Heavy rush to view Mars

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 27. City residents turned out in large numbers at the University Observatory and the Science and Technology Museum here late on Wednesday night to observe the rare celestial event of the planet, Mars, drawing close to Earth than it has ever been in the past 73,000 years.

For many citizens, who shunned sleep to watch the event with their families, the occasion proved to be a once in a life time chance to be around with their loved ones when Mars came closer to Earth. Earth and Mars will come this close, again, only on August 28, 2287.

Hermaphrodite embryo triggers row

New York Aug. 25. Scientists have been condemned for creating a ``shemale'' embryo by combining human cells of both sexes.

The resulting hermaphrodite embryo was not allowed to develop beyond six days.

But the fact that the experiment went ahead at all provoked an angry reaction from pro-life campaigners and strong disapproval from fellow experts.

Norbert Gleicher, who works for a private fertility clinic group in the United States, presented the research at an embryology meeting in Spain.

The purpose of the experiment was to discover whether cells from a healthy human embryo could be used to treat a defective one.

Dr Gleicher's team, from the Centres for Human Reproduction in New York and Chicago, transplanted cells from a developing male embryo into a three-day-old female embryo.

The cells integrated themselves to produce a ``chimaera'' — a hybrid embryo made up of components, or blastomeres from both sources.

Creating an embryo with male and female parts made it possible to identify the amalgamated cells by checking their chromosomes.

In his presentation at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting in Madrid, Dr Gleicher said it might be possible to use the technique to treat genetic diseases at the embryo stage.

``Since the treatment of single gene diseases does not require successful treatment of all cells, blastomere transplantation could be explored as a possible treatment option,'' he said.

Because the donor cells also tended to be distributed differently in abnormally developing embryos, it meant the method could also be used to spot genetic problems. But other experts at the meeting claimed the research was flawed and pointless. Francoise Shenfield, co-ordinator of the ESHRE Special Interest Group on Ethics and Law, said: ``The aim is to create a chimaera to correct a defect, but it seems a little illogical because nobody has any idea how much of the embryo would be normal. This research happened in America but I can't imagine it being accepted anywhere in Europe, I'm happy to say.''

She said there was a lot of discussion among experts vetting submissions to the meeting about whether or not Dr Gleicher's research abstract should be accepted.

In the end, the presentation was allowed to go ahead so that it could be debated in the open.

Patrick Cusworth, spokesman for the pro-life charity, Life, said: ``The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology has hardly covered itself with glory in the past few days, considering that only yesterday proposals were heard to use eggs from aborted babies for infertility treatments. We asked the question yesterday as to whether researchers could sink any lower in their lack of respect for human life — here is our answer: the creation of a `shemale'. This report that a human embryo — a new living and unique individual — has been created to such Mengelian standards is shocking. These scientists claim that their research is for the good of humankind, yet how is the creation and destruction of such a freak of nature intended to benefit anyone? Such a callous abuse of early human life, where a human embryo is deliberately created, abused and destroyed with such contempt, must surely send shivers down the spines of the general public.''

— DPA

Escotel ties up with Yahoo to offer value adds in Kerala

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New Delhi: Escotel Mobile Communications on Monday announced its tie-up with Yahoo to offer a host of value added services, initially in the Kerala circle, targetted at 70 per cent of the country's population below the age of 30.

Value adds, provided through the Escotel Youth card, inlude internet downloads, chat mails, playwin lotteries, fun games, friends online, fun messaging and information on games.

The service will be rolled out in other Escotel circles soon, Escotel Mobile Executive Director and CEO Rajan Swaroop said at the launch.

The card is aimed at leveraging the huge market potential in category B circles like Kerala, ''It is the first genuine segmentation in the mobile industry,'' he said.

The card offers an outgoing tariff of Rs 1.20 per minute between 8 pm and 7 am. The subscribers can also avail of SMS services at just 50 paise per message. The card also offers recharging option at Rs 250 with a 30 day validity.

''Our mobile property at Yahoo India is key player in the mobile value added business in India and we are looking at launching some unique products with Escotel to maximise revenue opportunities from the Indian mobile business in the territories they operate,'' Yahoo India Director Sales and Business Development Neville Taraporewalla said.

Escotel provides cellular services in Uttar Pradesh (West), Uttaranchal, Haryana and Kerala circles and has a combined customer base of 6,25,000.