State-run power producer National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting has approved the proposal for initiating discussion with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) for entering into an MOU for formation of Joint Venture Company for setting up a Nuclear Power Project.

In the said proposed Joint Venture Company, NTPC would hold 49 per cent of the stake while the balance 51 per cent would be held by NPCIL.

The company would raise up to Rs 4,500 crore from domestic as well as international markets for meeting its expansion plans in the current financial year. The power producer plans to build 2,000 MW nuclear capacity by the year 2017.

Washington, Oct 30 : Scientists have developed a numerical model that can re-create the state of Switzerland''s Rhone Glacier as it was in 1874 and predict its evolution until the year 2100.

This is the longest period of time ever modeled in the life of a glacier, involving complex data analysis and mathematical techniques.

Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) have designed the model.

The Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology at ETH Zurich has been a repository for temperature, rainfall and flow data on the Rhone Glacier since the 1800s.

Washington, October 30 : An Italian study has revealed that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) have a significantly increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Dr. Valter Donadon from Pordenone Hospital of Italy, who investigated the relationships between DM2 and risk of HCC in a large population based case-control study, also found that DM2 pre-exists to the development of HCC in most cases.

Describing the study in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, Donadon said that the research team had enrolled 465 consecutive patients with HCC compared with an age and sex matched control group of 490 subjects.

Washington, Oct 30 : One may say that people who take up bowling are productively using their spare time to stay fit, but if not careful, these amateur sports might lead to health problems later in life, warn scientists.

A new study led by Dr. Navah Ratzon, a long-time occupational therapist and director of the Occupational Therapy Department at Tel Aviv University, has stated that a number of improper leisure sport activities may have negative effects on the musculoskeletal system.

"Increasing numbers of adults are pursuing amateur athletics during their leisure hours. But we''ve found worrying indications that this activity --­ when not done properly -- may have negative effects on the musculoskeletal system," she said.

SBI Mutual Fund (SBI MF), one of the largest mutual funds in the country has introduced ‘SBI Debt Fund Series -90 Days Fund-31’ in Indian market.

The fund is a close ended equity scheme with primary objective to provide regular income, liquidity and returns to the investors through investments in a portfolio comprising debt instruments such as government securities, AAA/AA+ bonds and money market instruments.

The fund is open for subscription from October 31, 2008 till November 3, 2008.

The Scheme will offer Growth Option and Dividend Option.