Berlin, September 24 : Molecular biologists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tubingen, Germany, have discovered how the growth of leaves and the aging process of plants are coordinated, which can be referred to as the formula for longer plant life.

In their study, now published in PLoS Biology, scientists at the institute have shown that certain small sections of genes, so-called microRNAs, coordinate growth and aging processes in plants.

These microRNAs inhibit certain regulators, known as TCP transcription factors. These transcription factors in turn influence the production of jasmonic acid, a plant hormone.

Berlin, September 24 : A new study has suggested that diffusion may have caused Jupiter''s ''Red Spot Junior'', a giant anticyclone on the planet, to suddenly turn from white to red in a period of just a few months.

Officially known as ''Oval BA'', the anticyclone was formed in 2000 by the merger of smaller vortices called the White Ovals in a chain of collisions that started back in 1998.

The apparent reddening was first reported by amateur astronomers in early 2006, but it was not until April that professional astronomers were able to image the impressive alteration of the second largest storm in the Solar System after the Great Red Spot (GRS).

3G iPhone users beware, Apple recently warned its users that the compact power adapter which came along with the packing of the iPhone, might be defective. 

The USP adapter has got a metal point that can snap off inside power outlets and thus give rise to an electrical shock risk 

The customers from countries including the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and 10 Latin American countries, need to heed this warning. 

Washington, Sept 24 : Hate waking up to the loud morning alarm that leaves you stressed after a deep sleep? Well, then brace yourself up, for ‘HappyWakeUp’ has arrived – a smart ‘arousal’ alarm clock for mobile phones that wakes people up when they are awake or "almost awake" naturally.

By detecting a person’s movements using a sensitive microphone, HappyWakeUp uses statistical analysis to decide when your sleep rhythms reach a natural ''almost awake'' state, and will wake you gently at that moment - up to 20 minutes before your latest-possible alarm time.

Washington, Sept 24 : Women who’re not comfortable revealing their age should stay miles away from University of Illinois-developed computer software that reveals a person''s age just by looking at his or her face.

But, unlike age-guessers at carnivals, who look at a person''s body, the software works by examining only the person''s face.

"Age-estimation software is useful in applications where you don''t need to specifically identify someone, such as a government employee, but would like to know their age," said Thomas S. Huang, the William L. Everitt Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the U. of I.

Vienna  - North Korea's plans to restart a nuclear facility as well as Iran's reluctance in clearing its nuclear past will be discussed at a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday in Vienna.

The debate will come a day after US president George W Bush told the United Nations General Assembly in New York that the world "must remain vigilant against proliferation by fully implementing the terms of Security Council (resolutions) and enforcing sanctions against North Korea and Iran."