AP APPLE

Many of us have heard the saying `An apple a day keeps the doctor away`.

The apple is crisp and light tasting.

Apple has a plainly delivered and easily palatable taste.

Apples have a good claim to promote health.

Apple fruit is an excellent source of antioxidant flavonoids, phytochemicals, polyphenolic compounds that can get rid of free radicals which damage body tissue and lead to heart disease, strokes and cancer. Some strong antioxidants found in apple fruit are quercetin, catechin, phloridzin, chlorogenic acid, and vitamin C. There are significant amounts of vitamin C in the apple skin. According to research, although the amount of vitamin C in 100 g of apples is only about 5.7 mg, the total antioxidant activity of 100gr of whole apple fruit (with the apple peel) was found to be equivalent to the antioxidant effect of about 1500 mg of vitamin C.

Apple also contains vitamin B-6, vitamin E, vitamin A, pantothenic acid, niacin, folic acid. About minerals, Apple fruit has also magnesium and potassium, two of the important minerals necessary for a healthy heart. Apple also contains galacturonic acid, which lowers the body's need for insulin. This may help diabetics treat their diabetes disease. Apple fruit is also a good source of dietary fiber. They contain Vitamin C, which aids the immune system, and phenols, which reduce cholesterol. They also reduce tooth decay by cleaning one's teeth and killing off bacteria. It has also been suggested by Cornell University researchers that the quercetin found in apples protects brain cells against neuro-degenerative disorders like Alzheimer's Disease. Approximately 81 calories in one medium apple fruit.

Apples grow on small, deciduous trees. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, and were brought to North America by European colonists. Apples have been present in the mythology and religions of many cultures, including Norse, Greek and Christian traditions. Apple (Malus pumila) is commercially the most important temperate fruit and is fourth among the most widely produced fruits in the world after banana, orange and grape. China is the largest apple producing country in the world. Apples originated in the Middle East more than 4000 years ago. Spreading across Europe to France, the fruit arrived in England at around the time of the Norman conquest in 1066.

Cultivative Conditions

The apple forms a tree that is small and deciduous, generally standing 6 to 15 feet (1.8 to 4.6 m) tall in cultivation and up to 30 feet (9.1 m) in the wild. The skin of ripe apples is generally red, yellow, green or pink, although many bi- or tri-colored varieties may be found.

Different cultivars are available for temperate and subtropical climates. The apple-growing areas in India do not fall in the temperate zone of the world but the prevailing temperate climate of the region is primarily due to snow covered Himalayan ranges and high altitude which helps meet the chilling requirement during winter season extending from mid-December to mid-March.The agro climatic conditions in these states are not as conducive as in north-western Himalayan region. Early and continuous rains from April onwards do not favour the production of quality fruits besides resulting in high incidence of diseases.

Dry temperate areas suitable for apple cultivation in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are most suitable for production of high-quality fruits having intense colour development, high sugar content and longer shelf-life. Apple can be grown at altitudes 1,500-2,700 m. above m.s.l. in the Himalayan range which experience 1,000-1,500 hours of chilling (the no. of hours during which temperature remains at or below 70 C during the winter season). The temperature during the growing season is around 21-240 C. For optimum growth and fruiting, apple trees need 100-125 cm. of annual rainfall, evenly distributed during the growing season. Excessive rains and fog near the fruit maturity period result in poor fruit quality with improper colour development and fungal spots on its surface. Areas exposed to high velocity of winds are not desirable for apple cultivation. Loamy soils, rich in organic matter with pH 5.5 to 6.5 and having proper drainage and aeration are suitable for cultivation.

Is there any chance in A.P?

Certainly Yes, scientists said. They referred Andhra Kashmir Lambasingi village for Apple crop. The village and the surrounding area looks pleasant sleeping under the blanked of fog. Lambasingi is a special place in Andhra Pradesh as the temperature fall below zero degrees centigrade frequently. Lambasingi also has special geographical features. It is a Gram Panchayat that is located between Chintapally and Narsipatnam. The buses that go towards Chintapally from Narsipatnam has to cross Lambasingi. Vehicle drivers have to switch on the lights of their vehicles, as the village is covered by fog even during afternoons. Lambasingi is situated at a height of 3,600 feet from sea level. It has valleys on either sides and so the temperatures at this village are always very low. Sometimes during winter the minimum temperature recorded here is -1.5 degrees. In summer maximum temperature in the afternoon will be not more than 24 degrees. The village is also called Korrubayalu. Korru in local language means to become stiff. Here, all these conditions given eligibility to Lambasingi for Apple cultivation. Some scientific researches are still going on there. Horticulture department also hoped that about apple production in the state. So, In near future Andhra Pradesh also having the stature of apple productivity states in India. Now the most important temperate fruit of the northwestern Himalayan region in India. It is predominantly grown in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, accounting for about 90% of the total production. Its cultivation has also been extended to Sikkimm and Meghalaya in north-eastern region and Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu. Arunachal Pradesh is one of the ideal locations for apple cultivation. If high yielding varieties of apple are introduced in the state.

About 69 million tonnes of apples were grown worldwide in 2010, and China produced almost half of this total. The United States is the second-leading producer, with more than 6% of world production. Turkey is third, followed by Italy, India and Poland. Apples are often eaten raw, but can also be found in many prepared foods (especially desserts) and drinks. Many beneficial health effects are thought to result from eating apples; however, two forms of allergies are seen to various proteins found in the fruit.

The essence of true leadership

What does a leader mean? What qualities define a leader? Do leaders always arise owing to difficult situations? Are they born or made? Sometimes situation demands a leader`s arrival. But `The Leader` must be a continuous reader, a dedicated learner and a critical thinker.

Great leaders often have leadership styles that fit into few categories, and they interchange these leadership styles when it makes the most sense. The basic categories of leadership are autocratic, participative and free-rein. Autocratic leaders are often very commanding in style. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their own ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers. `Do as I say because I am the boss` is the common attitude amongst leaders using this particular style. Participative leaders believe in equality between leaders and followers soliciting input from followers. This leader often asks followers “What you think?” making some major decisions by a majority-rule vote. Free- rein leaders are unengaged in leadership. This style of leadership caters for minimal control by the leader or manager and maximum flexibility for the team members. The team leader often takes a back seat role and functions to coordinate and direct the actions of the team rather than dictate it. The free reign style can be good or bad, depending on whether the followers are high performers or not.

Whether one type of leadership is better is not of importance. Different situations require different types of leadership. Leadership is much more than the management of people. It is the ability to lead a group of followers effectively, make them and their purpose successful, and still maintain valid principles and ideas. Leaders must have followers to be successful, and they must know how to treat the followers to ensure their success. Leaders should have values that are consistent with high moral and ethical standards, and they should know how to motivate others effectively. The greatest leaders in history, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Hitler, had the ability to motivate their followers and elicit change, and change is a vital element of a great leader, they have to know how to create successful change and motivate others to change, too. Great leaders are not all positive, as someone like Hitler clearly indicates, and that can be the negative aspect of leadership and the power of leadership.

Positions of leadership

People respond to a task when they know they will be treated fairly, their input will be respected, and they can trust in the integrity of the person responsible for the success of a pursuit. Thus, everybody believe good leadership is derived from being a careful listener and communicator who understands the needs of others and the goals of an endeavor. To me, leaders are not complacent by the way the world shapes them, but are motivated by the way they can shape the world. A leader is directed by what is achievable, not by what is preventing his or her success. When leaders see past hurdles or difficulties, they inspire hope and commitment, which is essential for any pursuit. Furthermore, Leadership is not characterized by rushing to the forefront and being a directing charge, but rather acting as a rudder in the rear maintaining a course with a clear view of what is ahead.

Follow And Lead

The essence of true leadership is the ability to follow as well as to lead. Well defined values, clear vision, a sense of purpose, sufficient resources, and a good strategy or a policy are some of the main components of true leadership. A true leader must be self-confident, well informed, and persuasive in the community or in business and in relationships. A true leader must endure hatred and rejection and turn failure into success. A true leader must stay competitive and innovative if he or she is to create the future. A true leader must also have a keen sense of humor, self-knowledge, outstanding manners, and a few trustworthy friends. Above all, he/she must know how to balance power and gather shrewd teammates.

leadership is more than power or influence over subordinates, it's more about team building, confidence building among the team members, encouraging continuous learning, and inspire the team members to bring out their real potential. Every leader is challenged to respect the power they have been given, to be morally and ethically responsible, and to ensure that the decisions of today will provide a promising tomorrow for all humanity.

ON-I-ON

Supply and demand is perhaps one of the most fundamental concepts of economics and it is the backbone of a market economy. Demand refers to how much (quantity) of a product or service is desired by buyers. The quantity demanded is the amount of a product people are willing to buy at a certain price; the relationship between price and quantity demanded is known as the demand relationship. Supply represents how much the market can offer. The quantity supplied refers to the amount of a certain good producers are willing to supply when receiving a certain price. The correlation between price and how much of a good or service is supplied to the market is known as the supply relationship. Price, therefore, is a reflection of supply and demand. Necessity goods are goods that we can't live without and won't likely cut back on even when times are tough, for example food, power, water and gas. Now we can take a look on onions. In india onions rate stands at high. why? it is simple., the above principle applicable here.

Across the country, arrivals have decreased in all the major markets due to lower supply from Maharashtra and Gujarat region. The other reason for decrease in arrivals is lower late kharif crop this season and gap between arrivals of rabi crop as late kharif arrival is almost over. Depending on the production of onion, there is a seasonality in arrivals and prices every year. The changes in arrivals may occur due to a rise or fall in production, poorstorage, early harvesting, lack of retention power by growers and exports. However, now due to unseasonal rains, the production of onions declined. To some extent, this reduction in production was offset by marginally higher production in all onion cultivating states.The magnitude of decline in production did not affect arrivalsin the market very much. Staggered planting of onions with suitable varieties can address the supply gap during the slack period, thereby stabilising prices during all the year. As part of market reforms, minimum support prices for onions and the implementation of market intelligence systems can help in discovering the right prices for producers as well as consumers.

Hi`story`

Common onions are normally available in three colours: yellow, red, and white. Yellow onions, also called brown onions, are full-flavoured and are the onions of choice for everyday use. Yellow onions turn a rich, dark brown when caramelized and give French onion soup its sweet flavour. The red onion is a good choice for fresh use when its colour livens up the dish. It is also used in grilling and char-broiling. White onions are the traditional onions that are used in classic Mexican cuisine. They have a golden colour when cooked and a particularly sweet flavour when sauteed.

The onion plant (Allium cepa) is unknown in the wild but has been grown and selectively bred in cultivation for at least 7,000 years. It is a biennial plant but is usually grown as an annual. Modern varieties typically grow to a height of 15 to 45 cm (6 to 18 in). Bulbs from the onion family are thought to have been used as a food source for millennia. In Bronze Age settlements, traces of onion remains were found alongside date stones and fig remains that date back to 5000 BC. However, it is not clear if these were cultivated onions. Archaeological and literary evidence that onions were probably being cultivated around two thousand years later in ancient Egypt, at the same time that leeks and garlic were cultivated.

Energetic

In ancient Greece, athletes ate large quantities of onion because it was believed to lighten the balance of the blood. Roman gladiators were rubbed down with onions to firm up their muscles. In the Middle Ages, onions were such an important food that people would pay their rent with onions, and even give them as gifts. Doctors were known to prescribe onions to facilitate bowel movements and erections, and to relieve headaches, coughs, snakebite and hair loss. Most onion cultivars are about 89% water, 4% sugar, 1% protein, 2% fibre and 0.1% fat. They contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, folic acid and numerous other nutrients in small amounts. They are low in fats and in sodium, and with an energy value of 166kJ (40 kcal) per 100 g (3.5 oz) serving, they can contribute their flavour to savoury dishes without raising caloric content appreciably.

Onions were taken by the first settlers to North America, where the Native Americans were already using wild onions in a number of ways, eating them raw or cooked in a variety of foods. They also used them to make into syrups, to form poultices and in the preparation of dyes. Onions are cultivated and used around the world. As a foodstuff they are usually served cooked, as a vegetable or part of a prepared savoury dish, but can also be eaten raw or used to make pickles or chutneys. They are pungent when chopped and contain certain chemical substances which irritate the eyes. Onions contain phenolics and flavonoids that have potential anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anticancer and antioxidant properties.

Top Ten Onions Producers

China, India, United States, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, Russia, Republic of Korea.

It is estimated that around the World, over 9,000,000 acres (3,642,000 ha) of onions are grown annually. About 170 countries cultivate onions for domestic use and about eight percent of the global production is traded internationally.

Plastic Roads

Plastic-waste in road construction i.e., Plastic roads. The present newly construction method highlights the developments in  using plastics waste to make plastic roads.The use and abuse of plastics vis-a-vis environmental protection  can go on, without yielding results until practical steps are initiated at the grassroots level by everyone who is in  a position to do something about it. The plastic wastes could be used in road construction and the field tests  withstood the stress and proved that plastic wastes used after proper processing as an additive would enhance the life of the roads and also solve environmental problems. Plastic is everywhere in today’?s lifestyle. It is used  for packaging, protecting, serving, and even disposing of all kinds of consumer goods. With the industrial revolution, mass production of goods started and plastic seemed to be a cheaper and effective raw material.  Today, every vital sector of the economy starting from agriculture to packaging, automobile, building construction, communication or infotech has been virtually revolutionised by the applications of plastics. Use of  this non-biodegradable (according to recent studies, plastics can stay unchanged for as long as 4500 years  on earth) product is growing rapidly and the problem is what to do with plastic-waste. Studies have linked the  improper disposal of plastic to problems as distant as breast cancer, reproductive problems in humans and  animals, genital abnormalities and even a decline in human sperm count and quality. If a ban is put on the use  of plastics on emotional grounds, the real cost would be much higher, the inconvenience much more, the  chances of damage or contamination much greater. The risks to the family health and safety would increase  and, above all the environmental burden would be manifold. Hence the question is not ‘?plastics vs no  plastics’? but it is more concerned with the judicious use and re-use of plastic-waste.

Not New.!

Plastic use in road construction is not new. It is already in use as PVC or HDPE pipe mat crossings built by cabling together PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or HDPE (high-density poly-ethylene) pipes to form plastic mats. The  plastic roads include transition mats to ease the passage of tyres up to and down from the crossing.Both  options help protect wetland haul roads from rutting by distributing the load across the surface. But the use of  plastic-waste has been a concern for scientists and engineers for a quite long time. Recent studies in this  direction have shown some hope in terms of using.

A Bangalore-based firm and a team of engineers have  developed a way of using plastic waste for road construction. An initial study was conducted in 1997 by the  team to test for strength and durability. Plastic roads mainly use plastic carry-bags, disposable cups thickness  up to 60micron (PE, PP and PS), Hard foams (PS) and any thickness (PET) bottles, Soft Foams (PE and  PP) any thickness. Laminated Plastics thickness up to 60 micron (Aluminum coated also) packing materials  used for biscuits, chocolates, etc., That are collected from garbage dumps as an important ingredient of the  construction material. When mixed with hot bitumen, plastics melt to form an oily coat over the aggregate and  the mixture is laid on the road surface like a normal tar road.

Basic Process

Waste plastic is ground and made into powder; 3 to 4 % plastic is mixed with the bitumen. Plastic increases the melting point of the bitumen and makes the road retain its flexibility during winters resulting in its long life. Use of shredded plastic waste acts as a strong “?binding agent”? for tar making the asphalt last long. By mixing  plastic with bitumen the ability of the bitumen to withstand high temperature increases. The plastic waste is  melted and mixed with bitumen in a particular ratio. Normally, blending takes place when temperature reaches 45.5C but when plastic is mixed, it remains stable even at 55C. The vigorous tests at the laboratory level  proved that the bituminous concrete mixes prepared using the treated bitumen binder fulfilled all the specified Marshall mix design criteria for surface course of road pavement. There was a substantial increase in Marshall Stability value of the BC mix, of the order of two to three times higher value in comparison with the untreated orordinary bitumen. Another important observation was that the bituminous mixes prepared using the treated binder could withstand adverse soaking conditions under water for longer duration.

Comparison

The durability of the roads laid out with shredded plastic waste is much more compared with roads with asphalt with the ordinary mix. Roads laid with plastic waste mix are found to be better than the conventional ones. The binding property of plastic makes the road last longer besides giving added strength to withstand more loads. While a normal 'highway quality' road lasts four to five years it is claimed that plastic-bitumen roads can last up to 10 years. Rainwater will not seep through because of the plastic in the tar. So, this technology will result in lesser road repairs. And as each km of road with an average width requires over two tonnes of polyblend, using plastic will help reduce non-biodegradable waste.

Expensive?

The cost of plastic road construction may be slightly higher compared to the conventional method. However, this should not deter the adoption of the technology as the  benefits are much higher than the cost. Plastic  roads would be a boon for countries like India’? Hot and extremely humid climate, where temperatures  frequently cross 50C and torrential rains create havoc, leaving most of the roads with big potholes. Already, a  kilometre-long test-track has been tested in Karnataka using this technology. The government is keen on  encouraging the setting up of small plants for mixing waste plastic and bitumen for road construction. It is hoped  that in near future we will have strong, durable and eco-friendly roads which will relieve the earth from all type of plastic-waste.

Plastics will increase the melting point of the bitumen. The use of the innovative technology not only  strengthened the road construction but also increased the road life as well as will help to improve the  environment and also creating a source of income. The plastic roads include transition mats to ease the  passage of tyres up to and down from the crossing. Both option of making roads was to protect wetland haul  roads from cracks by distributing the load across the surface. 

A stretch of 800 metre bus route of Valluvar Kottam High Road from Unit Office 21 Junction to Dr.MGR Salai  junction would have 13,700 square metre of plastic road in chennai. A 1,250-metre stretch of Nelson  Manickam Road would have 22,500 square metre of plastic road. The civic body would complete re-laying of  121 plastic roads on 80-km-long bus routes at a cost of Rs.51.7 crore. Shredded plastic waste would form at  least 8 per cent of the weight of the binder used for re-laying. Initially, the civic body planned to use plastic for  re-laying of the top layer of 40 mm in the roads. The 75 to 50 mm macadam layer beneath the top layer of 40  mm is also likely to have plastic content in areas where damage to road is high. The Corporation has put in  place bins for collection of plastic waste in every ward office. The civic body is procuring plastic for road re- laying, as it is yet to get enough plastic waste from residents. Patch work on Anna Nagar West School Road,  Perambur High Road, Greams Road and Taluk Office Road also ready for began. Work on 292 km of interior roads started at a cost of Rs.59.5 crore.

World's Longest and Sturdiest Recycled Bridge

Stretching out across the peaceful waters of the River Tweed in Peeblesshire, Scotland, the Dawyck Estate  river crossing is an unlikely record breaker. Measuring 30 meters in length and made entirely out of waste  plastic products, the newly completed structure is the world's longest and sturdiest recycled bridge. Utilizing a super-strength composite plastic material -- engineered by researchers at Rutgers University from  items as common as plastic bottles and household plastic waste -- the bridge caters for pedestrians, cars and  heavy goods vehicles. The river span is one of five such structures now in existence, although all others are  smaller and based in the U.S., and can support weights of up to 44 tons. According to Vertech Composites,  the British company behind the project, the bridge is a prototype that has the potential to meet future road and  bridge requirements in an eco-friendly manner.

Yellow Metal

Gold is always Gold since from the ancient days. This yellow metal rules the entire world. Why it is attractive?... It is scarce, It cannot be fabricated or produced in large quantities, And it is durable, homogenous and divisible, It is widely acceptable as money. These characteristics gives that much of importance to the Gold. Printed money can’t meet these criteria which increases the attractiveness of Gold.

It has always been used as a medium of exchange for goods since ancient times and has not suffered devaluation in the same ways as paper currency. Gold has a record long history as a commodity and as a store of value. It has been formally a monetary media in and around the world. Gold has faced complete official demonetization long back, yet it experiences continued and renewed interest as a private or unofficial monetary medium. Even governments around the world are making greater use of gold in international financial affairs. Over time, gold has undergone three major transitions: Gold was a medium of exchange in the early civilization. Next, an international banking system was developed around it, in which paper money was fully convertible into gold.This convertibility was ceased in 1971 by the then president Richard Nixon and a purely fiat money system took its place. Early civilizations equated gold with gods and rulers. Humans almost intuitively place a high value on gold, equating it with power, beauty and cultural elite. And since gold is widely distributed all over the globe, we find this same thinking about gold throughout ancient and modern civilizations everywhere. And because of this very basic reason, gold is hovering around $1700 per ounce, even when the US departed the gold exchange standard long back. As per the statistics, today 61% of gold demand is for jewellery purposes as compared to only 27% for investment. And this affinity towards gold is attributed to our roots.

Most other pure metals are gray or silvery white, gold is yellow. This color is determined by the density of loosely bound (valence) electrons; those electrons oscillate as a collective "plasma" medium described in terms of a quasiparticle called plasmon. The frequency of these oscillations lies in the ultraviolet range for most metals, but it falls into the visible range for gold due to subtle relativistic effects that affect the orbitals around gold atoms. Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. It is a dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal with a bright yellow color and luster that is considered attractive, which is maintained without tarnishing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements, solid under standard conditions. The metal therefore occurs often in free elemental (native) form, as nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Less commonly, it occurs in minerals as gold compounds, usually with tellurium. Gold resists attacks by individual acids, but it can be dissolved.The gold content of alloys is measured in carats (k). Pure gold is designated as 24k. English gold coins intended for circulation from 1526 into the 1930s were typically a standard 22k alloy called crown gold, for hardness (American gold coins for circulation after 1837 contained the slightly lower amount of 0.900 fine gold, or 21.6 kt).

Use in Medicine

Conceived of as perhaps the most anciently administered medicine (apparently according to one source by shamanic practitioners) and known of by Dioscorides, apparent paradoxes of the actual toxicology of the substance nevertheless suggests the possibility still of serious gaps in understanding of action on physiology.

In medieval times, gold was often seen as beneficial for the health, in the belief that something so rare and beautiful could not be anything but healthy. However, only salts and radioisotopes of gold are of pharmacological value, as elemental (metallic) gold is inert to all chemicals it encounters inside the body.

Food and drink

Gold can be used in food and has the E number 175. Gold leaf, flake or dust is used on and in some gourmet foods, notably sweets and drinks as decorative ingredient. Gold flake was used by the nobility in medieval Europe as a decoration in food and drinks, in the form of leaf, flakes or dust, either to demonstrate the host's wealth or in the belief that something that valuable and rare must be beneficial for one's health.

Danziger Goldwasser (German: Gold water of Danzig) or Goldwasser (English: Goldwater) is a traditional German herbal liqueur produced in what is today Gdańsk, Poland, and Schwabach, Germany, and contains flakes of gold leaf. There are also some expensive (~$1000) cocktails which contain flakes of gold leaf. However, since metallic gold is inert to all body chemistry, it has no taste, it provides no nutrition, and it leaves the body unaltered.This metal has been a valuable and highly sought-after precious metal for coinage, jewelry, and other arts since long before the beginning of recorded history.

A total of 174,100 tonnes of gold have been mined in human history, according to GFMS as of 2012.

Besides its widespread monetary and symbolic functions, gold has many practical uses in dentistry, electronics, and other fields. Its high malleability, ductility, resistance to corrosion and most other chemical reactions, and conductivity of electricity has led to many uses, including electric wiring, colored-glass production, and gold leafing. Its history can be traced back to 6000 BC. The other seven metals including Gold, known as the Metals of Antiquity, were the metals upon which civilisation was based. These seven metals were:(1) Gold-6000 BC (2) Copper- 4200 BC (3) Silver- 4000 BC (4) Lead-3500 BC (5) Tin-1750 BC (6) Iron,smelted-1500 BC (7) Mercury- 750 BC.These metals were known to the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks and the Romans. Of the seven metals, five can be found in their native states, e.g., gold, silver, copper, iron (from meteors) and mercury. However, the occurrence of these metals was not abundant and the first two metals to be used widely were gold and copper. And, of course, the history of metals is closely linked to that of coins and gemstones.

The purchase of gold, the most frequently heard today is "Look what governments are doing, look at the record of gold, and buy gold as a safe means of beating inflation." This precious metal is bought and sold in U.S. dollars. So when dollar and other currencies experience devaluation, the value of gold rises. Between the end of 1973(at which time the price of gold had been freed in both private and official markets) and 2009, the price of gold increased from USD 106.72/oz to USD 1087.50/oz, a rise of 928%. Adjusting for the cumulative rise in US Consumer price inflation, gold rose by 119%, which equates to annualized real return of 2.2%.

World's largest gold mines

Grasberg Mine (Indonesia), Cortez (U.S.A.),Yanacocha (Peru), Goldstrike (U.S.A.), Veladero (Argentina), Vaal River (South Africa), The Super Pit ( Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA, Australia), West Wits (South Africa), Lagunas Norte (Peru), Boddington mine (Boddington, WA, Australia). Run by Newmont, the Boddington gold mine is actually one of Australia's newest gold mines, beginning production in 2009.  At the end of 2010 it had reserves of 20 million ounces of gold and 2.4 billion pounds of copper.  It produced 741,000 ounces of gold in 2011.

Gold-mining countries

Gold is mined in around 90 countries worldwide. Some of the countries that historically have been top producers continue to be so, including Australia, Canada, the USA and South Africa. But China is now the world’s top producer, having increased productivity significantly since 2005. In 2011, Kazakhstan entered the top 20 of gold-mining countries for the first time.

Consumption       

India is the world's largest single consumer of gold, as Indians buy about 25% of the world's gold, purchasing approximately 800 tonnes of gold every year, mostly for jewelry. India is also the largest importer of gold; in 2008, India imported around 400 tonnes of gold. Indian households hold 18,000 tonnes of gold which represents 11% of the global stock and worth more than $950 billion.

Sweet Stevia

Sugar Leaf... Really this is wonderful gift from the nature. Stevia is an herb found in South America (specifically

Paraguay) that has been used as a natural sweetener for at least 1500 years. The Stevia rebaudiana is commonly known as sweet leaf, sugar leaf, or simply Stevia. This is widely grown for its sweet leaves. Stevia and Sunflower belong to asteraceae family. The sweet herb Stevia is becoming a major source of natural sweetener as an alternate of sugar. It is rapidly replacing the chemical sweetener like Splenda, Saccharine and Aspartame. The leaves of the stevia rebaudiana plant have zero calories, carbs and a zero glycemic index. It is also about 30 times sweeter than table sugar. Studies have shown that these leaves also contain other nutrients such as protein, fiber, carbs, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A and C, and other oils as well. The sweet glycosides in the leaves do not break down in heat, which makes this a desirable sweetener to use in cooking/baking.

Stevia has been around for many years, and is probably one of the safest sweeteners on the market. Since it boasts a zero glycemic index, it is safe for even diabetics and hypoglycemic to ingest. People with weight problems, blood pressure or blood sugar problems can generally use this sweetener without any problem. Since our body cannot metabolize the sweet glycosides from the leaves, no calories are absorbed from the sweetener. Research shows that Stevia can help to regulate and balance blood sugar. Other studies have shown that Stevia can help to lower blood pressure, without affecting normal blood pressure. It also can prevent growth/reproduction of certain bad bacteria that can cause cavities and gum disease. People have reported significant oral health improvement when adding Stevia concentrate to their toothpaste or using it as a mouthwash when diluted with water. Other reported benefits of Stevia use are improved digestion, GI function, soothing upset stomachs and quicker recovery from illness.

Stevia is considered to be a great aid in weight loss, because it has no calories, and also can curb cravings for fatty foods and sweets. Hunger pains are reduced when 10-15 drops of Stevia concentrate are ingested about 20 minutes before eating. Evidence shows that Stevia may actually “reset” the hunger signals in our bodies by interrupting the pathway between the hypothalamus (controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, and fatigue) and the stomach. Scientists that have studied Stevia have concluded that it is safe for human consumption. It has been proven safe by the US FDA and World Health Organization. It is a safe, healthy alternative to synthetic food sweeteners.

Stevia is an herb and it's a very important one these days because the sweeteners that we have, the synthetic sweeteners, are not very healthy for us. Stevia is a plant indigenous to South America in the area of Paraguay and parts of Brazil used by the local Guarani Indians as a sweetening agent.

The availability of stevia varies from country to country. In a few countries, it has been available as a sweetener for decades or centuries; for example, stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan where it has been available for decades. In some countries, stevia is restricted or banned. In other countries, health concerns and political controversies have limited its availability; for example, the United States banned stevia in the early 1990s unless labeled as a supplement, but in 2008 approved rebaudioside-A extract as a food additive. Over the years, the number of countries in which stevia is available as a sweetener has been increasing.

WHO Evaluation: In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) performed a thorough evaluation of recent experimental studies of stevioside and steviols conducted on animals and humans, and concluded that "stevioside and rebaudioside A are not genotoxic in vitro or in vivo. The report also found no evidence of carcinogenic activity. Furthermore, the report noted that "stevioside has shown some evidence of pharmacological effects in patients with hypertension or with type-2 diabetes but concluded that further study was required to determine proper dosage. The WHO's Joint Experts Committee on Food Additives has approved, based on long-term studies, an acceptable daily intake of steviol glycoside of up to 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

There are two compounds in stevia leaves 1.) Stevioside(10%-20%) and 2.) Rebaudioside-A(1-3%). The Stevioside is stable at 100 °C this is main advantage of Steviocide over other sweetener.

Growing stevia without land

Just because you live within the confines of an apartment or condominium doesn't mean you can't enjoy the benefits of stevia farming. This versatile plant can be grown either in pots on your balcony or any sunny spot, or else in a hydroponic unit. Stevia plants also do quite well in "container gardens." A 10" to 12" diameter container filled with a lightweight growing mix is an ideal size for each plant. A little mulch on the top will help retain the moisture in the shallow root zone. A properly fertilized hydroponic unit or container garden can provide you with as much stevia as an outdoor garden, if not more.

Great Alternative

The Diabetes Pandemic is around.The International Diabetes Federation's atlas shows that diabetes now affects a staggering 246 million people worldwide, with 46% of all those affected in the 35-49 age group.The global prevalence of diabetes will go up from 8.6% in 2012 to 9.8 % in 2030 and the numbers of people affected with diabetes will go up from 285 million to 435 million.India leads the global top ten countries in terms of the highest number of people with diabetes with a current figure of approximately 50 million which is expected to rise to about 87 million in 2030,India has therefore ,been labelled as the "diabetes capital of the world ".It is also startling that by 2025,every 5th person with diabetes in the world would be an Indian. So Stevia absolutely a solution to overcome the disease.

Tech-Race

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Technology defines warfare. Air warfare was not even possible before the twentieth century, save for the vulnerable and inefficient reconnaissance balloons that were pioneered in Europe and America in the nineteenth century. In the twenty-first century, air warfare ranges from strategic bombing to close air support of ground troops to dog fights for air superiority to pilotless drones that carry the eyes and ears, and sometimes the ordnance, of operators hundreds, even thousands, of miles away. The U.S. boasts a missile defense installation that can stop the unstoppable, an intercontinental ballistic missile. Space-faring nations flirt with anti-satellite weapons launched from earth and even the prospect of space-based weapons to fight one another and threaten the earth below.

Ballistic missile

A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flight path with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. To date, ballistic missiles have been propelled during powered flight by chemical rocket engines of various types.

V-2:The first ballistic missile was the A-4, commonly known as the V-2 rocket, developed by Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s under direction of Wernher von Braun. The first successful launch of a V-2 was on October 3, 1942 and began operation on September 6, 1944 against Paris, followed by an attack on London two days later. By the end of World War II, May 1945, over 3,000 V-2s had been launched.

A total of 30 nations have deployed operational ballistic missiles. Development continues, with around 100 ballistic missile flight tests (not including those of the US) in 2007, mostly by China, Iran and the Russian Federation. In 2010 the US and Russian governments signed a treaty to reduce their inventory of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) over a seven-year period (to 2017) to 1550 units each.

A ballistic missile trajectory consists of three parts: the powered flight portion, the free-flight portion which constitutes most of the flight time, and the re-entry phase where the Ballistic missiles can be launched from fixed sites or mobile launchers, including vehicles (transporter erector launchers, TELs), aircraft, ships and submarines.  Missiles can be propelled by either liquid-fueled or solid-fueled rocket engines, solid fuel is preferred for military uses because it is less likely to explode and can be kept ready-loaded for quick launch. Such engines commonly propel tactical guided missiles—i.e., missiles intended for use within the immediate battle area—toward their targets at twice the speed of sound. Strategic missiles (weapons designed to strike targets far beyond the battle area) are either of the cruise or ballistic type. Cruise missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while ballistic missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial (boost) phase of flight, after which they follow an arcing trajectory to the target. As gravity pulls the ballistic warhead back to Earth, speeds of several times the speed of sound are reached.

The guidance system is the most important and sophisticated part of the missile. In tactical missiles, electronic sensors locate the target by detecting energy emitted or reflected from it. For example, heat-seeking missiles carry infrared sensors that allow them to “home” onto the hot exhaust of jet engines. Anti radiation missiles home onto radar emissions, while one type of optically homing missile may “lock” onto an image of the target that is captured by a television camera. Upon receiving information through its sensor, the guidance system relays instructions for course correction to the control mechanism through some type of autopilot contained within the missile or through commands transmitted from the launch platform.

Ballistic missiles contain some type of inertial guidance system, which compares the missile’s actual speed and position to the positions that it must assume in order to hit the target. The guidance system then generates correcting commands to the control system. Inertial guidance has become so accurate that the United States’ MX Peacekeeper ballistic missile, with a range of more than 6,000 miles (more than 9,650 km), has a 50-percent chance of delivering its 10 nuclear warheads within 400 feet (120 m) of their target.

Missile types:

Trident II SLBM launched by ballistic missile submarine.

Ballistic missiles can vary widely in range and use, and are often divided into categories based on range. Various schemes are used by different countries to categorize the ranges of ballistic missiles:

• Tactical ballistic missile: Range between about 150 km and 300 km

• Battlefield range ballistic missile (BRBM): Range less than 100 km

• Theatre ballistic missile (TBM): Range between 300 km and 3,500 km

• Short-range ballistic missile (SRBM): Range 1,000 km or less

• Medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM): Range between 1,000 km and 3,500 km

• Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) or long-range ballistic missile (LRBM): Range between 3,500 km and 5,500 km

• Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM): Range greater than 5500 km

• Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM): Launched from ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), all current designs have intercontinental range.

Intercontinental ballistic missile: A Minuteman III ICBM test launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, United States.

ICBMs are differentiated by having greater range and speed than other ballistic missiles: intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs),medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs), short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs)—these shorter range ballistic missiles are known collectively as theatre ballistic missiles. There is no single, standardized definition of what ranges would be categorized as intercontinental, intermediate, medium, or short. Additionally, ICBMs are generally considered to be nuclear only; although several conceptual designs of conventionally armed missiles have been considered, the launch of such a weapon would be such a threat that it would demand a nuclear response, eliminating any military value of such a weapon.

Modern ICBMs typically carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which carries a separate nuclear warhead, allowing a single missile to hit multiple targets. MIRV was an outgrowth of the rapidly shrinking size and weight of modern warheads and the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties which imposed limitations on the number of launch vehicles (SALT I  and SALT II). It has also proved to be an "easy answer" to proposed deployments of ABM systems—it is far less expensive to add more warheads to an existing missile system than to build an ABM system capable of shooting down the additional warheads; hence, most ABM system proposals have been judged to be impractical. The first operational ABM systems were deployed in the U.S. during 1970s. Safeguard ABM facility was located in North Dakota and was operational from 1975–1976. The USSR deployed its Galosh ABM system around Moscow in the 1970s, which remains in service. Israel deployed a national ABM system based on the Arrow missile in 1998, but it is mainly designed to intercept shorter-ranged theater ballistic missiles, not ICBMs. The U.S. Alaska-based National missile defense system attained initial operational capability in 2004.

External and cross sectional views of a Trident II D5 nuclear missile system. It is a submarine launched missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads up to 8,000 km (5,000 mi). Trident missiles are carried by fourteen active US Navy Ohio-class and four Royal Navy Vanguard-class submarines.

ICBMs can be deployed from TELs such as the Russian Topol

• one version of the RT-2UTTH Topol M which may be deployed from a self-propelled mobile launcher, capable of moving through road less terrain, and launching a missile from any point along its route.

Many authorities say that missiles also release aluminized balloons, electronic noisemakers, and other items intended to confuse interception devices and radars.

One particular weapon developed by the Soviet Union (FOBS) had a partial orbital trajectory, and unlike most ICBMs its target could not be deduced from its orbital flight path. It was decommissioned in compliance with arms control agreements, which address the maximum range of ICBMs and prohibit orbital or fractional-orbital weapons.

China. India is known to be working on a SLBM system called the K-4 although there is no hard evidence this will come into service in the near future.

In 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed in the START I treaty to reduce their deployed ICBMs and attributed warheads. As of 2009, all five of the nations with permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council have operational long-range ballistic missile systems: all except China have operational submarine-launched missiles, and Russia, the United States and China also have land-based ICBMs (the US' missiles are silo-based, China and Russia have both silo and road-mobile missiles).

Israel is believed to have deployed a road mobile nuclear ICBM, the Jericho III, which entered service in 2008; an upgraded version is in development.

India successfully test fired Agni V, with a strike range of more than 5,000 km (3,100 mi), claiming entry into the ICBM club. It is speculated by some intelligence agencies that North Korea is developing an ICBM. North Korea successfully put a satellite into space on 12 December 2012 using the 32-metre-tall (105 ft) Unha-3 rocket. The United States claimed that the launch was in fact a way to test an ICBM. (See Timeline of first orbital launches by country). Most countries in the early stages of developing ICBMs have used liquid propellants, with the known exceptions being the Indian Agni-V, the planned South African RSA-4 ICBM and the now in service Israeli Jericho 3.

Importance of Honey bees

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Just how important are honeybees to the human diet? Typically, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these under-appreciated workers pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops which constitute 1/3 of everything we eat. Losing them could affect not only dietary staples such as apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries and cucumbers, but may threaten our beef and dairy industries if alfalfa is not available for feed. One Cornell University study estimated that honeybees annually pollinate $14 billion worth of seeds and crops in the U.S. Essentially, if honeybees disappear, they could take most of our insect pollinated plants with them, potentially reducing mankind to little more than a water diet.

Bees are of inestimable value as agents of cross-pollination, and many plants are entirely dependent on particular kinds of bees for their reproduction (such as red clover, which is pollinated by the bumblebee, and many orchids). In many cases the use of insecticides for agricultural pest control has created the unwelcome side effect of killing the bees necessary for maintaining the crop. Such environmental stresses plus several species of parasitic mites devastated honeybee populations in the United States beginning in the 1980s, making it necessary for farmers to rent bees from keepers in order to get their crops pollinated and greatly affecting the pollination of plants in the wild. In recent years commercial honeybee hives have suffered from colony collapse disorder, which, for unknown reasons, left many bee boxes empty of bees after overwintering. Bee venom has also been found to have medicinal properties, used for treating arthritis, multiple sclerosis and even fibromyalgia, and more recently to treat sexual dysfunction, cancer, epilepsy and depression.

Pollination is transfer of pollen from the anther (the male part of the flower) to the stigma (the female part of the flower). Some plants can pollinate themselves: in this case, the pollen passes from the anther to the stigma inside the same flower, and this is called self-pollination. Other plants need pollen to be transferred between different flowers or different individuals of the plant. This is cross-pollination. Many plants can be pollinated both ways. Plants can be pollinated by wind or animals.

Flowers pollinated by bees most often bloom in daytime, and can be different colors (though seldom red). The scent of daytime, bee-pollinated flowers tends to be less strong than that of night-pollinated flowers, often pollinated by bats or moths.

Honeybee pollinated flowers have nectar tubes no more than two centimeters long. They have nectar guides (patterns to direct the bee towards the nectar) and often a landing place for bees. Bees are especially attracted to white, blue and yellow flowers. Plants pollinated by insects are called “entomophilous”, and insects are generally the most important pollinators. Usually a honeybee can visit between 50-1000 flowers in one trip, which takes between 30 minutes to four hours. Without pollen, the young nurse bees cannot produce bee milk or royal jelly to feed the queen and colony. If no pollen is available to the colony, egg laying by the queen will stop.

Humans' intense agricultural practices have greatly affected the pollination practices of bees within the United States. The increased use of pesticides, the reduction in the number of wild colonies and the increased value of both bees and pollinated crops have all added to the importance of protecting bees from pesticides. Furthermore, many homeowners believe dandelions and clover are weeds, that lawns should be only grass to be mowed down regularly, and that everything but the grass should be highly treated with pesticides. This makes a hostile environment for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Many bee poisoning problems could be prevented by better communication and cooperation among the grower, pesticide applicator and the beekeeper.