Hadith is about Spitting in the Masjid

Anas bin Malik RA said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is that the spittle should be buried in earth." (Bukhari and Muslim) Commentary: To atone for spitting in the mosque, one should bury the spittle in earth, but this applies when the floor of the mosque is covered with earth; as this is not the case today, one should wipe the spittle off or wash it off with clean water.

Hadith is about Relationships

Anas bin Malik RA said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Do not desert (stop talking to) one another, do not nurse hatred towards one another, do not be jealous of one another, and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to stop talking to his brother (Muslim) for more than three days." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Hadith is about Show Offs

Jundub RA said: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "He who so acts to show off, Allah will disgrace him on the Day of Resurrection, and he who does good deeds so that people (may hold him in high esteem), Allah will expose his hidden evil intentions before the people on the Day of Resurrection." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Strawberry Smoothie

Smoothies are best for breakfast as its filling and at the same time guilt free too. You can add in any seasonal fruit of your choice and blend it together for a tasty creamy smoothie. I made this smoothie when I bought a box of strawberries for making the cheese cake.

Ingredients

• Strawberry - 10
• Thick Yogurt(Curd) - 1 cup
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 2 to 3 tsp(adjust according to your liking)

Method:

• Chop the strawberries into bite sized pieces and blend it with milk to a smooth paste.

• Then add sugar and yogurt and blend again till a creamy smoothie consistency is reached.

• Pour into individual glasses and Serve chilled.

My Notes:

1. You can skip milk and make it a full yogurt smoothie too.
2. You can also add 2-3 icecubes and blend it together and serve it chilled.
3. You can even replace sugar with honey.

Hadith is about Transactions

Ibn Umar RA said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "A person should not enter into a transaction when his (Muslim) brother has already negotiated, nor should he make a proposal of marriage when that of his brother is pending, except with the permission of the latter." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Hadith is about Etiquette for Masjid

Jabir RA said: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "He who has eaten onion or garlic or leek should not approach our masjid, because the angels are also offended by the strong smells) that offend the children of Adam." (Muslim)

Hadith is about Grey Hair

Reported Amr bin Shuaib, on the authority of his father and grandfather that the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Do not pluck out grey hair, for they are the Muslim's light on the Day of Resurrection." (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i)

Hadith is about Breaking Covenants

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri RA said: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Every one who breaks a covenant will have a flag by his buttocks on the Day of Resurrection. It will be raised higher according to the nature of his breach. Behold, there will be no greater a sin with respect to breaking the covenant than that of a ruler who breaks his covenant with the Muslim masses." (Muslim)

Perfect colors, captured with one ultra-thin lens

Date:
February 19, 2015
Source:
HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Most lenses are, by definition, curved. After all, they are named for their resemblance to lentils, and a glass lens made flat is just a window with no special powers.

But a new type of lens created at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences(SEAS) turns conventional optics on its head.

A major leap forward from a prototype device demonstrated in 2012, it is an ultra-thin, completely flat optical component made of a glass substrate and tiny, light-concentrating silicon antennas. Light shining on it bends instantaneously, rather than gradually, while passing through. The bending effects can be designed in advance, by an algorithm, and fine-tuned to fit almost any purpose.

With this new invention described today in Science, the Harvard research team has overcome an inherent drawback of a wafer-thin lens: light at different wavelengths (i.e., colors) responds to the surface very differently. Until now, this phenomenon has prevented planar optics from being used with broadband light. Now, instead of treating all wavelengths equally, the researchers have devised a flat lens with antennas that compensate for the wavelength differences and produce a consistent effect—for example, deflecting three beams of different colors by the same angle, or focusing those colors on a single spot.

“What this now means is that complicated effects like color correction, which in a conventional optical system would require light to pass through several thick lenses in sequence, can be achieved in one extremely thin, miniaturized device,” said principal investigator Federico Capasso, the Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering at Harvard SEAS.

Bernard Kress, Principal Optical Architect at Google [X], who was not involved in the research, hailed the advance:

“Google [X], and especially the Google Glass group, is relying heavily on state-of-the-art optical technologies to develop products that have higher functionalities, are easier to mass produce, have a smaller footprint, and are lighter, without compromising efficiency,” he said. “Last year, we challenged Professor Capasso’s group to work towards a goal which was until now unreachable by flat optics. While there are many ways to design achromatic optics, there was until now no solution to implement a dispersionless flat optical element which at the same time had uniform efficiency and the same diffraction angle for three separate wavelengths. We are very happy that Professor Capasso did accept the challenge, and also were very surprised to learn that his group actually solved that challenge within one year.”

The team of researchers, led by Capasso and postdoctoral fellow Francesco Aieta, has developed a design that rivals the bulky equipment currently used in photography, astronomy, and microscopy. It could also enable the creation of new miniature optical communications devices and find application in compact cameras and imaging devices.

The new lens, dubbed an “achromatic metasurface,” dramatically improves on the flat lens Capasso’s research group demonstrated in 2012. That prototype, the first of its kind, corrected for some of the aberrations of conventional lenses but suffered from the limitation of only focusing light of a single wavelength, and its focusing efficiency was small. The new model uses a dielectric material rather than a metal for the nanoantennas, a change which greatly improves its efficiency and, combined with a new design approach, enables operation over a broad range of wavelengths.

Most significantly, the new design enables the creation of two different flat optical devices. The first, instead of sending different colors in different directions like a conventional grating, deflects three wavelengths of light by exactly the same angle. In the second device, the three wavelengths can all be focused at the same point. A flat lens can thus create a color image—focusing for example red, green, and blue, the primary colors used in most digital displays. The team’s computational simulations also suggest that a similar architecture can be used to create a lens that collimates many different wavelengths, not just three.

“This is a major step forward in establishing a planar optical technology with a small footprint which overcomes the limitations of standard flat optics, known as diffractive optics,” said Capasso. “It also opens the door to new functionalities because of the enormous design space made possible by metasurfaces.”

“This is an elegant and groundbreaking accomplishment,” said Nader Engheta, H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the research. “The planar optical structures designed and demonstrated by Professor Capasso's group have much less volume than their conventional bulky counterparts and at the same time their chromatic aberration has been suppressed. This is an important development that will undoubtedly lead to other exciting innovations in the field of flat photonics.”

Harvard's Office of Technology Development has filed for a provisional patent on the new optical technology and is actively pursuing commercial opportunities.

“Our previous work on the metallic flat lens produced a great excitement in regard to the possibility of achieving high numerical aperture and spherical aberration-free focusing with a very compact design. By demonstrating achromatic lenses we have now made a major step forward towards widespread future application of flat optics that will certainly attract the interest of the industry,” said lead author Francesco Aieta, now employed by Hewlett Packard, who conducted the research at Harvard SEAS.

Additional coauthors of the Science paper include Mikhail A. Kats and Patrice Genevet, both former members of the Capasso laboratory. Kats, who earned his Ph.D. at Harvard SEAS in 2013, is now an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Genevet, formerly a postdoctoral research associate at SEAS, is now at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology.

This research was supported in part by a MURI grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-12-1-0389), with additional support from Draper Laboratory (SC001-0000000731), and the National Science Foundation (NSF, ECCS-1347251). Fabrication was performed at the Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems, which is a member of the NSF-funded National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network.

Hadith is about Hypocrites

Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As RA said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whosoever possesses these four characteristics is a sheer hypocrite; and anyone who possesses one of them possesses a characteristic of hypocrisy till he gives it up. These are: when he is entrusted with something, he proves dishonest; when he speaks, he tells a lie; when he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous; and when he quarrels, he behaves in very imprudent, evil, insulting manner." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Beautiful Hadith is about Friday

Narrated by Abu Lubabah ibn Abdul Mundhir RA: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Friday is the lord of days and the chief of them in Allah's sight, being greater in Allah's sight than the day of sacrifice and the day of breaking the fast. It has five distinguishing characteristics: on it Allah created Adam, on it Allah sent Adam to the Earth, on it Allah took Adam in death, it contains a time at which no one will ask for anything without Allah giving it, so long as he does not ask for anything unlawful, and on it the last hour will come. There is no angel near Allah's presence, nor sky, nor earth, nor winds, nor mountains, nor sea which do not fear Friday." (Tirmidhi)

Hadith is about Friday

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) as saying: "None of you should observe fast on Friday except that he should observe fast either one day before it or one day after it." (Bukhari and Muslim)

NANO TECHNOLOGY : BETTER MEASUREMENTS OF SINGLE MOLECULE CIRCUITS

Date:
February 18, 2015
Source:
University of California - Davis

It's nearly 50 years since Gordon Moore predicted that the density of transistors on an integrated circuit would double every two years. "Moore's Law" has turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy that technologists pushed to meet, but to continue into the future, engineers will have to make radical changes to the structure or composition of circuits. One potential way to achieve this is to develop devices based on single-molecule connections.

New work by Josh Hihath's group at the UC Davis Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, published Feb. 16 in the journal Nature Materials, could help technologists make that jump. Hihath's laboratory has developed a method to measure the conformation of single molecule "wiring," resolving a clash between theoretical predictions and experiments.

"We're trying to make transistors and diodes out of single molecules, and unfortunately you can't currently control exactly how the molecule contacts the electrode or what the exact configuration is," Hihath said. "This new technique gives us a better measurement of the configuration, which will provide important information for theoretical modeling."

Until now, there has been a wide gap between the predicted electrical behavior of single molecules and experimental measurements, with results being off by as much as ten-fold, Hihath said.

Hihath's experiment uses a layer of alkanes (short chains of carbon atoms, such as hexane, octane or decane) with either sulfur or nitrogen atoms on each end that allow them to bind to a gold substrate that acts as one electrode. The researchers then bring the gold tip of a Scanning Tunneling Microscope towards the surface to form a connection with the molecules. As the tip is then pulled away, the connection will eventually consist of a single-molecule junction that contains six to ten carbon atoms (depending on the molecule studied at the time).

By vibrating the tip of the STM while measuring electrical current across the junction, Hihath and colleagues were able to extract information about the configuration of the molecules.

"This technique gives us information about both the electrical and mechanical properties of the system and tells us what the most probable configuration is, something that was not possible before," Hihath said.

The researchers hope the technique can be used to make better predictions of how molecule-scale circuits behave and design better experiments.

Hot and Sweet Chutney

Ingredients

• Jaggery - 5 tbsp
• Water - 4 tbsp
• Honey - 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Chilli flakes - a pinch
• Tamarind pulp - 3 tbsp(Strained)
• Salt - a pinch

Method:

1. First combine jaggery with water, filter to remove impurities.
2. Add jaggery water to a pan and heat it. When bubbles start oozing out and starts thickening add the tamarind pulp and allow it to boil for 5-7 mins until the raw smell of tamarind leaves.
3. Now add honey, chilli powder, chilli flakes and salt...allow it to boil for another 5mins and then switch off.

My Notes:

1. I used the grill option in my oven which works best for tikkas.
2. You can use any pickle of your choice if you do not have green chilli pickle or use green chilli paste.
3. I dry roasted green chillies for 3-5mins then grinded it to get the green chilli paste.
4. You can use either skewers or arrange it directly on the baking tray itself.

Serve hot with hot sweet chutney or tomato sauce.....Yummy combination. This chutney was an apt combination.

Paneer Achari Tikka

Ingredients

• Paneer - 10 to 12 cubes
• Hung curd - 1/4 cup (Pour thick curd in a muslin cloth and allow it to hang for an hr atleast to get hung curd)
• Green chilli pickle / Green Chilli paste - 1 tbsp
• Chopped garlic - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Grind to a coarse powder:

• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds (Venthayam) - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. For the achari marinade : First add the garlic, green chilli paste/pickle, curd and blend it in a mixer to a smooth paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
2. Combine all the ingredients under 'to grind to a coarse powder' and blend in a mixer to a coarse powder.
3. Combine the prepared curd paste and the coarse powder in a bowl and mix well. Keep aside.Now the marinade is ready.
4. Take paneer cubes and combine it well with the achari marinade in the bowl and toss gently for it to coat on all sides.Keep marinated for 20mins.
5. Preheat oven at 210 deg C . Meanwhile arrange the marinated paneer pieces on skewers / baking tray, apply oil on all sides.
6. Once preheated grill the marinated paneer cubes at 210 deg C for 15-18mins until the paneer pieces turn golden brown. Make sure you turn over in between for even grilling.Remove from the skewer and serve hot with hot sweet chutney or tomato sauce.

The green chillies with garlic and other flavours in the curd gives a very nice flavour to the tikkas. This time I didnt use skewers, I just arranged them in the baking tray and inserted them in toothpick for serving.

Hadith is about Islamic Fraternity

Anas bin Malik RA said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Do not desert (stop talking to) one another, do not nurse hatred towards one another, do not be jealous of one another, and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to stop talking to his brother (Muslim) for more than three days." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Hadith is about Calumny

Hudhaifah RA said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "The person who goes about with calumnies will never enter Jannah."(Bukhari and Muslim) *Calumny - a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something

Hadith is about Looking Down on Other Muslims

Abu Hurairah RA said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "It is enough evil for a Muslim to look down upon his (Muslim) brother." (Muslim)

Beautiful Hadith is about Envy

Abu Hurairah RA said: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Beware of envy because envy consumes (destroys) the virtues just as the fire consumes the firewood," or he said "grass."(Abu Dawud)

Little Heart Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

• Maida - 1 cup (125 gms)
• Icing sugar - 1/2 cup heaped (65 gms)
• Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
• Egg - 1
• Unsalted butter - 50 gms
• Vanilla essence - 1/8 tsp
• Pink Food color - 2 drops

Method:

1. Take icing sugar and butter in a bowl, whisk it well until creamy,Set aside.Use butter at room temperature, I had to wait for sometime as my butter was straight out from the fridge.In another bowl,take an egg.
2. Using a electric beater or handwhisk beat till frothy.Cool down completely then add the egg mixture to cream butter and whisk it well.
3. In another bowl take flour,baking powder and a pinch of salt and whisk it well, You can sieve it once for even mixing.Now seperate egg butter mixture into 2 bowls.In one bowl add pink food color and essence.
4. Whisk it well.Then add half of maida and gather to form a smooth dough.
5. In another bowl containing egg butter sugar mixture, add vanilla essence and remaining flour, mix well and gather to form a smooth dough.
6. Cling wrap them seperately and put it in the fridge for atleast 30mins.Now take out,unwrap the cling film and start rolling.Lay a butter paper underneath then roll over it.Cut with desired cookie cutter, now see who is helping me :) While are almost done with cutting the cookies, Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for 10mins.
7. Lay butter paper in the baking tray.Carefully place the cookies on it.Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg C for 12-15mins but not more than that.Turn over to check it , if its golden brown then the cookies are baked.Cool on wirerack and then store it.
8. While the first batch is baking you can cut for the vanilla cookies for the second batch.I made some vanilla cookies and use both the leftovers, mixed them together to form marbled effect and cut out few marble cookies too.
9. Bake the cookies at 180 deg C for 12-15mins or until the edges turn golden brown.Cool on wirerack then store in airtight container.

Cool down and then store in airtight container.Serve warm with a glass of milk or as a tea time snack.

History of India 6

Kushan Empire:

The Kushan Empire expanded out of what is now Afghanistan into the northwest of the subcontinent under the leadership of their first emperor, Kujula Kadphises, about the middle of the 1st century CE. By the time of his grandson, Kanishka, (whose era is thought to have begun c. 127 CE), they had conquered most of northern India, at least as far as Saketa and Pataliputra, in the middle Ganges Valley, and probably as far as the Bay of Bengal.

They played an important role in the establishment of Buddhism in India and its spread to Central Asia and China. By the 3rd century, their empire in India was disintegrating; their last known great emperor being Vasudeva I (c. 190-225 CE).

Travels to India:

According to Poseidonius, later reported in Strabo's Geography, the monsoon wind system of the Indian Ocean was first sailed by Eudoxus of Cyzicus in 118 or 116 BC. Poseidonius said a shipwrecked sailor from India had been rescued in the Red Sea and taken to Ptolemy VIII in Alexandria.

Strabo, whose Geography is the main surviving source of the story, was skeptical about its truth. Modern scholarship tends to consider it relatively credible. During the 2nd century BC Greek and Indian ships met to trade at Arabian ports such as Aden (called Eudaemon by the Greeks). Another Greek navigator, Hippalus, is sometimes credited with discovering the monsoon wind route to India. He is sometimes conjectured to have been part of Eudoxus's expeditions.

Roman trade with India:

Roman trade with India started around 1 CE, during the reign of Augustus and following his conquest of Egypt, which had been India's biggest trade partner in the West.

The trade started by Eudoxus of Cyzicus in 130 BCE kept increasing, and according to Strabo (II.5.12.), by the time of Augustus, up to 120 ships set sail every year from Myos Hormos on the Red Sea to India. So much gold was used for this trade, and apparently recycled by the Kushans for their own coinage, that Pliny the Elder (NH VI.101) complained about the drain of specie to India:

"India, China and the Arabian peninsula take one hundred million sesterces from our empire per annum at a conservative estimate: that is what our luxuries and women cost us. For what percentage of these imports is intended for sacrifices to the gods or the spirits of the dead?"

—Pliny, Historia Naturae 12.41.84

Gupta rule – "Golden Age"

Classical India refers to the period when much of the Indian subcontinent was reunited under the Gupta Empire (c. 320–550 CE).This period has been called the Golden Age of India and was marked by extensive achievements in science, technology, engineering,art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion, and philosophy that crystallized the elements of what is generally known as Hindu culture.[105] The Hindu-Arabic numerals, a positional numeral system, originated in India and was later transmitted to the West through the Arabs. Early Hindu numerals had only nine symbols, until 600 to 800 CE, when a symbol for zero was developed for the numeral system. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors in India.

The high points of this cultural creativity are magnificent architecture, sculpture, and painting. The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma, and Vatsyayana who made great advancements in many academic fields.Science and political administration reached new heights during the Gupta era. Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural centre and established it as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in Burma, Sri Lanka, Maritime Southeast Asia, and Indochina.

The Gupta period marked a watershed of Indian culture: the Guptas performed Vedic sacrifices to legitimize their rule, but they also patronized Buddhism, which continued to provide an alternative to Brahmanical orthodoxy. The military exploits of the first three rulers –Chandragupta I (c. 319–335), Samudragupta (c. 335–376), and Chandragupta II (c. 376–415) – brought much of India under their leadership. They successfully resisted the northwestern kingdoms until the arrival of the Hunas, who established themselves in Afghanistan by the first half of the 5th century, with their capital at Bamiyan. However, much of the Deccan and southern India were largely unaffected by these events in the north.

Vakataka Dynasty:

The Vākāṭaka Empire(Marathi: वाकाटक) was a royal Indian dynasty that originated from the Deccan in the mid-third century CE. Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the south as well as from the Arabian Sea in the western to the edges of Chhattisgarh in the east. They were the most important successors of the Satavahanasin the Deccan and contemporaneous with the Guptas in northern India.

Empire of Harsha:

Harsha Vardhana (c. 590–647), commonly called Harsha, was an Indian emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 from his capital Kannauj. He was the son of Prabhakarvardhana and the younger brother of Rajyavardhana, a king of Thanesar in present-day Haryana. At the height of his power his kingdom spanned the Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, Odisha and the entire Indo-Gangetic plain north of the Narmada River.

After the downfall of the prior Gupta Empire in the middle of the 6th century, North India reverted to small republics and small monarchical states ruled by Gupta rulers. Harsha was a convert to Buddhism.He united the small republics from Punjab to central India, and their representatives crowned Harsha king at an assembly in April 606 giving him the title of Maharaja when he was merely 16 years old. Harsha belonged to Kanojia. He brought all of northern India under his control.The peace and prosperity that prevailed made his court a center of cosmopolitanism, attracting scholars, artists and religious visitors from far and wide.The Chinese traveler Xuan Zang visited the court of Harsha and wrote a very favorable account of him, praising his justice and generosity.

Hadith is about Wudu

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said to Bilal RA "Tell me about the most hopeful act (i.e., one which you deem the most rewarding with Allah) you have done since your acceptance of Islam because I heard the sound of the steps of your shoes in front of me in Jannah." Bilal said: "I do not consider any act more hopeful than that whenever I make Wudu' (or took a bath) in an hour of night or day, I would immediately perform Salat (prayer) for as long as was destined for me to perform." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Hadith is about the Greatest Ayah

Ubayy bin Ka`b RA reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said: "Abu Mundhir! Do you know which Ayah in Allah's Book is the greatest?" I replied: "It is `Allah la ilaha illa Huwal-Haiyul-Qayum (Allah! none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living...'" (2:256) Thereupon he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) patted me in the chest and said, "Rejoice by this knowledge, O Abu Mundhir!" (Muslim)

Hadith is about Death

Anas RA reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) drew a few lines and said, "One of them represents man and another indicates death; and a man continues like this until the nearest line (i.e., death) overtakes him." (Bukhari)

Hadith is about Women

Abu Hurairah RA reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said: "Take my advice with regard to women: Act kindly towards women, for they were created from a rib, and the most crooked part of a rib is its uppermost. If you attempt to straighten it; you will break it, and if you leave it alone it will remain crooked; so act kindly toward women". (Bukhari and Muslim)

Fruits with Yoghurt :)

Ingredients

1. Red apple- 1 medium
2. Green apple- 1 medium
3. Pineapple- ¼
4. Dried apricots {Sukhi Khumani}- 3-4
5. Prunes {Aloo Bukhara}- 5-6
6. Pears {Nashpaati}- ½
7. Hung curd- 1 ½
8. Honey- 1 tbsp
9. Biscuits- 8- 10
10. Strawberry crush- 1 tbsp

1. Prunes- to garnish
2. Strawberry crush- to garnish
3. Dried apricot- to garnish

Preparation method

• Cut all the fruits like red apple, green apple, pineapple, dried apricots, prunes and pears in a bowl and keep a side.
• In another bowl take hung curd and honey, mix with half of the fruits, leave half portion of fruits in the same bowl .
• Take another bowl, put crushed biscuits and strawberry crushed in it.
• Put a layer of half of the fruits, followed by the fruits mix with curd dressing Season with strawberry crush prunes and apricots, and serve.

Hybrid Perovskite Nano-particles With 80% Luminescence Yield Obtained

Date:

February 10, 2015

Source:

Asociación RUVID

Researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science of the University of Valencia (ICMol), led by Professor Julia Pérez-Prieto, have developed a method for preparing methylammonium-lead bromide (CH3NH3PbBr3) hybrid nanoparticles with extraordinary luminescence. Indeed, this work has successfully increased the luminescence efficiency of nanoparticles up to 80% and has also proven their high stability under ultraviolet visible light. The Journal of Materials Chemistry A has just gathered online the conclusions from this work.

Early in 2014, scientists reported having obtained the first CH3NH3PbBr3 nanoparticles, soluble in organic solvents and with a 20% luminescence yield. Professor Julia Pérez explains that, first, the strategy for preparing these nanoparticles was to confine the perovskite structure with long-chain ammonium bromide salts. In collaboration with researcher from the University of Valencia Henk Bolink, also a member of ICMol -- located on the University of Valencia Science Park -- , they prepared thin films with these nanoparticles and measured their electroluminescence, which was ten times greater than that of the bulk material. The luminescence yield of these nanoparticles, either in dispersion or in film, was close to 20%.

The team led by Pérez-Prieto set out to improve the luminescent performance of these nanoparticles by decreasing surface defects through a better coating. As revealed in the paper published in the 'Journal of Materials Chemistry A', they have managed to obtain nanoparticles "with improved solubility and outstanding luminescence by fine-tuning the molar ratios of the components used in the preparation of this material (ammonium salt and lead bromide)," said the director of the study.

Photovoltaic applications

Currently, scientists have shown great interest in lead halide hybrid perovskites for their ability to absorb light in the ultraviolet-visible spectrum, their luminescence and electrical conductivity and their desirable properties for photovoltaic applications. Preparing perovskites as small nanoparticles (with a diameter of less than ten nanometres) allows them to disperse in a non-aqueous medium, which facilitates their processing and, thereby, their future use in solar cells and luminescent materials. The most extensively studied lead perovskite is iodide perovskite for its greater ability to absorb light in the visible spectrum. However, bromide-based perovskites have been proved to be less moisture-sensitive.

Julia Pérez-Prieto is a professor of Organic Chemistry and the head of the Photochemical Reactivity Group at the University of Valencia ICMol. She coordinates the Master's Degree and the Doctoral Degree in Sustainable Chemistry in Valencia and is an associate editor of the 'EPA Newsletter' journal. Her research focuses on the design and synthesis of new photoactive materials (inorganic nanoparticles, supramolecules and molecules) as well as on the study of the potential of nanoparticles to be used in molecular recognition, photocatalysis, bioimaging, photodynamic therapy or luminescent devices, depending on their composition.

Hadith is about Reciting Superiority of Poor Muslims

Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi RA reported: A man passed by the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), so he asked a man who was sitting near him, "What is your opinion about this man?'' That man replied: "He is one of the noblest men. By Allah he is certainly a proper person for (a girl) being given in marriage if he seeks to marry, and his recommendation is fit to be accepted if he recommends". Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) remained silent. Then another man passed. Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) enquired, "What is your opinion about this man?'' He replied: "O Messenger of Allah, he is one of the poor Muslims. He is not a proper person (for a girl) to be given in marriage to, and his recommendation would not be accepted if he makes one; if he speaks, he is not to be listened to.'' Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "He is better than the former by earthfuls". (Bukhari and Muslim)

Hadith is about Reciting the Quran

Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter." (Tirmidhi)

Hadith is about Fajr and Asar

Abu Hurairah RA reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "There are angels who take turns in visiting you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn (Fajr) and the afternoon (Asar) prayers. Those who have spent the night with you, ascend to the heaven and their Rubb, Who knows better about them, asks: 'In what condition did you leave My slaves?' They reply: `We left them while they were performing Salat and we went to them while they were performing Salat.'" (Bukhari and Muslim)

Supercapacitors Could BOOST Fuel Efficiency Of Cars

New York: Mostly used in windmill blade control, solar energy systems and other niche applications, supercapacitors could soon be used widely in cars and trucks to boost fuel efficiency, says a study.

Unlike slow and steady batteries, supercapacitors gulp up energy rapidly and deliver it in fast, powerful jolts.

A growing array of consumer products is benefiting from these energy-storage devices, with cars and trucks -- and their drivers -- poised to be major beneficiaries, said Marc Reisch, a senior correspondent at Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society.

Supercapacitors were first developed in the 1960s, Reisch pointed out.

Researchers have since been pursuing new ways to improve them, but they still cannot store as much energy as batteries.

But recent advances have allowed automakers to introduce start-stop cars such as hybrids and gasoline-powered vehicles that shut down their engines rather than idle and start up again when a driver hits the gas pedal.

This type of system can help boost a vehicle's fuel efficiency and pave the way for new application for supercapacitors, the article pointed out.

Supercapacitor sales are expected to more than double over the next five years, and automakers are continuing to invest in supercapacitor research, it added.

Hadith is about Guardians

Ibn Umar RA reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "All of you are guardians and are responsible for your subjects. The ruler is a guardian and responsible for his subjects; the man is a guardian of his family; the woman is guardian in her husband's house and responsible for her wards; a servant is guardian of his master's property and responsible for his ward. So all of you are guardians and are responsible for your subjects." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Beautiful Hadith is about Piety

Wabisah bin Ma`bad RA reported: I went to Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and he asked me, "Have you come to inquire about piety?'' I replied in the affirmative. Then he said, "Ask your heart regarding it. Piety is that which contents the soul and comforts the heart, and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs the heart, even if people pronounce it lawful and give you verdicts on such matters again and again." (Ahmad and Ad-Darmi)

Hadith is about Forgiving the Ignorant

Ibn Mas'ud reported: I can see the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) look like one of the Prophets of Allah whose people beat and made him bleed while he was wiping the blood from his face and supplicating: "O Allah, forgive my people because they know not." (Bukhari and Muslim)

History of India 5

Epic and Early Puranic Period – Early Classical Period & Golden Age (ca. 200 BCE–700 CE)

The time between 200 BCE and ca. 1100 CE is the "Classical Age" of India. It can be divided in various sub-periods, depending on the chosen periodisation. The Gupta Empire(4th-6th century) is regarded as the "Golden Age" of Hinduism, although a host of kingdoms ruled over India in these centuries. In southern India The Sangam literatureflourished from the 3rd century BC to 3rd century CE in southern India.

The Satavahana dynasty, also known as the Andhras, ruled in southern and central India after around 230 BCE. Satakarni, the sixth ruler of the Satvahana dynasty, defeated theSunga Empire of north India. Afterwards, Kharavela, the warrior king of Kalinga, ruled a vast empire and was responsible for the propagation of Jainism in the Indian subcontinent.

The Kharavelan Jain empire included a maritime empire with trading routes linking it to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Borneo, Bali, Sumatra, and Java. Colonists from Kalinga settled in Sri Lanka, Burma, as well as the Maldives and Maritime Southeast Asia. The Kuninda Kingdom was a small Himalayan state that survived from around the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE.

The Kushanas migrated from Central Asia into northwestern India in the middle of the 1st century CE and founded an empire that stretched from Tajikistan to the middle Ganges. The Western Satraps (35-405 CE) were Saka rulers of the western and central part of India. They were the successors of the Indo-Scythians and contemporaries of the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and the Satavahana (Andhra) who ruled in central and southern India.

Different dynasties such as the Pandyans, Cholas, Cheras, Kadambas, Western Gangas, Pallavas, and Chalukyas, dominated the southern part of the Indian peninsula at different periods of time. Several southern kingdoms formed overseas empires that stretched into Southeast Asia. The kingdoms warred with each other and the Deccan states for domination of the south. The Kalabras, a Buddhist dynasty, briefly interrupted the usual domination of the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas in the south.

Southern India:

During this period, the southern peninsula of India was at first ruled by the Satavahana dynasty and by three Tamil kingdoms: the Chola dynasty, the Pandyan Dynasty, and theChera dynasty. Tamil Sangam literature flourished during this period. After the collapse of the Satavahana Dynasty in the 3rd century, the Vakataka dynasty, the Pallava dynasty, the Western Ganga dynasty, and the Kadamba dynasty emerged and dominated the most of southern India until the 6th century. In the 6th century, the Chalukya dynasty was established, and ultimately dominated most of southern India until the 8th century.

Sunga Empire:

The Sunga Empire(Sanskrit: शुंग राजवंश) or Shunga Empire was an ancient Indian dynasty from Magadha that controlled vast areas of the Indian Subcontinent from around 187 to 78 BCE. The dynasty was established by Pushyamitra Sunga, after the fall of the Maurya Empire. Its capital was Pataliputra, but later emperors such as Bhagabhadra also held court at Besnagar, modern Vidisha in Eastern Malwa.Pushyamitra Sunga ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son Agnimitra. There were ten Sunga rulers. The empire is noted for its numerous wars with both foreign and indigenous powers. They fought battles with the Kalingas, Satavahanas, the Indo-Greeks, and possibly the Panchalasand Mathuras. Art, education, philosophy, and other forms of learning flowered during this period including small terracotta images, larger stone sculptures, and architectural monuments such as the Stupa at Bharhut, and the renowned Great Stupa at Sanchi. The Sunga rulers helped to establish the tradition of royal sponsorship of learning and art. The script used by the empire was a variant of Brahmi and was used to write the Sanskrit language. The Sunga Empire played an imperative role in patronizing Indian culture at a time when some of the most important developments in Hindu thought were taking place.

Northwestern hybrid cultures:

The northwestern hybrid cultures of the subcontinent included the Indo-Greeks, the Indo-Scythians, the Indo-Parthians, and the Indo-Sassinids. The first of these, the Indo-Greek Kingdom, was founded when the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius invaded the region in 180 BCE, extending his rule over various parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Lasting for almost two centuries, the kingdom was ruled by a succession of more than 30 Greek kings, who were often in conflict with each other.

The Indo-Scythians were a branch of the Indo-European Sakas (Scythians) who migrated from southern Siberia, first into Bactria, subsequently intoSogdiana, Kashmir, Arachosia, and Gandhara, and finally into India. Their kingdom lasted from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century BCE.

Yet another kingdom, the Indo-Parthians (also known as the Pahlavas), came to control most of present-day Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, after fighting many local rulers such as the Kushan ruler Kujula Kadphises, in the Gandhara region. The Sassanid empire of Persia, who was contemporaneous with the Gupta Empire, expanded into the region of present-day Balochistan in Pakistan, where the mingling of Indian culture and the culture of Iran gave birth to a hybrid culture under the Indo-Sassanids.

Satavahana Dynasty:

The Śātavāhana Empire was a royal Indian dynasty based from Amaravati inAndhra Pradesh as well as Junnar (Pune) and Prathisthan (Paithan) in Maharashtra. The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward. Sātavāhanas started out as feudatories to the Mauryan dynasty, but declared independence with its decline. They are known for their patronage of Hinduism and Buddhism which resulted in Buddhist monuments from Ellora (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to Amaravati. The Sātavāhanas were one of the first Indian states to issue coins struck with their rulers embossed. They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade as well as the transfer of ideas and culture to and from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the southern tip of India. They had to compete with the Sunga Empire and then the Kanva dynasty of Magadha to establish their rule. Later, they played a crucial role to protect a huge part of India against foreign invaders like the Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas. In particular their struggles with the Western Kshatrapas went on for a long time. The notable rulers of the Satavahana Dynasty Gautamiputra Satakarni and Sri Yajna Sātakarni were able to defeat the foreign invaders like the Western Kshatrapas and to stop their expansion. In the 3rd century CE the empire was split into smaller states.

First 3-D-Printed Concept Car

Date:

February 3, 2015

Source:

Nanyang Technological University

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students have built Singapore's first urban solar electric car with an innovative 3D-printed body shell that has 150 parts.

Mounted on a carbon fibre single shell chassis, the NTU Venture (NV) 8 will race in the Urban Concept category at this year's Shell Eco-marathon Asia.

NTU students have also built the NTU Venture (NV) 9, a slick three-wheeled racer which can take sharp corners with little loss in speed due to its unique tilting ability inspired by motorcycle racing.

NV9, featuring hand-made silicon solar cells, will be NTU's entry in the Prototype category at the Shell Eco-marathon Asia which will take place in Manila from 26 Feb to 1 March.

Designed from scratch by NTU undergraduates and built over a year, these two eco-cars will aim to attain the highest fuel efficiency.

Associate Professor Ng Heong Wah, who mentored the two teams, said the students had taken a leap of faith and decided to go with disruptive innovations instead of making improvements over the previous versions.

"Using the latest engineering techniques learnt from their studies in NTU, the students have developed innovations such as silicon solar cells that can be contoured to follow the car's shape. This allows for maximum harvesting of the solar energy and a tilting mechanism in NV9 that can 'lean' in the direction of the turn to avoid losing speed," Prof Ng said.

"We are extremely proud to have designed and assembled a 3D printed body shell for the electric car, which is Singapore's first and probably Asia's first 3D-printed concept car," said Prof Ng. "The 3D printed car body was pushing existing technology to the limits and we are so pleased that it has paid off."

Ilmi Bin Abdul Wahab, a year 4 computer engineering student who led the development of 3D-printed NV8, said, "We decided to go with a 3D-printed cabin made from lightweight plastic, as we wanted to maximise the internal space and driver's comfort while still being able to keeping the weight to a minimum. Despite being an Urban Concept car, it is no slouch and can reach a top speed of 60 kilometres per hour, while maintaining low energy consumption."

Team Manager of the three-wheeler NV9 team Winston Tan, a final-year electrical and electronic engineering student said, "We took our inspiration for the tilting mechanism from motorcycle racing, where racers would lean left or right during sharp turns to maintain their handling and speed. For the car's body, we aimed for it to be as streamlined as possible. The resulting design looks like a fusion between a F1 race car and a glider plane, with an all surround canopy for increased visual awareness."

The two NTU teams consist of 16 students from the various engineering schools. Over a year, they had built the cars at the Innovation Lab housed at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace engineering.

With as many as 150 parts that had to be 3D-printed, the students collaborated with various NTU schools and research centres, as well as sponsors and institutions such as Stratasys, Creatz3D and The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART).

The designer of the NV8 electric car, mechanical engineering student Kam Sen Hao, said, "Initially we wanted a supercar concept, but after taking into consideration the dimensional requirements for the competition, we ended up with a sensible cute micro-car with vertical opening doors, which will appeal to all ages."

His co-designer, also from mechanical engineering, Ng Jun Wen, said it was a challenge to assemble the shell of the car which was produced in different parts separately by the various 3D printers at NTU and at other sponsor companies. The printing and assembly took the team three months' worth of effort.

"For it to be lightweight, thin and yet strong, we integrated a honeycomb structure and a unique joint design to hold the parts together. When seen against the light, the structure has a translucent see-through effect, like a dragonfly wing. It is a sight to behold!" Ng said.

With annual events first in Asia, then the Americas and Europe, the Shell competition challenges students to design, build and drive a vehicle that can travel the furthest distance using the least amount of energy.

"For Shell, sustainable mobility means helping our customers to be more fuel efficient while finding new innovations to deliver a cleaner transport system for tomorrow. The Shell Eco-marathon plays an important part by inspiring young generations of engineers and scientists to think creatively about fuel efficiency, and to put new ideas into practice," said Mr Jason Leow, General Manager, Communications, Shell Singapore.

Participating teams may enter vehicles using any of the following seven energy types: hydrogen (fuel cell), battery electric, gasoline, diesel, Shell Gas to Liquids (GTL), compressed natural gas (CNG) and Ethanol E100.

Student teams participate in either the Prototype or Urban Concept categories. For the Prototype category, teams enter futuristic prototypes focused on maximising fuel efficiency through innovative design elements. For the Urban Concept category, teams enter more "roadworthy" fuel-efficient vehicles.

Battery Design Could Reduce Electric Car Weight

Date:
June 4, 2014
Source:
KTH The Royal Institute of Technology

Battery weight has long vexed engineers designing electric cars for the mass market. Bigger batteries are needed to power a car for longer distances, but their weight in turn requires the car to expend more energy.

But what if the body of the car itself was a battery?

Researchers at Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology have found a promising solution with carbon fibre.

Eric Jacques, a researcher in vehicle and aerospace engineering at KTH, says carbon fibre can fill two functions in an electric car: as a lightweight composite reinforcement material for the car's body, and as an active electrode in lithium ion batteries.

"The objective of our research was to develop a structural battery consisting of multifunctional lightweight materials that simultaneously manage mechanical loads, and store electrical energy," says Eric Jacques, a researcher in Aeronautical and Vehicle Engineering at KTH.

"This can result in a weight reduction for electric vehicles," Jacques says.

He says carbon fibre offers a viable alternative to graphite. Lithium can be inserted into the carbon fibre microstructure and the carbon fibre acts as a good conductor. The carbon fibre which the KTH researchers have worked with is very light and has a continuous structure and excellent mechanical properties, Jacques says.

"The research project has demonstrated very good results, but we have some work to do before we can display finished batteries."

The project is run as a partnership between three professors at KTH: Göran Lindbergh, Chemical Engineering; Mats Johansson, Fibre and Polymer Technology; and Dan Zenkert, Aeronautical and Vehicle Engineering. The research is done in cooperation with Swerea SICOMP and Luleå Insitute of Technology.

Johansson says the work is about improving the mechanical properties of batteries -- so that it not only stores energy but is part of the design.

"For example, the hood of the car could be part of the battery," Johansson says, adding that similar consolidation of battery and structural material could be used in mobile phones and other battery-operated devices.