Foundation and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

About LAM

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, better known as LAM, is a progressive, frequently fatal lung disease that affects women, usually during their childbearing years. More than 1,500 women with LAM have been identified, however scientists estimate that approximately 250,000 women with LAM are going misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. The diagnosis of LAM can be difficult because many of the early symptoms are similar to those of other lung diseases, such as asthma, emphysema or bronchitis.

This disease is characterized by an unusual type of smooth muscle cell that invades tissues of the lungs. Over time, the LAM cells create holes in the lungs, preventing the lungs from providing oxygen to the rest of the body and making breathing a daily battle. In early stages of the disease, most patients can go about their daily activities, but as the disease progresses, the patient may have very limited mobility, require oxygen and as a last resort, need a lung transplant.

lam disease

2008-10-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a progressive lung disease that affects women from puberty through menopause. Abnormal smooth muscle cell growth in the lungs and cyst formation decrease oxygen capacity, which ultimately suffocates the patient. With no treatment protocol other than oxygen therapy, a LAM patient’s only option is a lung transplant, which brings about a different set of issues.

It is estimated that 250,000 women worldwide have LAM but are unaware of it. To date, researchers have identified 2,500 women who have been diagnosed with the disease. LAM researcher Elizabeth Henske, MD, of Philadelphia’s Fox Chase Cancer Center, says, “Other than diseases of the genitals, LAM affects women almost exclusively. Of the documented diagnoses, 99.5% are female, which is higher than even breast cancer with 98% female diagnoses.” This exclusivity toward females could be linked to increased estrogen during a woman’s childbearing years, Henske says.

Although the research cannot prove a link between estrogen and LAM, there is reason to believe that pregnancy exacerbates its effects. There have been three documented cases where LAM was diagnosed in men, but it is believed that the disease is suppressed in males due to androgens. LAM was first documented in the 1940s, but it was not until the mid-1990s that research began, thanks in part to the LAM Foundation and Susan Byrnes, the foundation’s director of research programs and the mother of a LAM patient.

LAM is considered a lonely disease because its victims don’t appear sick, but in reality, their lungs are slowly deteriorating. Before Byrnes established the LAM Foundation in 1995, many women suffered alone through the effects of the disease, but now there is a national registry that provides a support network. The foundation also offers hope to LAM sufferers through dedicated research funded by the National Institutes of Health and conferences discussing advancements and pertinent issues.

Types of LAM
There are two clinical manifestations of LAM: sporadic LAM and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) LAM. In both forms, smooth muscle cells invade the airways and blood and lymph vessels of both lungs, causing them to become obstructed. As the disease progresses, the cell growth blocks the air flow to the rest of the body, says Henske.

“Sporadic LAM behaves in many ways like a cancer, although it is not considered a cancer,” she says. It is usually exacerbated by pregnancy and with vague, asthmalike symptoms that are often difficult to diagnose. “We have found that TSC, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in different organs throughout the body, primarily in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin, and lungs, is present in the LAM cells of sporadic LAM patients but not in the other cells of the body. It is this link that leads us to believe that there is a correlation between TSC and LAM,” says Henske.

TSC LAM is an inheritable disorder in 50% of patients that with TSC, says Henske. Contrary to sporadic LAM patients, there is a TSC mutation in every cell in the body, not just in the LAM cells, she says. Determining if a woman has TSC would be a logical first step in identifying if she is at risk for developing LAM, but at present, there is no definitive TSC screening available, explains Frank McCormack, MD, scientific director of the LAM Foundation and director of the division of pulmonary and critical care at the University of Cincinnati.

As the research evolves, there will be greater understanding about both LAM and TSC and their influence on each other. As the body of research grows and drugs such as Sirolimus (rapamycin) move through clinical trials, physicians must rely on patient symptoms and diagnostic tools to diagnose and prescribe palliative care such as oxygen therapy, according to McCormack.

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosing LAM is arduous since the symptoms are generally nonspecific and commonly associated with asthma, emphysema, pulmonary bronchitis, or simply being out of shape, says Henske. “It is especially difficult to consider LAM as a possible diagnosis while the woman is pregnant because shortness of breath is common during pregnancy, especially the further along the woman is,” she says.

“Primary spontaneous lung collapse is a common symptom of LAM, but it is also a fairly common occurrence, so it is not enough to make a diagnosis of LAM with a collapse,” says McCormack. “Most physicians will order a chest x-ray to have a look at the lungs, but the smooth muscle cells are not visible on an x-ray and is not definitive in diagnosing LAM.”

The first steps most physicians take in diagnosing a pulmonary problem are ordering lung x-rays, pulmonary function tests to measure the volume of air in the patient’s lungs, and blood tests to determine if the patient has an adequate supply of oxygen in his or her blood. Being able to evaluate the amount of oxygen in the patient’s lungs and blood supply are helpful but not enough to diagnose LAM.

Currently, the only way to definitively diagnose LAM is with a lung biopsy or CT scan. A lung biopsy is generally only performed as a last resort, with a CT scan being the preferred diagnostic tool. The 2-D CT image enables the physician to detect the presence of the thin-walled cysts in the lungs. Scans of the abdomen and kidneys are also recommended to detect the presence of rare, benign kidney tumors called angiomyolipoma. In 50% of patients with LAM, angiomyolipoma coupled with symptoms such as lung collapse, fluid in the lungs, shortness of breath, and chest pain makes for a more definitive diagnosis, says Henske.

Treatment Options
Once a LAM diagnosis has been made, there is little that can be done as far as a cure. In some women, the progression of the cell growth in the lungs is slow and in others, rapid. “Every patient is different in how the disease progresses, but currently, the only treatment protocol is using oxygen to assist the patient to increase the amount of oxygen the lungs take in,” says Henske. Depending on how the disease progresses, the only other option for the patient is a bilateral lung transplant.

Lung Transplant
If it is determined that a LAM patient would benefit from a lung transplant, she is put on the national transplant list. Lung transplantation for a LAM patient is more about improving the quality of life rather than curing the disease. As LAM progresses, the patient will likely be unable to walk or eat without constant oxygen use. Even tethered to an oxygen tank, she may still have extreme shortness of breath due to the muscle cell growth, which makes the lungs appear more like a honeycomb rather than normal lung tissue, says Henske.

“Some of the LAM cells may return after a lung transplant, but not enough will return to threaten the viability of the transplanted lungs,” says McCormack. With the threat of LAM removed, the transplant patient now faces a new set of issues. Lung transplants are among the most difficult and delicate organs to transplant, with the five-year survival rate currently at 55% due to exposure to outside elements that can damage the lungs.

“A lung transplant is not the ideal solution—yet a welcome one—for LAM patients because although she is gaining time and quality of life with the new lungs, she is inheriting a new set of issues relating to the transplant,” says Henske. Rejection rates are high with lung transplants, and the amount of medicine necessary to reduce the risk of rejection and infection is staggering, she adds.

With lung transplants being the only viable option for those with aggressive LAM, researchers are exploring other possible treatment options to control the growth of LAM cells. One possibility is the drug Sirolimus, an immunosuppressant. The drug is currently FDA approved to prevent kidney transplant rejection, but researchers have found it could also work for controlling the growth of LAM cells. “It is not likely that rapamycin will ever be a cure for LAM as a single agent. There is discussion that with a second agent it could possibly be a cure, but right now, it is the hope of scientists for LAM to be similar to that of diabetes in that we can control it,” says Henske.

Hope for the Future
The fact that LAM afflicts women in their reproductive years ,just as many are starting their careers and families, is a strong reason for investigating this rare disease. Byrnes founded the LAM Foundation when her daughter was diagnosed with sporadic LAM in 1994. Although her daughter is among the fortunate who have a relatively slow progressing form of the disease, she knows others are not so lucky. Her goal is to help ignite interest in the disease and develop a national registry. To date, she has accomplished both goals, but there are still hurdles to overcome.

The LAM Foundation’s mission is to educate and advise healthcare professionals in using CT scans instead of x-rays and increase the body of knowledge physicians have about LAM, says Byrnes. “There are more and more rare diseases out there, and physicians need to be educated about their existence and how best to diagnose and treat them,” she says.

However, the reality is that LAM is a rare disease, and CT imaging is an expensive diagnostic tool to use when it is not always warranted, explains McCormack. “Most physicians practice evidenced-based medicine, and if through our research we are able to provide the evidence necessary to warrant a CT for a woman presenting with shortness of breath and a collapsed lung, we may be able to push for more scans at the ER [emergency room] level,” he says.

10 Facts about LAM
1. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, cough, a collapsed lung, chest pain, or fatigue.

2. Approximately 40% of women with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) have a benign kidney tumor called angiomyolipoma.

3. LAM usually does not appear on an x-ray. A high-resolution CT scan of the chest, and often the abdominal area, is required for accurate diagnosis.

4. LAM results in progressive destruction of healthy lung tissue caused by cyst formation and abnormal growth of smooth muscle cell not usually found in the lungs.

5. Lung capacity can decline, resulting in the need for oxygen therapy.

6. Women often go undiagnosed for years and are frequently misdiagnosed with asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema.

7. The discovery of a genetic link between LAM and tuberous sclerosis, another rare disease, leads scientists to estimate that more than 250,000 women worldwide are unaware they have LAM.

8. Since LAM occurs almost exclusively in women, the disease is thought to be hormonally related.
9. Many doctors think pregnancy accelerates the disease.

10. There is no cure and no treatment proven effective at this time, but a treatment trial to test a drug called Sirolimus (rapamycin) is underway.

Surviving LAM
Being diagnosed with any disease is devastating. Being diagnosed with a little-known disease with no effective treatment and no cure is not only devastating but can seem hopeless. When Tish Davey, then 37, of Pelham Manor, N.Y., was pregnant with her third child, she started having extreme shortness of breath that her doctor attributed to her pregnancy. However, after her son was born in October 1992, she had no relief from her acute shortness of breath.

By April 1993, she started investigating what could be behind her continued breathing problems. She convinced herself that it was exercise-induced asthma because although she was an avid tennis player, her trouble seemed to peak after a few sets. “I went to a local internist and had a chest x-ray done to determine what was going on. I was put on a series of inhalers, which made no difference,” says Davey. It was not until a friend recommended that she see an allergist that she came closer to a diagnosis.

“The allergist had me do a breathing test and determined that I had some sort of obstruction in my lungs. Because my FEV/FVC [forced expiratory volume/forced vital capacity] numbers were so low, he called a pulmonologist at Columbia Hospital and made an appointment for me. It was not until this point that I realized that it was probably more serious than asthma,” says Davey. In June 1993, she met with the pulmonologist, and after a series of tests, he finally diagnosed her with sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM).

Since the initial pulmonologist had only seen one other patient with LAM, he referred Davey to a colleague with more experience. “The new doctor was very forthcoming and told me that he had had several other LAM patients, but they had all died within a year of their diagnosis,” she says. At the time Davey was diagnosed, there was no research being done on LAM; there was, and still is, no treatment protocol; and there were no support groups to spearhead research. Her only option was oxygen. If her disease progressed rapidly—which it did—her only viable option was a lung transplant.

Because this was before the current grading system for transplants was implemented, Davey originally went on the transplant list in New York. Unfortunately for her, after more than two years on the regional waiting list, her name had made hardly any progress.

At this point, Davey was so ill, she weighed roughly 100 pounds and, even with continuous oxygen, was confined to a wheelchair and unable to take more than a few steps before becoming winded. “My doctors recommended that I try to get on a list in another region that afforded a better chance of receiving a transplant. Fortunately, Barnes Jewish Medical Center in St. Louis was willing to accept me on their waiting list. But in order for me to be on their list, I had to live in the area,” she says.

Davey could not have fathomed the events that transpired over the next 18 months. Leaving her family behind in New York, Davey and her father headed to St. Louis to await her transplant. After four months in St. Louis without her husband and children, she decided that she needed to be home. But, as fate would have it, once she got back to New York, a match came up in St. Louis. But because of the quick turnaround time required for a lung transplant, she missed the call. “I was crushed that I missed it. But the hospital decided to work with me because they knew I had young children at home and were willing to push the time necessary for the transplant,” she says.

Davey stayed in New York with her family for 14 months hoping for a phone call from Barnes. With time running out, Davey and her husband decided to drive back to St. Louis in August 2000 to wait it out. “I had this intense claustrophobic feeling when we were in the car, and I thought we should stay home, but we went ahead with our plans. It was not until we arrived in Indiana that night that I called home to check in with my family that I found out that I missed another call while driving back to St. Louis,” she says.

At this point, Davey stayed in St. Louis, relying on her friends to take turns flying out to stay with her. In December 2000, with her family and friends thinking she was just days away from death, Davey received the call, and this time, she was in the right place at the right time.

Today, six years after her lung transplant, Davey is doing well. She is spending time with her family, playing tennis, and recently went back to work. Despite everything that Davey and her family went through while waiting for the transplant, she is one of the lucky ones. She has had more time with her family, and for that, she is extremely grateful. But she will be the first to say that lung transplantation is not the answer for LAM.

Survival rates for lung transplant patients lag behind those of most other transplant patients. And LAM cells grow back after a lung transplant, although doctors say that not enough grow back to be a threat. “My doctors have assured me that it is not going to be LAM that gets me; it is going to be the principal enemy of lung transplantation—chronic rejection,” Davey says. “I’ve already had one miracle. To survive long term, I need another miracle—new drugs that will effectively battle chronic rejection and extend the lung transplantation timeline. And two miracles in one lifetime may be too much to ask.”

PULMONARY LYMPHANGIOLEIOMYOMATOSIS (LAM)

2008-10-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare lung disease that affects almost exclusively women. It was first described in the medical literature by von Stossel in 1937. The disease is characterized by an unusual type of muscle cell that invades the tissue of the lungs, including the airways, and blood and lymph vessels. Over time, these muscle cells form into bundles and grow into the walls of the airways, and blood and lymph vessels, causing them to become obstructed.

Although these cells are not considered cancerous, they grow without the usual controls within the lungs. Over time, the muscle cells block the flow of air, blood, and lymph vessels to and from the lungs, preventing the lungs from providing oxygen to the rest of the body.

An unusual, frequently asymptomatic, kidney tumor called Angiomyolipoma is found in up to 50% of patients with LAM.

About 2.5% of patients with tuberous sclerosis, a genetic disorder, develop a lung disease that is identical to that which occurs in LAM. These patients often have angiomyolipomas of the kidney as well. Although patients with LAM do not develop the central nervous system and skin changes of tuberous sclerosis, the similarities in the lung and kidney manifestations of the two diseases have led some investigators to postulate that they may have common causes. For more information contact the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis is pronounced lim-fan je-o-lio-mi o-ma-to sis. Lymph and angio refer to the lymph and blood vessels. Leiomyomatosis refers to the formation of the bundles of the unusual muscle cells.

The cause of LAM is not known.

Election Commission Of India

2008-10-14T02:27:00.000-07:00

New Delhi (PTI): Skipping a decision on polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission on Tuesday announced one-day poll in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Mizoram while Naxalite-infested Chattisgarh will have two-phased elections between November 14 and December 4.

The two-phased polls in Chattisgarh will be held on November 14 and 20 while elections will be held in Madhya Pradesh on November 25, Mizoram and Delhi on November 29 and Rajasthan on December 4.

Counting of votes in all the states will be taken up on December 8. The commission is understood to have deferred a decision on polls in Jammu and Kashmir reportedly because of difference of opinion among the three members of the commission.

No decision has been taken "at the moment" on holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir which is now under Governor's rule, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami said at a press conference flanked by the other two commissioners Naveen Chawla and S Y Quraishi.

He said the commission is still assessing the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We will get back to you as soon as we take a decision in Jammu and Kashmir. Forces are one part of the issues. There are so many other issues. I do not want to say anything more," he said.

Asked whether it meant that elections will not be held before March because of winter, the CEC said "that you leave it to us".

Matt Stairs Hits the Biggest Home Run By An Ex-Royal Since 2004

2008-10-14T02:17:00.000-07:00

Matt Stairs, always unappreciated and the 65th Greatest Royal of All-Time, blasted a mammoth home run off of mythical Dodger closer Jonathan Broxton in the top of the eighth inning tonight, giving the Phillies a 7-5 lead.

The English language is not sufficiently descriptive enough to accurately capture the majesty of Matt's homer. No, it is not still traveling, but it did knock a hole in the Dodger Stadium bleachers.

Pardon us if we rank this home run ahead of Alexis Gomez, who powered the Tigers to a 2-0 series lead back in the 2006 ALCS. Since the '06 postseason, Gomez has yet to appear in a Major League game, and has bounced from the Tiger, to the Rocky, to the Marlins' organization. Sure, Gomez reminded us all he was still alive in 2006, but the events since then have further reinforced his obscurity. The performance of the Tigers hasn't helped either.

No, this was a moment, a swing, a shot, to rival Johnny Damon's Grand Slam in Game Seven of the 2004 ALCS. Stairs's homer swung the series to a decisive 3-1 Phillies advantage and even managed a bit of sentimental flair, thanks to its pinch-hit angle and Stairs's age. According to the WPA data, before Stairs's homer, the Phillies had only a 45% chance of winning the game. When the ball left his bat, that figure went to 83%.

As "RoyalsRetro" has pointed out, the Royals could never quite decide if they wanted Stairs to be a bench-player or a full-time guy during his three seasons in Kansas City. Nevertheless, he was plainly one of the team's best hitters during that period:

Royals Leaders in Walks 2004-2006

Matt Stairs 140
David DeJesus 118
Emil Brown 107
Mike Sweeney 94
Mark Teahen 80

Royals Leaders in Home Runs 2004-2006
Mike Sweeney 51
Matt Stairs 39
John Buck 35
Emil Brown 32
Angel Berroa 28

Stairs is 35th in team history in home runs with those 39, despite just 1223 plate appearances in blue & white. But it wasn't just Kansas City that never really knew what it had in Stairs (who admittedly has his limitations afoot and with the glove). The man didn't see regular playing time until he was 29 years old. In spite of it all, Stairs has hit, to date, 254 career homers, good for 180th all-time. His next regular season bomb will tie him with an odd trio with a Royals-twist: John Olerud, John Mayberry and Kirk Gibson.

Tonight, we lift our glasses to you Matt Stairs. You made up for the struggles of fellow former Royal Chad Durbin. Then, and now.

Inexperienced Australia face steep climb

2008-10-07T04:52:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: If statistics and experience alone won cricket matches, world champions Australia would be regarded as no-hopers in the Test series against India starting on Thursday.

At least 12 in the 15-man touring squad have a combined tally of only 130 Tests between them, the same number that India captain Anil Kumble has played and 20 fewer than batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar.

Captain Ricky Ponting, veteran opener Matthew Hayden, and middle-order batsmen Michael Clarke and Simon Katich are the only ones who have experienced a Test match atmosphere in India before.

And the spin options are bare following the retirements of the legendary Shane Warne and his understudy Stuart MacGill, with no one to exploit wickets that traditionally favour slow bowlers.

On paper, the series would appear a cakewalk for the Indians.

In real terms, however, it leaves an enthralling contest on offer for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between two evenly-matched teams.

"This is the best chance for us to pull it off," said Kumble, determined to overturn the 2-1 defeat at home in 2004 and an identical loss Down Under earlier this year.

"We want to win this one badly. Good for us that the Aussies consider themselves the underdogs. We have to exploit their relative inexperience in our own conditions."

The tussle between India's battle-hardened batting veterans and Australia's pace firepower will provide the backdrop for one of the most eagerly-awaited four-Test series in recent times.

Tendulkar, 35, who needs only 77 more runs to overtake Brian Lara as Test cricket's leading scorer, heads the charge of the senior brigade that includes Rahul Dravid, 35, Sourav Ganguly, 36, and Venkatsai Laxman, 33.

Ganguly announces retirement from cricket

2008-10-07T04:43:00.000-07:00

Bangalore: Sourav Ganguly has announced his retirement from the game, the former India captain said on Tuesday.

Ganguly said he would be retiring from the game at the end of the India-Australia Test series, which begins in Bangalore on Thursday.

After being controversially included for the four-Test series, Ganguly revealed that even he was surprised at his inclusion, but added that the stress forced him to take a decision on his career.

"I have decided to quit. This will be my last Test series," Ganguly told reporters in Bangalore on Tuesday.

"I have informed my team of my decision. I hope I'll end my career with a winning knock," added the 36-year-old.

Ganguly, who has played 109 Test matches in a career spanning over 12 years, made a stunning entry to Test cricket with a century on debut at Lord's in 1996. He followed it up with another century at Trent Bridge in the next Test match.

However, India's most successful Test captain fell out of favour with the BCCI's recent policy of blooding young talent to build for the future.

"To be honest I didn't expect to be picked for this series. But then I didn't expect to be dropped for the Irani Trophy," Ganguly said.

"It has been unfortunate that there is focus on me. I have learned to live with it. When I can't I will go." Ganguly followed it up by saying he will be quitting the game.

Ganguly has also been one of the most successful one-day batsmen of all time, amassing 11,363 runs at an average of 41.02 in 311 matches.

The former India captain, who took over from Mohammad Azharuddin following the match-fixing scandal in 2000, helped India reach the World Cup final in 2003.

Who won the 2008 Vice Presidential Debate, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin

2008-10-03T03:34:00.000-07:00

who won the vp debate?

This is the questions today all people wants:

I am sure tonight’s festivities will be much more interesting than last weeks; assuming Palin has the heart to look her enemy square in the eyes.

Tonight’s hotly-anticipated debate between their picks for vice president will be seen as a critical test for Republican Sarah Palin and for Democrat Joe Biden. Concerns about Sarah Palin’s readiness to take the national stage have grown in recent days following very Poor interviews in which she fumbled her words when faced with tough questions, specifically from Katie Couric who is probably one of the softer interviewers in the media. If Sarah can show one ounce of articulation and at least pretend she knows what she is talking about, she may do just fine.

But some Democrats must also be worried. Biden, a 35-year veteran of the Senate who has a bigger ego than most in Hollywood has in the past displayed a low level of restraint and tolerance when talking with (or at) the opposition. He will lose points by bullying, patronizing or appearing to condescend during the debate (I heard on the radio this morning that he will only refer to her as Governor Palin.)

By the time you read this, the debate will be over. So tell me, who do you feel won the vice presidential debate tonight and why? Chime in and let your voice be heard.

who won the vp debate, vp debate, who won the debate poll, cnn, who won the debate, who won the vice president debate

2008-10-03T03:30:00.000-07:00

comments on who won the vp debate, results who won the debate poll, opinion who won the debate, poll who won the vice president debate

after finishing the u.s. vice presidential debate between sarah palin and

joe biden now everybody 's question is who won the vp debate ? what is

the result of who won the debate poll ? sarah palin ? joe biden ?

who won the debate ? everybody is eager to know who won the vice

president debate ?

well the answer is infact for now is your comment my comment our comment.

now the comment poll is not in fact the final result. the fina result of who won

the vp debate we will get only after election.

eventhough we like to hear "who won the vp debate"?.

please advise your comment what you think who own he vp debate ?

Who Won the VP Debate?

2008-10-03T03:25:00.000-07:00

She didn’t answer the questions, and she didn’t offer anything new, but what Sara Palin did tonight is prove that she’s not the idiot that much of the country thought she was. In terms of the Vice-Presidency, this isn’t saying much. Not-being-an-idiot is the first rung of a very tall ladder. In terms of political capital, Palin’s performance tonight stops and perhaps even corrects the downward spiral of the McCain/Palin campaign. Granted, she’s far from serving as the sole savior of this sinking ship, but she did her homework and boosted the confidence of most Republicans, and perhaps a few undecideds as well.

Don’t get me wrong, she’s still wrong; but being wrong is a lot different than being understood. The Democrats learned this lesson the hard way, twice: first with Al Gore, then with John Kerry. Mozart might be the better musician, but that doesn’t mean he’s selling more albums right now. In a time of political, economic, and global crisis - Americans don’t want their world to be complex, and a politician who can’t speak plainly is an unwelcome guest - to wit, Gore, Kerry, and from time to time, Obama and Biden.

Quite a few of us read dozens of websites and a blizzard of articles every day on politics and political topics - and for us, the choice is clear: Obama or McCain. To us, being undecided is borderline unpatriotic. Those who are undecided will argue, and be right, that they don’t have the luxury of reading a dozen websites and a blizzard of articles.

For too many Americans, the person who can explain our world in the most simple terms is the person they trust most to lead them through times of crisis. This used to be the job of the media. Now it’s the job of the President. Perhaps one day it will again be the job of the President to be complex and the job of the media to be plain spoken. For the time being, we have a bluegrass President in a Baroque world.

It occured to me while watching the debates that the McCain strategy can be summarized in a single sentence: obfuscate the facts until nobody trusts them, distort the perceptions of the media until nobody trusts them either, and make this election about an emotional gut reaction, then start waving that flag. If this is their goal, then they couldn’t have found a better pick for Vice-President.

Obama, McCain, Biden all to vote on bailout bill

2008-09-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

Sens. John McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be in Washington on Wednesday to vote on the $700 billion bank rescue plan. The vote, scheduled to happen at sundown Wednesday evening, comes two days after the House failed to pass the controversial economic recovery plan.

"If there's a vote tomorrow night, I will be there," Obama told CNN Tuesday night.

The bill adds provisions -- include raising the FDIC insurance cap from $100,000 to $250,000 -- and will be attached to an existing revenue bill that the House also rejected Monday, according to several Democratic leadership aides.

The legislation also includes a "Mental Health Parity" provision, which would require health insurance companies to cover mental illness at parity with physical illness.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, announced the plan Tuesday.

He said he hoped that the changes made to the bailout plan would be approved by senators on both sides of the aisle. "I believe that this legislative package will ensure that the needs of Main Street are not forgotten," said Reid.

McCain spoke earlier Tuesday at an economic roundtable in Des Moines, Iowa. "We didn't do a good enough job. We'll go at it. I'm glad to stay at it. That's what my job is as an American, not as a candidate for president," he said. "But if I think I can do some good, I'll do it. I may fail a first or second or third time, but we have to get this job done for America."

McCain said now is the time for bipartisanship in order to push through the $700 billion proposal, which failed in the House of Representatives Monday.

"To state the obvious, we are in the greatest financial crisis of our lifetimes. Congressional inaction has put every American and the entire economy at the gravest risk. Yesterday, the country and the world looked to Washington for leadership, and Congress once again came up empty-handed," he said.

"Bipartisanship is a tough thing; never more so when you're trying to take necessary but publicly unpopular action. But inaction is not an option."

Obama, speaking at a rally in Reno, Nevada, on Tuesday, issued a tough message to fellow lawmakers.

"To the Democrats and Republicans who opposed this plan yesterday, I say step up to the plate and do what's right for this country," he said. "And to all Americans, I say this: If and when I am president of the United States, this rescue plan will not be the end of what we do to strengthen this economy, it will only be the beginning.

"It is not a time for politics. It is not a time for partisanship. It is not a time to figure out how to take credit or where to lay blame. It is not a time for politicians to concern themselves with the next election. ... It is a time for all of us to concern ourselves with the future of the country we love. This is a time for action," he said.

Earlier Tuesday on CNN's American Morning, McCain said the rescue plan failed because people don't think it will do anything for them.

"We haven't convinced people that this is a rescue effort not just for Wall Street but for Main Street America," McCain said. "... We didn't do a good enough job."

McCain said the proposal needs modifications, including an increase in federal deposit insurance for private bank accounts.

"FDIC insurance should be increased to $250,000 from $100,000," McCain said.

Obama made the same proposal on Tuesday morning as a way to persuade lawmakers who voted against the proposed $700 billion bailout to change their minds.

Obama made the same proposal on Tuesday morning as a way to persuade lawmakers who voted against the proposed $700 billion bailout to change their minds.

McCain said the Treasury Department should also use its power to purchase up to $1 trillion of mortgages.

Obama also spoke with Bush on Tuesday morning.

"Both calls [from McCain and Obama] were very constructive, and the president appreciated hearing from them," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said. "The senators offered ideas and reaffirmed what they have said publicly -- that this is a critical issue that needs to be addressed.

"We're not going to comment on specific ideas, but we appreciate hearing them and will continue to work with congressional leaders on ideas that will help the economy," Fratto said.

Obama blasted Congress Monday for not passing the rescue package, while McCain's campaign accused Obama and Democrats of putting "politics ahead of country."

The U.S. House rejected the plan Monday, putting a roadblock in front of what would be the largest government intervention in the financial markets since the Great Depression.

The bill failed by a vote of 228-205, with 140 Democrats and 65 Republicans voting in favor and 95 Democrats joining 133 Republicans against.

"This is a moment of national crisis, and today's inaction in Congress as well as the angry and hyper-partisan statement released by the McCain campaign are exactly why the American people are disgusted with Washington," the Obama-Biden campaign said in a statement released shortly after the vote.

The statement went on to say that every American "should be outraged that an era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and Washington has led us to this point."

Also after the vote, McCain touted his role in last week's negotiations on the bailout bill.

"I laid out principles" including "responsible oversight, transparency and a cap on so-called golden parachutes, those big bonuses Wall Street CEOs would receive despite their involvement in the economic crisis," he said. "I worked hard to play a constructive role."

About Ramzan Id - Ramzan Festival

2008-09-30T04:18:00.000-07:00

Coming with the new moon, the festival marks the end of 'Ramadan' - a month when Muslims fast throughout the day and eat only at night Prayers, feasts and family get- together are the major highlights of the celebrations. It was during this month that the holy Koran was revealed. Eid means recurring happiness or festivity. Eid is celebrated in India with much enthusiasm and fervor and Muslims from all strata of life can be seen adorned in beautiful new clothes, visiting the mosques to attend Salatul Eid (Eid prayers). Greetings of "Eid-Mubarak" or "a blessed Eid" are exchanged.

A very important aspect of eid is the charity, which all the Muslims are expected to extend to the needy. Earlier, this was in the form of gifts in kind but now cash is given to the needy. The first Eid of the year is known as "Eid Al Fitr". Al Fitr literally means breaking of fast. Thus Eid Al Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawaal, the tenth month in the Muslim calendar, to mark the end of a month long fast during the month of Ramadan. As the third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to Allah. Ramadan is also a time of concentrated worship, reading of the Quran, purifying one's behavior, giving charity and doing virtuous deeds.

The secondary objective of fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing compassion for the less fortunate, and learn to be thankful and appreciative for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also advantageous to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits.

Eid Al Fitr is a day of joy and thanksgiving. On this day, Muslims show their joy for the health, strength and opportunities of life, which Allah has given them to fulfill their obligations of fasting and other good deeds during the month of Ramadan. It is considered unholy to fast on this day. It is also a day of forgetting old grudges and ill feelings towards other fellow men. The second important Eid celebration is called "Eid Al-Adha".

Although only the pilgrims in Makkah can participate in the Hajj fully, all the other Muslims in the world join with them by celebrating Eid Al-Adha, or "Celebration of Sacrifice." On the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims around the world celebrate this feast of commitment, obedience and self-sacrifice to Allah. They wear their nicest clothing and attend Salatul-Eid (Eid Prayer) in the morning. This is followed by a short sermon, after which everyone socializes. Next, people visit each other's homes and partake in festive meals with special dishes, beverages, and desserts. Children receive gifts and sweets on this happy occasion. In addition, like the pilgrims in Makkah, the Muslims, who can afford to do so, offer domestic animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice. The meat is distributed for consumption to family, friends, and to the poor and needy. Prayers are offered in mosques and Idgahs and elaborate festivities are held.

Ramzan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Read about why this time is so important to Muslims.

Xbox Live, Xbox Live still down

2008-09-30T03:41:00.000-07:00

F some reason, the conspiracy theorists are out in force. But there’s nothing to it, really: Microsoft says it is just updating its infrastructure to support the November launch of the new Xbox Experience. (Zune and Xbox run on the same back-end.)

Here’s the Zune perspective (via email):

The Zune service will be down for scheduled maintenance on Monday, September 29, 2008 from 12:01am Pacific Time, for up to 48 hours. During the downtime, Zune Social, the forums on Zune.net, and all of Zune Marketplace will be offline.
We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause you.

Please check back soon. We look forward to sharing our picks, plays, and recommendations with you in the Zune Social and in Zune Marketplace shortly!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at Zune

And from the Xbox guys:

Xbox Live Service Maintenance

On Monday, 9/29/2008 from 12:01 AM PST for up to 24 hours, Xbox Live will be offline for maintenance. As a result, Xbox LIVE and the ‘My Xbox’ section of Xbox.com will be unavailable, and the Xbox forums will be in read only mode (you won’t be able to post.) The remainder of Xbox.com will be available with limited interruptions.

This service maintenance is in preparation for the new Xbox experience which will be available later this fall.

Let me reiterate: When the service returns, you will not have any new features and you will not have the new Xbox experience update. That will happen later this Fall.

Nothing to see here, in other words.

Alton Desiree: Alton Desiree, crew of Survivor, drowned

2008-09-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

Alton Desiree, of Loubiere, was a crew member of Survivor, the relity TV show. Alton Desiree has been reported as drowned in Brazil.

The newspaper reported a woman crew of Survivor telephoned Mrs. Alton Desiree to inform her that her hsuband had died. Alton Desiree had been instructed to go underwater to fix something ofr the show. Desiree did not surface. Someone from ethe Survivor crew went down in the water to search for Alton Desiree. Desiree was found drowned. The news report on Desiree was not available in full as there was a download error.

Our condolences to Mrs. Desiree. Prayers and thoughts to the Desiree family, the crew and cast of Survivor.

Alton Desiree, RIP.

David Blaine: “Dive of Death”

2008-09-25T04:02:00.000-07:00

Magician David Blaine performed a dramatic ‘Dive of Death’ in Central Park earlier tonight, and lived. Read about it below and see photos and a video.

David Blaine is as much a showman as a magician, but I believe he bills himself as a magician. He’s kind of Harry Houdini Lite. Very lite. He’s stunts usually consist of public spectacles in public places.

In 2003, he stayed in a transparent box suspended over the Thames River in London for 44 days. In 2002, he stood on top of a 27 metre pillar behind the New York Public Library for 35 hours. In 2006, he lived in an acrylic sphere underwater for a week in front of the Lincoln Center. In 2000, he sat inside a block of ice in Times Square for 61 hours.

Every time I hear about one of his stunts, I always wonder where he goes to the bathroom. I’m sure they have something worked out for that.

His exhibitions all seem to be endurance tests as much as anything else and this latest one was no exception. Today he ended his latest stunt. He hung upside down in Central Park for 60 hours.

Yeah, it was not real interesting to watch. However, he always ends them with a grand finale and this was no different. He ended his upside down hanging with a two-hour television special. You might wonder how he could draw standing upright out for two hours. Well, the special was interspersed with pre-recorded footage of Blaine doing other things, like talking to people.

Then, finally, right at the end was the spectacular coup de gras. He plunged 13.4 metres in what has been billed as the ‘Dive of Death’. Following the dive, dangling from the cable he was attached to, he started ascending and disappeared into the night sky above Central Park’s Wollman Rink. Ta-Da!

And he lived to tell about it …. and do another stunt on another day.

Sports : Kapil Dev joins Indian Territorial Army

2008-09-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

Kapil Dev was commissioned into the Territorial Army (TA), the part-time citizen's force which functions as a 'vital adjunct' to the regular Army, as an honorary lieutenant colonel.

Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor piped the badges of the rank on the shoulders of Dev, at a ceremony at the Army Headquarters here this afternoon.

He was later felicitated at the Territorial Army headquarters mess in the evening in the presence of host of dignitaries who been members of the Territorial Army for years and achieved major milestones in other careers. They included Major (retired) Subir Saha, the former Chairman and Managing Director of the ONGC, and Brigadier K. P. Singh Deo, a former Cabinet Minister, besides others.

"This is my second innings. Earlier I fought for the country in my white uniform. Now, I will do the same in my olive green army uniform," Kapil said proudly.

Kapil, 50, was commissioned into the 150 TA (Infantry) battalion of the Punjab Regiment.

"I am proud I have been given this rank. It took six months for the things to materialise, with the file moving from the home ministry to the defence ministry," said Kapil, as his wife and daughter looked on.

Kapil will also be the brand ambassador of the Territorial Army and help train golfers of the army.

Territorial Army sources said that his induction would help in attracting talent as the army is facing a major officer crunch. (ANI)

Vaaranam Aayiram song release, Vaaranam Aayiram audio release

2008-09-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

Vaaranam Aayiram is the one of the most popular upcoming films. Finally the tracks of Varanam Aayiram will be launched on the 24th of September at Sathyam Cinemas in Chennai. It is a good news for Tamil music fans and those who have been eagerly awaiting the audio of Vaaranam Aayiram. Varanam Aayiram starring Suriya has musical score by Harris Jayaraj.

The Varanam Aayiram movie is being directed by Gautham Menon. The movie Varanam Aayiram features Simran, Divya Spandana and Sameera Reddy as the heroines. Four tracks from the Varanam Aayiram movie have been given exclusively to four radio FMs, including Radio Mirchi, Big FM, SFM and an another station to be played on air. Vaaranam Aayiram movie is produced by Oscar films. Vaaranam Aayiram will be Harris Jayaraj’s 26th film.

Bank strike, All banks in India strike

2008-09-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Sivaganga (TN), Sep 22 (PTI) Finance Minister P Chidambaram has termed the proposed nation-wide strike by bank employees on September 24 as 'unnecessary' and said the Centre was ready to hold talks with bank unions.
"The strike is not necessary. The government is ready to hold talks with bank unions," he said after inaugurating a Bank of India branch here last night.

Referring to the collapse of some financial institutions in the US, he said banks in India were insulated from the crisis and their financial position was quite strong.

On education loans, Chidambaram said a total of 12.51 lakh students had received Rs 20,000 crore loans as of March 31 this year. PTI

Live English Premier League, English Premier League Fixtures, English Premier League match result

2008-09-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

Everton	v	Liverpool	12:45
Aston Villa	v	Sunderland	15:00
Fulham	v	West Ham Utd	15:00
Man Utd	v	Bolton	15:00
Middlesbrough	v	WBA	15:00
Newcastle	v	Blackburn	15:00
Stoke City	v	Chelsea	15:00
Arsenal	v	Hull City	17:30

Syllabus for Life Sciences

2008-09-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

XL-Life Sciences

SECTION H. CHEMISTRY (Compulsory)

Atomic structure and periodicity: Planck’s quantum theory, wave particle duality, uncertainty principle, quantum mechanical model of hydrogen atom; electronic configuration of atoms; periodic table and periodic properties; ionization energy, election affinity, electronegativity, atomic size.

Structure and bonding: Ionic and covalent bonding, M.O. and V.B. approaches for diatomic molecules, VSEPR theory and shape of molecules, hybridisation, resonance, dipole moment, structure parameters such as bond length, bond angle and bond energy, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interactions. Ionic solids, ionic radii, lattice energy (Born-Haber Cycle).

s.p. and d Block Elements: Oxides, halides and hydrides of alkali and alkaline earth metals, B, Al, Si, N, P, and S, general characteristics of 3d elements, coordination complexes: valence bond and crystal field theory, color, geometry and magnetic properties.

Chemical Equilibria: Colligative properties of solutions, ionic equilibria in solution, solubility product, common ion effect, hydrolysis of salts, pH, buffer and their applications in chemical analysis, equilibrium constants (Kc, Kp and Kx) for homogeneous reactions,

Electrochemistry: Conductance, Kohlrausch law, Half Cell potentials, emf, Nernst equation, galvanic cells, thermodynamic aspects and their applications.

Reaction Kinetics: Rate constant, order of reaction, molecularity, activation energy, zero, first and second order kinetics, catalysis and elementary enzyme reactions.

Thermodynamics: First law, reversible and irreversible processes, internal energy, enthalpy, Kirchoff’s equation, heat of reaction, Hess law, heat of formation, Second law, entropy, free energy, and work function. Gibbs-Helmholtz equation, Clausius-Clapeyron equation, free energy change and equilibrium constant, Troutons rule, Third law of thermodynamics.

Basis of Organic Reactions Mechanism: Elementary treatment of SN1, SN2, E1 and E2 reactions, Hoffmann and Saytzeff rules, Addition reactions, Markonikoff rule and Kharash effect, Diels-Alder reaction, aromatic electrophilic substitution, orientation effect as exemplified by various functional groups. Identification of functional groups by chemical tests

Structure-Reactivity Correlations: Acids and bases, electronic and steric effects, optical and geometrical isomerism, tautomerism, conformers, concept of aromaticity

SECTION I. BIOCHEMISTRY

Organization of life. Importance of water. Cell structure and organelles. Structure and function of biomolecules: Amino acids, Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins and Nucleic acids. Biochemical separation techniques and characterization: ion exchange, size exclusion and affinity chromatography, electrophoresis, UV-visible, fluorescence and Mass spectrometry. Protein structure, folding and function: Myoglobin, Hemoglobin, Lysozyme, Ribonuclease A, Carboxypeptidase and Chymotrypsin. Enzyme kinetics including its regulation and inhibition, Vitamins and Coenzymes.

Metabolism and bioenergetics. Generation and utilization of ATP. Metabolic pathways and their regulation: glycolysis, TCA cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, oxidative phosphorylation, gluconeogenesis, glycogen and fatty acid metabolism. Metabolism of Nitrogen containing compounds: nitrogen fixation, amino acids and nucleotides. Photosynthesis: the Calvin cycle.

Biological membranes. Transport across membranes. Signal transduction; hormones and neurotransmitters.

DNA replication, transcription and translation. Biochemical regulation of gene expression. Recombinant DNA technology and applications: PCR, site directed mutagenesis and DNAmicroarray.

Immune system. Active and passive immunity. Complement system. Antibody structure, function and diversity. Cells of the immune system: T, B and macrophages. T and B cell activation. Major histocompatibilty complex. T cell receptor. Immunological techniques: Immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, RIA and ELISA.

SECTION J. BIOTECHNOLOGY

Advanced techniques in gene expression and analysis: PCR and RT-PCR, microarray technology, DNA fingerprinting and recombinant DNA technology; prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems; Vectors: plasmids, phages, cosmids and BAC.

Architecture of plant genome; plant tissue culture techniques; methods of gene transfer into plant cells and development of transgenic plants; manipulation of phenotypic traits in plants; plant cell fermentations and production of secondary metabolites using suspension/immobilized cell culture; expression of animal protein in plants; genetically modified crops.

Animal cell metabolism and regulation; cell cycle; primary cell culture; nutritional requirements for animal cell culture; techniques for mass culture of animal cell lines; application of animal cell culture for production of vaccines, growth hormones; interferons, cytokines and therapeutic proteins; hybridoma technology and gene knockout; stem cells and its application in organ synthesis; gene therapy; transgenic animals and molecular pharming.

Industrial bioprocesses: microbial production of organic acids, amino acids, proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, polyhydroxyalkanoates, antibiotics and pharmaceuticals; methods and applications of immobilization of cells and enzymes; kinetics of soluble and immobilized enzymes; biosensors; biofuels; biopesticides; environmental bioremediation.

Microbial growth kinetics; batch, fed-batch and continuous culture of microbial cells; media for industrial fermentations; sterilization of air and media, design and operation of stirred tank, airlift, plug flow, packed bed, fluidized bed, membrane and hollow fibre reactors; aeration and agitation in aerobic fermentations; bioprocess calculations based on material and energy balance; Down stream processing in industrial biotechnology: filtration, precipitation, centrifugation, cell disintegration, solvent extraction, and chromatographic separations, membrane filtration, aqueous two phase separation.

Bioinformatics; genomics; proteomics and computational biology.

SECTION K. BOTANY

Plant Systematics: Systems of classification (non-phylogenetic vs. phylogenetic - outline), plant groups, molecular systematics.

Plant Anatomy: Plant cell structure, organization, organelles, cytoskeleton, cell wall and membranes; anatomy of root, stem and leaves, meristems, vascular system, their ontogeny, structure and functions, secondary growth in plants and stellar organization.

Morphogenesis & Development: Cell cycle, cell division, life cycle of an angiosperm, pollination, fertilization, embryogenesis, seed formation, seed storage proteins, seed dormancy and germination.

Concept of cellular totipotency, clonal propagation; organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis, artificial seed, somaclonal variation, secondary metabolism in plant cell culture, embryo culture, in vitro fertilization.

Physiology and Biochemistry: Plant water relations, transport of minerals and solutes, stress physiology, stomatal physiology, signal transduction, N2 metabolism, photosynthesis, photorespiration; respiration, Flowering: photoperiodism and vernalization, biochemical mechanisms involved in flowering; molecular mechanism of senencensce and aging, biosynthesis, mechanism of action and physiological effects of plant growth regulators, structure and function of biomolecules, (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acid), enzyme kinetics.

Genetics: Principles of Mendelian inheritance, linkage, recombination, genetic mapping; extrachromosomal inheritance; prokaryotic and eukaryotic genome organization, regulation of gene expression, gene mutation and repair, chromosomal aberrations (numerical and structural), transposons.

Plant Breeding and Genetic Modification: Principles, methods – selection, hybridization, heterosis; male sterility, genetic maps and molecular markers, sporophytic and gametophytic self incompability, haploidy, triploidy, somatic cell hybridization, marker-assisted selection, gene transfer methods viz. direct and vector-mediated, plastid transformation, transgenic plants and their application in agriculture, molecular pharming, plantibodies.

Economic Botany: A general account of economically and medicinally important plants- cereals, pulses, plants yielding fibers, timber, sugar, beverages, oils, rubber, pigments, dyes, gums, drugs and narcotics. Economic importance of algae, fungi, lichen and bacteria.

Plant Pathology: Nature and classification of plant diseases, diseases of important crops caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses, and their control measures, mechanism(s) of pathogenesis and resistance, molecular detection of pathogens; plant-microbe beneficial interactions.

Ecology and Environment: Ecosystems – types, dynamics, degradation, ecological succession; food chains and energy flow; vegetation types of the world, pollution and global warming, speciation and extinction, conservation strategies, cryopreservation, phytoremediation.

SECTION L. MICROBIOLOGY

Historical Perspective: Discovery of microbial world; Landmark discoveries relevant to the field of microbiology; Controversy over spontaneous generation; Role of microorganisms in transformation of organic matter and in the causation of diseases.

Methods in Microbiology: Pure culture techniques; Theory and practice of sterilization; Principles of microbial nutrition; Enrichment culture techniques for isolation of microorganisms; Light-, phase contrast- and electron-microscopy.

Microbial Taxonomy and Diversity: Bacteria, Archea and their broad classification; Eukaryotic microbes: Yeasts, molds and protozoa; Viruses and their classification; Molecular approaches to microbial taxonomy.

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells: Structure and Function: Prokaryotic Cells: cell walls, cell membranes, mechanisms of solute transport across membranes, Flagella and Pili, Capsules, Cell inclusions like endospores and gas vesicles; Eukaryotic cell organelles: Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Microbial Growth: Definition of growth; Growth curve; Mathematical expression of exponential growth phase; Measurement of growth and growth yields; Synchronous growth; Continuous culture; Effect of environmental factors on growth.

Control of Micro-organisms: Effect of physical and chemical agents; Evaluation of effectiveness of antimicrobial agents.

Microbial Metabolism: Energetics: redox reactions and electron carriers; An overview of metabolism; Glycolysis; Pentose-phosphate pathway; Entner-Doudoroff pathway; Glyoxalate pathway; The citric acid cycle; Fermentation; Aerobic and anaerobic respiration; Chemolithotrophy; Photosynthesis; Calvin cycle; Biosynthetic pathway for fatty acids synthesis; Common regulatory mechanisms in synthesis of amino acids; Regulation of major metabolic pathways.

Microbial Diseases and Host Pathogen Interaction: Normal microbiota; Classification of infectious diseases; Reservoirs of infection; Nosocomial infection; Emerging infectious diseases; Mechanism of microbial pathogenicity; Nonspecific defense of host; Antigens and antibodies; Humoral and cell mediated immunity; Vaccines; Immune deficiency; Human diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and pathogenic fungi.

Chemotherapy/Antibiotics: General characteristics of antimicrobial drugs; Antibiotics: Classification, mode of action and resistance; Antifungal and antiviral drugs.

Microbial Genetics: Types of mutation; UV and chemical mutagens; Selection of mutants; Ames test for mutagenesis; Bacterial genetic system: transformation, conjugation, transduction, recombination, plasmids, transposons; DNA repair; Regulation of gene expression: repression and induction; Operon model; Bacterial genome with special reference to E.coli; Phage λ and its life cycle; RNA phages; RNA viruses; Retroviruses; Basic concept of microbial genomics.

Microbial Ecology: Microbial interactions; Carbon, sulphur and nitrogen cycles; Soil microorganisms associated with vascular plants.

SECTION M. ZOOLOGY

Animal world: Animal diversity, distribution, systematics and classification of animals, phylogenetic relationships.

Evolution: Origin and history of life on earth, theories of evolution, natural selection, adaptation, speciation.

Genetics: Principles of inheritance, molecular basis of heredity, mutations, cytoplasmic inheritance, linkage and mapping of genes.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates; replication, transcription and translation; regulation of gene expression, organization of genome, Kreb’s cycle, glycolysis, enzyme catalysis, hormones and their actions, vitamins.

Cell Biology: Structure of cell, cellular organelles and their structure and function, cell cycle, cell division, chromosomes and chromatin structure. Eukaryotic gene organization and expression (Basic principles of signal transduction).

Animal Anatomy and Physiology: Comparative physiology, the respiratory system, circulatory system, digestive system, the nervous system, the excretory system, the endocrine system, the reproductive system, the skeletal system, osmoregulation.

Parasitology and Immunology: Nature of parasite, host-parasite relation, protozoan and helminthic parasites, the immune response, cellular and humoral immune response, evolution of the immune system.

Development Biology: Embryonic development, cellular differentiation, organogenesis, metamorphosis, genetic basis of development, stem cells.

Ecology: The ecosystem, habitats, the food chain, population dynamics, species diversity, zoogerography, biogeochemical cycles, conservation biology.

Animal Behaviour: Types of behaviours, courtship, mating and territoriality, instinct, learning and memory, social behaviour across the animal taxa, communication, pheromones, evolution of animal behaviour.

Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T03:23:00.000-07:00

IN-Instrumentation Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrix Algebra, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigen vectors.

Calculus: Mean value theorems, Theorems of integral calculus, Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Partial Derivatives, Maxima and minima, Multiple integrals, Fourier series. Vector identities, Directional derivatives, Line, Surface and Volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Differential equations: First order equation (linear and nonlinear), Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Method of variation of parameters, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, Partial Differential Equations and variable separable method.

Complex variables: Analytic functions, Cauchy’s integral theorem and integral formula, Taylor’s and Laurent’ series, Residue theorem, solution integrals.

Probability and Statistics: Sampling theorems, Conditional probability, Mean, median, mode and standard deviation, Random variables, Discrete and continuous distributions, Poisson, Normal and Binomial distribution, Correlation and regression analysis.

Numerical Methods: Solutions of non-linear algebraic equations, single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

Transform Theory: Fourier transform, Laplace transform, Z-transform.

INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERING

Basics of Circuits and Measurement Systems: Kirchoff’s laws, mesh and nodal Analysis. Circuit theorems. One-port and two-port Network Functions. Static and dynamic characteristics of Measurement Systems. Error and uncertainty analysis. Statistical analysis of data and curve fitting.

Transducers, Mechanical Measurement and Industrial Instrumentation: Resistive, Capacitive, Inductive and piezoelectric transducers and their signal conditioning. Measurement of displacement, velocity and acceleration (translational and rotational), force, torque, vibration and shock. Measurement of pressure, flow, temperature and liquid level. Measurement of pH, conductivity, viscosity and humidity.

Analog Electronics: Characteristics of diode, BJT, JFET and MOSFET. Diode circuits. Transistors at low and high frequencies, Amplifiers, single and multi-stage. Feedback amplifiers. Operational amplifiers, characteristics and circuit configurations. Instrumentation amplifier. Precision rectifier. V-to-I and I-to-V converter. Op-Amp based active filters. Oscillators and signal generators.

Digital Electronics: Combinational logic circuits, minimization of Boolean functions. IC families, TTL, MOS and CMOS. Arithmetic circuits. Comparators, Schmitt trigger, timers and mono-stable multi-vibrator. Sequential circuits, flip-flops, counters, shift registers. Multiplexer, S/H circuit. Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog converters. Basics of number system. Microprocessor applications, memory and input-output interfacing. Microcontrollers.

Signals, Systems and Communications: Periodic and aperiodic signals. Impulse response, transfer function and frequency response of first- and second order systems. Convolution, correlation and characteristics of linear time invariant systems. Discrete time system, impulse and frequency response. Pulse transfer function. IIR and FIR filters. Amplitude and frequency modulation and demodulation. Sampling theorem, pulse code modulation. Frequency and time division multiplexing. Amplitude shift keying, frequency shift keying and pulse shift keying for digital modulation.

Electrical and Electronic Measurements: Bridges and potentiometers, measurement of R,L and C. Measurements of voltage, current, power, power factor and energy. A.C & D.C current probes. Extension of instrument ranges. Q-meter and waveform analyzer. Digital voltmeter and multi-meter. Time, phase and frequency measurements. Cathode ray oscilloscope. Serial and parallel communication. Shielding and grounding.

Control Systems and Process Control: Feedback principles. Signal flow graphs. Transient Response, steady-state-errors. Routh and Nyquist criteria. Bode plot, root loci. Time delay systems. Phase and gain margin. State space representation of systems. Mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic system components. Synchro pair, servo and step motors. On-off, cascade, P, PI, P-I-D, feed forward and derivative controller, Fuzzy controllers.

Analytical, Optical and Biomedical Instrumentation: Mass spectrometry. UV, visible and IR spectrometry. X-ray and nuclear radiation measurements. Optical sources and detectors, LED, laser, Photo-diode, photo-resistor and their characteristics. Interferometers, applications in metrology. Basics of fiber optics. Biomedical instruments, EEG, ECG and EMG. Clinical measurements. Ultrasonic transducers and Ultrasonography. Principles of Computer Assisted Tomography.

Syllabus for Engineering Sciences,Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:33:00.000-07:00

XE-Engineering Sciences

SECTION A. ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS (Compulsory)

Linear Algebra: Algebra of matrices, inverse, rank, system of linear equations, symmetric, skewsymmetric and orthogonal matrices. Hermitian, skew-Hermitian and unitary matrices. eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalisation of matrices, Cayley-Hamilton Theorem.

Calculus: Functions of single variable, limit, continuity and differentiability, Mean value theorems, Indeterminate forms and L'Hospital rule, Maxima and minima, Taylor's series, Fundamental and mean value-theorems of integral calculus. Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Beta and Gamma functions, Functions of two variables, limit, continuity, partial derivatives, Euler's theorem for homogeneous functions, total derivatives, maxima and minima, Lagrange method of multipliers, double and triple integrals and their applications, sequence and series, tests for convergence, power series, Fourier Series, Half range sine and cosine series.

Complex variable: Analytic functions, Cauchy-Riemann equations, Application in solving potential problems, Line integral, Cauchy's integral theorem and integral formula (without proof), Taylor's and Laurent' series, Residue theorem (without proof) and its applications.

Vector Calculus: Gradient, divergence and curl, vector identities, directional derivatives, line, surface and volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green's theorems (without proofs) applications.

Ordinary Differential Equations: First order equation (linear and nonlinear), Second order linear differential equations with variable coefficients, Variation of parameters method, higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Cauchy- Euler's equations, power series solutions, Legendre polynomials and Bessel's functions of the first kind and their properties.

Partial Differential Equations: Separation of variables method, Laplace equation, solutions of one dimensional heat and wave equations.

Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability and simple theorems, conditional probability, Bayes Theorem, random variables, discrete and continuous distributions, Binomial, Poisson, and normal distributions, correlation and linear regression.

Numerical Methods: Solution of a system of linear equations by L-U decomposition, Gauss- Jordan and Gauss-Seidel Methods, Newton’s interpolation formulae, Solution of a polynomial and a transcendental equation by Newton-Raphson method, numerical integration by trapezoidal rule, Simpson’s rule and Gaussian quadrature, numerical solutions of first order differential equation by Euler’s method and 4th order Runge-Kutta method.

SECTION B. COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE

Numerical Methods: Truncation errors, round off errors and their propagation; Interpolation: Lagrange, Newton's forward, backward and divided difference formulas, Least square curve fitting; Solutions of non linear equations of one variable using bisection, false position, Secant and Newton Raphson methods, Rate of convergence of these methods, general iterative methods, Simple and multiple roots of polynomials; Solutions of system of linear algebraic equations using Gauss elimination methods, Jacobi and Gauss - Seidel iterative methods and their rate of convergence; Ill conditioned and well conditioned system, Eigen values and Eigen vectors using power methods; Numerical integration using trapezoidal, Simpson's rule and other quadtrature formulas; Numerical Differentiation; Solution of boundary value problems; Solution of initial value problems of ordinary differential equations using Euler's method, predictor corrector and Runge Kutta method.

Computer System Concepts: Representation of fixed- and floating-point numbers; Elementary concepts and terminology of basic building blocks of a computer system and system software.

Fortran: Fortran-90 for Numerical Computation: Basic data types including complex numbers; Arrays; Assignment statements; Structured Programming Constructs: Loops, Conditional execution, iteration and recursion; Functions and subroutines; Structured programming practices.

C language: Basic data types including pointers; Assignments statements; Control statements; Dynamic memory allocation; Functions and procedures; Parameter passing mechanisms; Structured programming practices.

SECTION C. ELECTRICAL SCIENCES

Electric Circuits: Ideal voltage and current sources; RLC circuits, steady state and transient analysis of DC circuits, network theorems; single phase AC circuits, resonance and three phase circuits.

Magnetic Circuits: MMF and flux, and their relationship with voltage and current; principle of operation of transformer, equivalent circuit of a practical transformer, efficiency and regulation of transformer.

Electric Machines: Principle of operation, characteristics and performance equations of DC machines; principle of operation, equivalent circuit of three-phase Induction machin

Electronic Circuits: Characteristics of p-n junction diode, Zener diode, bi-polar junction transistor (BJT) and junction field effect transistor (JFET); structure of MOSFET, its characteristics and operation; rectifiers, filters, and regulated power supply, transistor biasing circuits, operational amplifiers, linear applications of operational amplifier, oscillators (tuned and phase shift type)

Digital circuits: Number systems, Boolean algebra, logic gates, combinational and sequential circuits, Flip-Flops (RS, JK, D and T), Counters.

Measuring Instruments: Cathode Ray oscilloscope, D/A and A/D converters.

SECTION D. FLUID MECHANICS

Fluid Properties: Relation between stress and strain rate for Newtonian fluids.

Hydrostatics: Buoyancy, manometry, forces on submerged bodies.

Eulerian and Lagrangian description of fluid motion, concept of local and convective accelerations, steady and unsteady flows, control volume analysis for mass, momentum and energy.

Differential equations of mass and momentum (Euler equation), Bernoulli’s equation and its applications.

Concept of fluid rotation, vorticity, stream function and potential function.

Potential flow: elementary flow fields and principle of superposition, potential flow past a circular cylinder.

Dimensional analysis: Concept of geometric, kinematic and dynamic similarity, importance of non-dimensional numbers.

Fully-developed pipe flow, laminar and turbulent flows, friction factor, Darcy-Weisbach relation. Qualitative ideas of boundary layer and separation, streamlined and bluff bodies, drag and lift forces.

Basic ideas of flow measurement using venturimeter, pitot-static tube and orifice plate.

SECTION E. MATERIALS SCIENCEM

Structure: Atomic structure and bonding in materials. Crystal structure of materials, crystal systems, unit cells and space lattices, determination of structures of simple crystals by x-ray diffraction, miller indices of planes and directions, packing geometry in metallic, ionic and covalent solids. Concept of amorphous, single and polycrystalline structures and their effect on properties of materials. Crystal growth techniques. Imperfections in crystalline solids and their role in influencing various properties.

Diffusion: Fick’s laws and application of diffusion in sintering, doping of semiconductors and surface hardening of metals.

Metals and Alloys: Solid solutions, solubility limit, phase rule, binary phase diagrams, intermediate phases, intermetallic compounds, iron-iron carbide phase diagram, heat treatment of steels, cold, hot working of metals, recovery, recrystallization and grain growth. Microstrcture, properties and applications of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys.

Ceramics: Structure, properties, processing and applications of traditional and advanced ceramics.

Polymers: Classification, polymerization, structure and properties, additives for polymer products, processing and applications.

Composites: Properties and applications of various composites.

Advanced Materials and Tools: Smart materials, exhibiting ferroelectric, piezoelectric, optoelectric, semiconducting behavior, lasers and optical fibers, photoconductivity and superconductivity, nanomaterials – synthesis, properties and applications, biomaterials, superalloys, shape memory alloys. Materials characterization techniques such as, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry.

Mechanical Properties: stress-strain diagrams of metallic, ceramic and polymeric materials, modulus of elasticity, yield strength, tensile strength, toughness, elongation, plastic deformation, viscoelasticity, hardness, impact strength, creep, fatigue, ductile and brittle fracture.

Thermal Properties: Heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion of materials.

Electronic Properties: Concept of energy band diagram for materials - conductors, semiconductors and insulators, electrical conductivity – effect of temperature on conductility, intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, dielectric properties.

Optical Properties: Reflection, refraction, absorption and transmission of electromagnetic radiation in solids.

Magnetic Properties: Origin of magnetism in metallic and ceramic materials, paramagnetism, diamagnetism, antiferro magnetism, ferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism, magnetic hysterisis.

Environmental Degradation: Corrosion and oxidation of materials, prevention.

SECTION F. SOLID MECHANICS Equivalent force systems; free-body diagrams; equilibrium equations; analysis of determinate trusses and frames; friction; simple relative motion of particles; force as function of position, time and speed; force acting on a body in motion; laws of motion; law of conservation of energy; law of conservation of momentum.

Stresses and strains; principal stresses and strains; Mohr's circle; generalized Hooke's Law; thermal strain; theories of failure.

Axial, shear and bending moment diagrams; axial, shear and bending stresses; deflection (for symmetric bending); torsion in circular shafts; thin cylinders; energy methods (Castigliano's Theorems); Euler buckling.

Free vibration of single degree of freedom systems.

SECTION G. THERMODYNAMICS

Basic Concepts: Continuum, macroscopic approach, thermodynamic system (closed and open or control volume); thermodynamic properties and equilibrium; state of a system, state diagram, path and process; different modes of work; Zeroth law of thermodynamics; concept of temperature; heat.

First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy, enthalpy, specific heats, first law applied to systems and control volumes, steady and unsteady flow analysis.

Second Law of Thermodynamics: Kelvin-Planck and Clausius statements, reversible and irreversible processes, Carnot theorems, thermodynamic temperature scale, Clausius inequality and concept of entropy, principle of increase of entropy; availability and irreversibility.

Properties of Pure Substances: Thermodynamic properties of pure substances in solid, liquid and vapor phases, P-V-T behaviour of simple compressible substances, phase rule, thermodynamic property tables and charts, ideal and real gases, equations of state, compressibility chart.

Thermodynamic Relations: T-ds relations, Maxwell equations, Joule-Thomson coefficient, coefficient of volume expansion, adiabatic and isothermal compressibilities, Clapeyron equation. Thermodynamic cycles: Carnot vapor power cycle, Ideal Rankine cycle, Rankine Reheat cycle, Air standard Otto cycle, Air standard Diesel cycle, Air-standard Brayton cycle, Vapor-compression refrigeration cycle.

Ideal Gas Mixtures: Dalton’s and Amagat’s laws, calculations of properties, air-water vapor mixtures and simple thermodynamic processes involving them.

Syllabus for Geology and Geo-Physics, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:32:00.000-07:00

GG-Geology And Geo-Physics

PART – I

Earth and Planetary system; size, shape, internal structure and composition of the earth; atmosphere and greenhouse effect; isostasy; elements of seismology; pressure in deep interior of planets; continents and continental processes; physical oceanography; paleomagnetism, continental drift, plate tectonics.

Weathering; soil formation; action of river, wind and glacier; oceans and oceanic features; earthquakes, volcanoes, orogeny and mountain building; elements of structural geology; crystallography; classification, composition and properties of minerals; elements of petrology; engineering properties of rocks and soils, role of geology in the construction of engineering structures.

Introductory processes of ore formation, broad occurrence and distribution of ore deposits; coal and petroleum resources in India; ground water geology geological time scale and geochronology; stratigraphic principles and stratigraphy of India; basic concepts of gravity, magnetic and electrical prospecting for ores and ground water.

PART – IIA: GEOLOGY

Crystal symmetry, forms, twinning; crystal chemistry; optical mineralogy, classification of minerals, diagnostic physical and optical properties of rock forming minerals.

Igneous rocks – classification, forms and textures, magmatic differentiation; phase diagrams and trace elements as monitors of magma evolutionary processes; mantle melting models and derivation of primary magmas. Metamorphism: controlling factors, metamorphic facies, grade and baric types; metamorphism of pelitic, mafic and impure carbonate rocks; role of fluids in metamorphism; metamorphic P-T-t paths and their tectonic significance; Igneous and metamorphic provinces of India; structure and petrology of sedimentary rocks; sedimentary processes and environments, sedimentary facies, basin studies; association of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks with tectonic setting.

Stress, strain and material response; brittle and ductile deformation; primary and secondary structures; geometry and genesis of folds, faults, joints, unconformities; cleavage, schistosity and lineation; methods of projection, tectonites and their significance; shear zone; superposed folding; basement cover relationship.

Morphology, classification and geological significance of important invertebrates, vertebrates, microfossils and palaeoflora; stratigraphic principles and Indian stratigraphy; geomorphic processes and agents; development and evolution of landforms; slope and drainage; processes on deep oceanic and near-shore regions; quantitative and applied geomorphology; air photo interpretation and remote sensing; ore mineralogy and optical properties of ore minerals; ore forming processes vis-à-vis ore-rock association (magmatic, hydrothermal, sedimentary and metamorphogenic ores); ores and metamorphism; fluid inclusions as an ore genetic tool; prospecting and exploration of economic minerals; sampling, ore reserve estimation, mining methods; coal and petroleum geology; origin and distribution of mineral and fuel deposits in India; marine geology and ocean resources; ore dressing and mineral economics.

Cosmic abundance; meteorites; geochemical evolution of the earth; geochemical cycles; distribution of major, minor and trace elements; elements of geochemical thermodynamics, isotope geochemistry; geochemistry of waters including solution equilibria and water rock interaction.

Engineering properties of rocks and soils; rocks as construction material; geology of dams; tunnels and excavation sites; natural hazards; ground water geology and exploration and well hydraulics; water quality; basic principles of remote sensing – energy sources and radiation principles, atmospheric absorption, interaction of energy with various features of the earth's surface. GIS – basic concepts, raster and vector mode operation, digital processing of satellite images, visual and microwave remote sensing; elements of Geostatistics

PART – II B: GEOPHYSICS

The earth as a planet; different motions of the earth; gravity field of the earth and its shape; geochronology; seismology and interior of the earth; variation of density, velocity, pressure, temperature, electrical and magnetic properties of the earth; earthquakes-causes and measurements; magnitude and intensity, focal mechanisms, earthquake quantification, source characteristics, seismotectonics and seismic hazards; digital seismographs, paleoseismology, geomagnetic field, paleomagnetism; oceanic and continental lithosphere; plate tectonics; heat flow; upper and lower atmospheric phenomena.

Theories of scalar and vector potential fields; Laplace, Maxwell and Helmholtz equations for solution of different types of boundary value problems in Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical polar coordinates; Green's theorem; Image theory; integral equations and conformal transformations in potential theory; Eikonal equation and Ray theory.

'G' and 'g' units of measurement, density of rocks, gravimeters, Bouguer gravity formula, various corrections to gravity data, free air, Bouguer and isostatic anomalies, regional and residual gravity separation, upward and downward continuation, preparation and analysis of gravity maps; gravity anomalies and their interpretation; calculation of mass, airborne, shipborne and bore-hole gravity surveys.

Earth's magnetic field, units of measurement, magnetic susceptibility of rocks, magnetometers, corrections, preparation of magnetic maps, upward and downward continuation, magnetic anomalies and their interpretation; magnetic anomalies and their interpretation.

Conduction of electricity through rocks, electrical conductivities of metals, metallic, non-metallic and rock forming minerals, D.C. resistivity units and methods of measurement, electrode configuration for sounding and profiling, application of filter theory, interpretation of resistivity field data, application; self potential origin, classification, field measurement, interpretation of induced polarization time frequency, phase domain; IP units and methods of measurement, interpretation and application; ground-water exploration.

Origin of electromagnetic field, elliptic polarization, methods of measurement for different sourcereceiver configuration components in EM measurements, skin-depth, interpretation and applications; earth's natural electromagnetic field, tellurics, magneto-tellurics; geomagnetic depth sounding principles, electromagnetic profiling, methods of measurement, processing of data and interpretation.

Seismic methods of prospecting: Reflection, refraction and CDP surveys; land and marine seismic sources, generation and propagation of elastic waves, velocity increasing with depth, geophones, hydrophones, recording instruments (DFS), digital formats, field layouts, seismic noises and noise profile analysis, optimum geophone grouping, noise cancellation by shot and geophone arrays, 2D and 3D seismic data acquisition, processing and interpretation; CDP stacking charts, binning, filtering, dip-moveout, static and dynamic corrections, migration, signal processing, attribute analysis, bright and dim spots, seismic stratigraphy, high resolution seismics, VSP, AVO.

Principles and techniques of geophysical well-logging, SP, resistivity, induction, gamma ray, neutron, density, sonic, temperature, dip meter, caliper, nuclear magnetic, cement bond logging, micro-logs. Quantitative evaluation of formations from well logs; well hydraulics and application of geophysical methods for groundwater study; application of bore hole geophysics in ground water, mineral and oil exploration.

Radioactive methods of prospecting and assaying of minerals (radioactive and non radioactive) deposits, half-life, decay constant, radioactive equilibrium, G M counter, scintillation detector, semiconductor devices, application of radiometric for exploration and radioactive waste disposal.

Geophysical signal processing, sampling theorem, aliasing, Nyquist frequency, Fourier series, periodic waveform, Fourier and Hilbert transform, Z-transform, power spectrum, delta function, auto correlation, cross correlation, convolution, deconvolution, principles of digital filters, windows, poles and zeros.

Geophysical inverse problems: non-uniqueness and stability of solutions; quasi-linear and nonlinear methods including genetic algorithms and artificial neural network.

Syllabus for Textile Engineering and Fibre Science, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:31:00.000-07:00

TF-Textile Engineering and Fibre Science

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrices and Determinants, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigen vectors.

Calculus: Limit, continuity and differentiability; Partial Derivatives; Maxima and minima; Sequences and series; Test for convergence; Fourier series.

Vector Calculus: Gradient; Divergence and Curl; Line; surface and volume integrals; Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Diferential Equations: Linear and non-linear first order ODEs; Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations; Laplace transforms; PDEs – Laplace, heat and wave equations.

Probability and Statistics: Mean, median, mode and standard deviation; Random variables; Poisson, normal and binomial distributions; Correlation and regression analysis.

Numerical Methods: Solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations; integration of trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule; single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

TEXTILE ENGINEERING AND FIBRE SCIENCE

Textile Fibres: Classification of textile fibres; Essential requirements of fibre forming polymers; Gross and fine structure of natural fibres like cotton, wool and silk. Introduction to important bast fibres; properties and uses of natural and man-made fibres; physical and chemical methods of fibre and blend identification and blend analysis.

Molecular architecture, amorphous and crystalline phases, glass transition, plasticization, crystallization, melting, factors affecting Tg and Tm; Process of viscose and acetate preparation. Polymerization of nylon-6, nylon-66, poly (ethylene terephthalate), polyacrylonitrile and polypropylene; Melt Spinning processes, characteristic features of PET, polyamide and polypropylene spinning; wet and dry spinning of viscose and acrylic fibres; post spinning operations such as drawing, heat setting, tow-to-top conversion and different texturing methods.

Methods of investigating fibre structure e.g., Density, X-ray diffraction, birefringence, optical and electron microscopy, I.R. absorption, thermal methods (DSC, DMA/TMA, TGA); structure and morphology of man-made fibres, mechanical properties of fibres, moisture sorption in fibres; fibre structure and property correlation.

Yarn manufacture and yarn structure & properties: Principles of opening, cleaning and mixing/blending of fibrous materials, working principle of modern opening and cleaning equipments; the technology of carding, carding of cotton and synthetic fibres; Drafting operation, roller and apron drafting principle, causes of mass irregularity introduced by drafting; roller arrangements in drafting systems; principles of cotton combing, combing cycle, mechanism and function, combing efficiency, lap preparation; recent developments in comber; Roving production, mechanism of bobbin building, roving twist; Principle of ring spinning, forces acting on yarn and traveler; ring & traveler designs; mechanism of cop formation, causes of end breakages; working principle of ring doubler and two for one twister, single and folded yarn twist, properties of double yarns, production of core spun yarn, compact spinning, principle of non conventional methods of yarn production such as rotor spinning, air jet spinning, wrap spinning, twist less spinning and friction spinning.

Yarn contraction, yarn diameter, specific volume & packing coefficient; twist strength relationship in spun yarns; fibre configuration and orientation in yarn; cause of fibre migration and its estimation, irregularity index, properties of ring, rotor and air-jet yarns.

Fabric manufacture and Fabric Structure: Principles of cheese and cone winding processes and machines; random and precision winding; package faults and their remedies; yarn clearers and tensioners; different systems of yarn splicing; features of modern cone winding machines; different types of warping creels; features of modern beam and sectional warping machines; different sizing systems, sizing of spun and filament yarns, modern sizing machines; principles of pirn winding processes and machines; primary and secondary motions of loom, effect of their settings and timings on fabric formation, fabric appearance and weaving performance; dobby and jacquard shedding; mechanics of weft insertion with shuttle; warp and weft stop motions, warp protection, weft replenishment; functional principles of weft insertion systems of shuttle-less weaving machines, principles of multiphase and circular looms.

Principles of weft and warp knitting; basic weft and warp knitted structures. Classification, production and areas of application of nonwoven fabrics. Basic woven fabric constructions and their derivatives; crepe, cord, terry, gauze, leno and double cloth constructions. Peirce’s equations for fabric geometry; elastica model of plain woven fabrics; thickness, cover and maximum sett of woven fabrics.

Textile Testing: Sampling techniques, sample size and sampling errors. Measurement of fibre length, fineness, crimp, strength and reflectance; measurement of cotton fibre maturity and trash content; HVI and AFIS for fibre testing. Measurement of yarn count, twist and hairiness; tensile testing of fibres, yarns and fabrics; evenness testing of slivers, rovings and yarns; testing equipment for measurement test methods of fabric properties like thickness, compressibility, air permeability, drape, crease recovery, tear strength, bursting strength and abrasion resistance. FAST and Kawabata instruments and systems for objective fabric evaluation. Statistical data analysis of experimental results. Correlation analysis, significance tests and analysis of variance; frequency distributions and control charts.

Preparatory Processes: Chemistry and practice of preparatory processes for cotton, wool and silk. Mercerization of cotton. Preparatory processes for nylon, polyester and acrylic and polyester/cotton blends.

Dyeing: Classification of dyes. Dyeing of cotton, wool, silk, polyester, nylon and acrylic with appropriate dye classes. Dyeing polyester/cotton and polyester/wool blends. Batchwise and continuous dyeing machines. Dyeing of cotton knitted fabrics and machines used. Dye fibre interaction. Introduction to thermodynamics and kinetics of dyeing. Methods for determination of wash, light and rubbing fastness. Evaluation of fastness properties with the help of grey scale.

Printing: Styles of printing. Printing thickeners including synthetic thickeners. Printing auxiliaries. Printing of cotton with reactive dyes. Printing of wool, silk, nylon with acid and metal complex dyes. Printing of polyester with disperse dyes. Methods of dye fixation after printing. Resist and discharge printing of cotton, silk and polyester. Printing of polyester/cotton blends with disperse/reactive combination. Transfer printing of polyester. Developments in inkjet printing.

Finishing: Mechanical finishing of cotton. Stiff. Soft, wrinkle resistant, water repellent, flame retardant and enzyme (bio-polishing) finishing of cotton. Milling, decatizing and shrink resistant finishing of wool. Antistat finishing of synthetic fibre fabrics. Heat setting of polyester.

Energy Conservation: Minimum application techniques.

Pollution: Environment pollution during chemical processing of textiles. Treatment of textile effluents.

Syllabus for Electrical Engineering,Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:30:00.002-07:00

EE-Electrical Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrix Algebra, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigen vectors.

Calculus: Mean value theorems, Theorems of integral calculus, Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Partial Derivatives, Maxima and minima, Multiple integrals, Fourier series. Vector identities, Directional derivatives, Line, Surface and Volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Differential equations: First order equation (linear and nonlinear), Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Method of variation of parameters, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, Partial Differential Equations and variable separable method.

Complex variables: Analytic functions, Cauchy’s integral theorem and integral formula, Taylor’s and Laurent’ series, Residue theorem, solution integrals.

Probability and Statistics: Sampling theorems, Conditional probability, Mean, median, mode and standard deviation, Random variables, Discrete and continuous distributions, Poisson, Normal and Binomial distribution, Correlation and regression analysis.

Numerical Methods: Solutions of non-linear algebraic equations, single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

Transform Theory: Fourier transform, Laplace transform, Z-transform.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Electric Circuits and Fields: Network graph, KCL, KVL, node and mesh analysis, transient response of dc and ac networks; sinusoidal steady-state analysis, resonance, basic filter concepts; ideal current and voltage sources, Thevenin’s, Norton’s and Superposition and Maximum Power Transfer theorems, two-port networks, three phase circuits; Gauss Theorem, electric field and potential due to point, line, plane and spherical charge distributions; Ampere’s and Biot-Savart’s laws; inductance; dielectrics; capacitance.

Signals and Systems: Representation of continuous and discrete-time signals; shifting and scaling operations; linear, time-invariant and causal systems; Fourier series representation of continuous periodic signals; sampling theorem; Fourier, Laplace and Z transforms.

Electrical Machines: Single phase transformer - equivalent circuit, phasor diagram, tests, regulation and efficiency; three phase transformers - connections, parallel operation; autotransformer; energy conversion principles; DC machines - types, windings, generator characteristics, armature reaction and commutation, starting and speed control of motors; three phase induction motors - principles, types, performance characteristics, starting and speed control; single phase induction motors; synchronous machines - performance, regulation and parallel operation of generators, motor starting, characteristics and applications; servo and stepper motors.

Power Systems: Basic power generation concepts; transmission line models and performance; cable performance, insulation; corona and radio interference; distribution systems; per-unit quantities; bus impedance and admittance matrices; load flow; voltage control; power factor correction; economic operation; symmetrical components; fault analysis; principles of overcurrent, differential and distance protection; solid state relays and digital protection; circuit breakers; system stability concepts, swing curves and equal area criterion; HVDC transmission and FACTS concepts.

Control Systems: Principles of feedback; transfer function; block diagrams; steady-state errors; Routh and Niquist techniques; Bode plots; root loci; lag, lead and lead-lag compensation; state space model; state transition matrix, controllability and observability.

Electrical and Electronic Measurements: Bridges and potentiometers; PMMC, moving iron, dynamometer and induction type instruments; measurement of voltage, current, power, energy and power factor; instrument transformers; digital voltmeters and multimeters; phase, time and frequency measurement; Q-meters; oscilloscopes; potentiometric recorders; error analysis.

Analog and Digital Electronics: Characteristics of diodes, BJT, FET; amplifiers - biasing, equivalent circuit and frequency response; oscillators and feedback amplifiers; operational amplifiers - characteristics and applications; simple active filters; VCOs and timers; combinational and sequential logic circuits; multiplexer; Schmitt trigger; multi-vibrators; sample and hold circuits; A/D and D/A converters; 8-bit microprocessor basics, architecture, programming and interfacing.

Power Electronics and Drives: Semiconductor power diodes, transistors, thyristors, triacs, GTOs, MOSFETs and IGBTs - static characteristics and principles of operation; triggering circuits; phase control rectifiers; bridge converters - fully controlled and half controlled; principles of choppers and inverters; basis concepts of adjustable speed dc and ac drives.

Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:30:00.001-07:00

PY-Pharmaceutical Sciences

Natural Products: Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry – Chemistry, tests, isolation, characterization and estimation of phytopharmaceuticals belonging to the group of Alkaloids, Glycosides, Terpenoids, Steroids, Bioflavanoids, Purines, Guggul lipids. Pharmacognosy of crude drugs that contain the above constituents. Standardization of raw materials and herbal products. WHO guidelines. Quantitative microscopy including modern techniques used for evaluation. Biotechnological principles and techniques for plant development, Tissue culture.

Pharmacology: General pharmacological principles including Toxicology. Drug interaction. Pharmacology of drugs acting on Central nervous system, Cardiovascular system, Autonomic nervous system, Gastro intestinal system and Respiratory system. Pharmacology of Autocoids, Hormones, Hormone antagonists, chemotherapeutic agents including anticancer drugs. Bioassays, Immuno Pharmacology. Drugs acting on the blood & blood forming organs. Drugs acting on the renal system.

Medicinal Chemistry: Structure, nomenclature, classification, synthesis, SAR and metabolism of the following category of drugs, which are official in Indian Pharmacopoeia and British Pharmacopoeia. Introduction to drug design. Stereochemistry of drug molecules. Hypnotics and Sedatives, Analgesics, NSAIDS, Neuroleptics, Antidepressants, Anxiolytics, Anticonvulsants, Antihistaminics, Local Anaesthetics, Cardio Vascular drugs – Antianginal agents Vasodilators, Adrenergic & Cholinergic drugs, Cardiotonic agents, Diuretics, Antijypertensive drugs, Hypoglycemic agents, Antilipedmic agents, Coagulants, Anticoagulants, Antiplatelet agents. Chemotherapeutic agents – Antibiotics, Antibacterials, Sulphadrugs. Antiproliozoal drugs, Antiviral, Antitubercular, Antimalarial, Anticancer, Antiamoebic drugs. Diagnostic agents. Preparation and storage and uses of official Radiopharmaceuticals, Vitamins and Hormones. Eicosonoids and their application.

Pharmaceutics : Development, manufacturing standards Q.C. limits, labeling, as per the pharmacopoeal requirements. Storage of different dosage forms and new drug delivery systems. Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics and their importance in formulation. Formulation and preparation of cosmetics – lipstick, shampoo, creams, nail preparations and dentifrices. Pharmaceutical calculations.

Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence: Drugs and cosmetics Act and rules with respect to manufacture, sales and storage. Pharmacy Act. Pharmaceutical ethics.

Pharmaceutical Analysis: Principles, instrumentation and applications of the following: Absorption spectroscopy (UV, visible & IR). Fluorimetry, Flame photometry, Potentiometry. Conductometry and Plarography. Pharmacopoeial assays. Principles of NMR, ESR, Mass spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis and different chromatographic methods.

Biochemistry. Biochemical role of hormones, Vitamins, Enzymes, Nucleic acids, Bioenergetics. General principles of immunology. Immunological. Metabolism of carbohydrate, lipids, proteins. Methods to determine, kidney & liver function. Lipid profiles.

Microbiology : Principles and methods of microbio0logical assays of the Pharmacopoeia. Methods of preparation of official sera and vaccines. Serological and diagnostics tests. Applications of microorganisms in Bio Conversions and in Pharmaceutical industry.

Clinical Pharmacy : Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Dosage regimen in Pregnancy and Lactation, Pediatrics and Geriatrics. Renal and hepatic impairment. Drug – Drug interactions and Drug – food interactions, Adverse Drug reactions. Medication History, interview and Patient counseling.

Syllabus for Electronics And Communication Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:28:00.000-07:00

EC-Electronics and Communication Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrix Algebra, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigen vectors.

Calculus: Mean value theorems, Theorems of integral calculus, Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Partial Derivatives, Maxima and minima, Multiple integrals, Fourier series. Vector identities, Directional derivatives, Line, Surface and Volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Differential equations: First order equation (linear and nonlinear), Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Method of variation of parameters, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, Partial Differential Equations and variable separable method.

Complex variables: Analytic functions, Cauchy’s integral theorem and integral formula, Taylor’s and Laurent’ series, Residue theorem, solution integrals.

Probability and Statistics: Sampling theorems, Conditional probability, Mean, median, mode and standard deviation, Random variables, Discrete and continuous distributions, Poisson, Normal and Binomial distribution, Correlation and regression analysis.

Numerical Methods: Solutions of non-linear algebraic equations, single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

Transform Theory: Fourier transform, Laplace transform, Z-transform.

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Networks: Network graphs: matrices associated with graphs; incidence, fundamental cut set and fundamental circuit matrices. Solution methods: nodal and mesh analysis. Network theorems: superposition, Thevenin and Norton’s maximum power transfer, Wye-Delta transformation. Steady state sinusoidal analysis using phasors. Linear constant coefficient differential equations; time domain analysis of simple RLC circuits, Solution of network equations using Laplace transform: frequency domain analysis of RLC circuits. 2-port network parameters: driving point and transfer functions. State equations for networks.

Electronic Devices: Energy bands in silicon, intrinsic and extrinsic silicon. Carrier transport in silicon: diffusion current, drift current, mobility, and resistivity. Generation and recombination of carriers. p-n junction diode, Zener diode, tunnel diode, BJT, JFET, MOS capacitor, MOSFET, LED, p-I-n and avalanche photo diode, Basics of LASERs. Device technology: integrated circuits fabrication process, oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, photolithography, n-tub, p-tub and twintub CMOS process.

Analog Circuits: Small Signal Equivalent circuits of diodes, BJTs, MOSFETs and analog CMOS. Simple diode circuits, clipping, clamping, rectifier. Biasing and bias stability of transistor and FET amplifiers. Amplifiers: single-and multi-stage, differential and operational, feedback, and power. Frequency response of amplifiers. Simple op-amp circuits. Filters. Sinusoidal oscillators; criterion for oscillation; single-transistor and op-amp configurations. Function generators and waveshaping circuits, 555 Timers. Power supplies.

Digital circuits: Boolean algebra, minimization of Boolean functions; logic gates; digital IC families (DTL, TTL, ECL, MOS, CMOS). Combinatorial circuits: arithmetic circuits, code converters, multiplexers, decoders, PROMs and PLAs. Sequential circuits: latches and flip-flops, counters and shift-registers. Sample and hold circuits, ADCs, DACs. Semiconductor memories. Microprocessor(8085): architecture, programming, memory and I/O interfacing.

Signals and Systems: Definitions and properties of Laplace transform, continuous-time and discrete-time Fourier series, continuous-time and discrete-time Fourier Transform, DFT and FFT, z-transform. Sampling theorem. Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) Systems: definitions and properties; causality, stability, impulse response, convolution, poles and zeros, parallel and cascade structure, frequency response, group delay, phase delay. Signal transmission through LTI systems.

Control Systems: Basic control system components; block diagrammatic description, reduction of block diagrams. Open loop and closed loop (feedback) systems and stability analysis of these systems. Signal flow graphs and their use in determining transfer functions of systems; transient and steady state analysis of LTI control systems and frequency response. Tools and techniques for LTI control system analysis: root loci, Routh-Hurwitz criterion, Bode and Nyquist plots. Control system compensators: elements of lead and lag compensation, elements of Proportional-Integral- Derivative (PID) control. State variable representation and solution of state equation of LTI control systems.

Communications: Random signals and noise: probability, random variables, probability density function, autocorrelation, power spectral density. Analog communication systems: amplitude and angle modulation and demodulation systems, spectral analysis of these operations, superheterodyne receivers; elements of hardware, realizations of analog communication systems; signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) calculations for amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) for low noise conditions. Fundamentals of information theory and channel capacity theorem. Digital communication systems: pulse code modulation (PCM), differential pulse code modulation (DPCM), digital modulation schemes: amplitude, phase and frequency shift keying schemes (ASK, PSK, FSK), matched filter receivers, bandwidth consideration and probability of error calculations for these schemes. Basics of TDMA, FDMA and CDMA and GSM.

Electromagnetics: Elements of vector calculus: divergence and curl; Gauss’ and Stokes’ theorems, Maxwell’s equations: differential and integral forms. Wave equation, Poynting vector. Plane waves: propagation through various media; reflection and refraction; phase and group velocity; skin depth. Transmission lines: characteristic impedance; impedance transformation; Smith chart; impedance matching; S parameters, pulse excitation. Waveguides: modes in rectangular waveguides; boundary conditions; cut-off frequencies; dispersion relations. Basics of propagation in dielectric waveguide and optical fibers. Basics of Antennas: Dipole antennas; radiation pattern; antenna gain.

Syllabus for Production And Industrial Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:27:00.004-07:00

PI-Production and Industrial Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigen vectors.

Calculus: Functions of single variable, Limit, continuity and differentiability, Mean value theorems, Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Partial derivatives, Total derivative, Maxima and minima, Gradient, Divergence and Curl, Vector identities, Directional derivatives, Line, Surface and Volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Differential equations: First order equations (linear and nonlinear), Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, Laplace transforms, Solutions of one dimensional heat and wave equations and Laplace equation.

Complex variables: Analytic functions, Cauchy’s integral theorem, Taylor and Laurent series. Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability and sampling theorems, Conditional probability, Mean, median, mode and standard deviation, Random variables, Poisson, Normal and Binomial distributions.

Numerical Methods: Numerical solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations Integration by rapezoidal and Simpson’s rule, single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

GENERAL ENGINEERING

Engineering Materials: Structure and properties of engineering materials and their applications; effect of strain, strain rate and temperature on mechanical properties of metals and alloys; heat treatment of metals and alloys, its influence on mechanical properties.

Applied Mechanics: Engineering mechanics - equivalent force systems, free body concepts, equations of equilibrium; strength of materials - stress, strain and their relationship, Mohr’s circle, deflection of beams, bending and shear stress, Euler’s theory of columns.

Theory of Machines and Design: Analysis of planar mechanisms, cams and followers; governers and fly wheels; design of elements - failure theories; design of bolted, riveted and welded joints; design of shafts, keys, spur gears, belt drives, brakes and clutches.

Thermal Engineering: Fluid mechanics - fluid statics, Bernoulli’s equation, flow through pipes, equations of continuity and momentum; thermodynamics - zeroth, first and second law of thermodynamics, thermodynamic system and processes, calculation of work and heat for systems and control volumes; air standard cycles; basics of internal combustion engines and steam turbines; heat transfer - fundamentals of conduction, convection and radiation, heat exchangers.

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING

Metal Casting: Casting processes - types and applications; patterns - types and materials; allowances; moulds and cores - materials, making, and testing; casting techniques of cast iron, steels and nonferrous metals and alloys; solidification; design of casting, gating and risering; casting inspection, defects and remedies.

Metal Forming: Stress-strain relations in elastic and plastic deformation; concept of flow stress, deformation mechanisms; hot and cold working - forging, rolling, extrusion, wire and tube drawing; sheet metal working processes such as blanking, piercing, bending, deep drawing, coining and embossing; analysis of rolling, forging, extrusion and wire /rod drawing; metal working defects.

Metal Joining Processes: Welding processes - manual metal arc, MIG, TIG, plasma arc, submerged arc, electroslag, thermit, resistance, forge, friction, and explosive welding;other joining processes - soldering, brazing, braze welding; inspection of welded joints, defects and remedies; introduction to advanced welding processes - ultrasonic, electron beam, laser beam; thermal cutting.

Machining and Machine Tool Operations: Basic machine tools; machining processes-turning, drilling, boring, milling, shaping, planing, gear cutting, thread production, broaching, grinding, lapping, honing, super finishing; mechanics of machining - geometry of cutting tools, chip formation, cutting forces and power requirements, Merchant’s analysis; selection of machining parameters; tool materials, tool wear and tool life, economics of machining, thermal aspects of machining, cutting fluids, machinability; principles and applications of nontraditional machining processes - USM, AJM, WJM, EDM and Wire cut EDM, LBM, EBM, PAM, CHM, ECM.

Tool Engineering: Jigs and fixtures - principles, applications, and design; press tools - configuration, design of die and punch; principles of forging die design.

Metrology and Inspection: Limits, fits, and tolerances, interchangeability, selective assembly; linear and angular measurements by mechanical and optical methods, comparators; design of limit gauges; interferometry; measurement of straightness, flatness, roundness, squareness and symmetry; surface finish measurement; inspection of screw threads and gears; alignment testing of machine tools.

Powder Metallurgy: Production of metal powders, compaction and sintering.

Polymers and Composites: Introduction to polymers and composites; plastic processing - injection, compression and blow molding, extrusion, calendaring and thermoforming; molding of composites.

Manufacturing Analysis: Sources of errors in manufacturing; process capability; tolerance analysis in manufacturing and assembly; process planning; parameter selection and comparison of production alternatives; time and cost analysis; manufacturing technologies - strategies and selection.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing: Basic concepts of CAD, CAM, CAPP, cellular manufacturing, NC, CNC, DNC, Robotics, FMS, and CIM.

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Product Design and Development: Principles of good product design, tolerance design; quality and cost considerations; product life cycle; standardization, simplification, diversification, value engineering and analysis, concurrent engineering.

Engineering Economy and Costing: Elementary cost accounting and methods of depreciation; break-even analysis, techniques for evaluation of capital investments, financial statements.

Work System Design: Taylor’s scientific management, Gilbreths’s contributions; productivity - concepts and measurements; method study, micro-motion study, principles of motion economy; work measurement - stop watch time study, work sampling, standard data, PMTS; ergonomics; job evaluation, merit rating, incentive schemes, and wage administration; business process reengineering.

Facility Design: Facility location factors and evaluation of alternate locations; types of plant layout and their evaluation; computer aided layout design techniques; assembly line balancing; materials handling systems.

Production Planning and Inventory Control: Forecasting techniques - causal and time series models, moving average, exponential smoothing, trend and seasonality; aggregate production planning; master production scheduling; MRP and MRP-II; order control and flow control; routing, scheduling and priority dispatching; push and pull production systems, concept of JIT manufacturing system; logistics, distribution, and supply chain management; Inventory - functions, costs, classifications, deterministic and probabilistic inventory models, quantity discount; perpetual and periodic inventory control systems.

Operation Research: Linear programming - problem formulation, simplex method, duality and sensitivity analysis; transportation and assignment models; network flow models, constrained optimization and Lagrange multipliers; simple queuing models; dynamic programming; simulation - manufacturing applications; PERT and CPM, time-cost trade-off, resource leveling.

Quality Management: Quality - concept and costs, quality circles, quality assurance; statistical quality control, acceptance sampling, zero defects, six sigma; total quality management; ISO 9000; design of experiments - Taguchi method.

Reliability and Maintenance: Reliability, availability and maintainability; distribution of failure and repair times; determination of MTBF and MTTR, reliability models; system reliability determination; preventive maintenance and replacement, total productive maintenance - concept and applications.

Management Information System: Value of information; information storage and retrieval system - database and data structures; knowledge based systems.

Intellectual Property System: Definition of intellectual property, importance of IPR; TRIPS and its implications, patent, copyright, industrial design and trademark.

Syllabus for Chemistry

2008-09-22T02:27:00.003-07:00

CY-Chemistry

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

Structure: Quantum theory: principles and techniques; applications to a particle in a box, harmonic oscillator, rigid rotor and hydrogen atom; valence bond and molecular orbital theories, Huckel approximation; approximate techniques: variation and perturbation; symmetry, point groups; rotational, vibrational, electronic, NMR, and ESR spectroscopy

Equilibrium: Kinetic theory of gases; First law of thermodynamics, heat, energy, and work; second law of thermodynamics and entropy; third law and absolute entropy; free energy; partial molar quantities; ideal and non-ideal solutions; phase transformation: phase rule and phase diagrams - one, two, and three component systems; activity, activity coefficient, fugacity, and fugacity coefficient; chemical equilibrium, response of chemical equilibrium to temperature and pressure; colligative properties; Debye-Huckel theory; thermodynamics of electrochemical cells; standard electrode potentials: applications - corrosion and energy conversion; molecular partition function (translational, rotational, vibrational, and electronic).

Kinetics: Rates of chemical reactions, temperature dependence of chemical reactions; elementary, consecutive, and parallel reactions; steady state approximation; theories of reaction rates - collision and transition state theory, relaxation kinetics, kinetics of photochemical reactions and free radical polymerization, homogeneous catalysis, adsorption isotherms and heterogeneous catalysis.

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Main group elements: General characteristics, allotropes, structure and reactions of simple and industrially important compounds: boranes, carboranes, silicones, silicates, boron nitride, borazines and phosphazenes. Hydrides, oxides and oxoacids of pnictogens (N, P), chalcogens (S, Se & Te) and halogens, xenon compounds, pseudo halogens and interhalogen compounds. Shapes of molecules and hard- soft acid base concept. Structure and Bonding (VBT) of B, Al, Si, N, P, S, Cl compounds. Allotropes of carbon: graphite, diamond, C60. Synthesis and reactivity of inorganic polymers of Si and P.

Transition Elements: General characteristics of d and f block elements; coordination chemistry: structure and isomerism, stability, theories of metal- ligand bonding (CFT and LFT), mechanisms of substitution and electron transfer reactions of coordination complexes. Electronic spectra and magnetic properties of transition metal complexes, lanthanides and actinides. Metal carbonyls, metal- metal bonds and metal atom clusters, metallocenes; transition metal complexes with bonds to hydrogen, alkyls, alkenes and arenes; metal carbenes; use of organometallic compounds as catalysts in organic synthesis. Bioinorganic chemistry of Na, K. Mg, Ca, Fe, Co, Zn, Cu and Mo.

Solids: Crystal systems and lattices, miller planes, crystal packing, crystal defects; Braggfs Law, ionic crystals, band theory, metals and semiconductors, Different structures of AX, AX2, ABX3 compounds, spinels.

Instrumental methods of analysis: Atomic absorption and emission spectroscopy including ICP-AES, UV- visible spectrophotometry, NMR, mass, Mossbauer spectroscopy (Fe and Sn), ESR spectroscopy, chromatography including GC and HPLC and electro-analytical methods (Coulometry, cyclic voltammetry, polarography . amperometry, and ion selective electrodes).

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Stereochemistry: Chirality of organic molecules with or without chiral centres. Specification of configuration in compounds having one or more stereogenic centres. Enantiotopic and diastereotopic atoms, groups and faces. Stereoselective and stereospecific synthesis. Conformational analysis of acyclic and cyclic compounds. Geometrical isomerism. Configurational and conformational effects on reactivity and selectivity/specificity.

Reaction mechanism: Methods of determining reaction mechanisms. Nucleophilic and electrophilic substitutions and additions to multiple bonds. Elimination reactions. Reactive intermediates- carbocations, carbanions, carbenes, nitrenes, arynes, free radicals. Molecular rearrangements involving electron deficient atoms.

Organic synthesis: Synthesis, reactions, mechanisms and selectivity involving the followingalkenes, alkynes, arenes, alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives, halides, nitro compounds and amines. Use of compounds of Mg, Li, Cu, B and Si in organic synthesis. Concepts in multistep synthesis- retrosynthetic analysis, disconnections, synthons, synthetic equivalents, reactivity umpolung, selectivity, protection and deprotection of functional groups.

Pericyclic reactions: Electrocyclic, cycloaddition and sigmatropic reactions. Orbital correlation, FMO and PMO treatments.

Photochemistry: Basic principles. Photochemistry of alkenes, carbonyl compounds, and arenes. Photooxidation and photoreduction. Di-ƒÎ- methane rearrangement, Barton reaction.

Heterocyclic compounds: Structure, preparation, properties and reactions of furan, pyrrole, thiophene, pyridine, indole and their derivatives.

Biomolecules: Structure, properties and reactions of mono- and di-saccharides, physicochemical properties of amino acids, chemical synthesis of peptides, structural features of proteins, nucleic acids, steroids, terpenoids, carotenoids, and alkaloids.

Spectroscopy: Principles and applications of UV-visible, IR, NMR and Mass spectrometry in the determination of structures of organic molecules.

Syllabus for Physics, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:27:00.001-07:00

PH-Physics

Mathematical Physics: Linear vector space; matrices; vector calculus; linear differential equations; elements of complex analysis; Laplace transforms, Fourier analysis, elementary ideas about tensors.

Classical Mechanics: Conservation laws; central forces, Kepler problem and planetary motion; collisions and scattering in laboratory and centre of mass frames; mechanics of system of particles; rigid body dynamics; moment of inertia tensor; noninertial frames and pseudo forces; variational principle; Lagrange’s and Hamilton’s formalisms; equation of motion, cyclic coordinates, Poisson bracket; periodic motion, small oscillations, normal modes; special theory of relativity – Lorentz transformations, relativistic kinematics, mass-energy equivalence.

Electromagnetic Theory: Solution of electrostatic and magnetostatic problems including boundary value problems; dielectrics and conductors; Biot-Savart’s and Ampere’s laws; Faraday’s law; Maxwell’s equations; scalar and vector potentials; Coulomb and Lorentz gauges; Electromagnetic waves and their reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction and polarization. Poynting vector, Poynting theorem, energy and momentum of electromagnetic waves; radiation from a moving charge.

Quantum Mechanics: Physical basis of quantum mechanics; uncertainty principle; Schrodinger equation; one, two and three dimensional potential problems; particle in a box, harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom; linear vectors and operators in Hilbert space; angular momentum and spin; addition of angular momenta; time independent perturbation theory; elementary scattering theory.

Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics: Laws of thermodynamics; macrostates and microstates; phase space; probability ensembles; partition function, free energy, calculation of thermodynamic quantities; classical and quantum statistics; degenerate Fermi gas; black body radiation and Planck’s distribution law; Bose-Einstein condensation; first and second order phase transitions, critical point.

Atomic and Molecular Physics: Spectra of one- and many-electron atoms; LS and jj coupling; hyperfine structure; Zeeman and Stark effects; electric dipole transitions and selection rules; X-ray spectra; rotational and vibrational spectra of diatomic molecules; electronic transition in diatomic molecules, Franck-Condon principle; Raman effect; NMR and ESR; lasers.

Solid State Physics: Elements of crystallography; diffraction methods for structure determination; bonding in solids; elastic properties of solids; defects in crystals; lattice vibrations and thermal properties of solids; free electron theory; band theory of solids; metals, semiconductors and insulators; transport properties; optical, dielectric and magnetic properties of solids; elements of superconductivity.

Nuclear and Particle Physics: Nuclear radii and charge distributions, nuclear binding energy, Electric and magnetic moments; nuclear models, liquid drop model - semi-empirical mass formula, Fermi gas model of nucleus, nuclear shell model; nuclear force and two nucleon problem; Alpha decay, Beta-decay, electromagnetic transitions in nuclei; Rutherford scattering, nuclear reactions, conservation laws; fission and fusion; particle accelerators and detectors; elementary particles, photons, baryons, mesons and leptons; quark model.

Electronics: Network analysis; semiconductor devices; Bipolar Junction Transistors, Field Effect Transistors, amplifier and oscillator circuits; operational amplifier, negative feedback circuits, active filters and oscillators; rectifier circuits, regulated power supplies; basic digital logic circuits, sequential circuits, flip-flops, counters, registers, A/D and D/A conversion.

Syllabus for Computer Science And Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:26:00.001-07:00

CS-Computer Science and Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Mathematical Logic: Propositional Logic; First Order Logic.

Probability: Conditional Probability; Mean, Median, Mode and Standard Deviation; Random Variables; Distributions; uniform, normal, exponential, Poisson, Binomial.

Set Theory & Algebra: Sets; Relations; Functions; Groups; Partial Orders; Lattice; Boolean Algebra.

Combinatorics: Permutations; Combinations; Counting; Summation; generating functions; recurrence relations; asymptotics.

Graph Theory: Connectivity; spanning trees; Cut vertices & edges; covering; matching; independent sets; Colouring; Planarity; Isomorphism.

Linear Algebra: Algebra of matrices, determinants, systems of linear equations, Eigen values and Eigen vectors.

Numerical Methods: LU decomposition for systems of linear equations; numerical solutions of non-linear algebraic equations by Secant, Bisection and Newton-Raphson Methods; Numerical integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules.

Calculus: Limit, Continuity & differentiability, Mean value Theorems, Theorems of integral calculus, evaluation of definite & improper integrals, Partial derivatives, Total derivatives, maxima & minima.

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Theory of Computation: Regular languages and finite automata, Context free languages and Push-down automata, Recursively enumerable sets and Turing machines, Undecidability; NPcompleteness.

Digital Logic: Logic functions, Minimization, Design and synthesis of combinational and sequential circuits; Number representation and computer arithmetic (fixed and floating point).

Computer Organization and Architecture: Machine instructions and addressing modes, ALU and data-path, CPU control design, Memory interface, I/O interface (Interrupt and DMA mode), Instruction pipelining, Cache and main memory, Secondary storage.

Programming and Data Structures: Programming in C; Functions, Recursion, Parameter passing, Scope, Binding; Abstract data types, Arrays, Stacks, Queues, Linked Lists, Trees, Binary search trees, Binary heaps.

Algorithms: Analysis, Asymptotic notation, Notions of space and time complexity, Worst and average case analysis; Design: Greedy approach, Dynamic programming, Divide-and-conquer; Tree and graph traversals, Connected components, Spanning trees, Shortest paths; Hashing, Sorting, Searching.

Compiler Design: Lexical analysis, Parsing, Syntax directed translation, Runtime environments, Intermediate and target code generation, Basics of code optimization.

Operating System: Processes, Threads, Inter-process communication, Concurrency, Synchronization, Deadlock, CPU scheduling, Memory management and virtual memory, File systems, I/O systems, Protection and security.

Databases: ER-model, Relational model (relational algebra, tuple calculus), Database design (integrity constraints, normal forms), Query languages (SQL), File structures (sequential files, indexing, B and B+ trees), Transactions and concurrency control.

Computer Networks: ISO/OSI stack, LAN technologies (Ethernet, Token ring), Flow and error control techniques, Routing algorithms, Congestion control, TCP/UDP and sockets, IP(v4), Application layer protocols (icmp, dns, smtp, pop, ftp, http); Basic concepts of hubs, switches, gateways, and routers.

Syllabus for Metallurgical Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:25:00.001-07:00

MT-Metallurgical Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrices and Determinants, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and Eigen vectors.

Calculus: Limit, continuity and differentiability; Partial Derivatives; Maxima and minima; Sequences and series; Test for convergence; Fourier series.

Vector Calculus: Gradient; Divergence and Curl; Line; surface and volume integrals; Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Diferential Equations: Linear and non-linear first order ODEs; Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations; Laplace transforms; PDEs – Laplace, heat and wave equations.

Probability and Statistics: Mean, median, mode and standard deviation; Random variables; Poisson, normal and binomial distributions; Correlation and regression analysis.

Numerical Methods: Solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations; integration of trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule; single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING

Thermodynamics and Rate Processes: Laws of thermodynamics, activity, equilibrium constant, applications to metallurgical systems, solutions, phase equilibria, Ellingham and phase stability diagrams, thermodynamics of surfaces, interfaces and defects, adsorption and segregation; basic kinetic laws, order of reactions, rate constants and rate limiting steps; principles of electro chemistry- single electrode potential, electro-chemical cells and polarizations, aqueous corrosion and protection of metals, oxidation and high temperature corrosion – characterization and control; heat transfer – conduction, convection and heat transfer coefficient relations, radiation, mass transfer – diffusion and Fick’s laws, mass transfer coefficients; momentum transfer – concepts of viscosity, shell balances, Bernoulli’s equation, friction factors.

Extractive Metallurgy: Minerals of economic importance, comminution techniques, size classification, Flotation, gravity and other methods of mineral processing; agglomeration, pyrohydro- and electro-metallurgical processes; material and energy balances; principles and processes for the extraction of non-ferrous metals – aluminium, copper, zinc, lead, magnesium, nickel, titanium and other rare metals; iron and steel making – principles, role structure and properties of slags, metallurgical coke, blast furnace, direct reduction processes, primary and secondary steel making, ladle metallurgy operations including deoxidation, desulphurization, sulphide shape control, inert gas rinsing and vacuum reactors; secondary refining processes including AOD, VAD, VOD, VAR and ESR; ingot and continuous casting; stainless steel making, furnaces and refractories.

Physical Metallurgy: Crystal structure and bonding characteristics of metals, alloys, ceramics and polymers, structure of surfaces and interfaces, nano-crystalline and amorphous structures; solid solutions; solidification; phase transformation and binary phase diagrams; principles of heat treatment of steels, cast iron and aluminum alloys; surface treatments; recovery, recrystallization and grain growth; industrially important ferrous and non-ferrous alloys; elements of X-ray and electron diffraction; principles of scanning and transmission electron microscopy; industrial ceramics, polymers and composites; electronic basis of thermal, optical, electrical and magnetic properties of materials; electronic and opto-electronic materials.

Mechanical Metallurgy: Elasticity, yield criteria and plasticity; defects in crystals; elements of dislocation theory – types of dislocations, slip and twinning, source and multiplication of dislocations, stress fields around dislocations, partial dislocations, dislocation interactions and reactions; strengthening mechanisms; tensile, fatigue and creep behaviour; super-plasticity; fracture – Griffith theory, basic concepts of linear elastic and elasto-plastic fracture mechanics, ductile to brittle transition, fracture toughness; failure analysis; mechanical testing – tension, compression, torsion, hardness, impact, creep, fatigue, fracture toughness and formability.

Manufacturing Processes: Metal casting – patterns and moulds including mould design involving feeding, gating and risering, melting, casting practices in sand casting, permanent mould casting, investment casting and shell moulding, casting defects and repair; hot, warm and cold working of metals, Metal forming - fundamentals of metal forming processes of rolling, forging, extrusion, wire drawing and sheet metal forming, defects in forming; Metal joining - soldering, brazing and welding, common welding processes of shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding and submerged arc welding; welding metallurgy, problems associated with welding of steels and aluminium alloys, defects in welded joints; powder metallurgy; NDT using dye-penetrant, ultrasonic, radiography, eddy current, acoustic emission and magnetic particle methods.

Syllabus for Chemical Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:24:00.002-07:00

CH-Chemical Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigenvectors.

Calculus: Functions of single variable, Limit, continuity and differentiability, Mean value theorems, Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Partial derivatives, Total derivative, Maxima and minima, Gradient, Divergence and Curl, Vector dentities, Directional derivatives, Line, Surface and Volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Differential equations: First order equations (linear and nonlinear), Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, Laplace transforms, Solutions of one dimensional heat and wave equations and Laplace equation.

Complex variables: Analytic functions, Cauchy’s integral theorem, Taylor and Laurent series, Residue theorem.

Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability and sampling theorems, Conditional probability, Mean, median, mode and standard deviation, Random variables, Poisson, Normal and Binomial distributions.

Numerical Methods: Numerical solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations Integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule, single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Process Calculations and Thermodynamics: Laws of conservation of mass and energy; use of tie components; recycle, bypass and purge calculations; degree of freedom analysis. First and Second laws of thermodynamics. First law application to close and open systems. Second law and Entropy Thermodynamic properties of pure substances: equation of state and departure function, properties of mixtures: partial molar properties, fugacity, excess properties and activity coefficients; phase equilibria: predicting VLE of systems; chemical reaction equilibria

Fluid Mechanics and Mechanical Operations: Fluid statics, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, Bernoulli equation, Macroscopic friction factors, energy balance, dimensional analysis, shell balances, flow through pipeline systems, flow meters, pumps and compressors, packed and fluidized beds, elementary boundary layer theory, size reduction and size separation; free and hindered settling; centrifuge and cyclones; thickening and classification, filtration, mixing and agitation; conveying of solids.

Heat Transfer: Conduction, convection and radiation, heat transfer coefficients, steady and unsteady heat conduction, boiling, condensation and evaporation; types of heat exchangers and evaporators and their design.

Mass Transfer: Fick’s laws, molecular diffusion in fluids, mass transfer coefficients, film, penetration and surface renewal theories; momentum, heat and mass transfer analogies; stagewise and continuous contacting and stage efficiencies; HTU & NTU concepts design and operation of equipment for distillation, absorption, leaching, liquid-liquid extraction, drying, humidification, dehumidification and adsorption.

Chemical Reaction Engineering: Theories of reaction rates; kinetics of homogeneous reactions, interpretation of kinetic data, single and multiple reactions in ideal reactors, non-ideal reactors; residence time distribution, single parameter model; non-isothermal reactors; kinetics of heterogeneous catalytic reactions; diffusion effects in catalysis.

Instrumentation and Process Control: Measurement of process variables; sensors, transducers and their dynamics, transfer functions and dynamic responses of simple systems, process reaction curve, controller modes (P, PI, and PID); control valves; analysis of closed loop systems including stability, frequency response and controller tuning, cascade, feed forward control.

Plant Design and Economics: Process design and sizing of chemical engineering equipment such as compressors, heat exchangers, multistage contactors; principles of process economics and cost estimation including total annualized cost, cost indexes, rate of return, payback period, discounted cash flow, optimization in design.

Chemical Technology: Inorganic chemical industries; sulfuric acid, NaOH, fertilizers (Ammonia, Urea, SSP and TSP); natural products industries (Pulp and Paper, Sugar, Oil, and Fats); petroleum refining and petrochemicals; polymerization industries; polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC and polyester synthetic fibers.

Syllabus for Mining Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:24:00.001-07:00

MN-Mining Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrices and Determinants, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and Eigen vectors.

Calculus: Limit, continuity and differentiability; Partial Derivatives; Maxima and minima; Sequences and series; Test for convergence; Fourier series.

Vector Calculus: Gradient; Divergence and Curl; Line; surface and volume integrals; Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Diferential Equations: Linear and non-linear first order ODEs; Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations; Laplace transforms; PDEs – Laplace, heat and wave equations.

Probability and Statistics: Mean, median, mode and standard deviation; Random variables; Poisson, normal and binomial distributions; Correlation and regression analysis.

Numerical Methods: Solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations; integration of trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule; single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

MINING ENGINEERING

Mechanics: Equivalent force systems; Equations of equilibrium; Two dimensional frames and trusses; Free body diagrams; Friction forces; Particle kinematics and dynamics.

Mine Development, Geomechanics and Ground Control: Methods of access to deposits; Underground drivages; Drilling methods and machines; Explosives, blasting devices and practices.

Geo-technical properties of rocks; Rock mass classification; Ground control, instrumentation and stress measurement techniques; Theories of rock failure; Ground vibrations; Stress distribution around mine openings; Subsidence; Design of supports in roadways and workings; Rock bursts and coal bumps; Slope stability.

Mining Methods and Machinery: Surface mining: layout, development, loading, transportation and mechanization, continuous surface mining systems; Underground coal mining: bord and pillar systems, room and pillar mining, longwall mining, thick seam mining methods; Underground metal mining : open, supported and caved stoping methods, stope mechanization, ore handling systems, mine filling.

Generation and transmission of mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic power; Materials handling: haulages, conveyors, face and development machinery, hoisting systems, pumps.

Ventilation, Underground Hazards and Surface Environment: Underground atmosphere; Heat load sources and thermal environment, air cooling; Mechanics of air flow, distribution, natural and mechanical ventilation; Mine fans and their usage; Auxiliary ventilation; Ventilation planning.

Subsurface hazards from fires, explosions, gases, dust and inundation; Rescue apparatus and practices; Safety in mines, accident analysis, noise, mine lighting, occupational health and risk.

Air, water and soil pollution : causes, dispersion, quality standards, reclamation and control.

Surveying, Mine Planning and Systems Engineering: Fundamentals of engineering surveying; Levels and leveling, theodolite, tacheometry, triangulation, contouring, errors and adjustments, correlation; Underground surveying; Curves; Photogrammetry; Field astronomy; EDM, total station and GPS fundamentals.

Principles of planning: Sampling methods and practices, reserve estimation techniques, basics of geostatistics and quality control, optimization of facility location, cash flow concepts and mine valuation, open pit design; GIS fundamentals.

Work-study; Concepts of reliability, reliability of series and parallel systems.

Linear programming, transportation and assignment problems, queueing, network analysis, basics of simulation.

Syllabus for Civil Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:23:00.000-07:00

CE-Civil Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigenvectors.

Calculus: Functions of single variable, Limit, continuity and differentiability, Mean value theorems, Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Partial derivatives, Total derivative, Maxima and minima, Gradient, Divergence and Curl, Vector identities, Directional derivatives, Line, Surface and Volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Differential equations: First order equations (linear and nonlinear), Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, Laplace transforms, Solutions of one dimensional heat and wave equations and Laplace equation.

Complex variables: Analytic functions, Cauchy’s integral theorem, Taylor and Laurent series. Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability and sampling theorems, Conditional probability, Mean, median, mode and standard deviation, Random variables, Poisson, Normal and Binomial distributions.

Numerical Methods: Numerical solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations Integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule, single and multi-step methods for differential equations.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

Mechanics: Bending moment and shear force in statically determinate beams. Simple stress and strain relationship: Stress and strain in two dimensions, principal stresses, stress transformation, Mohr’s circle. Simple bending theory, flexural and shear stresses, unsymmetrical bending, shear centre. Thin walled pressure vessels, uniform torsion, buckling of column, combined and direct bending stresses.

Structural Analysis: Analysis of statically determinate trusses, arches, beams, cables and frames, displacements in statically determinate structures and analysis of statically indeterminate structures by force/ energy methods, analysis by displacement methods (slope deflection and moment distribution methods), influence lines for determinate and indeterminate structures. Basic concepts of matrix methods of structural analysis.

Concrete Structures: Concrete Technology- properties of concrete, basics of mix design. Concrete design- basic working stress and limit state design concepts, analysis of ultimate load capacity and design of members subjected to flexure, shear, compression and torsion by limit state methods. Basic elements of prestressed concrete, analysis of beam sections at transfer and service loads.

Steel Structures: Analysis and design of tension and compression members, beams and beamcolumns, column bases. Connections- simple and eccentric, beam–column connections, plate girders and trusses. Plastic analysis of beams and frames.

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Soil Mechanics: Origin of soils, soil classification, three - phase system, fundamental definitions, relationship and interrelationships, permeability and seepage, effective stress principle, consolidation, compaction, shear strength.

Foundation Engineering: Sub-surface investigations- scope, drilling bore holes, sampling, penetration tests, plate load test. Earth pressure theories, effect of water table, layered soils. Stability of slopes- infinite slopes, finite slopes. Foundation types- foundation design requirements. Shallow foundations- bearing capacity, effect of shape, water table and other factors, stress distribution, settlement analysis in sands and clays. Deep foundations – pile types, dynamic and static formulae, load capacity of piles in sands and clays, negative skin friction.

WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING

Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics: Properties of fluids, principle of conservation of mass, momentum, energy and corresponding equations, potential flow, applications of momentum and Bernoulli’s equation, laminar and turbulent flow, flow in pipes, pipe networks. Concept of boundary layer and its growth. Uniform flow, critical flow and gradually varied flow in channels, specific energy concept, hydraulic jump. Forces on immersed bodies, flow measurements in channels, tanks and pipes. Dimensional analysis and hydraulic modeling. Kinematics of flow, velocity triangles and specific speed of pumps and turbines.

Hydrology: Hydrologic cycle, rainfall, evaporation, infiltration, stage discharge relationships, unit hydrographs, flood estimation, reservoir capacity, reservoir and channel routing. Well hydraulics. Irrigation: Duty, delta, estimation of evapo-transpiration. Crop water requirements. Design of: lined and unlined canals, waterways, head works, gravity dams and spillways. Design of weirs on permeable foundation. Types of irrigation system, irrigation methods. Water logging and drainage, sodic soils.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Water requirements: Quality standards, basic unit processes and operations for water treatment. Drinking water standards, water requirements, basic unit operations and unit processes for surface water treatment, distribution of water. Sewage and sewerage treatment, quantity and characteristics of wastewater. Primary, secondary and tertiary treatment of wastewater, sludge disposal, effluent discharge standards. Domestic wastewater treatment, quantity of characteristics of domestic wastewater, primary and secondary treatment Unit operations and unit processes of domestic wastewater, sludge disposal.

Air Pollution: Types of pollutants, their sources and impacts, air pollution meteorology, air pollution control, air quality standards and limits.

Municipal Solid Wastes: Characteristics, generation, collection and transportation of solid wastes, engineered systems for solid waste management (reuse/ recycle, energy recovery, treatment and disposal).

Noise Pollution: Impacts of noise, permissible limits of noise pollution, measurement of noise and control of noise pollution.

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

Highway Planning: Geometric design of highways, testing and specifications of paving materials, design of flexible and rigid pavements.

Traffic Engineering: Traffic characteristics, theory of traffic flow, intersection design, traffic signs and signal design, highway capacity.

SURVEYING

Importance of surveying, principles and classifications, mapping concepts, coordinate system, map projections, measurements of distance and directions, leveling, theodolite traversing, plane table surveying, errors and adjustments, curves.

Syllabus for Mechanical Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:22:00.002-07:00

ME-Mechanical Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigen vectors.

Calculus: Functions of single variable, Limit, continuity and differentiability, Mean value theorems, Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Partial derivatives, Total derivative, Maxima and minima, Gradient, Divergence and Curl, Vector identities, Directional derivatives, Line, Surface and Volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.

Differential equations: First order equations (linear and nonlinear), Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, Laplace transforms, Solutions of one dimensional heat and wave equations and Laplace equation.

Complex variables: Analytic functions, Cauchy’s integral theorem, Taylor and Laurent series. Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability and sampling theorems, Conditional probability, Mean, median, mode and standard deviation, Random variables, Poisson, Normal and Binomial distributions.

Numerical Methods: Numerical solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations Integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule, single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

APPLIED MECHANICS AND DESIGN

Engineering Mechanics: Free body diagrams and equilibrium; trusses and frames; virtual work; kinematics and dynamics of particles and of rigid bodies in plane motion, including impulse and momentum (linear and angular) and energy formulations; impact.

Strength of Materials: Stress and strain, stress-strain relationship and elastic constants, Mohr’s circle for plane stress and plane strain, thin cylinders; shear force and bending moment diagrams; bending and shear stresses; deflection of beams; torsion of circular shafts; Euler’s theory of columns; strain energy methods; thermal stresses.

Theory of Machines: Displacement, velocity and acceleration analysis of plane mechanisms; dynamic analysis of slider-crank mechanism; gear trains; flywheels.

Vibrations: Free and forced vibration of single degree of freedom systems; effect of damping; vibration isolation; resonance, critical speeds of shafts.

Design: Design for static and dynamic loading; failure theories; fatigue strength and the S-N diagram; principles of the design of machine elements such as bolted, riveted and welded joints, shafts, spur gears, rolling and sliding contact bearings, brakes and clutches.

FLUID MECHANICS AND THERMAL SCIENCES

Fluid Mechanics: Fluid properties; fluid statics, manometry, buoyancy; control-volume analysis of mass, momentum and energy; fluid acceleration; differential equations of continuity and momentum; Bernoulli’s equation; viscous flow of incompressible fluids; boundary layer; elementary turbulent flow; flow through pipes, head losses in pipes, bends etc.

Heat-Transfer: Modes of heat transfer; one dimensional heat conduction, resistance concept, electrical analogy, unsteady heat conduction, fins; dimensionless parameters in free and forced convective heat transfer, various correlations for heat transfer in flow over flat plates and through pipes; thermal boundary layer; effect of turbulence; radiative heat transfer, black and grey surfaces, shape factors, network analysis; heat exchanger performance, LMTD and NTU methods.

Thermodynamics: Zeroth, First and Second laws of thermodynamics; thermodynamic system and processes; Carnot cycle. irreversibility and availability; behaviour of ideal and real gases, properties of pure substances, calculation of work and heat in ideal processes; analysis of thermodynamic cycles related to energy conversion.

Applications: Power Engineering: Steam Tables, Rankine, Brayton cycles with regeneration and reheat. I.C. Engines: air-standard Otto, Diesel cycles. Refrigeration and air-conditioning: Vapour refrigeration cycle, heat pumps, gas refrigeration, Reverse Brayton cycle; moist air: psychrometric chart, basic psychrometric processes. Turbomachinery: Pelton-wheel, Francis and Kaplan turbines — impulse and reaction principles, velocity diagrams.

MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Engineering Materials: Structure and properties of engineering materials, heat treatment, stressstrain diagrams for engineering materials.

Metal Casting: Design of patterns, moulds and cores; solidification and cooling; riser and gating design, design considerations.

Forming: Plastic deformation and yield criteria; fundamentals of hot and cold working processes; load estimation for bulk (forging, rolling, extrusion, drawing) and sheet (shearing, deep drawing, bending) metal forming processes; principles of powder metallurgy.

Joining: Physics of welding, brazing and soldering; adhesive bonding; design considerations in welding.

Machining and Machine Tool Operations: Mechanics of machining, single and multi-point cutting tools, tool geometry and materials, tool life and wear; economics of machining; principles of non-traditional machining processes; principles of work holding, principles of design of jigs and fixtures

Metrology and Inspection: Limits, fits and tolerances; linear and angular measurements; comparators; gauge design; interferometry; form and finish measurement; alignment and testing methods; tolerance analysis in manufacturing and assembly.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing: Basic concepts of CAD/CAM and their integration tools.

Production Planning and Control: Forecasting models, aggregate production planning, scheduling, materials requirement planning.

Inventory Control: Deterministic and probabilistic models; safety stock inventory control systems.

Operations Research: Linear programming, simplex and duplex method, transportation, assignment, network flow models, simple queuing models, PERT and CPM.

Syllabus for Architecture And Planning, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:22:00.001-07:00

AR-Architecture and Planning

City planning: Evolution of cities; principles of city planning; types of cities & new towns; planning regulations and building byelaws; eco-city concept; sustainable development.

Housing: Concept of housing; neighbourhood concept; site planning principles; housing typology; housing standards; housing infrastructure; housing policies, finance and management; housing programs in India; self help housing.

Landscape Design: Principles of landscape design and site planning; history of landscape styles; landscape elements and materials; plant characteristics & planting design; environmental considerations in landscape planning.

Computer Aided Design: Application of computers in architecture and planning; understanding elements of hardware and software; computer graphics; programming languages – C and Visual Basic and usage of packages such as AutoCAD, 3D-Studio, 3D Max.

Environmental Studies in Building Science: Components of Ecosystem; ecological principles concerning environment; climate responsive design; energy efficient building design; thermal comfort; solar architecture; principles of lighting and styles for illumination; basic principles of architectural acoustics; environment pollution, their control & abatement.

Visual and Urban Design: Principles of visual composition; proportion, scale, rhythm, symmetry, harmony, datum, balance, form, colour, texture; sense of place and space, division of space; barrier free design; focal point, vista, image ability, visual survey, figure-background relationship.

History of Architecture: Indian – Indus valley, Vedic, Buddhist, Indo-Aryan, Dravidian and Mughal periods; European – Egyptian, Greek, Roman, medieval and renaissance periodsconstruction and architectural styles; vernacular and traditional architecture.

Development of Contemporary Architecture: Architectural developments and impacts on society since industrial revolution; influence of modern art on architecture; works of national and international architects; art novuea, eclecticism, international styles, post modernism, deconstruction in architecture.

Building Services: Water supply, sewerage and drainage systems; sanitary fittings and fixtures; plumbing systems, principles of internal & external drainage systems, principles of electrification of buildings, intelligent buildings; elevators & escalators, their standards and uses; airconditioning systems; fire fighting systems, building safety and security systems.

Building Construction and Management: Building construction techniques, methods and details; building systems and prefabrication of building elements; principles of modular coordination; estimation, specification, valuation, professional practice; project management techniques e.g., PERT, CPM etc;

Materials and Structural Systems: Behavioural characteristics of all types of building materials e.g. mud, timber, bamboo, brick, concrete, steel, glass, FRP, different polymers, composites; principles of strength of materials; design of structural elements in wood, steel and RCC; elastic and limit state design; complex structural systems; principles of pre-stressing; tall buildings; principles of disaster resistant structures.

Planning Theory: Regional planning; settlement system planning; history of human settlements; growth of cities & metropolises; principles of Ekistics; rural-urban migration; urban conservation; urban renewal; Five-year plan; structural and sectoral plan.

Techniques of Planning: Planning survey techniques; preparation of urban and regional structure plans, development plans, action plans; site planning principles and design; statistical methods of data analysis; application of G.I.S and remote sensing techniques in urban and regional planning; decision making models.

Traffic and Transportation Planning: Principles of traffic engineering and transportation planning; traffic survey methods; design of roads, intersections, grade separators and parking areas; hierarchy of roads and levels of services; traffic and transport management in urban areas, intelligent transportation system; mass transportation planning; para-transits and other modes of transportation, pedestrian & slow moving traffic planning.

Infrastructure, Services and Amenities: Principles of water supply and sanitation systems; water treatment; solid waste disposal systems; waste treatment, recycle & reuse; urban rainwater harvesting; power supply and communication systems --- network, design & guidelines; demography related standards at various levels of the settlements for health, education, recreation, religious & public-semi public facilities.

Development Administration and Management: Planning laws; development control and zoning regulations; laws relating to land acquisition; development enforcements, urban land ceiling; land management techniques; planning and municipal administration; disaster mitigation management; 73rd & 74th Constitutional amendments; valuation & taxation; revenue resources and fiscal management; public participation and role of NGO & CBO; Institutional networking & capacity building.

Syllabus for Mathematics, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:21:00.002-07:00

MA-Mathematics

Linear Algebra: Finite dimensional vector spaces; Linear transformations and their matrix representations, rank; systems of linear equations, eigen values and eigen vectors, minimal polynomial, Cayley-Hamilton Theroem, diagonalisation, Hermitian, Skew-Hermitian and unitary matrices; Finite dimensional inner product spaces, Gram-Schmidt orthonormalization process, self-adjoint operators.

Complex Analysis: Analytic functions, conformal mappings, bilinear transformations; complex integration: Cauchy’s integral theorem and formula; Liouville’s theorem, maximum modulus principle; Taylor and Laurent’s series; residue theorem and applications for evaluating real integrals.

Real Analysis: Sequences and series of functions, uniform convergence, power series, Fourier series, functions of several variables, maxima, minima; Riemann integration, multiple integrals, line, surface and volume integrals, theorems of Green, Stokes and Gauss; metric spaces, completeness, Weierstrass approximation theorem, compactness; Lebesgue measure, measurable functions; Lebesgue integral, Fatou’s lemma, dominated convergence theorem.

Ordinary Differential Equations: First order ordinary differential equations, existence and uniqueness theorems, systems of linear first order ordinary differential equations, linear ordinary differential equations of higher order with constant coefficients; linear second order ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients; method of Laplace transforms for solving ordinary differential equations, series solutions; Legendre and Bessel functions and their orthogonality.

Algebra: Normal subgroups and homomorphism theorems, automorphisms; Group actions, Sylow’s theorems and their applications; Euclidean domains, Principle ideal domains and unique factorization domains. Prime ideals and maximal ideals in commutative rings; Fields, finite fields.

Functional Analysis: Banach spaces, Hahn-Banach extension theorem, open mapping and closed graph theorems, principle of uniform boundedness; Hilbert spaces, orthonormal bases, Riesz representation theorem, bounded linear operators.

Numerical Analysis: Numerical solution of algebraic and transcendental equations: bisection, secant method, Newton-Raphson method, fixed point iteration; interpolation: error of polynomial interpolation, Lagrange, Newton interpolations; numerical differentiation; numerical integration: Trapezoidal and Simpson rules, Gauss Legendre quadrature, method of undetermined parameters; least square polynomial approximation; numerical solution of systems of linear equations: direct methods (Gauss elimination, LU decomposition); iterative methods (Jacobi and Gauss-Seidel); matrix eigenvalue problems: power method, numerical solution of ordinary differential equations: initial value problems: Taylor series methods, Euler’s method, Runge-Kutta methods.

Partial Differential Equations: Linear and quasilinear first order partial differential equations, method of characteristics; second order linear equations in two variables and their classification; Cauchy, Dirichlet and Neumann problems; solutions of Laplace, wave and diffusion equations in two variables; Fourier series and Fourier transform and Laplace transform methods of solutions for the above equations.

Mechanics: Virtual work, Lagrange’s equations for holonomic systems, Hamiltonian equations.

Topology: Basic concepts of topology, product topology, connectedness, compactness, countability and separation axioms, Urysohn’s Lemma.

Probability and Statistics: Probability space, conditional probability, Bayes theorem, independence, Random variables, joint and conditional distributions, standard probability distributions and their properties, expectation, conditional expectation, moments; Weak and strong law of large numbers, central limit theorem; Sampling distributions, UMVU estimators, maximum likelihood estimators, Testing of hypotheses, standard parametric tests based on normal, X2 , t, F – distributions; Linear regression; Interval estimation.

Linear programming: Linear programming problem and its formulation, convex sets and their properties, graphical method, basic feasible solution, simplex method, big-M and two phase methods; infeasible and unbounded LPP’s, alternate optima; Dual problem and duality theorems, dual simplex method and its application in post optimality analysis; Balanced and unbalanced transportation problems, u -v method for solving transportation problems; Hungarian method for solving assignment problems.

Calculus of Variation and Integral Equations: Variation problems with fixed boundaries; sufficient conditions for extremum, linear integral equations of Fredholm and Volterra type, their iterative solutions.

Syllabus for Agricultural Engineering

2008-09-22T02:21:00.001-07:00

AG-Agricultural Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrices and Determinants, Systems of linear equations, Eigen values and eigen vectors.

Calculus: Limit, continuity and differentiability; Partial Derivatives; Maxima and minima; Sequences and series; Test for convergence; Fourier series.

Vector Calculus: Gradient; Divergence and Curl; Line; surface and volume integrals; Stokes, Gauss and Green's theorems.

Differential Equations: Linear and non-linear first order ODEs; Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Cauchy's and Euler's equations; Laplace transforms; PDEs - Laplace, heat and wave equations.

Probability and Statistics: Mean, median, mode and standard deviation; Random variables; Poisson, normal and binomial distributions; Correlation and regression analysis.

Numerical Methods: Solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations; integration of trapezoidal and Simpson's rule; single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

FARM MACHINERY AND POWER

Sources of power on the farm-human, animal, mechanical, electrical, wind, solar and biomass; bio-fuels; design and selection of machine elements - gears, pulleys, chains and sprockets and belts; overload safety devices used in farm machinery; measurement of force, torque, speed, displacement and acceleration on machine elements.

Soil tillage; forces acting on a tillage tool; hitch systems and hitching of tillage implements; mechanics of animal traction; functional requirements, principles of working, construction and operation of manual, animal and power operated equipment for tillage, sowing, planting, fertilizer application, inter-cultivation, spraying, mowing, chaff cutting, harvesting, threshing and transport; testing of agricultural machinery and equipment; calculation of performance parameters -field capacity, efficiency, application rate and losses; cost analysis of implements and tractors

Thermodynamic principles of I.C. engines; I.C. engine cycles; engine components; fuels and combustion; lubricants and their properties; I.C. engine systems - fuel, cooling, lubrication, ignition, electrical, intake and exhaust; selection, operation, maintenance and repair of I.C. engines; power efficiencies and measurement; calculation of power, torque, fuel consumption, heat load and power losses.

Tractors and power tillers - type, selection, maintenance and repair; tractor clutches and brakes; power transmission systems - gear trains, differential, final drives and power take-off; mechanics of tractor chassis; traction theory; three point hitches- free link and restrained link operations; mechanical steering and hydraulic control systems used in tractors; human engineering and safety in tractor design; tractor tests and performance.

SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION ENGINEERING

Ideal and real fluids, properties of fluids; hydrostatic pressure and its measurement; hydrostatic forces on plane and curved surface; continuity equation; Bernoulli's theorem; laminar and turbulent flow in pipes, Darcy- Weisbach and Hazen-Williams equations, Moody's diagram; flow through orifices and notches; flow in open channels.

Engineering properties of soils; fundamental definitions and relationships; index properties of soils; permeability and seepage analysis; shear strength, Mohr's circle of stress, active and passive earth pressures; stability of slopes.

Hydrological cycle; meteorological parameters and their measurement, analysis of precipitation data; abstraction from precipitation; runoff; hydrograph analysis, unit hydrograph theory and application; stream flow measurement; flood routing, hydrological reservoir and channel routing. Measurement of distance and area; chain surveying, methods of traversing; measurement of angles and bearings, plane table surveying; types of levelling; contouring; instruments for surveying and levelling; computation of earth work.

Mechanics of soil erosion, soil erosion types; wind and water erosion; factors affecting erosion; soil loss estimation; biological and engineering measures to control erosion; terraces and bunds; vegetative waterways; gully control structures, drop, drop inlet and chute spillways; earthen dams; water harvesting structures, farm ponds, watershed management.

Soil-water-plant relationship, water requirement of crops; consumptive use and evapotranspiration; irrigation scheduling; irrigation efficiencies; design of irrigation channels; measurement of soil moisture, irrigation water and infiltration; surface, sprinkler and drip methods of irrigation; design and evaluation of irrigation methods.

Drainage coefficient; planning, design and layout of surface and sub-surface drainage systems; leaching requirement and salinity control; irrigation and drainage water quality.

Groundwater occurrence confined and unconfined aquifers, evaluation of aquifer properties; well hydraulics; groundwater recharge.

Classification of pumps; pump characteristics; pump selection and installation.

AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING AND FOOD ENGINEERING

Steady state heat transfer in conduction, convection and radiation; transient heat transfer in simple geometry; condensation and boiling heat transfer; working principles of heat exchangers; diffusive and convective mass transfer; simultaneous heat and mass transfer in agricultural processing operations.

Material and energy balances in food processing systems; water activity, sorption and desorption isotherms; centrifugal separation of solids, liquids and gases; kinetics of microbial death - pasteurization and sterilization of liquid foods; preservation of food by cooling and freezing; refrigeration and cold storage basics and applications; psychrometry - properties of air-vapour mixture; concentration and drying of liquid foods - evaporators, tray, drum and spray dryers.

Mechanics and energy requirement in size reduction of granular solids; particle size analysis for comminuted solids; size separation by screening; fluidization of granular solids-pneumatic, bucket, screw and belt conveying; cleaning and grading; Effectiveness of grain cleaners.

Hydrothermal treatment, drying and milling of cereals, pulses and oilseeds; Processing of seeds, spices, fruits and vegetables; By-product utilization from processing industries.

Controlled and modified atmosphere storage; Perishable food storage, godowns, bins and grain silos.

Syllabus for Information Technology, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

IT-Information Technology

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Mathematical Logic: Propositional Logic; First Order Logic.

Probability: Conditional Probability; Mean, Median, Mode and Standard Deviation; Random Variables; Distributions; uniform, normal, exponential, Poisson, Binomial.

Set Theory & Algebra: Sets; Relations; Functions; Groups; Partial Orders; Lattice; Boolean Algebra.

Combinatorics: Permutations; Combinations; Counting; Summation; generating functions; recurrence relations; asymptotics.

Graph Theory: Connectivity; spanning trees; Cut vertices & edges; covering; matching; independent sets; Colouring; Planarity; Isomorphism.

Linear Algebra: Algebra of matrices, determinants, systems of linear equations, Eigen values and Eigen vectors.

Numerical Methods: LU decomposition for systems of linear equations; numerical solutions of non-linear algebraic equations by Secant, Bisection and Newton-Raphson Methods; Numerical integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules.

Calculus: Limit, Continuity & differentiability, Mean value Theorems, Theorems of integral calculus, evaluation of definite & improper integrals, Partial derivatives, Total derivatives, maxima & minima.

FORMAL LANGUAGES AND AUTOMATA

Regular Languages: finite automata, regular expressions, regular grammar.

Context free languages: push down automata, context free grammars

COMPUTER HARDWARE

Digital Logic: Logic functions, minimization, design and synthesis of combinatorial and sequential circuits, number representation and computer arithmetic (fixed and floating point)

Computer organization: Machine instructions and addressing modes, ALU and data path, hardwired and microprogrammed control, memory interface, I/O interface (interrupt and DMA mode), serial communication interface, instruction pipelining, cache, main and secondary storage

SOFTWARE SYSTEMS

Data structures and Algorithms: the notion of abstract data types, stack, queue, list, set, string, tree, binary search tree, heap, graph, tree and graph traversals, connected components, spanning trees, shortest paths, hashing, sorting, searching, design techniques (greedy, dynamic, divide and conquer, Algorithm design by induction), asymptotic analysis (best, worst, average cases) of time and space, upper and lower bounds, Basic concepts of complexity classes – P, NP, NP-hard, NP-complete.

Programming Methodology: Scope, binding, parameter passing, recursion, C programming – data types and declarations, assignment and control flow statements, 1-d and 2-d arrays, functions, pointers, concepts of object-oriented programming - classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, operator overloading.

Operating Systems (in the context of Unix): classical concepts (concurrency, synchronization, deadlock), processes, threads and interprocess communication, CPU scheduling, memory management, file systems, I/O systems, protection and security, shell programming.

Information Systems and Software Engineering: information gathering, requirement and feasibility analysis, data flow diagrams, process specifications, input/output design, process life cycle, planning and managing the project, design, coding, testing, implementation, maintenance.

Databases: E-R diagrams, relational model, database design, integrity constraints, normal forms, query languages (SQL), file structures (sequential, indexed), b-trees, transaction and concurrency control.

Data Communication and Networks: ISO/OSI stack, transmission media, data encoding, multiplexing, flow and error control, LAN technologies (Ethernet, token ring), network devices – switches, gateways, routers, ICMP, application layer protocols – SMTP, POP3, HTTP, DNS, FTP, Telnet, network security – basic concepts of public key and private key cryptography, digital signature, firewalls

Web technologies: Proxy, HTML, XML, basic concepts of cgi-bin programming.

Syllabus for Aerospace Engineering, Gate 2009

2008-09-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

AE-Aerospace Engineering

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra, systems of linear equations, eigen values and eigen vectors. Calculus: Functions of single variable, limit, continuity and differentiability, mean value theorems, evaluation of definite and improper integrals, partial derivatives, total derivative, maxima and minima, gradient, divergence and curl, vector identities, directional derivatives, line, surface and volume integrals. Theorems of Stokes, Gauss and Green.

Differential Calculus: First order linear and nonlinear equations, higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients, Cauchy and Euler equations, initial and boundary value problems, Laplace transforms. Partial differential equations and separation of variables methods.

Numerical methods: Numerical solution of linear and nonlinear algebraic equations, integration by trapezoidal and Simpson rule, single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

Scorecard will be sent only to the qualified candidates. No information will be sent to candidates who are not qualified.

FLIGHT MECHANICS

Atmosphere: Properties, standard atmosphere. Classification of aircraft. Airplane (fixed wing aircraft) configuration and various parts.

Airplane performance: Pressure altitude; equivalent, calibrated, indicated air speeds; Primary flight instruments: Altimeter, ASI, VSI, Turn-bank indicator. Drag polar; take off and landing; steady climb & descent,-absolute and service ceiling; cruise, cruise climb, endurance or loiter; load factor, turning flight, V-n diagram; Winds: head, tail & cross winds.

Static stability: Angle of attack, sideslip; roll, pitch & yaw controls; longitudinal stick fixed & free stability, horizontal tail position and size; directional stability, vertical tail position and size; dihedral stability. Wing dihedral, sweep & position; hinge moments, stick forces.

Dynamic stability: Euler angles; Equations of motion; aerodynamic forces and moments, stability & control derivatives; decoupling of longitudinal and lat-directional dynamics; longitudinal modes; lateral-directional modes.

SPACE DYNAMICS

Central force motion, determination of trajectory and orbital period in simple cases. Orbit transfer, in-plane and out-of-plane. Elements of rocket motor performance.

AERODYNAMICS

Basic Fluid Mechanics: Incompressible irrotational flow, Helmholtz and Kelvin theorem, singularities and superposition, viscous flows, boundary layer on a flat plate.

Airfoils and wings: Classification of airfoils, aerodynamic characteristics, high lift devices, Kutta Joukowski theorem; lift generation; thin airfoil theory; wing theory; induced drag; qualitative treatment of low aspect ratio wings.

Viscous Flows: Flow separation, introduction to turbulence, transition, structure of a turbulent boundary layer.

Compressible Flows: Dynamics & Thermodynamics of I-D flow, isentropic flow, normal shock, oblique shock, Prandtl-Meyer flow, flow in nozzles and diffusers, inviscid flow in a c-d nozzle, flow in diffusers. subsonic and supersonic airfoils, compressibility effects on lift and drag, critical and drag divergence Mach number, wave drag.

Wind Tunnel Testing: Measurement and visualisation techniques.

STRUCTURES

Stress and Strain: Equations of equilibrium, constitutive law, strain-displacement relationship, compatibility equations, plane stress and strain, Airy's stress function.

Flight Vehicle Structures: Characteristics of aircraft structures and materials, torsion, bending and flexural shear. Flexural shear flow in thin-walled sections. Buckling. Failure theories. Loads on aircraft.

Structural Dynamics: Free and forced vibration of discrete systems. Damping and resonance. Dynamics of continuous systems.

PROPULSION

Thermodynamics of Aircraft Gas Turbine engines, thrust and thrust augmentation.

Turbomachinery: Axial compressors and turbines, centrifugal pumps and compressors.

Aerothermodynamics of non rotating propulsion components: Intakes, combustor and nozzle. Thermodynamics of ramjets and scramjets. Elements of rocket propulsion.

Gate 2009, Gate 2009 Syllabus

2008-09-22T02:04:00.000-07:00

Aerospace Engineering - AE	Information Technology - IT
Agricultural Engineering - AG	Mathematics - MA
Architecture and Planning - AR	Mechanical Engineering - ME
Civil Engineering - CE	Mining Engineering - MN
Chemical Engineering - CH	Metallurgical Engineering - MT
Computer Science and Engineering - CS	Physics - PH
Chemistry - CY	Production and Industrial Engineering - PI
Electronics & Communication Engg. - EC	Pharmaceutical Sciences - PY
Electrical Engineering - EE	Textile Engineering and Fibre Science - TF
Geology and Geo-Physics - GG	Engineering Sciences - XE
Instrumentation Engineering - IN	Life Sciences - XL

Maheshwari wedding photos, maheshwari marriage photos, actress maheshwari with Jaya Krishna

2008-09-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

Actress Maheswari got married to Jaya Krishna a Software Engineer on 18th September at Shankara Matam in Tirupathy. Jaya Krisha is Managing a Software Company in Hyderabad, he originally hails from Narasaraopet in Guntur District. This function was attended by many film artists like Sri Devi - Boney Kapoor - Meena, Vijaykumar and S V Krishna Reddy.

Maheshwari mariage photos and maheshwari wedding images on

Maheshwari Marriage Photos

tcs firing, tcs firing bench people

2008-09-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

Now all companies in india trying to terminate(layoff) most of the employee.
Tcs firing, wipro firing, infosys firing, hp firing, satyam firing, virtusa firing this is the actula news now a days in all websites. Anyway this is actually bad time for all software people, beyond this all the software companies have plan to resuce expense of employee and all benefits

Infosys firing - Software Company firing employee

2008-09-17T04:15:00.000-07:00

There has been a buzz in the IT industry about the firings in the top Indian IT Companies. I had an interesting observation to share with you.
Try the following search term in google.

tcs firing
wipro firing
satyam firing
infosys firing

As you can see from the last snapshot by searching Infosys firing in google, you can see a red circle in the snapshot, here google says Did you mean “Infosys Hiring”. ( From Google Help page - Google’s spell checking software automatically checks whether your query uses the most common spelling of a given word. If it thinks you’re likely to generate better results with an alternative spelling, it will ask “Did you mean: (more common spelling)?”. Click the suggested spelling to launch a Google search for that).

It has got very significant meaning that Infosys has never been a hire and fire company, and it is a great achievement for a company and it is not a true news that infy firing

Well infy is not in mood to fire;

And going completely against the tide is Infosys, which is actually planning to hire 25,000 people this year and is also contemplating recruiting about 1,000 more in China over the next two to three years. Infact insosys have lot of project and infy hyderabad is recruiting people like anything; check today times ascent also. Infy hyderabad is all to set its New campus at Uppal hyderabad.
Lets hope that the current situation of firing employees in top companies goes away fast.

Labels : tcs firing, wipro firing, infy firing, cts firing, hp firing, infosys firing, wipro firing, infy firing, cts firing, hp firing, cognizant firing, hp firing, wipro firing, tcs firing, infosys firing, cts firing, infy firing, accenture firing

Stock : Nifty & Sensex live updates

2008-09-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

Nifty :

Sensex :

National, Onam, Onam Festival, Onam kerala festival

2008-09-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

Onam is one of the most significant harvest festivals of Kerala and is an attraction for thousands of people outside and within the state. All the activities during this season are centered on worshipping, music, dance, sports, boat races and good food. This festival is celebrated in the Malayalam month Chingam (ending of August and beginning of September). Onam is a harvest festival and celebrates the reward of nature after a year of hard work. The merry making of the festival includes an elaborate procession of Trichur and amusing boat races on River Pampa. Women dress up in heavy jewelry and new saris and make complx and detailed designs of “rangolis” and “pookkalam”(with flowers) in front of their homes.

Onam is celebrated in the memory of King Mahabali. It was said that King Mahabali ruled Kerala a long time ago and looked after the welfare of the people. Thus Onam shows the blissful rule of the King and the freedom, which the people enjoyed under his rule. The people also believe that during Onam, the King returns to Kerala to pay a visit to his people.

The people in Kerala arrange for this festival by cleaning up their houses and decorating them. On the occasion of Onam, everybody in the family wears new clothes. Delicious sweets and dishes are prepared and served on the banana leaves. “Pookalam” a flower mat is visible outside every house. This mat is a symbol of welcoming King Mahabali. On the eve of Onam, traditional rituals are performed and the people celebrate the occasion with a grand feast. “Payasam” a sweet and tempting porridge is one of the favorite dessert served on the eve of Onam.

“Vallamkali” or a great boat race is an attractive feature of this festival. In this game hundreds of men row the boats to the beat of drums and cymbals. An interesting thing to note is that above each boat there is a scarlet silk umbrella and gold coins are hung from the umbrella. This event is extremely popular with various boats competing with each other in order to win the race.

Onam is celebrated not only by Hindus but also by Christians and Muslims. It is one such festival that unites all the people regardless of race and religion.

Twin Towers Memories, September 11th, World trade center

2008-09-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

In the years prior to 9/11, if you lived in New Jersey as I do and drove into New York there was a sweeping curve of roadway leading into the Lincoln Tunnel that provides a view across the Hudson River of downtown Manhattan. One could see the Twin Towers from that vantage point and it always bespoke the financial power of the nation, the greatness of our economic system, and our role in the world.

Little wonder it was targeted, along with the Pentagon, for destruction by al Qaeda, the evil spawn of a seventh century religion whose name translates as “submission.”

Though preceded by a number of violent attacks that included U.S. embassies and other manifestations of the Islamic mandate to make war until the entire world accepts Islam, it was 9/11 that demonstrated the demonic forces it has let loose in the world. There are more than a billion Muslims worldwide and most desire peace no less than the vast majority of mankind. Too many, however, are driven by their worst instincts, their sense of victimization, their romanticized view of Middle Eastern culture and history.

It is instructive, therefore, to see how active leaders throughout the Middle East have become in their effort to hunt down and destroy al Qaeda. Awash in oil billions, the monarchies that control the region understand the threat to their suzerainty. In the meantime, the West continues its own largely secretive war.

It is the reason President George W. Bush sent the CIA, followed by U.S. military into Afghanistan to chase out the Taliban and al Qaeda following 9/11.

It is the reason President Bush decided to rid Iraq of its dictator and establish a U.S. military presence there. Too many other nations were too eager to do “business as usual” with Saddam Hussein and to continue likewise with Syria’s dictator and others who threaten the peace of the world.

It is the reason the U.S. military can be found in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Yemen. It is the reason we can be found in places large and small around the world. We are the guarantor of peace and the safety of the world’s sea lanes.

It is the reason the U.S. Secretary of State recently sat down with the dictator of Libya, granting him a measure of forgiveness after he abandoned the pursuit of nuclear weapons and made payments for the losses inflicted by the bombing of a Pan Am flight.

And these are the reasons, in part, why the United States of America has not been attacked by al Qaeda since 9/11.

I am mindful of these things as my mind goes back to dining at the doomed Windows on the World, a restaurant at the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center from 1972 until the horror of 9/11. One could walk the perimeter of the restaurant and enjoy magnificent vistas of Manhattan, look out to New Jersey and Brooklyn, and see the Statue of Liberty, still welcoming those seeking freedom in the New World.

My mind goes back to 9/11 and the willful destruction of both buildings by men who believed they had a place waiting for them in Paradise and that Islam justified killing thousands of innocents trapped in airliners and in the great structures that stood for a new age of world trade and worldwide prosperity.

A religion that celebrates such barbarity has no place in the modern world.

It is not a religion of love and forgiveness of sin, the central theme of Christianity. It is not a religion that has produced countless scientists, artists, and others devoted to advancing knowledge and the welfare of mankind as Judaism has. It is not a religion that seeks harmony with the world as does Buddhism. It is not Hinduism devoted to a single divine principle, nor any of the other faiths that offer prayers for peace and tolerance.

9/11 occurred because of a religion that literally divides the world into Dar al Islam and Dar al harb, the world of war.

9/11 was an act of war, not just against the United States, but against the West in particular and the whole of the rest of the world that resists Islam, a religion that has been at war with the world from its inception.

We need to be mindful of that on 9/11/08. We need to stir the embers of our memory of 9/11/01 when we hear calls to withdraw from that war and to yield to its terrorism and threats of war.

Big earthquakes cause fears, no damage, in Japan, Indonesia

2008-09-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

TOKYO (AFP) — Powerful earthquakes hit Japan and Indonesia on Thursday, setting off warnings of tsunami waves but causing no injuries or damage, officials said.

The Asian nations are among the most earthquake-prone in the world and both have fresh memories of killer tremors in recent years.

A 7.0 magnitude quake struck in the Pacific Ocean off the Tokachi region in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, some 700 kilometres (435 miles) north of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

"We ask people in strongly-shaken areas to be on full alert as chances of housing collapses or landslides may have increased," Takashi Yokota, the agency's quake and tsunami division chief, told reporters.

The agency warned that tsunami waves as high as 50 centimetres (20 inches) could hit the eastern coast of Hokkaido as well as Pacific shores of the main island of Honshu. The quake hit at 9:21 am (0021 GMT).

The warning led the city of Ofunato in northern Honshu to advise 10,650 residents to evacuate briefly. At least 146 residents fled their homes, according to a city official.

The agency lifted the warning for all regions after waves that were only some 10 centimetres high struck the coast.

Yukihiro Yamada, a municipal official in the Hokkaido town of Urahoro, told public broadcaster NHK: "The town office has not received any reports of broken window glass or injuries."

The area was hit by aftershocks above magnitude five, but they were not frequent, the meteorological agency said.

The Tokachi region was hit by an 8.0-magnitude quake in September 2003, which triggered a major tsunami and killed several people.

A separate major earthquake struck Indonesia on Thursday morning. The local agency put the magnitude at 7.6, while the US Geological Survey measured it at 6.6.

Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami alert but lifted the warning less than one hour later.

The quake happened at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) some 122 kilometres northwest of Ternate city in North Maluku province, the meteorology and geophysics bureau said.

"I felt the shaking but it wasn't really strong," said Ojihan Washab, a hospital worker in Ternate, who was not planning to move to safety.

Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Asian tsunami in December 2004 that killed 168,000 people in the country's westernmost Aceh province.

The Indonesian and Japanese archipelagos lie on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet, causing seismic and volcanic activity.

FIFA 2010 World cup Qualifying match - Kiwis shine in Auckland

2008-09-10T04:34:00.000-07:00

New Zealand assured themselves of participation at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 with victory over New Caledonia on Saturday, a win which also parachuted them into a playoff with Asia's fifth-best for a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. But there was no let-up from Ricki Herbert's men, as they saw off New Caledonia in style once again in Auckland. Elsewhere, Vanuatu picked up their first win of a disappointing campaign.

Match of the day

New Zealand 3-0 New Caledonia

New Zealand were doubly determined to put on a good show in front of their home crowd: not only were they keen to put the gloss on their progression from the Oceania section, but they felt duty-bound to honour the late Charlie Dempsey, who had contributed enormously to the growth of football in Oceania. Dempsey was honoured by a minute's silence prior to the game.

Wellington Phoenix striker Shane Smeltz, in excellent form of late, made an early impression on the game when he headed in Chris James' cross in the 13th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Three minutes later, the visitors too went close when Pierre Wajoka's free kick came back off the upright.

New Zealand finally took the lead five minutes after half-time: once again, James crossed for Smeltz to head in, and this time the goal stood. Substitute Jeremy Christie made it 2-0 in the 69th minute, and fittingly it was Smeltz who completed the rout, firing in from the edge of the box fourteen minutes from the end.

Joy in Port Vila
With Fiji's weekend hero Salesh Kumar otherwise engaged in New Zealand, this was always going to be the perfect opportunity for Vanuatu to pick up their first win of the campaign. Despite losing Geoffrey Gete in the 50th minute, when the defender was dismissed for a second bookable offence, Vanuatu went into the lead soon afterwards through Francois Sakama. Derek Malas made it two in injury time, and Maciu Dunadamu replied for the visitors just before the final whistle.

Results
Vanuatu 2-1 Fiji
New Zealand 3-0 New Caledonia

Standings
1. New Zealand, 15 points from 5 games
2. New Caledonia, 8 points from 6 games
3. Fiji, 4 points from 5 games
4. Vanuatu, 4 points from 6

Remaining fixtures
19 November
New Zealand-Fiji

FIFA 2010 World cup Qualifying match - Return of the dodger

2008-09-10T04:32:00.000-07:00

After two goalless draws in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, and a 1-1 stalemate at the East Asian Championship earlier this year, Korea Republic and Korea DPR are coming to know each other very well. Their clash in Shanghai on Wednesday represents the latest episode in a long-running struggle for bragging rights on the peninsula.

While the South Koreans managed a lacklustre 1-0 win over Jordan in a home friendly on Friday, the North Koreans got off to a flying start by beating the United Arab Emirates 2-1 on the road on Saturday. But despite their neighbours' impressive start to the final phase of the qualifying campaign, Korea Republic will be banking on a match-winning performance from a player who returns to the national team after 13 months' absence.

Although Lee Chun-Soo missed the warm-up game last week with flu, the 27-year-old is likely to win his 79th cap against Korea DPR, whom he has never faced at senior level. Lee, who had been out of the squad after Korea Republic's AFC Asian Cup campaign in July 2007 and the appointment of Huh Jung-Moo as coach in December, struggled to cement a place at his Dutch club Feyenoord, and was subsequently transferred to Suwon Samsung Bluewings on loan during the summer.

Instant impact
Despite the memory of his two-year spell in Spain with Real Sociedad and Numancia, during which he failed to score in 28 games, the local fans still believe that the diminutive forward will immediately return to his form and guide his new club to the domestic championship, as he did with Ulsan Hyundai Horangi in 2005. And Lee was quick to live up to expectations, scoring the winner against Incheon United at home on 27 August.

"I'm so pleased to have scored, and I want to score more," said Lee, whose playing style has earned him the nickname of ‘the Dodger'. "I also want to create scoring chances for others."

When coach Huh called him up to the squad the following day, few raised their eyebrows. It was a commonly-held view that the team needed his guile and guts to break the deadlock against the Chollima's stubborn rearguard.

"It's an emotional moment, because I'm back here after a year's wait. I'm also a bit worried, because this is a hard time for the national team and for myself as well," said Lee upon returning to the National Football Centre. "I thought about a lot of things, but now I want to focus on winning the game. I've also talked to one of the opponents at my club [Korea DPR midfielder An Yong-Hak at Suwon]."

In fact, Lee is the most capped player, bar captain Kim Nam-Il, in the current squad. His experience will be needed, too, as the Taeguk Warriors are entering the fourth and final qualifying round without the experienced trio of Lee Young-Pyo, Seol Ki-Hyun, and Park Ji-Sung.

"It would be good to have Ji-Sung in the squad, but I've heard he's not fully recovered from injury. A funny thing is that we haven't played with each other many times in the national team, actually," Lee admitted. "So I want to play twice as hard, to fill his gap! Frankly, I don't want to hear stories about us missing anyone from the team. We've got enough good players here."

Too much of a burden upon the shoulders of a player who has played only a dozen competitive games in the past twelve months?

"Even if I'm not fully fit at the moment, I told the coach that I'm mentally ready for the game," said an upbeat Lee. "I'm just happy to be on the pitch, because I've had too much rest. I was tired both physically and mentally, not even knowing I'd be back playing again. Now, I want to do my best, and I want to win."

FIFA 2010 World cup Qualifying match - Paraguay beat toothless Venezuela

2008-09-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

Paraguay scored twice in the first half to beat toothless Venezuela 2-0 in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier on Tuesday, and stay top of the South American group.

Cristian Riveros and Nelson Haedo Valdez scored the goals after poor defending by the visitors, who were equally ineffective in attack as they failed to muster a single shot to test Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar.

Paraguay, who have a 100 percent record from their four home games, top the ten-team group with 17 points, and will complete the eighth round of matches in first position regardless of the outcome of the four games to be played on Wednesday. Paraguay, who have qualified for the last three FIFA World Cups, are five points clear of Brazil, who host Bolivia, and Argentina, who visit Peru.

Riveros stabbed the ball in from close range after 28 minutes when he was quick to react after Claudio Morel Rodriguez's low pass into the area deflected off a Venezuela defender.

Paraguay's second goal came when Julio Manzur's long clearance out of defence was headed on by Roque Santa Cruz into the path of the unmarked Haedo Valdez, who placed his shot under Renny Vega.

Venezuela, the only South American team never to have played at a FIFA World Cup, remained on seven points after their third successive defeat.

Stars already qualified for final 2010 round next year

2008-09-10T04:05:00.000-07:00

Harambee Stars have already earned enough points to join the final round of qualifying matches next year for the 2010 African Cup in Angola and 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.

With the victory over Namibia last Saturday and the 0-0 draw between Zimbabwe and Guinea last Sunday, Harambee Stars will finish in either the first or second position in Group 2.

top ranked

Starting in March, the top ranked team in each of the present 12 groups plus the eight best second placed teams will play a final qualification round in five groups with four teams each. The winners of each of the five groups will qualify for the 2010 Fifa World Cup and the top three teams in each group also qualify for the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

If Harambee Stars earn a victory or a draw against Guinea in Conakry on October 12 then they will remain as the top team in Group Two and qualify for the final round next year. But even if defeated by Guinea in their last match, Harambee Stars have already earned enough points to be one of the eight best second placed teams which also qualify for the final round next year.

second placed

As a result of the withdrawal of Eritrea which left only three teams in Group 11, Fifa decided that the results between the second placed and the fourth placed teams in the other 11 groups will be cancelled before comparing the records of the second placed teams.

Under that Fifa ruling, Harambee Stars have already earned at least seven points with their victories over Guinea (2-0) and Zimbabwe (2-0) and their draw with Zimbabwe (0-0).

As a result of the matches in the other 11 groups last weekend, there are already four second-placed teams who cannot earn more than six points under the Fifa ruling even if they win their final matches in early October.

For example, Cape Verde is second in Group One with nine points. If they win their match against Tanzania on October 11, Cape Verde will end with a total of 12 points. But Cape Verde beat the fourth-placed team, Mauritius, on June 15 (1-0) and June 22 (3-1).

In accordance with the Fifa ruling for comparing the second placed teams, six points will then be deducted from the 12 points earned by Cape Verde leaving a balance of only six points. The same situation prevails for Gabon, the second-placed team in Group Five, and for Congo DR, the second placed team in Group 12. For the contenders for second place in Group Seven, under the Fifa ruling the most they can get is 5 points.

final round

In addition to qualifying already for the final round next year, Harambee Stars are likely the fastest rising team in world football. In just one year the Harambee Stars rose an astonishing 51 places in the Fifa World Rankings, from 137th in July 2007 to 86th in August 2008.

Most of that rise occurred since May 2008 when the joint KFF-KPL Harambee Stars Management Board started managing the team. Since then the Harambee Stars rose 34 places worldwide (from 120th to 86th) and 16 places in Africa (from 37th to 21st).

That is the fastest rise ever in Kenyan football history. Moreover, the latest Fifa World Ranking does not yet include the Harambee Stars victory over Namibia last Saturday.

The highest rank ever achieved by Harambee Stars was in February 2004 when they were ranked 70th worldwide and 12th in Africa.

Zola promises exciting times

2008-09-10T04:03:00.000-07:00

Gianfranco Zola said he wanted to excite West Ham United's fans with attacking football, as he prepared to be named manager of the east London club. "This is an opportunity in the Premier League, and an opportunity I didn't expect, but it's an opportunity I can't turn down," the Italian told the Daily Mail.

The 42-year-old former Chelsea and Italy forward is expected to be appointed by West Ham on Wednesday, according to British media reports. "I only know one way to play: on the floor, attacking football, the way things should be done," said the Italian. "I want to excite people, that's why we play, isn't it? This is a new era, a new chapter for me. I was an offensive player who only knew one way to play. That's how my teams will always play."

Asked what reaction he expected from fans of West Ham and Chelsea, he said: "I know there is a rivalry between Chelsea and West Ham, but that is not a problem. My playing career is in my past."

New adventure
"This is a new adventure for me. I spent seven years at Chelsea and they were seven of the best years of my career. I loved playing there, but the fans must understand that I have a new career now and my playing career is in the past."

Zola has been working with former Chelsea team mate Pierluigi Casiraghi in charge of the Italy U-21 team. Zola flew to Italy on Tuesday, after his side drew 1-1 in Croatia to win their European Championship qualifying group. "The hardest thing was to say goodbye to those players in the dressing room," Zola said.

"Everything has to be agreed with the (Italian) federation, but I am confident that it will be resolved when I return to Italy. There are still talks, but I am sure they will go well."

"The temptation to manage in England is too much. I love London, I love the lifestyle. Whenever I think of London, it has good memories," he added.

Federer defeats Murray for fifth US Open title

2008-09-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AP) - The handwritten letters and the e-mails, the care packages and — get this — the instructional DVDs began reaching Roger Federer early in the season, after a bout of mononucleosis precipitated the end of his streak of 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals.

The volume increased after Federer lost the French Open and Wimbledon finals. From all around the world they arrived, some to his parents' house in Switzerland, some to his agent, some to his hotels. They came from retired players and from current coaches, from doctors, from fans. They offered good wishes, medical advice, even tennis advice.

Everyone figured Federer needed help, and everyone figured they knew how to help.

Turns out Federer was just fine. Turns out he still knew how to win a major tournament. He proved that Monday night, easily beating Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to win a fifth consecutive U.S. Open championship and 13th Grand Slam title overall.

"I felt like I was invincible for a while again," said Federer, the only man in tennis history to win five straight titles at two major events.

He moved within one Grand Slam title of tying Pete Sampras' record of 14.

"I always knew that if I were to get one Slam under my belt, especially the last one, things weren't looking that bad, like everybody was talking about," Federer said. "I didn't feel I was under pressure to prove myself in trying to win here, but this definitely feels very sweet."

Nothing like the bitter taste left by his lopsided loss to nemesis Rafael Nadal in the French Open final. Or by his heartbreakingly narrow loss to Nadal — 9-7 in the fifth set in fading light — in the Wimbledon final, denying Federer a sixth straight title there. Those, plus a semifinal loss at the Australian Open, were among Federer's 12 defeats by August in 2008, more than he had in any entire season from 2004-07. He also arrived in New York with only two titles from minor events, and allowed Nadal to end Federer's record 4½-year reign at No. 1 last month.

"Maybe you can't win everything," said his father, Robert Federer. "After the French Open, you could see many (negative) comments saying, 'Federer is gone,' 'Federer will never win another Grand Slam.' And Federer proved the opposite."

His son heard those comments and thought about them.

"I was aware of it. I mean, I'm a bit disappointed. Sometimes, to a point, a bit annoyed," Federer said, mentioning the letters he received.

"People come out of the closet and think they can start helping me now. It's just a pain," he continued. "For me, this sort of puts them to rest a little bit, and calms down the phones at my parents' (home) a little bit."

Whatever motivation he might have derived from perceived slights, Federer was absolutely superb against Murray, stretching his winning streak at Flushing Meadows to 34 matches.

The sixth-seeded Murray upset Nadal in the semifinals to reach his first Grand Slam final, and entered Monday with a 2-1 record against Federer. But Murray never really had a chance.

"I came up against, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game," said Murray, who tried to give Britain its first men's major champion in 72 years. "He definitely set the record straight today."

At 21, here's how young Murray is: Back when Federer was winning his first U.S. Open title in 2004, Murray was taking the U.S. Open junior trophy.

Federer, coincidentally, also was 21 when he played his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2003. Except Federer beat Mark Philippoussis that day and continues to win major-championship matches against everyone except a certain Spaniard: Federer is 2-4 against Nadal in Grand Slam finals, 11-0 against anyone else.

Against Murray, he accumulated a 36-16 advantage in winners and won the point on 31 of 44 trips to the net. His volleying might have been helped by his work winning a gold medal in doubles at the Beijing Olympics, a result he also credited with boosting his confidence.

Murray — whose ranking rises to No. 4 — stood about 10 feet behind the baseline to return serves, exactly the way he did against Nadal in their two-day, rain-interrupted semifinal. And Murray displayed flashes of the get-to-every-ball defense he used against Nadal, including one pretty flick of a lob by Federer with his back to the net.

But Federer, who had an extra day to rest because his semifinal wasn't affected by Tropical Storm Hanna, was simply too much for Murray.

Too good.

Too smart.

Too experienced.

Too, well, Federeresque.

"Seeing him play like that made me very, very happy for him," said Federer's part-time coach, Jose Higueras, "because he's a great champion and he's gone through some rough times."

Only once did Murray throw a scare into Federer, taking 11 of 12 points to go from 2-0 down in the second set to 2-all and love-40 on Federer's serve.

On the second break chance, a 14-stroke rally ended with Murray missing a backhand. TV replays, however, showed one of Federer's shots should have been called out; had it been, Murray would have led 3-2.

"Not necessarily would have won the match or anything," Murray said, "but it would have given me a bit of confidence."

But there was no call there, and no reprieve, because Federer stayed steady and held serve.

"After that," Federer said, "I began to play freely, the way I usually do."

In the next game, Murray began clutching at his right knee and looking up at his substantial support group in the stands, a gathering that included his mother, two coaches and two trainers. Murray, though, said the knee had no bearing on the outcome.

This is what made the difference: "He made very few mistakes," Murray said.

Federer closed the second set by extending a 10-stroke point with terrific court coverage, and then — shifting from defense to offense in a blink — delivering a forehand passing shot. Federer turned to his guest box — which included his pal, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour — and bellowed, punching down with his right fist.

This is how he is supposed to play.

This is how these Grand Slam finals are supposed to go.

When Federer broke serve for the seventh time, ending the match, he rolled around with glee on the blue court. Instead of heading into the offseason wondering what went wrong, the 27-year-old Federer can look ahead with optimism.

When the men met at the net, Murray felt compelled to share a thought with Federer.

"I told him that he had, you know, a phenomenal year," Murray said, "regardless of what anyone said."

All eyes on Zagreb

2008-09-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

After finding their route to UEFA EURO 2008 barred by Croatia, England have an early chance for revenge when they travel to Zagreb for an encounter that takes star billing on Matchday 2 of European qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

All the members of the continental elite got off to winning starts at the weekend with the exception of France, who saw their status further undermined by defeat to Austria, and must come up with a response when Serbia come calling on Wednesday.

There has been little to choose between the two sides in their five previous meetings, with both teams claiming a brace of wins and the other game ending in a draw. On this particular occasion, however, the pressure is firmly on Fabio Capello's men. England have been unconvincing in their recent friendly outings, and Saturday's narrow 2-0 win over Andorra did little to reassure their worried fans. And while defeat at this early stage would hardly put an end to their qualification hopes, it could have serious implications. Even so, despite an unbeaten record against the English as a player and coach, Slaven Bilic will be taking nothing for granted, especially with the pragmatic Capello lining up against him.

The other games
4-0 winners against Malta at the weekend, Portugal have the chance to confirm their status as Group 1 favourites and open up an early lead when they entertain Denmark, who were held to a goalless draw in Hungary in their first outing.

Latvia and Greece both won on Saturday to make the early running in Group 2. Israel and Switzerland played out a 2-2 draw, meanwhile, and need wins against Moldova and Luxembourg respectively if they are not to lose touch.

Czech Republic's new coach Petr Rada will attempt to continue Karel Bruckner's good work when he makes his competitive debut in an awkward trip to Northern Ireland. Neighbours Slovakia, the early pace-setters in Group 3, have an away day of their own in Slovenia.

After kicking off their Group 4 campaign with an emphatic 6-0 defeat of Liechtenstein, Germany, still deprived of Michael Ballack's services, should have a far tougher assignment when they travel to Finland. Russia, the team most likely to challenge the Germans, entertain Wales in their opening fixture.

Over in Group 5 Vicente del Bosque made a successful start to his tenure as Spain coach when the reigning European champions overcame Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0. And even without the injured David Silva and Fernando Torres, the men in red should have too much for Armenia. With a record of 35 wins, 17 draws and 47 defeats, Turkey will be aiming to stay in touch with the Spanish when they play their 100th FIFA World Cup qualifier at home to an improving Belgium side.

While England and Croatia battle it out in Zagreb, Group 6 rivals Ukraine will have an excellent chance to move to the top of the section when they take on Kazakhstan.

Lithuania and Austria face off in a surprise Group 7 summit meeting following respective shock wins over Romania and France. Those unexpected reverses have increased the pressure on Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech and his Romanian counterpart Victor Piturca. Even without a host of injured first-choice players, among them Adrian Mutu, the Eastern Europeans should open their account against the Faroe Islands, while the French, who have yet to emerge from an extended transitional phase, play host to Serbia in a crucial encounter.

Italy's last-minute 2-1 win away to Group 8 rivals Cyprus came at a price. Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Gamberini and Fabio Grosso will all be missing with injury when they welcome Georgia, although the world champions should have little problem in pocketing the points.

Finally, in Group 9 Macedonia will be out to build on their narrow defeat of Scotland when they square off at home to the Netherlands in Bert van Marwijk's first competitive game in charge.

Player to watch
Having struggled to contain lanky Austrian striker Marc Janko on Saturday, France will have to find a solution to the problems Serbia's beanpole forward Nikola Zigic is sure to cause. The 27-year-old Valencia front man has a fine international record, scoring 13 goals in 30 appearances.

The stat
0 - The number of defeats Croatia have suffered at home in 30 FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship qualifiers. The Croats have won 21 of those games, drawing the other nine.

What they said
"Judge the team after Wednesday's game, because Croatia are ranked fifth in the world. Tonight's game and Wednesday's game will be two completely different animals." England midfielder Joe Cole, after Saturday's 2-0 win over Andorra.

Have your say
Can Russia mount a challenge to Germany in Group 4? Can Fabio Capello get England playing the way he wants? Should France be playing with two men up front? Click on ‘Add your comment' and give us your thoughts.

Walcott hoping to come of age

2008-09-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

Theo Walcott may forever be remembered as the 17-year-old called up from nowhere to join England's 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ squad. But two years on, and with England facing a crucial qualifier against Croatia on Wednesday, he finally feels ready to make an impact on international football.

The Arsenal striker admits he was star-struck when Sven-Goran Eriksson made one of the most unexpected selections of all time by taking him to Germany, and many critics believe the decision hampered his progress. His selection, ahead of players such as Jermain Defoe, caused instant controversy which only intensified when England's little-boy-lost failed to play a single minute of football during the tournament.

Walcott was quickly jettisoned to the U-21s when Eriksson was replaced by Steve McClaren after the finals but now, under his third England manager, things are looking up. Fabio Capello produced his own selection shock by handing Walcott his first senior international start in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Andorra, preferring him to David Beckham.

And now the 19-year-old, used mostly on the wing these days by both club and country, is in contention to continue his belated comeback against Croatia in Zagreb on Wednesday - and has enough self-confidence to feel he deserves it.

Walcott said: "I have a lot of experience at England and Arsenal now. Obviously I have not played as much as I wanted to, but I deal with the pressure. I just play with no fear, and this match is not going to bother me at all. I will treat it like any other game. I will just concentrate on my performance - it is the only thing I can do.

"I have been here for a long time; well, it feels like that even though I am only 19! So I am just going to take every game as it comes and perform well. I give the England team a different aspect by getting behind defenders. There are some world-class players who can also play on the right wing, but I give them a different option. I am always trying to go behind defenders because the pace is there."

Walcott admits his early arrival into the international fold under Eriksson was a shock to the system, but he sees his experience in Germany in 2006 as something positive rather than negative. "I was star-struck at first," he remembers. "Only 17 and being at the World Cup. It was a brilliant experience for me - so for the next World Cup I will know what it's all about.

Learning the trade
"I am still learning my trade, my position and where I am going to play. But it has been a good start to the season at Arsenal this year, and I have played most of the games. The main thing Arsene Wenger told me was to be more aggressive on the pitch, win the ball back and get at defenders and not to have any fear. That's what I'm doing.

"I've always been a striker, but virtually every match I have played right wing for Arsenal this season, and it is starting to come naturally to me - I am starting to learn the position a bit more. With England in training I have been playing on the right, and that suggests I will play on the right in matches. Who knows, with more games for Arsenal I might be moved up front, but we will see."

Walcott certainly comes over as a confident young man these days, calmly and jovially dealing with questions in a press conference and deftly swerving the occasional curve-ball thrown by mischievous journalists. He has faced criticism over his own final ball at Arsenal this season, but believes experience and opportunity will turn him into a player to match even the most celebrated in the Premier League.

"Sometimes at the Emirates some people are negative about my final ball; sometimes it's not too bad. But I am learning and I do practise in training every day," he said. "I have had quite a few assists as well. The boss knows I'll do it. It is like Cristiano Ronaldo, he came to Manchester United in his first year, showed some brilliant tricks and he is 23 and the best player in the world now. I am not saying I will be like Ronaldo, I will be myself. I will take the positives out of my game."

If England can take the positives out of Walcott's game and make it count in Zagreb then Fabio Capello may finally have discovered a long-term replacement for David Beckham. Although even he will have to admit that a certain Mr Eriksson saw him first.

Two Koreas go head-to-head

2008-09-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

Arch-rivals Korea DPR and Korea Republic go head-to-head on Wednesday, with the North Koreans on a high after winning their opening game in the fourth round of Asian FIFA World Cup™ qualifying.

The two Koreas have drawn three times in three meetings this year, including two 0-0 stalemates when they met in the previous qualifying round. But the North Koreans go into the match with an edge, after upsetting United Arab Emirates 2-1 in their opening game last weekend.

"Obviously we are happy with the result. We would have been happy with one point, but to return with full points was really, really good. We still have a long way to go but it's a good start," said Korea DPR coach Kim Jong-Hun.

Attack has been a problem for both sides. The South Koreans managed ten goals in six games in the previous round, but seven came against minnows Turkmenistan. Their northern neighbours scored just four.

Korea Republic coach Huh Jung-Moo said his side was ready, despite missing Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung and recent AS Monaco acquisition Park Chu-Young. "Winning the opening match is always important," Huh said. "We've already played the North three times this year. We know they are an opportunistic team that pounces on fast breaks."

The Koreas are grouped with Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE with the top two teams from the group advancing to the FIFA World Cup in 2010. The South Koreans are seeking to make its seventh consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance, while Korea DPR are aiming for their first since 1966.

Ghosts haunt France and England

2008-09-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

England and France will both have recent failures in mind when they face their respective FIFA World Cup™ qualifying challenges this Wednesday.

Memories of England's sole triumph in 1966 are sepia-tinted, but at least they picked up three points, albeit at the expense of little Andorra, in their opening game, while a directionless France capitulated 3-1 in Austria.

Memories of France's 1998 triumph are a little fresher, but in footballing terms they were far away from that level in Vienna, conceding a trio of soft goals which render a win over Serbia at the Stade de France on Wednesday imperative.

But it is England's ghosts which are chronologically the closest as they head for Zagreb to take on a Croatian side which did the double over them in the UEFA EURO 2008 qualifiers.

Those defeats exposed the gulf which has opened up between the undeniable kudos of a domestic game crammed with foreigners, and a national team described as comprising a "golden generation" which stubbornly refused to glitter under Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren.

England know another failure for a major tournament is just not acceptable, and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard recognises as much. "I think we've under-achieved as a group over the past couple of years - that's a fact," acknowledged Lampard.

"Technically they are very good," said Lampard of the Croatians. "Everyone was up in arms that they beat us twice in the EURO 2008 qualifiers, but they ended up being the dark horses of the EUROs. They aren't to be taken lightly. Having three points already in the bag certainly helps."

For manager Fabio Capello, "Croatia will be another game, not like Andorra." But with the potential banana skin of Andorra safely negotiated, the Italian said he believed his squad would now show their mettle. "Are England good enough to get a result? Yes, I think so. I am confident in my team," he insisted.

With only the group winner guaranteed a place in the finals in South Africa - the best runners up face playoffs - a draw would appear a minimum requirement against their main rivals.

The Croatians, since bolstered by the news that Slaven Bilic will stay in the hotseat and not return to former club West Ham, brushed aside Kazakhstan, whom England host on 11 October, in their opener.

Defiant mood
France, meanwhile, appeared still shell-shocked from their dismal EURO showing as they collapsed in Austria, a loss which ramped up the pressure on beleaguered coach Raymond Domenech, who nonetheless remains in defiant mood.

"This event is not based on one game. Of course I'd rather have taken the points - but who said we were going to win every match? We'll be ready to take on Serbia on Wednesday," insisted Domenech, adding he believed the will to win burned strongly within a squad in a period of transition. "This is a young team but I am not worried about it," Domenech concluded.

Even so, the French group looks an open one with the Serbs having seen off the Faroes, and a gifted but unpredictable Romania having failed to benefit from the French setback in sliding to a 3-0 home loss to Lithuania.

Lithuania now face the Austrians, while Domenech will hope that a visit to the French camp of world champion keeper Fabien Barthez will boost morale. "He has the requisite qualities and can pass on his experience," says Domenech.

Germany, meanwhile, are seemingly on the up once more having reached the final of EURO 2008 and begun their FIFA World Cup road to South Africa with a 6-0 swatting of Liechtenstein. Joachim Low now takes his charges to Finland promising more of the same before group rivals Russia, who Wednesday host Wales, come calling next month.

"We will go for the win and will try to play attacking football in Finland as we did in Liechtenstein - though the Finns are a much better side," said Loew. Schalke defender Christian Pander will sit out the game with a virus for the Germans, who will be wary after drawing home and away with the Finns in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers seven years ago.

World champions Italy host Georgia without midfield stalwart Gennaro Gattuso, who injured his wrist in training, while defenders Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Gamberini are also out, having suffered injuries in the 2-1 weekend win in Cyprus.

Coach Marcello Lippi, however, who will hope Saturday brace scorer Antonio Di Natale dons his shooting boots once more, has eschewed the possibility of calling up replacements.

Tevez apologises after red card

2008-09-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

Argentina forward Carlos Tevez apologised on Monday after being sent off in the first half for the second time in three international appearances. Tevez was booked in the 16th minute of Saturday's 1-1 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying draw with Paraguay for a tackle from behind, and received a direct red in the 31st for a studs-up challenge on Dario Veron.

Argentina were losing 1-0 at the time, but managed to salvage a draw with a Sergio Aguero equaliser. "I'm sad because I left my teammates with ten players again," said the Manchester United player, adding that the first tackle should have been a straight red.

"In the first incident, the referee could have sent me off. They were two senseless tackles, a rush of blood to the head which has made me miss another important Argentina game," he told the TyC cable sports channel.

He implied that the second incident was unintentional. "The Paraguayan was very cunning, as I soon as I lost the ball, he started rolling around on the pitch. I apologised to my teammates but they said I didn't need to. I can't find an explanation for what I did. The game was calm and I felt it was my match."

Tevez, suspended for Wednedsay's visit to Peru, said he had received a talking-to from coach Alfio Basile. "I felt I had the coach's confidence," he said. "When we spoke, I told him how I felt and asked for forgiveness. Fortunately, he understood me."

Tevez was previously dismissed in November's match in Colombia. Argentina, winning 1-0 at the time, went on to lose 2-1.