The Hindu S&T 2011 - A-F

The Hindu S& T 2011 Page 1 of 166
A-F Contents
A curious contagious cancer in dogs, wolves.............................................................9
A novel route to battle dengue carring !os"uitoes..................................................9
A #art of the i!!une ste! #rotects teeth.............................................................11
A #ro!ising service in $% !obile networ&...............................................................11
A vaccine neutrali'es all !alaria #arasite strains in ani!als...................................1$
Abundance of winged dinosaurs e(#lained..............................................................1)
Accelerator............................................................................................................... 1)
Addressing rural #ower shortage #roble!s innovativel..........................................1*
Aggressive #lan !ooted for nutritional cactus.........................................................1+
Aging of adult ste! cells reversed...........................................................................1,
-Air .aser/ !a sni0 bo!bs fro! far.........................................................................1,
Airlines o##ose lev on baggage handling...............................................................1,
Algae bio!ass boosted b *0 to ,0 #er cent...........................................................19
All1season cro#s !a now be a ste# closer..............................................................19
-Al'hei!er/s will be on the rise in 2ndia/...................................................................19
An 2ndian veteran recalls his Antarctic e(#eriences.................................................22
Ancestor of land #lants was green algae..................................................................2)
Ancient lunar dna!o !a e(#lain !agnetised !oon roc&s...................................2)
Ant #ower................................................................................................................. 2*
Antarctica/s recent cli!atic variations......................................................................23
Antibiotic resistance is ancient in origin...................................................................23
Anti!atter !ster solution closer.......................................................................... 2,
Ants aggressive toward other colonies/ nests...........................................................29
Ants, ter!ites boost drland wheat ields...............................................................29
Archaeo#ter( is not an earl bird, stud sas.........................................................29
Arctic cli!ate changes during late 4retaceous........................................................$0
Arctic coast retreating half a !etre #er ear............................................................$1
Arctic environ!ent in ancient war!ing event..........................................................$1
Arctic 5sheries catch grossl understated................................................................$1
Arctic heading towards record o'one de#letion........................................................$1
Arctic region/s war!ing............................................................................................ $1
6or 7ore 8isit www.!runal1e(a!.blogs#ot.in or www.!runal#atel.co.nr
Arctic, Antarctic........................................................................................................ $2
Are dor!ant volcanoes reall dor!ant9...................................................................$$
Asian -#hoeni(/ : a giant bird that lived with the dinosaurs....................................$$
Asteroid/s clues about ;arth/s for!ation..................................................................$)
Australia/s 5rst adult ste! cells fro! s&in................................................................$*
Authorities !ust e(#erience #roble!s to solve the!..............................................$*
Autistics/ strengths can be useful in research..........................................................$3
<abies do wa&e u# taller after a slee#......................................................................$+
<ac&ground radiation and radioactivit in 2ndia.......................................................$+
<acteria on trees !a hel# forests grow..................................................................$9
<altic Sea e!its !ore 4= >12? than it can bind.......................................................$9
<ats ad@ust their -5eld1of1view/................................................................................. $9
<ats change ear sha#es to hear better....................................................................)0
<ats do not li&e getting wet...................................................................................... )0
<ats use their neurons to ho!e in on target............................................................)1
<atteries that charge "uic&l, retain energ............................................................)1
<ees could reveal &e to de!entia...........................................................................)1
<ees, Aowering #lants ad@ust to earlier s#ring.........................................................)1
<esides the well&nown bene5ts, honebees #rovide !anure..................................)2
<ig brea&fast does not hel# in shedding weight.......................................................)$
<ig cit holds e!#t #ro!ise for bats......................................................................))
<io fertili'ers for tree cultivation..............................................................................))
<io1electrical signals/ role in head for!ation............................................................))
<ioengineering to generate health s&in..................................................................))
<io1in#ut good substitute for 6B7 in #ulses..............................................................))
<iological control a safe co!#onent of 2P7..............................................................)*
<ionic ar! wor&s on !ind #ower.............................................................................. )*
<ionic ee restores sight.......................................................................................... )3
<ionic s#ecs for the blind to see...............................................................................)3
<irds evolved u#right due to s&eletal !uscles.........................................................)+
<lue <rain Pro@ectC !odelling the hu!an brain in the lab.........................................)+
<lueberries !a inhibit develo#!ent of obesit......................................................)9
<lueberries #rotected in A!erican gene1ban&.........................................................)9
<lueberr diet guards against high <P.....................................................................)9
<od ar!our hindered !edieval warriors.................................................................*0
<od language !odulates the acco!#aning s#o&en word.....................................*0
<od/s ada#tive res#onse to low1dose irradiation....................................................*2
<oiling and eva#oration............................................................................................ *)
<one loss #revention e(#eri!ent on Atlantis...........................................................**
<one1li&e !aterial fro! $1D #rinter..........................................................................*3
<orn cataract blindC how the brain rewires as sight is regained...............................*3
<rain growth in chi!#s unli&e that of hu!ans.........................................................*,
<rain hardwired to li&e si!#le !usic #atterns..........................................................*,
<rain regions onl for language................................................................................ *,
<rain/s -radio stations/ reveal a lot...........................................................................*,
<rains of s!all s#iders overAow into their legs........................................................*9
<rea& the barriers between researchers and rots...................................................*9
<rea&through in hdrogen fuel cells.........................................................................30
<reathing new life into ;arth.................................................................................... 31
<righter future for solar energ................................................................................32
<ubble for!ation...................................................................................................... 32
<utterAies co# their neighbours to fool birds..........................................................3$
<utterA legs -taste/ #lants for egg laing stud......................................................3$
4all for !ore awareness on !illet b#roducts..........................................................3)
4all to raise dwarf varieties of coconut #al!s..........................................................3*
4alorie labelling in the E.S. leads to !ore awareness..............................................33
4a!era that is better than the hu!an ee..............................................................33
4an ants forecast earth"ua&es9............................................................................... 3+
4an chi!#s see sounds9.......................................................................................... 3,
4anada =Fs assisted ding9..................................................................................... 3,
4anola oil #rotects against colon cancer..................................................................3,
4arbon ccling !uch s!aller in last ice age............................................................39
4arbon release rate 10 ti!es that in the #ast..........................................................39
4assava can address 8ita!in A de5cienc...............................................................39
4assini chronicles life of Saturn/s giant stor!..........................................................39
4assini delivers holida treats fro! Saturn..............................................................39
4eiling fan................................................................................................................ 39
4ell #hone................................................................................................................ +0
4ell #honesC #recautionar a##roach needed..........................................................+2
4hanges in #olic can curb #rice rise to so!e e(tent..............................................+$
4hea#, #ainless, needle1free vaccination device develo#ed....................................+*
4hea#er, !ore eGcient solar #anels #ossible9........................................................+3
4he!ical defences of #lants to save #ollen.............................................................+3
4he!ical in crude oil lin&ed to heart disease...........................................................+3
4he!ical !a&eu# of %ulf oil #lu!e e(#lained..........................................................+3
4hernoblC !ore light on health e0ects needed.......................................................++
4hi!#s are self1awareC stud................................................................................... +,
4hi!#s s#ontaneousl generous, after all................................................................,0
4hina/s a!bitious s#ace #rogra!............................................................................,0
4hina/s lunar #robe to bring bac& roc&s...................................................................,1
4holera #ande!ic has origins in <a of <engal........................................................,1
4holera vaccination #ost1outbrea& bene5cial...........................................................,2
4la #ellet !ethod of rice cultivation !a(i!ises ield............................................,2
4li!ate change cutting ocean/s 4= >12? u#ta&e......................................................,)
4li!ate change, hu!an factors will hit 5sheries......................................................,)
4lown 5sh fall #re to #redators in acidic seas.........................................................,)
-2+ club/ h#othesis is incorrect...............................................................................,)
4lustered hurricanes/ lower i!#act on reefs............................................................,*
4lutch o#eration....................................................................................................... ,*
4= >12? !a&es life diGcult for algae........................................................................,3
4oconutC origin and east1west s#read fro! Asia......................................................,+
4ollective far!ing b wo!en in Ferala....................................................................,,
4o!et .ove@o sna##ed at observator in 4hile......................................................,9
4o!!on algae re!oves nuclear waste....................................................................,9
4o!!unit based organisations will solve !an #roble!s.....................................,9
4o!#uter learns language b #laing ga!es..........................................................91
4o!#uter sste! cuts travel ti!e in trains.............................................................91
4o!#uters that 5t on a #en ti#................................................................................ 91
4o!#uting building bloc&s fro! bacteria, DHA........................................................91
4onserving Fada&nath #oultr breed.......................................................................92
4ontrol of fear in the brain decoded.........................................................................92
4ontrolling vascular strea& diebac& in 4ocoa...........................................................9$
4ontrolling whitegrub !enace in tur!eric...............................................................9$
4o1o#eration between ants and host trees...............................................................9$
4oral reef networ& &e to #reserving 5sh stoc&........................................................9$
4or#oral #unish!ent has detri!ental e0ects on child.............................................9$
4ountering !alaria b fungal intervention...............................................................9)
4radle to grave #lan a !ust for nuclear #lants........................................................9)
4ro# science innovation !eeting.............................................................................9)
4T scans best to uncover bod #ac&ed drugs..........................................................9)
4T used to recreate Stradivarius violin.....................................................................93
4urd, butter!il& and the Hobel Pri'e of 190,...........................................................93
4usto!ised treat!ent for cancer.............................................................................9,
4utting Scotland/s e!issions to half.........................................................................99
Da!aged heart #atched with engineered tissue......................................................99
Dand 'ebra 5nches have !ore grand1&ids...........................................................100
Dangers of growing antibiotic resistance...............................................................100
-$1D towers/ double data storage areal densit......................................................102
Data travelling b light........................................................................................... 102
Dawn s#acecraft enters asteroid 8esta/s orbit.......................................................10$
Dawn s#acecraft on course to asteroid..................................................................10$
Dealing with negative e!otions.............................................................................10$
Debt increases with de#endence on fertili'ers, #esticides.....................................10)
Deciding to sta or go is a dee# brain function......................................................103
Dedicated lab for H28 vaccine design.....................................................................103
Dee#1reef coral hates light, #refers shade.............................................................10,
Delhi High 4ourt to #ass orders on A!ar Singh/s bail #leas on 7onda.................10,
Dengue vaccine develo#ed.................................................................................... 109
Designing auto!obile interiors goes hi1tech..........................................................109
Detailed !a# of gene activit in !ouse brain........................................................109
Dia!ond1studded #lanets...................................................................................... 109
Did hu!ans and Heanderthals coe(ist in ;uro#e9.................................................110
Diesel engine.......................................................................................................... 111
Diet change for gorillas in Horth A!erican 'oos.....................................................112
Discovering how best to e(cite brain cells..............................................................112
Dish T8 rece#tion................................................................................................... 112
Divers 5nd #rehistoric wood in la&e........................................................................11$
DHA for counting endangered s#ecies...................................................................11$
DHA found in !eteorites........................................................................................ 11)
DHA of cancer1resistant rat se"uenced..................................................................11*
Do doctors reco!!end sa!e thera# for #atients as selves9...............................11*
Dogs can sni0 out earl stage bowel cancer..........................................................11+
Dol#hins show wa to care for hu!an in@uries.......................................................11,
Double destruction due to -double tsuna!i/...........................................................11,
Dra!aticall i!#roving solar #anel eGcienc........................................................11,
Dri#tech launches new low1cost dri# irrigation sste!s.........................................11,
Drought has hit s#ecies in desert ecosste!s.......................................................11,
Dust disc of s#iral gala( H%4 2)+.......................................................................11,
Ding with dignit through -assisted suicide/.........................................................119
Dsle(ics 5nd it harder to recognise voices............................................................120
;arliest evidence of tooth deca............................................................................121
;arl Aowering #artl due to cli!ate change.........................................................122
;arth"ua&eC un#redictabilit is its !iddle na!e.....................................................122
;arth/s orbit............................................................................................................ 12)
;arth1Sun distance................................................................................................. 12*
;ast Asian, Denisovan genetic lin& found...............................................................123
;ating berries lowers ris& of Par&inson/s.................................................................123
;0ect of hu!an1!ade noise on cetaceans.............................................................12+
;0ective !anage!ent of #a#aa !eal bug.........................................................12+
;0ects of data /deluge/ on new su#erco!#uters....................................................12+
;lderl as fast as oung in so!e brain tas&s..........................................................12+
;lectric conduction................................................................................................. 12+
;lectric train........................................................................................................... 12,
;lectricit fro! hot geother!al Auids....................................................................129
;lectron s#eed........................................................................................................ 1$0
;lectronic weighing !achine.................................................................................. 1$1
;!ail source........................................................................................................... 1$2
;1!ails not all that -green/..................................................................................... 1$$
;nabling 2ndia to shine in the world of science.......................................................1$$
;ndosulfan entangleC when #esticide turns #est....................................................1$*
;ngineered fungus to 5ght !alaria........................................................................1$+
;ngineering ice to its advantage............................................................................ 1$,
;n'!e that drives cancer under stud.................................................................1$,
;#ic @ournes of turtles revealed............................................................................ 1$9
/;#igenetic !e!or/ &e to ti!ing Aowering.........................................................1$9
;ru#tion of volcano #redicted................................................................................. 1$9
;E to hel# radiation victi!s.................................................................................... 1)0
;ver #olic and decision is gre, not blac& or white.............................................1)1
;vidence of blac& holes destroing stars................................................................1)1
;volution and s&ull sha#e....................................................................................... 1)1
;volution of Aowering #lants earlierC stud............................................................1)2
;volutionar histor of Aies !a##ed for stud.......................................................1)2
;(cess fat............................................................................................................... 1)2
;(cess fat............................................................................................................... 1)$
;(ercise bene5cial in #reventing !igraine.............................................................1))
;(ercise lowers ris& of colon cancer death.............................................................1))
;(#erience guides birds while building nests.........................................................1))
6ar! to ho!e deliver sste! launched................................................................1))
6ar!ers cannot solve the crises in agriculture on their own...................................1)*
6ar!ers/ choiceC 8a!ban 3 blac&gra! variet.......................................................1)+
6ar!ers de!and ter!s within 6D2 in !ulti1brand retail.........................................1),
6ar!ers go to college to brush u# their &nowledge................................................1),
6ar!ers/ organisations can #la a !ore constructive role......................................1*0
6ar!ers would "uit agriculture if the had an alternative......................................1*1
6ighting iron de5cienc........................................................................................... 1*$
6ilter neurons in brain tac&le -clutter/.....................................................................1*)
6inancing s!all far!ers through an innovative sche!e.........................................1*)
6inland far ahead in nuclear waste !anage!ent...................................................1*3
6ire and wind.......................................................................................................... 1*+
6ire ants for! life raft fro! their bodies.................................................................1*,
6ire, Aa!e............................................................................................................... 1*,
6iring lasers to !a&e rain9...................................................................................... 1*9
6irst stars in universe were not aloneC stud..........................................................130
6irst ste! cells fro! endangered s#ecies...............................................................130
6irst true view of global erosion.............................................................................. 130
21st 4entur 5sh live fast and die oung...............................................................131
6ish s#ecies identi5ed with hel# of 6aceboo&.........................................................131
6isheries !anage!ent !a&es coral reefs grow faster............................................131
6itness tru!#s bod weight, cuts death ris&..........................................................132
6ive Sata! case accused get bail as trial deadline la#ses....................................132
6le(ible organic .;Ds created on #lastic................................................................13$
6loating #u!#setC an innovation well suited for all seasons..................................13$
6lower colour.......................................................................................................... 13$
6or a brief #eriod, anti!atter tra##ed....................................................................13$
6or !ore accurate <P readings...............................................................................13)
6or !ore solar energ............................................................................................ 133
6ossil !oths show their true colours......................................................................133
-6reebies and subsidies onl destro agriculture and #roductionI..........................13+
6rog s&in for treating cancer9................................................................................. 13,
6rogs 5nd !ates with !atching chro!oso!es......................................................139
6u&ushi!aC Ja#an sets new radiation safet level for seafood...............................139
6ull1s#ectru! solar cell develo#ed......................................................................... 1+0
6ungi and bacteria hel# one another travel............................................................1+0
A curious contagious cancer in dogs,
wolves
A curious contagious cancer, found in dogs, wolves and cootes, can re#air
its own genetic !utations b ado#ting genes fro! its host ani!al, according
to a new stud in the @ournal Science.
A novel route to battle dengue
carring !os"uitoes
Hearl *0 !illion #eo#le get infected with dengue fever ever ear in !ore
than 100 countries, 2ndia included. And the severit of the outbrea&s is
showing an u#ward trend. All conventional !ethods have so far failed to
#revent #eo#le fro! getting infected. Hu!ans get infected with dengue
when Aedes aeg#ti !os"uitoes carring the dengue virus bite the!.
2t is against this bac&dro# that two grou#s of scientists have ta&en a totall
di0erent route to 5ght the battle. The have !ade the Aedes aeg#ti
!os"uitoes co!#letel resistant to dengue virus infection.
The resultC the !ani#ulated A. aeg#ti !os"uitoes are no longer the carriers
of the dengue virus. Thus the trans!ission of the virus to hu!ans is bloc&ed.
Their wor& is re#orted in two #a#ers #ublished toda KAugust 2*L in Hature .
The !echanis!
So how did the !a&e the A. aeg#ti !os"uitoes resistant to dengue
infection9 The introduced Molbachia bacteriu!, a co!!on bacteriu! which
even in nature infects insects and !os"uitoes, into A. aeg#ti . Since the
bacteriu! lives inside the host/s cells, it !a&es the !os"uitoes resistant to
dengue virus.
2ncidentall, studies done alread have shown that !os"uitoes beco!e
resistant to Mest Hile virus when an avirulant strain of Molbachia bacteriu!
is introduced into the!. These #a#ers co!e at a ti!e when earlier studies
had shown that the abilit of the Molbachia 1infected !os"uitoes to bloc&
dengue trans!ission ca!e at the cost of 5tness of the !os"uitoes.
The highlight is that the bacteriu! is !aternall inherited and hence the
o0s#ring carr the bacteriu!. That is, the e!bros die when Molbachia
1infected !ales !ate with uninfected fe!ales. =n the other hand, the
e!bros are not destroed when Molbachia 1infected fe!ales !ate with
either infected or uninfected !ales. Thus in #rinci#le, the bacteriu! can
s#read through the A. aeg#ti #o#ulation in the 5eld.
Mhile the 5rst tea! led b T. Mal&er of The Eniversit of Nueensland,
<risbane, restricted itself to laborator and caged studies, the second tea!
led b A.A. Ho0!ann of The Eniversit of 7elbourne, 8ictoria, went a ste#
further. The released the geneticall !odi5ed !os"uitoes in the 5eld in two
locations near 4airns in north1eastern Australia in Januar this ear.
.aborator studies
Mal&er/s tea! co!#ared the various i!#ortant attributes of !os"uitoes with
both virulent Kw7elPo#14.AL and avirulent Kw7elL strains of the bacteriu!.
Ho0!ann/s tea! used onl !os"uitoes with avirulant Kw7elL strains for the
5eld stud.
The avirulent w7el !os"uito strains outclassed the virulent w7elPo#14.A on
!ost counts. The w7el strains could successfull invade a s!all wild1t#e
#o#ulation of !os"uitoes !uch !ore e0ectivel than the other strain.
The other !ost i!#ortant #ara!eter is the survival abilit of e!bros. w7el
strains showed a ver strong abilit to destro e!bros #roduced b
uninfected fe!ales !ated with infected !ales. A 90 #er cent e!bro
survival rate was seen in the case of infected fe!ale !os"uitoes.
The viabilit of eggs was better in the case of the avirulent w7el !os"uito
strains. Mhile the lifes#an of the avirulent strains was reduced b onl 10 #er
cent, there was a )0 #er cent dro# in the case of the virulent strains.
The w7elPo#14.A strains showed greater abilit to su##ress dengue virus
trans!ission. <ut such high trans!ission disru#tion co!es at the cost of
survival of the infected !os"uitoes.
OThe abilit of w7el to #rovide #rotection against dengue virus in A. aeg#ti
is unli&el to be transient,P the authors conclude. The also state that
dengue can be controlled b releasing a relativel s!all nu!ber of
Molbachia 1infected !os"uitoes.
6ield studies
The 5rst release ha##ened in Januar this ear and continued for 9110 wee&s
in both locations. The nu!ber of !os"uitoes released #er wee& varied
between 10,000 and 22,000. 4airns in north1eastern Australia was hit b a
severe cclone during the trial #eriod, and the e0ects of that is not
co!#letel &nown.
<ut des#ite the cclone, after the seventh release the !os"uitoes carring
the Molbachia increased and Oreached near 5(ation * wee&s after releases
sto##ed.P
The #roof
The 5eld studies showed that wild !os"uito #o#ulations/ abilit to act as
carriers of the dengue virus can be reduced b releasing Molbachia 1infected
!os"uitoes.
Hature news notes the advantage of such #o#ulation1re#lace!ent a##roach.
O=nce established, the are self1#ro#agating. And since the !os"uito
#o#ulation is si!#l changed rather than eli!inated, e0ects on the
ecosste! should be !ini!al,P it states.
A #art of the i!!une ste! #rotects
teeth
Teeth can #rotect the!selves, to so!e e(tent, fro! attac& b bacteria but
inAa!!ation within a tooth can be da!aging. =dontoblast cells are #art of
the i!!une sste! and 5ght to #rotect teeth fro! deca.
A #ro!ising service in $% !obile
networ&
Mith the !obile teledensit crossing an all ti!e high of +1 #er cent with 2ndia
having total tele#hones a little over ,)1 !illion as on 7a $1, 2011 and
registering an average growth of 23 #er cent #.a. the !ar&et is now #oised
for great utilit !ainl focusing on entertain!ent and advertising.
2ntroduction of $% has enhanced the ca#abilities of wireless !obile networ&
with higher bit rate trans!ission for data transfer !ini!i'ing the cost and
ti!e. 2nternet access and data download including video and high "ualit
!usic have increased in recent ti!es.
7obile <roadband is e(#ected to fuel the growth in 2ndia. As #er the recent
surve b %S7 Association K%S7AL,a ten #er cent increase in broadband
#enetration will lead to )2 #er cent revenue growth in healthcare sector,$3.,
#er cent in education and 1,., #er cent in trans#ort sector.
The 1.+ #er cent broadband connections in 2ndia are li&el to rise to 12.* #er
cent b the end of 201*. The convergence or !ore s#eci5call integration of
broadcasting with the !obile broadband enabling !ulti!edia !ulticast
service to be !ade available on the $% wireless networ& which eli!inates
the allocation of se#arate range of s#ectru! for radio and T8 services,
enhances the sco#e of fast growth in wireless connectivit.
The Third %eneration K$%L wireless networ&, &nown as E7TS, #rovides
broadband Q high bit rate wireless 2nternet access, !a&ing it #ossible to o0er
a wide variet of !ulti!edia services, such as !ulti!edia !essaging, video
strea!ing and access to T8 channels. 4ollaboration with third1#art service
#roviders to deliver new value added services and content to !obile
subscribers is on the increase. High bit rate !ulti!edia a##lications, such as
local news, travel infor!ation, advertise!ents based on location, online
broadcasting of !ovie cli#s, and s#orts eventsQ highlights, are a!ong the
services of interest to service #roviders and consu!ers.
=0ering !ulti!edia services to !obile users #laces high de!ands on both
the radio and core networ& resources in E7TS. Mith the increasing use of
high bandwidth a##lications in $% !obile sste!s, es#eciall with a large
nu!ber of users receiving the sa!e high data rate services, eGcient
infor!ation distribution beco!es essential.
Trans!itting the sa!e data to !ore than one user allows networ& resources
to be shared. The !a@or brea& through here is that no se#arate fre"uenc
allocation is re"uired to be done for T8 broadcastQradio services Kwhich are
being followed nowL as the !obile networ& with the allocated s#ectru! ta&es
care of these as additional value added service.
The Eniversal 7obile Teleco!!unication Sste! KE7TSL networ& was
conceived and designed to trans#ort infor!ation eGcientl as !ulti!edia
!ulticast and broadcast a##lications through the wireless networ& since the
-send once charge !an ti!es/ #hiloso#h of those t#es of services is
es#eciall attractive.
$ %PP de5nes 7<7S as Oa #oint to !ulti#oint KPT7PL down lin& bearer
service for 2P data in PS do!ainP The !ain ob@ective being to o0er high
s#eed data rates and to enhance the ca#abilit of E7TS for eGcient
7ulticast and <roadcast !ode.
<roadcast, !ulticast
The broadcast !ode is a unidirectional #oint1to1!ulti#oint trans!ission of
!ulti!edia data Ke.g. te(t, audio, #icture, videoL fro! a single source entit
to all users in a broadcast service area. 2n the !ulticast !ode there is the
#ossibilit for the networ& to selectivel trans!it to cells within the !ulticast
service area which contain !e!bers of a !ulticast grou#. 6or so!e of the
services using the !ulticast !ode #a!ent of subscri#tion is re"uired.
7<7S architecture shall enable the eGcient usage of radio1networ& and
core1networ& resources, with the !ain focus on the radio interface eGcienc.
S#eci5call, !ulti#le users should be able to share co!!on resources when
receiving identical traGc.
2t enables re1use, to the e(tent #ossible, of e(isting $%PP networ&
co!#onents and #rotocol ele!ents.
2t su##orts di0erent "ualit of service levels, charging data shall be #rovided
#er subscriber for 7<7S !ulticast !ode, #rovide services to users when
roa!ing outside their ho!e networ& also and interwor&ing #ossibilities
between 7<7S ca#able networ& ele!ents and non17<7S ca#able networ&
ele!ents
<roadcast and 7ulticast Service 4entre K<71S4L ta&es care of content
#rovider charging and 7<7S trans#ort, %PRS %atewa Su##ort Hode K%%SHL
is !eant for service NoS negotiation and traGc routing, and Serving %PRS
Su##ort Hode KS%SHL is used for user authentication, service authori'ation.
Radio Access Hetwor&
RAH functions include deliver of 7<7S data to designated service area,
su##ort initiationQter!ination of 7<7S trans!issions b the 4H and su##ort
intra1RH4, inter1RH4 !obilit of 7<7S receivers.
7<7S is a ver #ro!ising technolog for the future because of !an great
advantages. The !erits are : decreases data in the networ&, uses radio
resources !ore eGcientl, o0ers new service categories li&e 7obile
<roadcast Services and 7ulti#oint1to17ulti#oint Services in two !odes :
<roadcast Ksti!ulate subscri#tion to other servicesL and 7ulticast
Ksubscribed services, generate revenueL.
A. %AH;SAH
6or!er De#ut %eneral 7anager, <SH. 4hennai
aruganesanShot!ail.co!
A vaccine neutrali'es all !alaria
#arasite strains in ani!als
A new candidate !alaria vaccine with the #otential to neutralise all strains of
the !ost deadl s#ecies of !alaria #arasite has been develo#ed b a tea!
led b scientists at the Eniversit of =(ford.
Results con5r!ed
The results of this new vaccine inde#endentl con5r! the utilit of a &e
discover re#orted last !onth fro! scientists at the Mellco!e Trust Sanger
2nstitute who had identi5ed this target within the #arasite as a #otential
-Achilles/ heel/ that could hold signi5cant #ro!ise for vaccine develo#!ent.
The !ost deadl for! of !os"uito, Plas!odiu! falci#aru! , is res#onsible
for nine out of ten deaths fro! !alaria.
8accinating against !alaria is li&el to be the !ost cost1e0ective wa of
#rotecting #o#ulations against diseaseT however, no licensed vaccine is
currentl available.
Another vaccine for !alaria is also achieving #ro!ising but inco!#lete levels
of #rotection in clinical trials in AfricaT scientists believe a new and !ore
e0ective vaccine will be re"uired to eradicate the disease.
Tested in ani!al !odels
2n a #a#er in the @ournal Hature 4o!!unications , a tea! of scientists fro!
the Jenner 2nstitute at the Eniversit of =(ford led b Dr Si!on Dra#er,
wor&ing with colleagues fro! the Mellco!e Trust Sanger 2nstitute and the
Fenan 7edical Research 2nstitute1Mellco!e Trust Progra!!e in Fili5, Fena,
de!onstrate that a vaccine the have develo#ed induces an antibod
res#onse in ani!al !odels ca#able of neutralising all the tested strains of
the P. falci#aru! #arasite.
O=ur initial 5nding, re#orted last !onth, was une(#ected and co!#letel
changed the wa in which we view how the !alaria #arasite invades red
blood cells,P Melco!e Trust #ress release "uoted Dr %avin Mright, a co1
author as saing.
Achilles/ heel attac&ed
He is fro! the Mellco!e Trust Sanger 2nstitute. O2t revealed what we thin& is
the #arasite/s Achilles/ heel in the wa it invades our cells and #rovided a
target for #otential new vaccines.P
Dr Sand Douglas, a Mellco!e Trust 4linical Research Training 6ellow fro!
the Eniversit of =(ford and 5rst author on the new stud, addsC OMe have
created a vaccine that con5r!s the recent discover relating to the biolog
of RH* antigen, given it can generate an i!!une res#onse in ani!al !odels
ca#able of neutralising !an : and #otentiall all : strains of the P.
falci#aru! #arasite, the deadliest s#ecies of !alaria #arasite.P
=ur ne(t ste# will be to begin safet tests of this vaccine.
2f these #rove successful, clinical trials in #atients !a begin within the ne(t
two to three ears. : =ur <ureau
Abundance of winged dinosaurs
e(#lained
During #art of the ;arl 4retaceous, north1east 4hina had a te!#erate
cli!ate with harsh winters, e(#laining the abundance of feathered dinosaurs
in fossil de#osits of that #eriod.
Accelerator
How does an accelerator of a !otor vehicle wor&9
PATR24F T;H;T JA4=<2
Fochi, Ferala
Actuall two t#es of fuel su##lies wor& in a !otor vehicle. =ne uses
carburettor in #etrol engines and the other is fuel in@ection #u!# in diesel
engines.
4arburettor gives air and #etrol !i(ture and fuel in@ection #u!# gives a
s#ra for! of diesel using a no''le to the engine in#ut side.
The carburettor of the two wheeler consists of a s!all fuel o#ening #ort at
the #lace where the at!os#heric air Aow #i#e has a s!aller cross section
area .
Mhen we #ress the accelerator, a s!all #late li&e o#ening allows the
carburettor to draw !ore air fro! at!os#here, and also this action draws
!ore fuelK#etrolL fro! the fuel tan& b venturi action Kventuri action !eans
a Auid or gas Aowing through a constricted section of a tube undergoes a
decrease in #ressure, so due to #ressure di0erence fuel co!es fro! the
tan& L.
6inall this will give !ore air fuel !i(ture to the engine in#ut. So due to
higher co!bustion inside the engine the vehicle gets !ore #ower and goes
in a faster !anner.
2t is the sa!e in diesel engine cars, but in the diesel cars the fuel in@ection
#u!# Kwhich runs b ta&ing so!e out#ut of the rotational !ove!ent of the
engineL gives !ore fuel to the ignition cha!ber of the engine in the s#ra
for!.
So 5nall, we are "uantitativel changing the volu!e of the fuel to the
engine b #ressing the accelerator.
Mhen we use the cho&e o#tion in the vehicle during starting #roble!, it is
"ualitativel changing the ratio of air and fuel for eas starting during winter
or cold condition of the engine.
S.D2H;SHRAJ
8i&ra! Sarabhai S#ace 4entre, 2SR=
Thiruvanantha#ura!
Addressing rural #ower shortage
#roble!s innovativel
Power shortage is nothing new to 2ndia.
OThough our countr clai!s to have develo#ed in ter!s of science and
technolog, erratic #ower su##l or co!#lete brea&down for hours together
has al!ost beco!e routine toda,P sas 7r. 4handra&ant Patha&, inventor
and !anufacturer of non conventional energ e"ui#!ent in Pune.
OAl!ost all States face electricit shortage in ter!s of a low voltage or
co!#lete brea&down and calls to the local ;< oGce rarel fetch a #ro#er
res#onse.
Hel#less situation
O2f this be the case for urban dwellers, thin& about the far!ers living in
re!ote villages. The need #ower for irrigating their cro#s, or lighting their
cattle sheds. Mhat can the do9P he as&s.
To address such signifant #roble!s, 7r. Patha& develo#ed a !ethod for
generating electricit using an old biccle and bulloc& cart. < using these
/devices/ the innovator sas Ofar!ers can overco!e the #ower shortage
#roble!s the face.P
;(#lanation
;(#laining how to generate #ower fro! a biccle, 7r. Patha& sasC OTa&e an
biccle and re!ove the !udguard and tre1tube fro! the rear wheel. Attach
a double stand to the ccle so that it re!ains stable in one #lace.
6i( a 8 sha#ed belt Kco!!onl available in auto!obile sho#sL fro! the rear
ri! and connect it to the dna!o or alternator &e#t on the carrier of the
biccle.
A 12 volt dna!o, alternator or brushless D.4. generator are easil available
in the !ar&et.
An hour of #edalling generates about $3 watts K12 volt U $ a!#L that can
#ower three 4.6... la!#s K) wattsL a##ro(i!atel for three hours or three
..;.D. la!#s Ktwo wattsL for 5ve to si( hours.P
4alled 8anarai
This #ortable device na!ed 8anarai can be easil carried to the 5eld or
#laced near an water bod K* to + !ts fro! ground levelL and the #u!# can
discharge $0 to )0 litres of water #er !inute.
Regarding #ower generation fro! bulloc&s the innovator sas, Ofor a
!o!ent, bulloc&s can #rovide a##ro(i!atel 1* horse1#ower energ.P
The #ower generating !achine fro! two bulloc&s consists of di0erential gear
bo( and #ulles and is &e#t at the centre.
The bulloc&s are !ade to rotate around the !achine in the sa!e wa as the
earth rotates around the sun. The co!#lete two rounds in a##ro(i!atel
one !inute.
OAn bulloc& cart having wooden, iron or rubber tre wheels is useful for this
#ur#ose,P he e(#lains.
A brushless D.4. generator of 12 8olt ca#acit can be 5tted on the bac&side
of the cart and hel#s in charging batteries.
A #ulle 5tted on the inner side of the wheel is connected to another one on
the generator. A 8 belt s#eed is attached to the #ulle generating a voltage
of 12 volt D.4. and )1* a!# current.
Suitable
OA centrifugal water #u!# of $ h# can be run b using this energ !achine,P
sas 7r. Patha&.
This !echanis! is es#eciall useful in irrigation or for su##ling water to a
village. <esides this a s!all Aour !ill or grass cho##ing !achine can be run
using this energ.
OSi!ilarl we can Aoat a s!all wooden #latfor! in the canals for irrigation
#ur#ose with a ro#e tied to it. Esing bearing and shaft, a s!all turbine wheel
can be #ut on the Aoating #latfor!. 2t will run on Aowing water. 2f a #ulle or
s!all gear bo( is 5(ed to the shaft of turbine wheel, 200 watts of #ower can
be generated,P he sas.
<est innovator
OProf Anil %u#ta and the Hational 2nnovation 6oundation, Ah!edabad are
encouraging us till date in ter!s of referring en"uiries, docu!enting our
wor& and also honouring us during their annual award cere!on as as the
best innovator award,P sas 7r. Patha&.
6or !ore details contact 7r. 4handra&ant Patha& can be reached at Ho. 1)),
Haraan Peth, PuneC)110$0, e!ail C !tc193)Sredi0!ail.co!, #honeC0201
2))*2320, !obileC 9,9090+920.
Aggressive #lan !ooted for nutritional
cactus
OA !ore aggressive #lan is needed to grow cactus cro# in 2ndia,P said Dr. S
Aa##an, Director %eneral, 24AR, Hew Delhi.
Mhile addressing the 2naugural session of two da 2nternational Mor&sho# on
-4actus cro# to i!#rove the rural livelihoods and to ada#t to cli!ate change
in the arid and se!i1arid regions of 2ndia/ the Director %eneral said, OThe
2ndian 4ouncil of Agricultural Research K24ARL will start focusing on this cro#
with 10,000 ha area in the countr to s#read and show a!a'ing uses of
cactus cro# in 2ndia with 4entral Arid Vone Research 2nstitute K4AVR2L as
nodal centre.P
Joint !eet
The !eet was @ointl organi'ed b 24AR, 2nternational 4enter for Agricultural
Research in Dr Areas K24ARDAL, 6A= and Hational Rainfed Area Authorit.
He elaborated on the crucial role of cactus in food and nutritional securit of
the countr. Mhile highlighting the characteristics of cactus, he suggested
that the wide networ& of Frishi 8igan Fendras KF8FsL can be e!#loed to
s#read the cactus in di0erent #arts of 2ndia.
Dr. Aa##an o0ered to organi'e a national !eet on cactus to bring e(#erts
fro! all over the world, far!ers and entre#reneurs to deliberate on e!erging
!ar&et of cactus #roducts. 7r. 7u&esh Fhullar, Joint secretar Kcro#sL and
7ission Director, Hational 6ood Securit 7ission, De#art!ent of Agriculture
and 4o1o#eration stressed the need to #ro!ote cactus as an i!#ortant cro#
a!ong far!ers and its #roducts a!ong consu!ers.
6ull assistance
He assured full assistance and co1o#eration for &nowledge1bac&ed cactus
networ& #rogra!!e in 2ndia. -4actus can solve !an #roble!s of arid and
se!i arid areas of 2ndia. Me can use it as non1conventional food with less
calories and !ore nutritional "ualit. 2t can #la an i!#ortant role in food
securit of the countrI, he added.
4actus is getting attention in ever continent as vital cro# for increasing
#lant cover, carbon se"uestration, livestoc& feeding, conserving wildlife,
!edicinal and cos!etic uses. 2ts esti!ated cultivation area is 1,, 91000 ha,
according to the #ress release fro! 24AR.
7ore than 1,300 s#ecies are found on the #lanet and used as soil1water
conservator. Hearl *0 #roducts including @uice, nectars, candies, fro'en
#ul#, Aowers are !ar&eted around the world. Hational and international
e(#erts #artici#ated in the wor&sho#.
Aging of adult ste! cells reversed
2t is now #ossible to reverse the aging #rocess for hu!an adult ste! cells,
which are res#onsible for hel#ing old or da!aged tissues regenerate.
-Air .aser/ !a sni0 bo!bs fro! far
Princeton Eniversit engineers have develo#ed a new laser sensing
technolog that !a allow soldiers to detect hidden bo!bs fro! a distance.
Airlines o##ose lev on baggage
handling
The lev of a service fee on international baggage handling b 4ochin
2nternational Air#ort .i!ited K42A.L continues to be an issue even after a ear
of the co!#an ta&ing over the wor& fro! Air 2ndia.
42A. too& u# screening of registered baggage on Januar 1* last following
the installation of an in1line baggage screening sste! at its international
ter!inal. 2t had been charging a fee fro! airline co!#anies based on their
-seat ca#acit./
Though the o#eration #rovided 42A. an additional revenue source, airline
co!#anies had been o##osing the additional cost right fro! start. The
Airlines =#erating 4o!!ittee KA=4L, an association of all o#erating airline
co!#anies here, had been arguing that the lev is in violation of an order of
the Enion 7inistr of 4ivil Aviation, KA#ril 1,, 2010L. 2t sti#ulates that the cost
of securit screening e"ui#!ent be !et out of the #assenger service fee
KPS6L, the association said.
2t had been stated that the entire e(#enditure on securit infrastructure
should for! #art of the #ro@ect cost of new air#orts, a #ress release issued b
the association said.
O=ur view is that it should be a #art of the PS6 as done b other air#orts
including Delhi 2nternational Air#ort .i!ited,P a senior airline functionar
said.
42A. had re#ortedl a##roached the !inistr see&ing to revo&e the order.
O7an airline co!#anies o#erate on a thin !argin and such levies can have
a signi5cant i!#act on the !ethodolog of tic&et #ricing as the burden is
often #assed on to the #assengers,P airline sources said.
The lev will #ut 42A. a!ong the costl air#orts. 2t will a0ect the service
aug!entation #lans of international carriers, the added.
42A. co!!issioned the in1line sste! in Se#te!ber last following a directive
b the <ureau of 4ivil Aviation Securit to re#lace conventional U1ra
!achines.
The sste! had e(#edited the #re1de#arture #rocedures through a full
auto!ated transition of the baggage to the aircraft, a#art fro! enabling
#assengers to go straight to the chec&1in counters for receiving their
boarding #ass while the bags get cleared auto!aticall in less than 20
seconds.
42A. too& u# baggage handling in Januar last -Service aug!entation of
airlines to be hit/
Algae bio!ass boosted b *0 to ,0
#er cent
< e(#ressing certain genes in algae that increased the a!ount of
#hotosnthesis in the #lant, *0 to ,0 #er cent !ore bio!ass can be
obtained. The research was done at 2owa State Eniversit.
All1season cro#s !a now be a ste#
closer
A &e genetic gear that &ee#s the circadian cloc& of #lants tic&ing has been
identi5ed, that controls basic functions, #ossibl #aving wa for engineering
#lants that can grow in di0erent seasons and #laces than is currentl
#ossible.
-Al'hei!er/s will be on the rise in
2ndia/
Mith the nu!ber of elderl #eo#le in the countr e(#ected to be 9 crore in
the 4ensus 2011 re#ort, the govern!ent has to recognise that diseases of
the elderl is going to be a ver i!#ortant #ublic health #roble! in 2ndia,
said Dr. F. Jacob Ro, who was recentl elected chair!an of Al'hei!er/s
Disease 2nternational KAD2Ll.
2n an e(clusive interview with Sha!a Ra@ago#al, Dr. Ro, who founded the
Al'hei!er/s and Related Disorders Societ of 2ndia KARDS2L, s#o&e about
conditions of the elderl in the countr and s#eci5call about Al'hei!er/s
disease, a co!#le( and frightening disease that is a0ecting a lot of elderl.
He will ta&e on the !antle of AD2 chair!an for three ears in 2012 at the
organisation/s .ondon !eeting.
Mhat is this #ublic health #roble!9
2n 20 ears, the nu!ber of elderl is going to double which would !a&e 2ndia
the countr with the largest nu!ber of elderl in the world.
2n that conte(t, the !edical #roble!s of a large grou# would create a #ublic
health #roble! in the countr. Since age is the single !ost ris& factor of the
disease, and when we have seg!ent of #eo#le over ,0 growing because of
better health care and nutrition, conditions li&e Al'hei!er/s will also be on
the rise.
Mhat is the e(tent of the disease9
The #revalence of the disease Win 2ndiaX is said to be one in 20 for #eo#le
over 30 ears, and one in * for #eo#le over ,0 ears. There are about $.+
crore #eo#le a0ected b the disease, and the cost of treating the disease is
#egged at Rs. 1),+00 crore.
This is going to treble in the ne(t 20 ears as the nu!ber of a0ected is going
to double and beco!e +.3 crore.
So unless we #lan now there is going to be a catastro#he. 6a!ilies are
beco!ing nuclearY and if so!eone in our fa!il gets de!entia, who/s going
to ta&e care of the #erson9
How is ARDS2 tac&ling this #roble!9
ARDS2 has co!e out with a De!entia 2ndia re#ort last ear : an e0ort of two
ears b e(#erts.
Mhen we have to convince the !edical co!!unit, ou need to have
scienti5c data. The develo#ed countries were using their countr1s#eci5c
re#ort to !a&e the %overn!ent device #olicies for su##orting the elderl.
2t is a scienti5c authoritative re#ort on de!entia and it contains all the
statistics ou need, li&e what the disease is all about, the nu!ber of #eo#le
a0ected, t#es of de!entia, cost of care #er #erson and !an !ore.
This re#ort will be used to inAuence the %overn!ents, both the 4entre and
State to recogni'e de!entia as a health #riorit and include it in the national
agenda. 2f an signi5cant change has to ha##en, the %overn!ent has to
acce#t it and !a&e it a health #riorit. As the national chair!an of ARDS2, the
ca!#aign is for the su##ort.
Mhat are the !easures ado#ted in creating facilities for Al'hei!er/s disease
#atients9
The facilities that ARDS2 is #roviding in ta&ing care of #atients with de!entia
are on #ar with what is ha##ening elsewhere in the develo#ed world.
<ecause we are a develo#ing countr, we should not dilute standards. 2deas
were ta&en fro! the Mest, but are i!#le!ented ta&ing care of our cultural
ethos. So far 1) cha#ters of ARDS2 have been started across 2ndia. Ten new
#laces have also been identi5ed. Me have alread started one in Pune.
Hag#ur, 8aranasi, .uc&now, 7ani#ur and Srinagar are a!ong those we will
be starting soon. Me are going to raise this issue in Parlia!ent and to get
7inistr of Health and Social Melfare to fund the #rogra!!es.
Me need to #rovide !ore services for which %overn!ental su##ort and
recognition is necessar. Hel# to set u# !e!or clinics in all districts, to
i!#rove diagnosis, !ore services li&e da care, ho!e care, 2)1hour
residential care, infor!ation centre, training #rogra!!e for doctors and
!ore research #rogra!!es are the &ind of things for which we want su##ort
fro! the %overn!ent.
Mhat &ind of wor& does AD2 do9
AD2 is not a !edical organi'ation, but it has individuals fro! !edical
fraternit as well as social organisations. 2t is an u!brella organisation for
societies for!ed b care givers of #atients. 2 have been #art of the AD2 for a
long ti!e as it was a #ersonal e(#erience of ! father being a0ected b it
that led !e to search for what could be done.
As the chair!an, the agenda will be to e(tend the reach of AD2 where there
is hardl anthing ha##ening li&e in Asian and African countries. The 5rst
ste# will be to engage world govern!ents to recognise de!entia and to
encourage societies to bring out countr1s#eci5c re#orts.
Mhat &ind of wor& has ARDS2 done9
Me started the 5rst ARDS2 cha#ter in Ferala as a result of the Fochi
conference in 199,, the 5rst such !eeting of AD2 that was held outside a
develo#ed countr. 2t resulted in for!ing a grou# dedicated to research :
#ri!aril to develo#ing research and e#ide!iological studies where hardl
an wor& was done. AD2 hel#ed i!#rove the scenario in research in the
countr fro! where ver little data was co!ing in.
2t also led to the for!ation of the Asia1s#eci5c regional grou# of AD2 and
2ndia was the 5rst to @oin in. 2 had been associated with AD2 as the vice
chair!an and was also wor&ing in the elected board of AD2. The
head"uarters of ARDS2 was shifted fro! Funna!&ula! Kwhere 2/! wor&ing in
a hos#italL in Ferala to Hew Delhi for better interaction with the
govern!ents.
Though awareness #rogra!!es on de!entia were on for a long ti!e, don/t
ou thin& 5l!s based on the issue hel#ed in reaching out to !ore #eo#le9
The i!#act of a co!!erciall successful 5l! can never be !atched.
=bviousl it had a #rofound i!#act. =ne Than!atra Kin 7alaala!L and one
<lac& KHindiL is not suGcient.
=ne needs to continue the e0orts. 7ore 5l!s and !ore activities are
re"uired to reach out to the #eo#le. W7ovies should conveX infor!ation
about what needs to be done for the #eo#le a0ected with de!entia,
guidelines for caregivers, what should be done and what should not be done.
There should be a change in attitude towards handling the #atient.
An 2ndian veteran recalls his Antarctic
e(#eriences
The 5rst 2ndian e(#edition to the South Pole successfull reached the Pole
last ear, al!ost a centur K99 ears to be #reciseL after the Horwegian
Roald A!undsen beca!e the 5rst hu!an to reach the southern!ost #oint of
the ;arth.
The eight1!e!ber tea! left the 2ndian base station 7aitri situated in an ice1
free area &nown as the Schir!acher =asis on Hove!ber 1$, 2010 and
reached the South Pole in nine das on Hove!ber 22, 2010.
Ho co!#arison
OMe travelled the entire distance of nearl 2,*00 &! in s#ecial vehicles got
fro! 2celand,P said Dr. Rasi& Ravindra, who was the .eader of the tea!. OMe
can/t co!#are our @ourne with Roald A!undsen/s and Robert Scott/s. Theirs
was a heroic e0ort. The did a hundred ears ago so!ething that we can/t
even drea! of.P
Dr. Ravindra is the Director of the %oa1based Hational 4entre for Antarctic
and =cean Research KH4A=RL.
4o!ing fro! a veteran li&e Dr. Ravindra, these words have greater
signi5cance and !eaning. He has al!ost lost count of the nu!ber of tri#s
!ade to the ic continent. O2 thin& it is + or , ti!es,P he said to this
4orres#ondent over #hone. There have been $0 2ndian e(#editions to
Antarctica since the 5rst one in 19,1.
The @ourne
;ven in the co!fort of the s#ecial vehicle, the 2,*001long @ourne was not a
@o ride. OThe terrain !a&es it diGcult to travel,P he said. After all, the base
station is al!ost at sea level and the South Pole is at an elevation of nearl
2,*00 !etres. And on the wa, one has to cross a #lateau that is $,300
!etres above 7S..
<ut it is not the terrain alone that !a&es the @ourne or staing in the
continent diGcult. Te!#eratures can di# to a !ini!u! of 1** degree 4 in
su!!er and to 1,9 degree 4 in winter. Add to this the wind factor. 2f nor!al
wind s#eed is 221$0 &! #er hour, it can go beond 200 &!#h as well.
And the result is a bli''ard or snow stor!, @ust li&e sand stor!s in deserts.
O2t/s due to surface drift,P he stated. A co!bination of both high wind s#eed
and increase in te!#erature Kwar!er te!#eratureL is needed for bli''ards.P
<li''ards
;(tra1tro#ical low1#ressure sste!s alwas !ove fro! west to east in the
coastal region. The war! and !oist air fro! lower latitudes !i(es with dr,
cold wind in the higher latitudes. Mhen this ha##ens the te!#erature
increases graduall. Mhen the wind s#eed goes beond )0 &!#h loose snow
gets lifted. The end result is a bli''ard.
<li''ards are restricted to coastal regions in the lower latitudes K30 to +0
degree SouthL and are not seen in higher latitudes Knear the PoleL.
O2t/s dangerous and #eo#le can get lost in the bli''ard,P he said. OMe are
either in the ca!# or inside the vehicle Wduring bli''ardsX, or elseY
So!eti!es es, we do get tra##edY we can/t alwas #redict.P
Mhen the te!#erature increases the &now a stor! is building u#, but are
not alwas luc& to have a good shelter. <eing geologists, the are out in the
5eld conducting e(#eri!ents, collecting data and sa!#les. 7ountains are
where the wor& and since these #laces are ,0 &! awa fro! the base
ca!#s, the are air dro##ed b helico#ters.
Dr. Ravindra can never forget his e(#erience in Januar 19,+. The *1!e!ber
tea! had ca!#ed on Hu!boldt 7ountain for 5eld wor&. And then suddenl
the bli''ard set in and sustained for seven long das. The four1laered tent
was their onl shelter.
<ut three laers of the tent soon got ri##ed o0. And the were left with a
single1laered tentZ Though the slee#ing bags ca!e to their rescue to &ee#
the! war!, the could not slee# for $ to ) das. OThere was so !uch noise,P
he recalled.
OMe &e#t 4a!#a 4ola bottles inside our slee#ing bags to #revent the! fro!
free'ing. The 4ola and biscuits were our onl food,P he said. O<ut we
survived.P The helico#ter returned when the bli''ard sto##ed, and to
everone/s sur#rise found the! in good health.
Things have changed. OMe can now #redict bli''ards with high levels of
certaint,P said ;. Fulandaivelu, Director of the Regional 7eteorological
4entre, 4hennai. OMe use satellite i!ages, satellite wind data, real1ti!e
observation fro! di0erent observatories located in Antarctica to #redict
bli''ards.P 7r. Fulandaivelu has been to the Antarctic twice KDece!ber 19,9
to 7arch 1991, and Dece!ber 1999 to 7arch 2001L.
<ut not ever tri# ends on a ha## note, though. The Hove!ber 19,91A#ril
1991 e(#edition was ver di0erent. The 2ndian tea! lost a cou#le of lives
due to carbon !ono(ide #oisoning in the shelter tent.
=ther challenges
<ut ou don/t need bli''ards to !a&e our tri# to Antarctica uni"ue and
unforgettable. Mhen te!#eratures dro# below 1*0 degree 4 a face!as& is
used. 2t has an o#ening for the ees and two s!all holes for the nose. Mhile
goggles #rotect the ees, there is no such #rotection for the nostrils.
The air the breathe out is war!er and !oisture tends to co!e out of the
nose. O7ust wi#e the !oisture constantl,P he warned. O;lse ou would have
ice crstals hanging fro! the noseZP
Mhen it is not so cold, and when the face!as& is not worn, snow and ice can
settle on the nose and even eelidsZ
2f conducting e(#eri!ents and collecting data are #art of a dail routine, can
ta&ing notes be far behind9 Enfortunatel, ta&ing notes or drawing so!e
features is not #ossible with a gloved hand. OBou have to re!ove the gloves
for a few !inutesYand our 5ngers get nu!b. Bou soon wear the gloves and
&ee# our #al! under the ar!#it to war! the!,P said Dr. Ravindra.
How does it feel when there is @ust white all around9 O2t/s li&e seeing blue all
around when ou in o#en sea,P he sas. <ut his !e!or "uic&l rewinds and
he sas, Oou can/t see an bird, tree or building... ou see nothing. There is
vastness and e!#tiness all ti!e around ou. The vastness !a&es ou realise
how s!all ou areY a s#ec& of dust on ;arth.P
The feeling of e!#tiness is #articularl heightened during winter when it is
dar& 2) hours a da for si( !onths at a stretch. .ittle wonder that it is
!andator for all #artici#ants staing bac& for the winter session to undergo
#schological tests which chec& for abilit to withstand isolation.
Ancestor of land #lants was green
algae
2t was #reviousl thought that land #lants evolved fro! stonewort1li&e algae.
How, new research shows that the closest relatives to land #lants are green
algae such as S#irogra.
Ancient lunar dna!o !a e(#lain
!agnetised !oon roc&s
The Ogeodna!oP that generates ;arth/s !agnetic 5eld is #owered b heat
fro! the inner core, which drives co!#le( Auid !otions in the !olten iron of
the outer core. <ut the 7oon is too s!all to su##ort that t#e of dna!o,
according to 4hristina Dwer, a graduate student in ;arth and #lanetar
sciences at the Eniversit of 4alifornia, Santa 4ru'.
Since A#ollo #rogra!
The #resence of !agneti'ed roc&s on the surface of the 7oon, which has no
global !agnetic 5eld, has been a !ster since the das of the A#ollo
#rogra!. How a tea! of scientists has #ro#osed a novel !echanis! that
could have generated a !agnetic 5eld on the 7oon earl in its histor.
The Ogeodna!oP that generates ;arth/s !agnetic 5eld is #owered b heat
fro! the inner core, which drives co!#le( Auid !otions in the !olten iron of
the outer core. <ut the 7oon is too s!all to su##ort that t#e of dna!o,
according to 4hristina Dwer, a graduate student in ;arth and #lanetar
sciences at the Eniversit of 4alifornia, Santa 4ru'. 2n the Hove!ber 10 issue
of Hature , Dwer and her coauthors : #lanetar scientists 6rancis Hi!!o at
E4 Santa 4ru' and David Stevenson at the 4alifornia 2nstitute of Technolog
: describe how an ancient lunar dna!o could have arisen fro! stirring of
the 7oon/s li"uid core driven b the !otion of the solid !antle above it.
OThis is a ver di0erent wa of #owering a dna!o that involves #hsical
stirring, li&e stirring a bowl with a giant s#oon,P Dwer said.
Dwer and her coauthors calculated the e0ects of di0erential !otion
between the 7oon/s core and !antle. ;arl in its histor, the 7oon orbited
the ;arth at a !uch closer distance than it does toda, and it continues to
graduall recede fro! the ;arth.
Tidal interactions
At close distances, tidal interactions between the ;arth and the 7oon caused
the 7oon/s !antle to rotate slightl di0erentl than the core. This di0erential
!otion of the !antle relative to the core stirred the li"uid core, creating Auid
!otions that, in theor, could give rise to a !agnetic dna!o.
OThe 7oon wobbles a bit as it s#ins : that/s called #recession : but the core
is li"uid, and it doesn/t do e(actl the sa!e #recession. So the !antle is
!oving bac& and forth across the core, and that stirs u# the core, O e(#lained
Hi!!o, a #rofessor of ;arth and #lanetar sciences at E4S4.
The researchers found that a lunar dna!o could have o#erated in this wa
for at least a billion ears. ;ventuall, however, it would have sto##ed
wor&ing as the 7oon got farther awa fro! the ;arth. OThe further out the
7oon !oves, the slower the stirring, and at a certain #oint the lunar dna!o
shuts o0,P Dwer said.
Roc&s can beco!e !agneti'ed fro! the shoc& of an i!#act, a !echanis!
so!e scientists have #ro#osed to e(#lain the !agneti'ation of lunar
sa!#les.
<ut recent #aleo!agnetic analses of 7oon roc&s, as well as orbital
!easure!ents of the !agneti'ation of the lunar crust, suggest that there
was a strong, long1lived !agnetic 5eld on the 7oon earl in its histor, sas
a Eniversit of 4alifornia, Santa 4ru' #ress release. O=ne of the nice things
about our !odel is that it e(#lains how a lunar dna!o could have lasted for
a billion ears,P Hi!!o said. O2t also !a&es #redictions about how the
strength of the 5eld should have changed over the ears, and that/s
#otentiall testable with enough #aleo!agnetic observations.P
7ore detailed analsis is needed, however, to show that stirring of the core
b the !antle would create the right &ind of Auid !otions to generate a
!agnetic 5eld. : =ur <ureau
Ant #ower
How are ants able to !oveQ#ull ob@ects that are heavier than the insect9
PRASHAHT S=H2
Sehore, 7adha Pradesh
4an we i!agine carring ten1ti!e heavier ob@ects than our bod weight9 2t
!a be #ossible for the - su#er1!an/, but not for an ordinar !an. However,
ants could carr or #ull ob@ects weighing several folds heavier than their own
bod weights.
Do ants #ossess stronger !uscles that enable the! to #roduce !ore
strength than hu!ans9 The answer is -H=/, according to Sir 8incent <rian
Migglesworth, the -6ather of 2nsect Phsiolog/ who co!#ared and found no
di0erences between the !uscle force K#er unit areaL of insects and
vertebrates. Then what enables the ants to carr heavier ob@ects is their
relativel s!aller bod si'e.
According to the s"uare [ cube law, when an ob@ect undergoes a #ro#ortional
increase in si'e, its new volu!e is #ro#ortional to the cube of the !ulti#lier
and its new surface area is #ro#ortional to the s"uare of the !ulti#lier. Mhen
an ani!al grows in length Kor heightL, the volu!e increases in cube but the
cross sectional area of its !uscles increases onl in s"uare.
7ass is the a!ount of !atter in an ob@ect, and hence the KcubicL increase in
volu!e tends to increase the bod !ass signi5cantl, whereas the cross1
sectional area of the !uscles increases in a !uch slower rate Konl in
s"uareL. Hence, these cross sectional areas of !uscles have to su##ort
relativel !ore !ass and thus larger ani!als li&e hu!ans need to #ut !ost
of the !uscles in use to carr their own !ass.
2n other words, larger ani!als have to carr their own weight, besides the
heavier ob@ectsT so the are able to carr onl slightl heavier ob@ects.
However, because of the s!aller bod si'e, the bod !ass of ants is !uch
lower and hence the #ut fewer !uscles into use to carr this bod !ass.
Thus, ants could use !ore !uscles to carr bigger loads than their own
!ass, which not onl a##lies to ants, but also holds good for !ost of the
insects. However, since ants are "uite abundant in hu!an habitats, we
fre"uentl seeing the! carring bigger cuisines or #ulling heavier ob@ects.
R. SR2H28ASAH
;nto!ologist and Head of ;nto!olog %rou#
A8RD41The Morld 8egetable 4enter
Tainan, Taiwan
Antarctica/s recent cli!atic variations
The Antarctic Peninsula has war!ed ra#idl for the last half1centur. Rising
sea surface heat along the e"uator drove at!os#heric circulation causing the
large shifts in Antarctic cli!ate in recent decades.
Antibiotic resistance is ancient in
origin
Mhen did bacteria develo# antibiotic resistance for the ver 5rst ti!e9 =f
course, it was after the discover and wides#read use, and !ore often
!isuse, of antibiotics. This is the cornerstone of antibiotic resistance science.
The #re!ise
Since the discover of antibiotics has being recent, no !ore than +0 ears
ago, antibiotic resistance seen in !icrobes should be a O!odern
#heno!enon.P
< e(tension, an !icrobes older than +0 ears should be Ohighl
susce#tible to antibiotics,P and hence should never have shown antibiotic
resistance.
<ut a stud #ublished toda KSe#te!ber 1L in Hature , roc&s the ver
foundation of our understanding of antibiotic resistance. 2t #rovides suGcient
evidence to #rove that antibiotic resistance is a Onatural #heno!enon,P and
e(isted in !icrobes #redating antibiotic discover b !an.
;arlier studies had esti!ated that origin of natural antibiotics dates bac&
fro! 2 billion ears to )0 !illion ears ago. 2f natural antibiotics were that
old, can antibiotic resistance be far behind9
Antibiotic resistance seen in !icrobes Kbacteria and fungiL should not be a
sur#rise as the #roduce antibiotics naturall. ORoughl ,0 #er cent of
antibiotics currentl in the !ar&et are derived either directl or indirectl
Ke.g. b !odi5cation of naturall occurring structuresL fro! bacteria that are
found in the environ!ent, !ostl the soil,P stated %erard D. Mright fro!
7c7aster Eniversit, Ha!ilton, 4anada in an e!ail to this 4orres#ondent. Dr.
Mright is the senior author of this stud.
Shoc&ing
Mhat !a&es the 5ndings all the !ore sur#rising is that all the genes
e(tracted fro! nearl $0,0001ear1old !icrobes reveal the #resence of
resistance to !an co!!onl used antibiotics : tetraccline, beta1lacta!,
glco#e#tides and even vanco!cin.
2n clinical settings, vanco!cin resistance was 5rst seen in #athogenic
bacteria KenterococciL onl in the late 19,0sZ
OStructure and function studies on the co!#lete vanco!cin resistance
ele!ent 8anA con5r!ed its si!ilarit to !odern variants,P the authors write.
2f bacteria alread had antibiotic resistance towards drugs li&e tetraccline,
8anco!cin, beta1lactu! etc used toda, wh did it ta&e so!e ti!e for
antibiotic resistance to show u# in clinical settings9
OMe need to di0erentiate resistance in #athogenic bacteria here fro!
WbenignX environ!ental bacteria that do not usuall cause disease,P re#lied
Dr. Mright. OPathogens are generall "uite antibiotic sensitive unless the
ac"uire resistance genes fro! other sources.
OThe evidence suggests that environ!ental bacteria are the reservoir for
these genes. =ur stud de!onstrates that these benign bacteria have
e(#ressed these genes for !illennia.P
The wides#read #revalence of antibiotic resistance seen toda Ois
inconsistent with a h#othesis of conte!#orar e!ergence,P the write in
the #a#er, Oinstead it suggests a richer natural histor of resistance.P
So what is the role of clinicall for!ed resistance9 OThe clinical Kand other
useL of antibiotics #rovides the selective #ressure to select for resistance
genes that !a be !obilised fro! environ!ental bacteria,P e!#hasised Dr.
Mright in his e!ail.
Mhat needs to be done
2f this is indeed true and correct, then there is an overwhel!ing need to have
in #lace a !ore res#onsible #lanning and !anage!ent !echanis! of
e(isting antibiotics and newer ones.
According to Dr. Mright, Owe need two thingsC 1L !ore drug candidates, and
2L better use of e(isting antibiotics e.g. reduced use in agriculture, and tight
controls in !edicine.P
Stud area
The !icrobes used for the stud were collected fro! Dawson 4it, Bu&on,
<eringia Keast of Alas&aL #er!afrost sedi!ents. Rigorousl authenticated
ancient bacterial DHA sa!#les were used for the stud. The ancient DHA was
collected fro! the #er!afrost that had not thawed since its de#osition, and
had never been leached b a river.
Anti!atter !ster solution closer
Scientists in a lab with Daa <a Huclear Power Station in southern
%uangdong Province have found neutrino through two detecting instru!ents,
which is li&el to #rovide clues to solving the !ster of wh there is !ore
!atter than anti!atter in the universe.
The announce!ent
The 2nstitute of High ;nerg Phsics with the 4hinese Acade! of Sciences
on 7onda announced the brea&through that was achieved b !ore than
2*0 researchers fro! si( countries and regions.
The two neutrino detectors are installed underground $30 !eters awa fro!
the nuclear #lant at a de#th of 100 !eters.
Scientists believe that !atter and anti!atter were created in e"ual a!ounts
during the <ig <ang, but the disa##earance of anti!atter re!ains a !ster.
Heutrino is an ele!entar #article that is able to #ass through ordinar
!atter al!ost una0ected, which !a&es it e(tre!el diGcult to detect.
.ocated in Shen'hen, a cit neighbouring Hong Fong, the Daa <a Huclear
Power Station co!!enced o#eration in 199$.
Scientists fro! the 4hinese Acade! of Sciences and the E.S.1based
<roo&haven Hational .aborator and the .awrence <er&ele Hational
.aborator started the underground neutrino e(#eri!ent in 2003.
After the <ig <ang
Fa!1<iu .u&, s#o&es!an for the laborator, said that the results of the
e(#eri!ent would further shed light on the evolution of basic !atter after
the <ig <ang.
The neutrino e(#eri!ent in the Daa <a is one of the largest coo#eration
#ro@ects with regards to basic research between 4hina and the Enited States.
A!ong the #artici#ants of the e(#eri!ent are Russia, 4'ech Re#ublic, and
4hina/s Hong Fong and Taiwan regions. : Uinhua
Ants aggressive toward other colonies/
nests
Ants are regarded as #rotot#es of social beings that are #re#ared to
sacri5ce their lives for their co!!unit, but the can also dis#la e(tre!el
aggressive behavior towards other nests.
Ants, ter!ites boost drland wheat
ields
Ants and ter!ites #erfor! the sa!e ecosste! service functions in drland
agriculture that earthwor!s #erfor! in cooler and wetter areas and have a
signi5cant #ositive i!#act on cro# ields in drland agriculture.
Archaeo#ter( is not an earl bird,
stud sas
The discover of Archaeo#ter( , considered the basal bird, beca!e central
to our understanding of avialan Ka grou# that includes all birds and so!e
dinosaurian relativesL origin. 2n fact, it beca!e central to our understanding
of the evolutionar #rocess : how the dinosaurs slowl evolved to beco!e
toda/s birds.
6ound 1*0 ears ago
7ore i!#ortantl, the discover was !ade in 1,31 fro! <avaria, %er!an,
@ust two ears after Darwin had co!e out with his fa!ous wor& : =rigin of
S#ecies .
Such has been the i!#ortance given to Archaeo#ter( that a great bod of
scienti5c wor& on bird evolution has alwas centred on this basal bird.
O2ndeed, virtuall all our notions about earl avian evolution have been
viewed through the lens of Archaeo#ter( ,P notes a news #iece #ublished
toda KJul 2,L in Hature @ournal.
Hot a basal bird
<ut a #a#er #ublished in the sa!e issue of Hature toda KJul 2,L has not @ust
dethroned Archaeo#ter( fro! its high #edestal but also gone to the e(tent
of clubbing the iconic basal bird along with other non1avian dinosaurs. 2n
other words, Archaeo#ter( does not belong to the avian grou#, leave alone
being a basal bird.
2ndeed, the last ten ears have seen the discover of !an dinosaur fossils
that share so!e uni"ue characteristics of basal birds that are not seen in
Archaeo#ter(.
The latest 5nd
The Uiaotingia 'hengi s#eci!en discovered and described in the Hature
#a#er onl strengthens the argu!ent against the basal bird status conferred
on Archaeo#ter(, and in turn its #osition in the avialan grou#.
;arlier studies found so!e une(#ected and stri&ing si!ilarities between
Archaeo#ter( and other deinonchosaurs Kbird1li&e dinosaurs but not
belonging to avialan grou# of dinosaursL, and #ro#osed a Oclose relationshi#P
between the two. <ut the authors of the #a#er have gone a ste# further.
The have #resented a nu!erical !or#hological K#hlogeneticL analsis
Osu##orting deinonchosaurian aGnities for the Archaeo#tergidae Wto which
Archaeo#ter( belongsX.P
Two !ain conclusions
The authors have drawn two !ain conclusions. 6irst, there are stri&ing
!or#hological si!ilarities between Archaeo#ter(, the latest 5nd K Uiaotingia
L and other deinonchosaurs Kbird1li&e dinosaursL. Second, these si!ilarities
in turn highlight the real di0erences between the -basal bird/ discovered 1*0
ears ago and Oother widel acce#ted basal avialansP discovered in recent
ti!es.
OThere are few derived features shared b Archaeo#ter( and basal
avialansY thus docu!ented !or#hological su##ort for the avialan aGnities
of Archaeo#ter( is fairl wea&,P the write.
There is a word of caution b the authors. O=ur #hlogenetic h#othesis is
onl wea&l su##orted b the available data,P the warn.
Previousl thought
The latest discover also sets the record straight regarding the !an
!or#hological features that were once considered as distinctl avialan :
that the are in fact characteristic of the Paraves grou# Kto which the
avialans and the deinonchosaurs belongL.
The cite the instance of lengthening and strengthening of the foreli!bs.
Such foreli!bs indicate a dra!atic shift in their function, and !abe Orelated
to the a##earance of a degree of aerodna!ic ca#abilit.P The foreli!b
e(a!#le is a&in to the #resence of Aight features seen in both basal avialans
and basal deinonchosaurs.
Arctic cli!ate changes during late
4retaceous
Tin organis!s #reserved in !arine sedi!ents hold clues about Arctic
cli!ate variation during an ancient e#isode of greenhouse war!ing Klate
4retaceousL, reconstructions of Arctic cli!ate variabilit reveal.
Arctic coast retreating half a !etre
#er ear
The coastline in Arctic regions reacts to cli!ate change with increased
erosion and retreats b half a !etre #er ear on average. This !eans
substantial changes for Arctic ecosste!s near the coast and the #o#ulations
there.
Arctic environ!ent in ancient war!ing
event
Scientists are unravelling the environ!ental changes that too& #lace around
the Arctic during an e(ce#tional e#isode of ancient global war!ing, the
1,+0,0001ear Paleocene1;ocene Ther!al 7a(i!u! KP;T7L event.
Arctic 5sheries catch grossl
understated
6isheries catches in the Arctic during 19*012003 K9*0,000 tonnesL is al!ost
+* ti!es the a!ount re#orted to the Enited Hations 6ood and Agriculture
=rgani'ation during this #eriod.
Arctic heading towards record o'one
de#letion
Enusuall low te!#eratures in the Arctic o'one laer have recentl initiated
!assive o'one de#letion. The Arctic a##ears to be heading for a record loss
of this trace gas that #rotects ;arth/s surface against Sun/s ultraviolet
radiation.
Arctic region/s war!ing
;(#erts have warned that the Arctic region is war!ing at the fastest #ace on
earth because of rising air te!#eratures, !ore rainfall and decreasing
snowfall, conse"uentl !elting sea ice.
Ja!es Screen, who led the stud with 2an Si!!onds, at the 7elbourne
Eniversit/s School of ;arth Sciences, said that due to war!ing te!#eratures
: on !ore das and in !ore #arts of the #olar region : te!#eratures are
beco!ing too war! for #rotective snow to for!.
OAs a result of this te!#erature shift, we esti!ate that there has been a )0
#er cent decrease in su!!er snowfall over the last 20 ears.P
OThe reductions in snowfall in the su!!er !onths Kwhen there is still
t#icall signi5cant snow in Arctic regionsL have &noc&1on e0ects for the sea
ice, the ice Aoating on to# of the Arctic =cean,P the @ournal4li!ate Dna!ics
"uoted hi! as saing.
OSnow is highl reAective and bounces u# to ,* #ercent of the inco!ing
sunlight bac& into s#ace. Snow on to# of ice e0ectivel acts as a sunscreen
#rotecting the ice fro! the #ower of the sun ras,P said Screen.: 2AHS
Arctic, Antarctic
Are there an di0erences in the at!os#here li&e te!#erature, wind s#eed
etc. between Arctic and Antarctic regions9
D. AHAHTHAPAD7AHA<AH
4oi!batore, Ta!il Hadu
The two regions, the Arctic and the Antarctica, are located around the north
and the south #oles of the earth, res#ectivel. The at!os#here at both these
#laces is ver cold and the e(#erience e(tre!e solar e(#osure #eriods.
Therefore, there are several si!ilarities in the weather #atterns. However,
there are "uite a few di0erences too.
The rotation at the KAntarcticL south #ole is o##osite to that at KArcticL north
#ole. This is !anifest in the nature of wind circulation and in the water
whirl#ools. Also, being in the two o##osite he!is#heres, there e(ists a
co!#le!entarit in the seasonal changes.
The winter #eriod at the Arctic ha##ens to be the su!!er in the Antarctica
and vice versa. =n to# of that, there is seasonal variation in the cli!atic
conditions in both the regions.
The other !ain di0erence arises fro! the fact that the Arctic is an ocean
with fro'en ice cover. 2t is surrounded and #artl contributed b the edges of
land !asses, while the Antarctica is an ice covered land !ass KcontinentL
surrounded b oceans. This leads to di0erences in the te!#erature #atterns
in the two regions.
The te!#erature in Arctic 'one dro#s below 1*0 degree 4elsius in the winter
and su!!er te!#erature ranges between \10 and 110 degree 4. 7uch of
arctic 'one is surrounded b relativel war!er ocean water with !ini!u!
te!#erature above 12 degree 4elsius. 2n the Antarctica the interior regions
do not bene5t fro! the !oderating inAuence of the ocean waters.
2n fact, during the winter, the snow and ice covered Antarctica nearl
doubles in si'e, rendering an inAuence of the surrounding ocean
unreachable into the interiors of the continent. And the te!#erature is
nor!all !uch lower co!#ared to the Arctic region.
The lowest te!#erature can be as low as 190 degree 4 in the winter and the
su!!er ti!e sees an average te!#erature in the range of 1* to 1$* degrees.
Also due to such low te!#eratures, the at!os#here is ver dr. Also in the
Antarctica, the wind is ver strong with the s#eed as high as $2*&!Qh while
in the arctic the wind is !ild with s#eed in the range of about 20&!Qh.
2n the Antarctic, about 9, #er cent of the area is covered with snow and ice
all throughout the ear. Thus, the sunlight is al!ost totall gets reAected
bac& rather than getting absorbed. 6urther, the at!os#here being so dr as
to have the average hu!idit in the range of onl 0.0$ #er cent, is devoid of
water va#our and so the sunlight esca#es co!#letel instead of getting
absorbed b the at!os#here too.
This also contributes to the low te!#erature in the region. <li''ards are a
t#ical Antarctic #heno!enon in which ver little, if an, snow actuall falls.
2nstead the loose to# laer of the snow is #ic&ed u# and blown along the
surface b the wind. Such #heno!ena are not e(#erienced in the Arctic
'one.
PR=6. H. F. SAHE
4hennai 7athe!atical 2nstitute, 4hennai
Are dor!ant volcanoes reall
dor!ant9
A volcano/s !ag!a cha!ber that has cooled down need not re!ain dor!ant
for centuries before it is re!obili'ed b fresh !ag!a. Reawa&ening of a
cha!ber can ha##en in @ust a few !onths.
Asian -#hoeni(/ : a giant bird that
lived with the dinosaurs
Palaeontologists said on recentl the had found the fossilised re!ains of a
giant bird that lived in 4entral Asia !ore than 3* !illion ears ago, a 5nding
which challenges theories about the diversit of earl birds.
The creature !a have been taller than an ostrich if it had been Aightless
and, if it Aew, had a greater wings#an than that of the albatross, the
re#orted in the <ritish @ournal <iolog .etters .
The scientists have na!ed the bird Sa!ru&ia nessovi , after a !thological
Fa'a&h #hoeni( &nown as the sa!ru&, and after .ev Hessov, a celebrated
Russian #alaeontologist who died in 199*.
The esti!ate is based on a #air of !andibular ra!i, or the u#right #art of an
.1sha#ed lower @awbone, that were found in .ate 4retaceous sedi!ent in
F'lorda, southern Fa'a&hstan.
The bones !easure 2+* !illi!etres K10., inchesL, indicating a s&ull that
would have been a who##ing $0 centi!etres Ka footL long.
Mhether the bird Aew and what it ate are unclear because the evidence is so
s&etch. <ut if the two bones are a guide, the beast would have stood u# to
three !etres K10 feetL high and weighed !ore than *0 &ilos K110 #oundsL if it
had been Aightless.
2f it Aew, the bird would have weighed at least 12 &ilos K23 #oundsL, with a
wings#an of at least four !etres K1$ feetL.
The avian was Oan undis#uted giant,P sas the stud.
<irds are believed to have evolved fro! tin two1footed dinosaurs called
thero#ods at the start of the 4retaceous era, around 1*0 !illion ears ago.
The #revailing theor, based on usuall1inco!#lete fossils, is that the
re!ained e(tre!el s!all for tens of !illions of ears.
=f !ore than 100 t#es of earl birds that have co!e to light, onl one :
%argantua #hiloinos , which lived around +0 !illion ears ago : was large1
bodied.
The others were crow1si'ed or s!aller.
And even the clai! for %. #hiloinos is under attac&. So!e scientists argue
the fossil was reall that of a #terosaur, or Aing re#tile, rather than a bird. :
A6P
Asteroid/s clues about ;arth/s
for!ation
A half1&! wide asteroid which strea&s #ast the ;arth ne(t wee& could #rovide
clues about how the #lanet was for!ed.
The s#ace roc&, &nown as O200* BE**,P will #ass earth within $20,000 &! on
Hov ,.
The asteroid, in orbit around the Sun, has not been this close to the ;arth in
200 ears and will co!e closer to the #lanet than an other asteroid of its
si'e in the #ast $* ears, The Telegra#h re#orts.
The last ti!e a si!ilarl large roc& #assed b at such a short distance was in
19+3, and went largel unnoticed. 2t will not be visible to the na&ed ee but
a!ateur astrono!ers stand a good chance of catching a gli!#se of it
#rovided the have a telesco#e at least si( inches in dia!eter. HASA
scientists, who have oGciall classi5ed the asteroid as a Onear1earth ob@ectP,
will use a radar telesco#e to analse e(actl what it is !ade of and get a
better idea where it co!es fro!. A s#o&es!an saidC OMe ho#e to obtain
i!ages that should reveal a wealth of detail about the asteroid/s surface
features, sha#e, di!ensions and other #hsical #ro#erties.P : 2AHS
Australia/s 5rst adult ste! cells fro!
s&in
Scientists of Eniversit of 7elbourne and 7onash Eniversit have develo#ed
Australia/s 5rst adult induced #luri#otent ste! cell lines using s&in bio#sies
fro! #atients with the rare genetic disease 6riedreich/s ata(ia K6AL.
Authorities !ust e(#erience #roble!s
to solve the!
There is a lot of di0erence between seeing and e(#eriencing.
OEnless one e(#eriences a headache he will never &now how it feels. 7ere
words or a visual can never conve it,P sas 7r. Dee#a& Hana@i <arde a
#rogressive far!er fro! Mardha.
O2n 2srael or 4uba, far!ers in #ossession of even two acres live in lu(ur. <ut
in 2ndia a 10 acre far!er wallows in #overt. Mh9P he as&s.
7r. Dee#a& #ractices organic far!ing in his 2.* acres and has develo#ed *2
varieties of cro#. 2t too& hi! nearl seven ears to establish a seed ban&.
Hel#ing !an
Toda the ban& hel#s !an local far!ers to go beond the !uch h#ed
cotton and sobean. 2n addition honebee &ee#ing also increased 7r.
Dee#a&/s seed #roduction.
OStic&ing to co!!on cro#s such as cotton and sobean, aggravated b
che!ical fertili'ers, #aves the wa for far!ers/ suicide. 4he!ical fertili'er
gives ou a high ield, but is not a solution. Production graduall ta#ers o0
and a stage is reached when it is abs!al,P he sas.
7oving #rocess
According to the far!er, natural far!ing is a #ractice fro! botto! to to#,
and using che!ical fertili'ers or insecticides is a #rocess fro! to# to botto!
: both in ter!s of #roduction and #ros#erit.
OAuthorities are unaware of real #roble!s of far!ers. %round realities are
di0erent. The Pri!e 7inister/s relief #ac&age to far!ers or si!ilar big
sche!es cannot solve our #roble!. 2!#osing so!e sche!e without going to
the root cause of #roble!s does not ful5l the goal of develo#!ent,P he sas.
S!all and !arginal far!ers rarel a##roach an ban& for !one, according
to hi!.
Ho ban& account
O7an of the! do not even have a ban& account,P he sas, adding Othe
Agriculture 7inister and oGcials !ust beco!e sensitive to our needs,
#roble!s, and re"uire!ents, if the want to do so!ething worthwhile for
us.P
OToda in our countr !an foreign educated oGcials s#ea& on was to end
far!ers/ debts, cause of #roduction #roble!s, and strategies to overco!e
the!.
O2n realit !an of the! do not interact with us to &now things #ersonall.
The si!#l read so!e boo&s, @ournals, and tal&. <ut the real issue is far
fro! what these #eo#le thin& or sa,P sas 7r. Dee#a&.
OAn Agriculture !inister who has never been hungr in his lifeti!e s#ea&s
about ending #overt. A foreign educated 6inance !inister s#ea&s of !a&ing
agriculture and far!ers debt free.
ODo the thin& we are all fools9 These #eo#le have not even once ste##ed
into our villages nor s#o&en to far!ers and et co!e out with these
theories,P he contends angril.
Debt hu!iliation
ODoes the Enion Agriculture !inister or at least the State !inister &now a
far!er/s !ental condition when he silentl bears the taunts and abuses
thrown at hi! and his fa!il b #rivate !onelenders for a dela in
re#a!ent of interest for the loan ta&en9P he en"uires.
And ban&s will co!e chasing the #oor far!er who availed a Rs. 10,000 cattle
loan if he does not re#a on ti!e.
The sa!e ban& oGcials will stand outside the gate of a local inAuential !an
who owes the ban& several la&hs without saing anthing. 2n so!e cases
the even write o0 the dues.
<ut, for far!ers it is a di0erent treat!ent altogether, according to 7r.
Dee#a&.
OHow !an oGcials are read to ste# into the 5elds and tal& to us9P he as&s.
Attend function
At the !ost, the co!e for so!e ribbon cutting function, #ose for #hotos and
leave i!!ediatel in A4 cars surrounded b their coterie of #eo#le.
2n 2ndia after 3+ ears of inde#endence, toda, can a s!all far!er contact
the Agriculture 7inister to voice his grievance9
O;ven 8ice 4hancellors of so!e Eniversities are far re!oved fro! the ground
realit, re!aining in the co!fort of their roo!s. The too are often
inaccessible to us,P is his view.
6or !ore details readers can contact 7r. Dee#a& Hana@i <arde, <awa#ur
talu&a, Mardha , Phone C 92+23102*2 and 7r. 7anish Fawade Pro@ect
Associate 7SSR6, e!ailsC !anish&awade)*Sg!ail.co! and
waifad]vrcSredi0!ail.co!,
PhoneC 0+1*212,*0)$, 7obile C 09,90+9*)*3.
Autistics/ strengths can be useful in
research
<abies do wa&e u# taller after a slee#
Scientists have 5nall con5r!ed what our grand!as have been #reaching
over the ears : babies do reall wa&e u# taller right after their slee#.
6indings fro! the 5rst stud of its &ind !easuring the lin& between dail
growth and slee# con5r! that infants gain height during slee#, de#ending on
the total hours sle#t and nu!ber of slee# bouts.
O.ittle is &nown about the biolog of growth s#urts. =ur data o#ens the
window to further scienti5c stud of the !echanis!s and #athwas that
underlie saltator growth,P said lead author 7ichelle .a!#l, fro! the
de#art!ent of anthro#olog at ;!or Eniversit in Atlanta, %eorgia.
Researchers have found that longer slee# bouts in both girls and bos
#redicted an increase in weight and bod1fat co!#osition tied to an increase
in length.
This !eans that not onl does slee# #redict a growth s#urt in length, but it
also #redicts an increase in weight and abdo!inal fat, i!#ling an anabolic
growth #rocess.
The 5ndings are based on data of 2$ infants recorded in real ti!e over a four
to 1+1!onth s#an.
During this ti!e, !others &e#t dail diaries of slee# onset and awa&ening.
The stud a##ears in the current issue of Slee#. : AH2
<ac&ground radiation and radioactivit
in 2ndia
Me live in a sea of radiation. 2n an cit, an unsus#ecting owner of a 0.1 acre
bac&ard garden !a not &now that the to# one !etre of soil fro! his
garden contains 11,200 &g of #otassiu!, 1.2, &g which is of #otassiu!1 )0
KF1)0, a radioactive isoto#e of #otassiu!L, $.3 &g of thoriu! and one &g of
uraniu!.
These values !a be higher or lower de#ending on the soil. Eraniu! and
thoriu! deca through several radio1nuclides to lead, a stable ele!ent. The
#resence of radioactive nuclides does not #ose an signi5cant ris&.
Total dose
The total annual e(ternal dose fro! sources in soil and cos!ic ras in
7u!bai, Fol&ata, 4hennai, Delhi and <engaluru is 0.),), 0.,1, 0.+9, 0.+0 and
0.,2* !illigra res#ectivel. %ra is a unit for absorbed doseT when the
radiation energ i!#arted to a &g of !aterial is one @oule, it is called a gra.
Since gra is ver large, !illigra Kone thousandth of a graL, and !icrogra
Kone !illionth of a graL, are co!!onl used.
4os!ic ras co!e fro! outer s#ace. Their intensit at a #lace de#ends on
the altitude. 4os!ic ras alone contribute 0.2, !illigra at the 5rst three
cities as the are at sea levelT the colu!n of air hel#s to reduce their
intensit. At high altitudes, the #rotection fro! the colu!n of air is less.
The cos!ic ra contributions are higher at 0.$1 !illigra and 0.)) !illigra
res#ectivel at Delhi and <engaluru as these cities are at altitudes of 213
!etre and 921 !etre. Air #assengers receive * !icrogra #er hour fro!
cos!ic ras.
Parts of Ferala and Ta!il Hadu are high bac&ground radiation areas KH<RAL
because of the #resence of large "uantities of !ona'ite in the soil. Thoriu!
content in !ona'ite ranges fro! ,110.* #er cent. Researchers found that the
radiation levels in 12 Panchaats in Farunaga##all varied between 0.$2 to
+3 !illigras #er earT the levels in 90 #er cent of over +1,000 houses were
!ore than one !illigra #er ear.
The average value of #o#ulation dose in H<RA is $., !illigra #er ear. =ne
!illigra is the average value for areas of nor!al bac&ground radiation. The
units !illigra and !illisievert are the sa!e in these instances. Stud at the
H<RA during 1990199 b the researchers fro! the Regional 4ancer 4entre
and <habha Ato!ic Research 4entre did not show an health e0ect
attributable to radiation.
Radon, which occurs in uraniu! series #resent in soil see#s into ho!es. 2n
te!#erate areas radon deca #roducts build u# in air due to #oor ventilation
and deliver high doses to the lungs of !illions of #eo#le. 2n tro#ics ventilation
is ade"uate to dis#erse radon .2n the Enited Fingdo! #ersons in * #er cent
of the ho!es are e(#osed to doses above 2$.+ !SvQear. =ne #er cent of the
#o#ulation receives doses above **., !SvQear. The highest esti!ated dose
was $20 !SvQear in 4ornwall.
All foodstu0s contain #otassiu!1)0 KF1)0L. Me need #otassiu! for
sustenance. F1)0 is 0.012 #er cent of #otassiu!. =nce ingested, !ost of the
#otassiu! enters the blood strea! directl and gets distributed to all tissues
and organs.
Ho!eostatic control
The #otassiu! content in the hu!an bod is strictl under ho!eostatic
control. The bod retains onl the a!ounts in the nor!al range essential for
its functioningT it is inde#endent of the variations in the environ!ental
levels.
The bod e(cretes e(cess a!ounts with a biological half life of $0 das. F1)0
delivers a constant annual radiation dose of 0.1, !Sv to soft tissue. This
dose is unavoidable as #otassiu! is an essential ele!ent. ;ver ti!e we eat
a banana, we are introducing 1) <" of F1)0 in to our bod. Truc&s containing
bananas have triggered radiation alar!s at border #osts in the E.S.
<ra'il nut
<ra'il nut is #robabl the !ost radioactive food. Scientists have !easured
+00<" of radiu! #er &g of <ra'il nut.
The roots of the <ra'il nut tree #ass through acres of landT The have a
tendenc to concentrate bariu!T along with bariu!, the roots collect radiu!
as well. Radiu! a##ears in the nuts. 7an vegetables li&e brin@al, carrot etc.
also contain the radioactive isoto#e.
2ndian researchers have !easured #oloniu!1210 in 5sh and other !arine
organis!s. =ur whole bod is hit b #articles co!ing fro! all sides. Radiation
is a #art of our life. Me cannot avoid eating food @ust because it contains
radioactivit
F.S. PARTHASARATHB
K Ra@a Ra!anna fellow, De#art!ent of Ato!ic ;nergL
&s#arthSahoo.co.u&
<acteria on trees !a hel# forests
grow
<altic Sea e!its !ore 4= >12? than it
can bind
The <altic Sea e!its !ore carbon dio(ide than it can bind. .ocal variations
have increased the e(#osure of the <a of <othnia. These are the results of a
stud of how 4= >12? Aows between the <altic Sea water and the
at!os#here.
<ats ad@ust their -5eld1of1view/
The wa fruit bats use biosonar to -see/ their surroundings is signi5cantl
!ore advanced than 5rst thought of according to a new stud.
Their high1fre"uenc clic&s for! a sonar bea! that s#reads across a fan1
sha#ed area, and the returning echoes allow the! to locate and identif
ob@ects in that region. As these bats were considered to have little control
over their vocali'ations, scientists have #u''led over how the are able to
navigate through co!#le( environ!ents.
The stud, #ublished Se#te!ber 1$ in the online, o#en access @ournal P.oS
<iolog , e(a!ines ;g#tian fruit bats KRousettus aeg#tiacusL, which use
echolocation to orient inside their caves and to 5nd fruit hidden in the
branches of trees.
The research tea!, led b Hachu! Elanovs& of the Mei'!ann 2nstitute in
2srael and 4nthia 7oss of the Eniversit of 7arland, re#orts that these bats
ada#t to environ!ental co!#le(it using two tactics, according to a
Mei'!ann 2nstitute #ress release. 6irst, the alter the width of their sonar
bea!, si!ilar to the wa hu!ans can ad@ust their s#otlight of attention in
order to s#ot, for e(a!#le, a friend in a crowded roo!. Second, the !odif
the intensit of their e!issions. OThe wor& #resented here reveals a new
#ara!eter under ada#tive control in bat echolocation,P sas Elanovs&.
Elanovs& and his tea! trained 5ve ;g#tian fruit bats to locate and land on
a !ango1si'ed #lastic s#here #laced in various locations in a large, dar&
roo! e"ui##ed with an arra of 20 !icro#hones that recorded vocali'ations.
2n one set of e(#eri!ents, the researchers si!ulated an obstacle15lled forest
b surrounding the s#here with two nets s#read between four #oles. To reach
the target, the bats Aew through a narrow corridor whose width and
orientation varied fro! trial to trial.
2n the obstacle15lled environ!ent, the bats covered three ti!es as !uch
area with each #air of clic&s as the did when the obstacles weren/t there.
The angle se#arating each two bea!s was also wider and the volu!e of the
clic&s louder, and these di0erences beca!e !ore #ronounced as the drew
further into the corridor and therefore closer to their obstacles. This larger
-5eld of view/ allowed the bats to trac& the s#here and the #oles
si!ultaneousl, and avoid collisions while landing.
OThis is the 5rst re#ort, in an sensor sste!, of an active increase in 5eld1
of1view in res#onse to changes in environ!ental co!#le(it,P sas
Elanovs&. Although these new 5ndings !a be uni"ue to ;g#tian fruit bats
because of their ra#id tongue !ove!ents, Elanovs& e(#lains that their
results Osuggest that active sensing of s#ace b ani!als can be !uch !ore
so#histicated than #reviousl thought [ and the call for a re1e(a!ination of
current theories of s#atial orientation and #erce#tion.P : =ur <ureau
<ats change ear sha#es to hear better
Mithin @ust one tenth of a second, certain bats are able to change the sha#e
of their outer ear fro! one e(tre!e con5guration to another in order to
change their hearing, researchers have discovered.
<ats do not li&e getting wet
Met weather #uts bats o0 Aing as the don/t li&e getting wet, according to
the 5ndings of a stud #ublished in the scienti5c @ournal<iolog .etters.
A wet bat needs !ore energ to A because da!# fur #rovides less
#rotection than when dr. Met fur also a0ects the bat/s aerodna!ics, which
in turn also costs energ. Entil now scientists thought bats avoided rain
because there was less #re to catch and because raindro#s a0ected the
bat/s echo15nding ca#abilit.
The stud observed 10 Sowell/s short tailed fruit bats K4arollia sowelliL in
4osta Rica. The bats weigh @ust 1, gra!s, live fro! eating fruit rather than
hunting insects and fre"uentl encounter rainfall in their natural
environ!ent.
The researchers e(#osed the bats to three treat!ents in outdoor enclosures
including dr conditions, !oist fur without rain and !oist fur with rain.
;nerg usage was calculated b !easuring the content of the non1
radioactive isoto#e 41$ in the air e(haled b the bats.
The 5ndings indicate that rain as such does not force the bats to use e(tra
energ. However, wet fur led to the bats using twice as !uch energ
co!#ared to dr conditions.
The researchers conclude the reason is #robabl because wet fur #rovides
less #rotection fro! cooling.
O<ats with !oist fur lose so !uch heat that the need to burn !ore energ
to !aintain a stead bod te!#erature,P sas 4hristian 8oigt, one of the
stud/s authors.
Met bats are also less aerodna!ic and !ust use !ore energ to
co!#ensate.
2n dr conditions a bat/s s!ooth fur covers the ani!al, !a&ing it
aerodna!icall eGcient. That changes when the fur beco!es da!#.
Ta&ing Aight in the rain is onl worthwhile for a bat when the energ it can
ingest re#laces that e(#ended b Aight.: DPA
<ats use their neurons to ho!e in on
target
Esing their neurons, bats can se#arate the cavalcade of echoes returning
fro! their sonar #ulses b distinguishing changes in a!#litude between
di0erent #arts of an echo to decide if the ob@ect is a target or @ust clutter.
<atteries that charge "uic&l, retain
energ
A $1di!ensional nanostructure for batter cathodes that allows for
dra!aticall faster charging and discharging without sacri5cing energ
storage ca#acit has been develo#ed.
<ees could reveal &e to de!entia
Horwegian researcher %ro A!da! has succeeded in reversing the aging
#rocess in the bee brain, which !a bring ho#e to #eo#le with de!entia.
<ees, Aowering #lants ad@ust to earlier
s#ring
An analsis of bee collection data over the #ast 1$0 ears shows that s#ring
arrives about 10 das earlier than in the 1,,0s, and bees and Aowering
#lants have &e#t #ace b arriving earlier.
<esides the well&nown bene5ts,
honebees #rovide !anure
%rowing food is not the @ob of @ust far!ers.
OThe earthwor!s and !illions of s!all !icrosco#ic creatures under the soil
lend a hel#ing hand in !a&ing the soil fertile. Above the ground, the cli!ate,
birds, and bees #la their #art of collecting and transferring #ollen fro! one
Aower to another.
O;s#eciall for vegetable and fruit cro#s, #ollination is ver essential. An
e(#erienced far!er &nows the value of #ollination, and that growing fruits
and vegetables are all about re#roduction : bees being an essential #art of
the food chain, sas 7r. H. Swa!inathan, an avid a#iculturist fro! 4hennai.
Two varieties
7r. Swa!inathan/s #assion for rearing hone bees started earl fro!
childhood. Toda he rears two di0erent bee s#ecies 1 the 2ndian and 2talian
ones in di0erent bo(es s#eci5call bought fro! di0erent #arts of the countr.
O%etting the bo(es !ade is a daunting tas& as !an of the local car#enters
refuse to !a&e it. 6or the!, it is co!!erciall not viable and the
%overn!ent su##lied bo(es are so sub standard. The don/t last for even one
season. ;s#eciall after a heav rain, the bo(es beco!e so!ewhat brittle
and start brea&ing,P he sas.
7an bee &ee#ers face this #roble!, according to hi!, and he also
underwent the sa!e. So he wor&ed on an alternative.
O2 built a bo( using cudda#ah stones Kthe ones used in the &itchenL. The
bo(es are heav and cannot be !oved fro! one #lace to another but the
last a lifeti!e,P he sas.
2s it #ractical and co!!erciall feasible to rear bees in !etros9
OThe few trees and #lant s#ecies inside the cities don/t contain #esticides or
to(ic residues unli&e cro#s in the 5elds. The at!os#here !ight be #olluted,
but this does not a0ect the insects unli&e the to(ic residues fro! che!ical
s#raed cro#s.
Hot for #ersonal inco!e
O=n the #ersonal front 2 don/t rear bees for !one : onl to stud the!. 2
5nd that the insects thrive well in cities, es#eciall in the second Aoor of an
!ulti1storeed building. Esuall #eo#le fear the sting of the bees. <ut the
insects after so!e ears beco!e ver friendl, li&e an other #et,P he sas.
OThe crawl on the hands but seldo! sting. 2n fact so!e western studies also
suggest that bees can be ver good in reci#rocating certain feelings,P he
adds.
2n 2ndia, !an #eo#le thin& of the bees as @ust insects #roducing hone. O<ut
without the! decline in food su##l is certain in the near future. Hot @ust
hu!ans, far! ani!als will also su0er as so!e of the feed li&e alfa alfa grass
the feed on is #ollinated b the bees,P see!s to be his conviction.
%lobal ran&ing
2ndia ran&s second to 4hina in the global !a# in vegetable #roduction and
researchers sa that abundance of #ollinators and good #roductivit are
interlin&ed. A decline in the #ollinators results in reduced ields.
A#art fro! so!e birds and ani!als, bees are the nature/s wa of increasing
cro# #roductivit and acreage.
The loss of natural service can create a long ter! i!#act on the far!ing
sector, according to 7r. Swa!inathan.
O2f ou go through the website of the Enited Hations 6ood and Agricultural
organisation K6A=L ou can read a re#ort that !entions that in !ore than
100 cro#s that #rovide 90 #er cent of food su##lies for 1)0 countries, +1 are
bee #ollinated Kothers being #ollinated b di0erent sourcesL,P he adds..
Honebees can A $1* &ilo!etres fro! their hives in the !orning and return
in the evening at the sa!e ti!e. The insects visit Aowers and collect #ollen
and nectar. This #ollen and nectar is then #rocessed in the hive into food.
;(cretion
The digested #ollen needs to be e(creted. <ee e(cretion !eans releasing a
few dro#s of #ale ellow coloured Auid rese!bling a water dro#. 2t is referred
to as bee dung
OThe bees nor!all use an area within a radius of 101$0 !eters of the
beehive as a toilet 'one. 2t is esti!ated that an average beehive #roduces as
!uch as )*1*0 &g of bee dung a ear, neatl de#osited around the beehive
as high nitrogenous !anure.
OMhen it rains, this #ollen dung gets washed into the soil, brea&s down and
#rovides an e(cellent natural fertili'er.
OHence, to a far!er rearing bees in a 5eld to #ollinate the cro#, he gets an
additional bonus in the for! of !anure,P he e(#lains.
Renting out the hives
OAlread 2 a! getting calls fro! several far!ers to rent out ! beehives to
the!. 2n fact, across the countr hiring beehives is fast beco!ing a #ractice
for those desirous of increasing their ield.
O7 suggestion to far!ers is the !ust co!e forward and set u# at least $1)
bo(es in their 5elds and bac&ard, and #ersonall e(#erience the gain the
insects deliver to the!,P he adds.
6or !ore details contact 7r. Swa!inathan at e!ailC
swa!inathan9Sg!ail.co!, !obileC 9),+,,+,00.
<ig brea&fast does not hel# in
shedding weight
2n a stud, a big brea&fast K)00&cal !ore than a s!all oneL resulted in a total
increase over the da of about )00&cal. S&i##ing a !id1 !orning snac& after
the brea&fast did not o0set the e(tra calories.
<ig cit holds e!#t #ro!ise for bats
2n the treeless #rairie, ou/d thin& a cit would #rovide a good ho!e for bats
who li&e to snuggle u# in trees and buildings. <ut a stud found that the
urban landsca#e is far fro! ideal for these ani!als.
<io fertili'ers for tree cultivation
<io1electrical signals/ role in head
for!ation
Hew research shows that bioelectrical signals are necessar for nor!al head
and facial for!ation in an organis! li&e frog, and have ca#tured that #rocess
in a ti!e1la#se video of an e!bronic tad#ole.
<ioengineering to generate health
s&in
The #otential for auto regeneration of ste! cells fro! s&in !a lead to the
creation of a #atient/s entire cutaneous surface in the lab. This #ros#ect is
under stud b using a co!bination of biological and tissue engineering.
<io1in#ut good substitute for 6B7 in
#ulses
Pulses constitute a grou# of cro#s of the legu!e fa!il which, with the hel#
of Rhi'oblu!, s!biotic bacteria in their root nodules, 5( at!os#heric
nitrogen and i!#rove soil fertilit.
These cro#s are generall included in rotation in !ost of the areas in the
countr and have hel#ed to &ee# the soil alive and #roductive.
The also cultivated as #ure cro#s, !i(ture cro#s, inter cro#s, bund cro#s
and border cro#s. The are also e(cellent forage and cattle feed.
Fe role
2ns#ite of the &e role #laed b these #ulses in dietar and soil life, the area
and #roduction re!ains the sa!e.
The #roductivit Auctuates at low #ro5le, co!#ared to other countries.
Due to #oor organic fertili'ers in the soil enrich!ent of soil with organic
!atter is an u#hill tas& for the far!ers due to non availabilit of organic
fertili'ers es#eciall far! ard !anures K6B7L.
Suitable substitute
A research was carried out at Hational Pulses Research 4entre, 8a!ban,
Pudu&ottai district KHPR4L, to 5nd out suitable substitute for 6B7 with
biofertili'ers in order to sustain the #roductivit, with organic, inorganic and
in co!bination of both.
The stud reveals that seed treat!ent with Rhi'obiu! in co!bination with
#hos#horus solubilising bacteria KPS<L at *00gQ20 Fg seeds for one hectare
along with a##lication of 12.*C2*C12.*C10Fg HPFSQha recorded e"ual ield as
co!#ared to a##lication of 6B7 at * tonnesQha.
A##lication
The a##lication of Rhi'obiu! 5(es at!os#heric nitrogen to the tune of 2* #er
cent and #hos#ho bacteriu! releases the unavailable for! of #hos#horus to
available for! thereb, the cro# absorbs the above nutrients easil fro! the
soil.
Therefore it is advocated to far!ers that in the event of non availabilit of
6B7, Rhi'obiu! and PS< can be a##lied along with the reco!!ended dose
of HPFSQha under rainfed situation without reduction in ield.
However a##lication of far!ard !anure should be done in the ne(t ear
Kone ear biofertili'er followed b 6B7 in the ne(t earL for soil fertilit build
u#.
F. 8airavan
Dean, Agricultural 4ollege and Research 2nstitute 7adurai, Ta!il Hadu
<iological control a safe co!#onent of
2P7
<ionic ar! wor&s on !ind #ower
2n a cha#ter straight out of sci15, scientists have fashioned a bionic ar! b
connecting nerves fro! an a!#utee/s stu!# to his chest !uscles to !a&e it
wor& see!ingl on !ind #ower.
Mhen the a!#utee wishes to !ove his chest !uscles, the signals are #ic&ed
u# b the nerves #reviousl connected to the a!#utated ar! and
inter#reted b a co!#uter that relas the infor!ation to the #rosthesis.
Jesse Sullivan was the 5rst to undergo the surger eight ears ago. The new
li!b was based on research that found nerves in a stu!#, following an
a!#utation, re!ain health for a short ti!e.
Scientists at Horthwestern Eniversit in the E.S. are now loo&ing at how
di0erent #atterns of brain activit can be used to control #rosthetic li!bs,
the Dail 7ail re#orts.
Hate <underson, who led the research, saidC O2f ou transfer the nerves Kfro!
the stu!#L to health !uscles, then ou can a!#lif the brain signals used
to control the ar!. Me can use those signals to control the device.P
The tea! has 5ne1tuned the sste! that inter#rets the brain signals, giving
the #atients control over a wider range of !ove!ents.
Mhereas !ost a!#utees lose control of the nerves over ti!e because the
are no longer being used to control !uscles, Sullivan/s signals a##ear to
beco!e stronger. <underson said this e0ect could be due to the brain
getting used to the re1wired #athwas. : 2AHS
<ionic ee restores sight
.i!ited trials of a bionic ee that could restore sight to the blind have
#roduced OastonishingP results, sas a new stud. The tin i!#lantable
!icrochi# #er!itted #atients, who had given u# on seeing again, read a
cloc& and identif dail ob@ects.
The wafer1thin device is to be i!#lanted for the 5rst ti!e in =(ford and
.ondon, with surger scheduled within wee&s, the Dail 7ail re#orted. 7ost
of the !iddle1aged #atients were to be treated for retinitis #ig!entosa. A
!icrochi# #ac&ed with 1,*00 light sensors is i!#lanted to the bac& of the
ee.
The sensors convert light to electrical signals, which sti!ulate nerves in the
retina to #ass down signals to o#tic nerve which would ga# into the brain to
for! an i!age. : 2AHS
<ionic s#ecs for the blind to see
Scientists are develo#ing s!art and slee& bionic s#ectacles. The s#ectacles,
the sa could soon be on sale and hel# hundreds of thousands of blind
#eo#le in the world e(#erience the gift of sight.
The Os!art s#ectaclesP, being develo#ed b a scienti5c tea! at the =(ford
Eniversit in the Enited Fingdo!, uses !inuscule ca!eras and a #oc&et
co!#uter to alert wearers to ob@ects and #eo#le ahead.
4hea#, lightweight
The chea# and lightweight glasses, which could be on sale b 201) following
successful trials, would !a&e it easier for the blind to navigate roads in bus
neighborhoods and even read bus nu!bers, the researchers said.
;lderl #eo#le with age1related !acular degeneration are li&el to be the
biggest bene5ciaries, theDail 7ail re#orted.
Past technological endeavours to create such a device have resulted in large
dar& s#ectacles acco!#anied b clun& ca!eras and bul& co!#uters.
<ut advances in technolog !ean it should be #ossible to create bionic
s#ectacles that loo& al!ost indistinguishable fro! standard glasses.
2!#ortantl, a #rice tag of less than a thousand #ounds should !a&e the!
a0ordable, the researchers told the Roal Societ/s Su!!er Science
;(hibition.
O2t is satisfing to thin& that we will be able to #roduce this at a cost that is
going !a&e it available to the #eo#le who will bene5t the !ost,P according
to Dr Ste#hen Hic&s, who has co!#leted the basic research and is now
wor&ing on #rotot#e s#ectacles.
He envisages trans#arent glasses with lenses studded with s!all light1
e!itting diodes and ca!eras the si'e of a #inhead at the outside to# corners
of the fra!e.
The ca!eras will #hotogra#h the infor!ation the ees should see and send
the i!ages through a cable to a !obile #hone1si'ed co!#uter which could
be #laced in the wearer/s #oc&et.
Pattern of dots
The co!#uter will #rocess the infor!ation and si!#lif it into a #attern of
dots.
The .ight ;!itting Diodes in the lenses then light u# in that #attern, giving
the wearer vital infor!ation about what lies ahead.: PT2
<irds evolved u#right due to s&eletal
!uscles
A new theor of the origin of birds, traditionall thought to be driven b the
evolution of Aight, credits the e!ergence of enlarged s&eletal !uscles as the
basis for their u#right two1leggedness.
<lue <rain Pro@ectC !odelling the
hu!an brain in the lab
Science has advanced in the Second 7illenniu! in was that we now
challenge ourselves into doing what we could not have earlier. Me have
e!bar&ed on an e(#eri!ent to deter!ine the ulti!ate #article of which all
nuclei, ato!s, !olecules and !aterials are !ade anwhere on earth or in
the vast s&. Me loo& for the O%od #articleP. Me have sent !an1!ade crafts
to other #lanets, and have !ade !achines and tools that en"uire whether
life e(ists elsewhere in the s&, and whether there are other #lanets si!ilar
to ours that !a su##orts life1 Osecond earthsP. Me have read the Oboo& of
hu!an lifeP, the $.2 billion1 letter1long code of DHA that !a&es us what we
are.
<ut the boo& of life tells us how our bod wor&s. DHA deter!ines the
#hsiolog and bioche!istr. Mhat about the brain9 4an we -!odel/ the
hu!an brain in the laborator9 How do the trillions of cells in our brain
connect with one another so that it can do all that it does [ #ic& u#
infor!ation fro! the outside world, !a&e sense out of it and act, learn things
and control our thoughts9
There are two was to a##roach this grand challenge. =ne is to tr and
understand the neurons Knerve cellsL of OlowerP organis!s [ wor!s, Aies,
5sh, rats and such, and build on this &nowledge. This involves e(#eri!ents
on the Onor!alP organis! and on its O!utantsP [ its cousins who are born Kor
ta!#ered with in the labL with one or !ore neural #roble!. 7an biologists
are involved in such e(#eri!ents, and several !ore directl stud hu!ans
with neurological #roble!s and tr to !a&e sense out of the basis behind
such errors in the brain.
This 5eld is busT ever ear as !an as 30,000 #a#ers are #ublished in this
area of neuroscience. <ut we need to learn fro! the!, bring the #ieces
together and !a&e sense out of the!. This a##roach is incre!ental, building
fro! what we have learnt and #lan new e(#eri!ents there fro!. Mith advent
of co!#uters, another a##roach called in silico Ksince co!#uters use silica
chi#sL has e!erged. This e(#loits the fact that infor!ation is collected and
collated in the brain via connections between neuronsT based on the results
of such neural interactions, the brain #rocesses the infor!ation and acts on
it. So then, wh not !odel this using the co!#uter9
< the !id119+0s, infor!ation technolog had advanced to such a level that
co!#anies, notabl 2<7, had thought of !odelling the OthoughtP behind
chess ga!es that we hu!ans #la. The advanced co!#uters #rogra!!ing
that the did at that ti!e was christened ODee# ThoughtP Ka ter! coined b
researchers at 4arnegie 7ellon Eniversit, including Dr. Tho!as
Ananthara!anL. < the 1990s, 2<7 had #ut together a then gigantic
co!#uter sste! that was na!ed -<lue %ene/ Kblue being the nic&na!e for
2<7, and gene referring to the &ind of biologicall realistic !odel of DHA1
based and #rotein1 based infor!ation #rocessingL. =ne of the noteworth
#rogra!!ing done using the ca#abilities of <lue %ene was to #la chess.
Real chess involves calculating the conse"uences of !oving #ieces fro!
#lace to #lace, each ste# deter!ined b the #ossible conse"uences of what
the Oo##onentP does in res#onse, with the ulti!ate ai! of winning. Having
done this, <lue %ene challenged a hu!an cha!#ion, %ar Fas#arov, to a
series of chess ga!es. K4o!fortingl for us, the hu!an won over the
!achine then, but who &nows what to!orrow has to o0erL.
2t is these advances in co!#uters that led Dr. Henr 7ar&ra! of ;cole
Poltechni"ue 6ederal de .ausanne, Swit'erland, to thin& of creating
su#erco!#uter !odels of the brain that would be accurate to the last
biological details. To this end, he has #ut together what he calls the <lue
<rain Pro@ect Kthe blue here s!boli'ing su#erco!#utersL.
The a##roach of <lue <rain is binar. 2t uses the infor!ation available fro!
the hundreds of thousands of #ublications of neuroscientists on one hand,
and abilit of co!#uter #rogra!!ers to create connectivities between the
!illions of OneuronsP in silico on the other. 4o!bining the two, he e(#ects to
build a facilit that would ai! at data integration and hel# build brain
!odels.
Mhat has been achieved so far9 His grou# was able to incor#orate data
collected fro! genetics, cell signalling #athwas and electro#hsiolog, and
#rogra! the! on a su#erco!#uter. And b 2003, the were able to si!ulate
one of the neocortical colu!ns of the brain of a rat. The neocorte( is that
#art of the brain res#onsible for higher functions such as thought and
consciousness. The neocorte( of the rate consists of !an colu!ns, each 2
!! tall and 0.* !! thic& and has 10,000 neurons, which are interconnected
through sna#ses Kconnecting @unctions or -solders/L. The nu!ber of such
sna#ses in one such rat colu!n is 100 !illion. The tas& is thus not trivial
and 7ar&ra! believes that b the ne(t a few !onths, a cellular circuit of 100
neocortical colu!ns and a !illion cells will have been built.
And given enough !one, it should be #ossible in about 10 ears hence, to
get the 5rst to the 5rst draft of a uni5ed !odel of the hu!an brain. 2t will not
be a co!#lete !odel, but one that will account for what we &now. <elievable
<oast b the <uilder of the <lue <rainZ Ho#e the <ursaries <u itZ KAn
interview of Dr 7ar&ra! b %reg !iller a##ears in the 11 Hove!ber 2011
issue of Science L.
D. <alasubra!anian
dbalaSlv#ei.org
<lueberries !a inhibit develo#!ent
of obesit
How, a researcher has e(a!ined if blueberries could #la a role in reducing
one of toda/s greatest health challengesC obesit. <lueberr #ol#henols
inhibited obesit at a !olecular stage.
<lueberries #rotected in A!erican
gene1ban&
6a!iliar blueberries and their wild relatives are safeguarded b E.S.
De#art!ent of Agriculture KESDAL at A!erica/s oGcial blueberr gene1ban&
to ensure their #rotection for future generations.
<lueberr diet guards against high <P
;ating blueberries can guard against high blood #ressure. 4o!#ared with
those who do not eat blueberries, those eating at least one serving a wee&
reduce their ris& b 10 #er cent.
<od ar!our hindered !edieval
warriors
The 6rench !a have had a better chance at the <attle of Agincourt had the
not been weighed down b heav bod ar!our, sa researchers.
<od language !odulates the
acco!#aning s#o&en word
Peo#le use gestures and bod !ove!ents as the tal&. So!e use !ore bod
language than others. The 2talians are fa!ous for this, as are we 2ndians.
2t is often said that if ou sto# a Ta!ilian fro! sha&ing his head as he s#ea&s,
he turns s#eechless. And that if ou sto# an 2talian Kor a oung A!erican
nowL fro! !oving his hands, he turns du!b. How then does a gesture add to
Kor subtract fro!L to the words ou utter9
Hon1verbal behaviour of this &ind !odulates the acco!#aning s#o&en word.
2t can su##le!ent and enhance the !eaning of the s#o&en word, and
contribute nuances.
Positive nuances
These nuances !a be #ositive Kas the wa our heads sha&e as we sa es.
4hec& ourself ne(t ti!eL, or can be such that the alternate !eaning is clear
fro! the wa the are e(#ressed nonverball, with the tone of voice, facial
e(#ression or shrug of shoulders.
An outstanding e(a!#le that toda/s &ids us is the word OwhateverP which is
said in a bored wa, along with an acco!#anied gesture.
How !uch then do gestures contribute to the s#o&en word and vocabular9
This has been a to#ic of research a!ong cognitive scientists. 2nterest co!es
fro! diverse angles. =ne is the value of gestures in teaching a child in
learning words and increasing vocabular.
And the other is related to grou# discussions and conference calls using the
tele#hones, S&#e and related technologies. So!e of these are in Ovirtual
environ!entP, lac&ing bod gestures or face1to1face co!!unications.
Hewer develo#!ent
A newer develo#!ent here is the introduction of what are &nown as Oself1
ani!ated avatarsP. 2n these, the #artici#ants are as&ed to wear virtual realit
suits Kwhich can trac& and re#roduce bod !otionL and interact with others.
KThe word Avatar here needs no e(#lanationZL
The "uestion raised isC 2s self1ani!ated avatars contribute better to
inter#ersonal co!!unications than before9 Do the #erfor! better than
avatars that are deliberatel &e#t OstaticP Kbod !otions or gestures blinded
outL9 This was the "uestion that a grou# in the 7a( Planc& 2nstitute for
biological cbernetics at Tubingen, %er!an set out to answer Kin
collaboration with a grou# in Forea Eniversit, SeoulL, in their #a#er that has
a##eared in P.oS =ne K=ct 2011, e 2* +*9L.
Their e(#eri!ents involved #airs of #artici#ants, each wearing a head1
!ounted virtual environ!ent dis#la unit, and where one #laer had to
describe the !eanings of words to the other.
The could interact onl through avatars Knot direct face to faceL. 2n one
e(#eri!ent, both could use ani!ated avatars, while in the second
e(#eri!ent, the re!ained static Kor used #re1recorded gesturesL.
The best #erfor!ances were obtained onl when both avatars could !ove in
corres#ondence with the !ove!ents of the #laer. This !eant that Obod
languageP was i!#ortant for understanding.
Mhen the avatars were static, results were #oorer. The researchers also
noted that co!!unications using virtual environ!ents was not as e0ective
as in real Kface to faceL situations. 8irtual environ!ent hel#s but does not
re#lace realit. 2t can however be used for !edical training, urban #lanning
and teleco!!unications.
<od gestures are thus vital to co!!unications, whether virtual or real
avatars. Hote that the bod is biolog while ani!ated avatar is arti5ce. Mhen
bod language beco!es an i!#ortant co!#onent of inter1#ersonal
co!!unication, it should then have a biological, evolutionar basis.
That it is so is clear when we loo& at a hu!an bab. SheQhe starts gesturing
for co!!unication at around the age of 9 !onths. Hot onl does she gesture
for her needs but also to co!!unicate what interests her. And there is a
#ositive relation between #arent gesture and child gesture.
;ven !ore i!#ortantl earl child gesture #redicts later child vocabular. A
child who gestures earl and is gestured to earl, learns to s#ea& and
increase her vocabular sooner than one who is not gestured too often Kthis
was shown b Susan %oldin 7eadow and others in Dev. Sci.12, 1,2, 2009 L.
Mhen a child #oints to a doll, and the !other sas Oes, it is a dollP, a word
has been #rovided for the ob@ect gestured at. This is of course wh #re1
school and &indergarten teachers gesture along with the words when the
teach the &ids rh!es and songs.
4o!!on in #ri!ates
%esture1based co!!unications are "uite co!!on in other #ri!ates such as
orangutans and chi!#an'ees, which cannot s#ea& but use a variet of hand,
feet and li!b gestures to co!!unicate a!ong the!selves and also with
their hu!an care1ta&ers. Dr. A! 6ollic& of ;!or Eniversit, Atlanta has
been able to distinguish $1 !anual gestures and is 1, facialQvocal gestures.
Several !eanings
She further notes that while a vocal O#hraseP or sllable is li!ited in
!eaning, the sa!e hand gesture can have several conte(t1based !eanings.
K2nterestingl, the o#en1handed begging for food gesture is one that the
chi!#an'ee has handed over to us as an ancestral legacL.
%esturing thus has an evolutionar histor. The !ost recent instance is that
of ravens Kwhich are cousins of the co!!on crowL gesturing to each other
through their bea&s to #oint out ob@ects [ the raven e(#ression of Oloo& at
thatPZ
This stud of raven co!!unications Si!one Pi&a and Tho!as <ugnan of
8ienna a##ears naturall enough in Hature 4o!!unications K2011C2C*30L.
Mhat ne(t9 4rabs9 6ish9 <acteria gesturing to each other through their
Aagella9
D. <A.ASE<RA7AH2AH
dbalaSlv#ei.org
<od/s ada#tive res#onse to low1dose
irradiation
A growing nu!ber of s#ecialists thin& that low dose radiation e(#osure is not
as har!ful as was thought of so far.
Recentl, 2talian researchers clai!ed that low dose radiation e(#osure at
levels considered safe b regulator bodies can induce biological and cellular
changes that !ight o0set the ha'ards of radiation.
Probabl, at low doses there !a be #rotective !echanis!s at wor&.
The studied interventional cardiologists : a grou# !ost e(#osed to ioni'ing
radiation a!ong health #rofessionals.
Per ca#ita e(#osure
The have a #er ca#ita e(#osure 2 to $ ti!es higher than that of radiologistsT
their e(#osure has increased steadil in the #ast 20 ears.
The researchers led b Dr %ian .uigi Russo, 2nstitute of 6ood Sciences,
Hational Research 4ouncil, Ro!e, re#orted their stud on1line, in the August
2$, 2011 issue of the ;uro#ean Heart Journal.
The stud grou#s included ten health interventional cardiologists with an
average age of $, ears, with a !edian radiation e(#osure of ).+ !Sv #er
ear and lifeti!e e(#osure ranging between 20 to 100 !Sv, wor&ing in the
cardiac catheteri'ation unit and 10 !atched une(#osed controls recruited
fro! a!ong the hos#ital and laborator wor&ers who did not have radiation
e(#osure. KThe annual dose li!it to radiation wor&ers reco!!ended b the
2nternational 4o!!ission on Radiological Protection is 20 !Sv averaged over
5ve ears with the e(#osure not to e(ceed *0 !Sv in an one earL
The researchers !easured !an !ar&ers of o(idative !etabolis! in #las!a,
and in other blood constituents such as red blood cells KerthroctesL and
white blood cells Kl!#hoctesL in the two grou#s.
2n the e(#osed grou#, there was a threefold increase in hdrogen #ero(ide, a
bioche!ical !ar&er indicative of o(idative stress. Hot sur#rising, as water is
a !a@or constituent of hu!an bod.
Antio(idant level
The researchers e(#ected that the antio(idant level in the e(#osed grou# will
be di0erent co!#ared with that in the une(#osed controls. However, the
did not observe an signi5cant change in the level in the two grou#s. 7a be
because the bodies of the e(#osed grou#s generated ada#tive res#onse b
activating antio(idant defence !echanis!s to counteract the increase in
hdrogen #ero(ide levels.
The stud de!onstrated that in interventional cardiologists, chronic
e(#osure to low dose radiation induces two s#eci5c t#es of cellular
defences against o(idative stress.
6irstl, the o(idative stress was found to be counterbalanced b a 1.+ fold
increase in glutathione, a !easure of antio(idant res#onse in the e(#osed
grou#.
Secondl, the cardiologists e(#osed to radiation had signi5cantl higher
levels of cas#ase1$ activit in their white blood cells.
Progra!!ed cell deaths
4a#ase1$ is a bioche!ical which is i!#licated in #rogra!!ed cell deaths.
4a#ase1$ hel#s to eli!inate da!aged cells.
<oth !echanis!s !a co!#ensate for the unbalanced reactive o(gen
s#ecies and contribute to !aintain relativel stable e"uilibriu! in the cell.
Though the researchers saw ada#tive res#onses at low dose radiation, the
did not go overboard.
OThe un#recedented radiation e(#osure of the interventional cardiologists
and the sta0 in the cardiac catheteri'ation laborator re#resents a challenge
and an o##ortunit for the cardiolog co!!unitP, the researchers clari5ed.
The urged the #hsicians to !ini!i'e radiation in@ur ha'ard to their
#atients, to their #rofessional sta0 and to the!selves.
O2t is also an o##ortunit, since highl e(#osed interventional cardiologists
are a suitable, #erha#s uni"ue, !odel to understand the still elusive
!echanis!s to biological ada#tation to chronic e(#osure to low dose
radiationP, the researchers suggested.
The e!#hasis
The 5ndings of the #resent stud e!#hasi'e that a level of radiation
e(#osure considered -safe/ b regulator standards can induce #rofound
bioche!ical and cellular ada#tation.
Me do not &now whether these are ada#tive !odi5cations or hint at other
relevant #athologies.
Their clinical !eaning re!ains uncertain. 2f cellular da!age, if an, due to
irradiation is re#aired, are we sure that the re#air is #erfect9
This #reli!inar stud, if e(tended suitabl, has the #otential to #rovide
answers to !an ve(ing "uestions in the 5eld of #rolonged, low level
radiation e(#osure.
F.S. PARTHASARATHB
KRa@a Ra!anna 6ellow in the De#art!ent of Ato!ic ;nergL
&s#arthSahoo.co.u&
4hronic e(#osure to low doses induces two t#es of cellular defences against
o(idative stress 2t is not certain that re#air of cellular da!age due to
irradiation is #erfect
<oiling and eva#oration
Esuall eva#oration is caused b boiling. To for! a cloud, water in the ocean,
la&e etc eva#orates without boiling. How9
82J;TH J. SH;TTB
Edi#i, Farnata&a
;va#oration is the #hsical #rocess b which !olecules of a li"uid leave the
li"uid surface into the va#our #hase. This ta&es #lace at all te!#eratures
with te!#erature de#endant rate of eva#oration and leads the li"uid1va#our
sste! towards e"uilibriu! when the local at!os#here attains saturation.
The #artial #ressure at this stage is called the saturation va#our #ressure.
;va#oration sto#s after this stage is attained unless the va#our is re!oved
fro! the interface, at least locall.
<oiling, on the other hand, is the #rocess b which eva#oration of li"uid is
ther!all forced into the va#our #hase even beond saturation, a condition
&nown as su#ersaturation. At the interface, that is the surface of boiling
li"uid, the te!#erature is high and the e"uilibriu! va#our concentration is
ver high, at regions awa fro! the surface, the te!#erature is low, thus the
available a!ount of the water va#our is beond the saturation concentration
for that te!#erature or the condition of su#er saturation is attained.
2n the water1air sste!, a##licable to eva#oration of water into the
at!os#here, the water !olecules leave the water surface at a rate
co!!ensurate with the e(isting te!#erature. Also, eva#oration being a
surface #heno!enon, the eva#oration rate is #ro#ortional to the area of the
e(#osed surface. Hence, in large water bodies li&e #onds, la&es and oceans,
the a!ount of water transfor!ing into va#our #hase is considerabl large
even at a!bient te!#eratures, far below the boiling #oint which is 100
degrees 4elsius.
6urther, this water va#our which saturates the air @ust above the water bod,
gets swe#t awa b wind which re#laces the saturated air b fresh air
containing less of water va#our. And, water va#our is lighter than the air and
so, the water va#our Aoats u#. <oth the above #rocesses !a&e the air in
contact with the water surface, under saturated. This leads to further
eva#oration of water fro! the water bod.
The va#our which Aoats u# in the at!os#here until the densit of air and the
densit of water va#our !atch. 2n this region of the at!os#here, the
accu!ulation of water va#our for!s the cloud !ass.
PR=6. H. F. SAHE
<one loss #revention e(#eri!ent on
Atlantis
An e(#eri!ent has been #ainsta&ingl #re#ared aboard the s#ace1shuttle
Atlantis ai!ed at revealing strategies to #rotect future astronauts fro! bone
loss during e(tended e(#osure to !icro1gravit.
Researchers in the Eniversit of Horth 4arolina at 4ha#el HillQHorth 4arolina
State Eniversit Joint De#art!ent of <io!edical ;ngineering will be at the
Fenned S#ace 4enter for the last s#ace shuttle launch of the HASA #rogra!
as Atlantis de#arts for its 5nal !ission into ;arth/s orbit.
Mith Jul ,, 2011 as the target launch date, the e(#eri!ent tea! is led b
Ted <ate!an, associate #rofessor. 2n addition to the hu!an crew Atlantis will
be host to thirt of its s!allest #assengers : !ice that !ight hel# hu!ans
one da travel far beond the !oon. These !ice are integral to <ate!an/s
research on bone and !uscle health in !icrogravit, according to a
Eniversit of Horth 4arolina School of 7edicine #ress release.
Ra#id bone loss, an accelerated osteo#orosis, results fro! re!oving
gravitational loading. Such e(#osure will be unavoidable for inter#lanetar
!issions such as a round1tri# to 7ars, e(#lains <ate!an. OMe &now that this
will cause a decline in bone strength of a##ro(i!atel three #er cent #er
!onth. Mhen astronauts return, the recover is inco!#lete. =n e(tended
!issions, beond si( !onths u# to three ears, such as on a 7ars !ission,
this loss is going to be substantial.P
The stud will e(#lore how weightlessness in s#ace a0ects !ouse bone
tissue at the !olecular level, studing the changes in #rotein e(#ression b
load1sensing bone cells called osteoctes.
=steoctes are the bone cells #ri!aril res#onsible for co!!unicating
changes in forces and loads to other cells that a0ect bone !ass and
strength. Hor!all, these cells send a signal in the for! of a #rotein called
sclerostin to control bone for!ation.
OThough it has never been tested, we e(#ect that during s#aceAight, with
the re!oval of gravitational loading, sclerostin levels will increase
signi5cantl,P <ate!an said. OMe believe this increase in sclerostin signal
!a be a #ri!ar reason wh bone for!ation is reduced in astronauts and
!ice when the are in !icrogravit.P
The stud !a o0er a #otential treat!ent for ;arth1based osteo#orosis as a
novel wa to increase bone for!ation and #revent fractures.: =ur <ureau
<one1li&e !aterial fro! $1D #rinter
2t loo&s li&e bone. 2t feels li&e bone. 6or the !ost #art, it acts li&e bone. And it
ca!e o0 a three1 di!ensional in&@et #rinter.
<orn cataract blindC how the brain
rewires as sight is regained
4an a child, blind for several ears since birth, bene5t fro! o#tical correction
of the ee9 2s the brain O#lasticP enough to !a&e use of the infor!ation fro!
the ees later on in life9
These are the "uestions that had interested Professor Pawan Sinha of the
4ognitive Sciences de#art!ent of 72T in 4a!bridge, 7A, E.S. Starting with
these, he had gone ahead and discovered a variet of sur#rising Kand ha##L
results on how the hu!an brain ada#ts to e(#eriences and challenges.
Mh hu!an9
2 have s#eci5ed the ter! -hu!an/ above for a reason. All e(#eri!ents to
answer the above "uestions had so far been done on ani!als, with
de#ressing results.
The had suggested that there e(ists a critical K#resu!abl shortL #eriod for
visual learning after sight is restored.
<ut these are a boon for ani!als, invariabl on dar&1reared cats. Sinha set to
research on hu!ans.
To this end, he has co!bined service with science. Through a sche!e that he
funds, called Pro@ect Pra&ash, he has hel#ed !an 2ndian children in Delhi,
Ra@asthan and EP, who were born cataract blind, regain sight through
cataract surger.
He then studies the! in an e0ort to answer the above "uestion.
Several novel things
His studies on these #eo#le have revealed several novel things hereto
un&nown. The 5rst is that there !a not be a critical ti!e #eriod at all.
<e it 10 ears or even 22 ears after birth, when sight is given, the individual
is able to learn a variet of functions using vision.
So!e of these are sha#e !atching, colour !atching, face recognition and so
forth. Mhere and how do these functions occur in the brain9 Sinha answers
these b doing functional !agnetic resonance i!aging or 67R2 on these
individuals.
67R2 is an ad!irable, clever tool that !onitors the Aow and use of blood as it
#asses through cells and tissues, giving the! o(gen for !etabolis!.
The iron in the hae!oglobin in blood is !agnetic and its #ro#ert changes as
it ta&es u# and releases o(gen. Bou thus #lace the individual in the 67R2
!achine that loo&s li&e a bed with a tunnel1li&e cover Kcontaining the
!agnetic 5eldL in which ou #lace his head.
Bou now as& the #erson to do a tas&, and !onitor which #art of his brain Kone
of the he!is#heres, occi#ital lobe, corte(, etcL is active and Olights u#P as he
#erfor!s the function.
Esing 67R2 on several volunteers who bene5ted fro! Pro@ect Pra&ash, Sinha
5nds a novel result.
That not onl do these sub@ects loo& and learn, but their res#onses are
registered Khard 1wired, if ou willL in s#eci5c regions of the brain. The brain
is indeed #lastic, !a&ing new and location1s#eci5c neural connections within
its #arts, and this ha##ens regardless of when sight was restored after birth.
How does such a #erson Kor for that !atter, we as growing infantsL !atch
the various sensations9
The "uestion
2n this connection, note the "uestion which the scientist Millia! 7olneu(
#osed three centuries ago to the <ritish #hiloso#her John .oc&e.
He as&ed OSu##ose a !an born blind and targets b his touch to distinguish
between a cube and a globe. Su##ose the blind !an be !ade to seeT "uer,
whether b his sight , before he touched the! he could now distinguish and
tell which is the globe, and which the cube9P
Mhen Sinha #osed this "uestion to the audience, a !a@orit of the! said he
would.
MrongZ He cannot, at 5rst sight. The tactile sense is not necessaril
transferred into the visual sense. A correlation between the two needs to be
learnt which, of course, is easil done.
2ntegrating #atterns
Sinha/s wor& has further shown that as vision is ac"uired in the earl stages,
there a##ear to be so!e diGculties in integrating #atterns.
7otion or !ove!ent of the ob@ect a##ears necessar for such integration. A
sub@ect shown two s"uares on the co!#uter screen calls the! KrightlL two.
Mhen the #artl overla#, he calls the! three Ktwo original ones, #lus the
overla# region counted as the thirdL. <ut when the two s"uares are shown
!oving, and overla##ing, the sub@ect recogni'es the! as two !oving
ob@ects.
7otion cues
7otion cues thus #rovide critical infor!ation for ob@ect integration and
segregation. 2t is this dna!ic infor!ation #rocessing that allows us to
integrate various cues such as face #erce#tion, #erceiving causalit, touch to
vision !a##ing and so on. Mith ti!e and learning, these beco!e nor!al or
second nature.
Me thus see in these newl sighted #eo#le an i!age of what all we ourselves
went through to integrate the various cues, and incor#orate the! in our
brains, as we develo#ed visual #erce#tion and acuit in all its di!ensions, as
we grew fro! birth to childhood. 2t is never too late to learn and !aster.
.astl, what was .oc&e/s answer to 7olneu(9 O6or though he has obtain/d
the e(#erience of, how, a globe, how a cube, a0ects his touchT et he has not
attained the e(#erience, that what a0ects his touch so or so, !ust a0ect his
sight so or so.T =r that a #rotuberant angle in the cube, that #ressed his hand
une"uall, shall a##ear to his ee as it does in the cubeP.
This was the stle of ;nglish #rose of 139). Si!#l said, he !eant OnoP.
D. <A.ASE<RA7AH2AH
dbalaSlv#ei.org
<rain growth in chi!#s unli&e that of
hu!ans
<ab chi!#an'ees don/t show the sa!e dra!atic increase in the volu!e of
#refrontal white !atter in the brain that hu!an infants do, according to a
stud that is the 5rst to trac& the develo#!ent of the chi!#an'ee brain over
ti!e.
<rain hardwired to li&e si!#le !usic
#atterns
The brain si!#li5es co!#le( #atterns, the wa that -lossless/ !usic
co!#ression for!ats reduce audio 5les, b re!oving redundant data and
identifing #atterns. Me are hardwired to 5nd si!#le #atterns #leasurable.
<rain regions onl for language
There are #arts of our brain dedicated onl to language, a 5nding that !ar&s
a !a@or advance in the search for s#ecialised brain regions.
<rain/s -radio stations/ reveal a lot
.i&e ad@usting a high1tech radio, scientists have tuned into #recise
fre"uencies of brain activit for new insights into how the brain wor&s.
<rains of s!all s#iders overAow into
their legs
S!ithsonian researchers re#ort that the brains of tin s#iders are so large
that the 5ll their bod cavities and overAow into their legs. As the s#iders
get s!aller, their brains get #ro#ortionall bigger.
<rea& the barriers between
researchers and rots
6or a far!er, the 5eld is oGce and a good cro# !eans a rewarding salar.
O2f he !anages to get a little e(tra then he considers it as a bonus. 2n a
countr, where agriculture is su##osed to be thousands of ears old, isnIt it
an iron that a !a@orit of its far!ers are not ha## 5nanciall,P sas 7r. P.
Jaara!, a #rogressive far!er in <angalore growing gra#es, to!ato,
vegetables and !ulberr in 1* acres.
Mho is to be bla!ed for the #resent crises9
Accountabilit is a !ust
OThere is no use in #assing the buc&. Accountabilit is a !ust, =f what use
are all the 5nancial sche!es and ban& loans, all clai!ing to be in the
far!ersI interest9
O7ost of these are onl on #a#er. Do ou &now the diGcult in getting a
Rs.10,000 s!all1cro# loan fro! a ban&9 As& a far!er and he will tell ou. And
toda we are able to bu a Rs. * la&h car in a few hours over the #hone. 2s
this a health econo!9P he as&s.
O2 a! not dis#uting the fact that the facilities and co!forts are toda a
necessit, but in the na!e of new lu(uries, far!ers and agriculture should
not be bartered,P he contends.
Role of !edia
2ndia being an agrarian countr, it is the dut of @ournalists to identif and
suggest solutions to burning #roble!s of villages, instead of onl re#orting
on deaths and suicides, 7r. Jaara! argues, calling on the !edia to be
#roactive in this.
A @ournalistIs re#ort !ust be li&e a #latfor! to record, show, infor! the
societ about far!ing e(#eriences in villages, and their traditional !ethods
of conserving land, water etc. According to hi!, though far!ers are true
scholars in their area, in realit the are not treated so.
O=ften the bric& co!#ound wall and wire fences erected around agriculture
research centres &ee# the! awa fro! a##roaching these #laces.
O<eing sh and reserved b nature, a far!er naturall gets Aabbergasted b
the securit at the gate and the #rotocols involved in such centres,P he sas.
OTill date 2 have never heard or seen an instance where a far!er treats his
guests anthing but cordiall. <ut the sa!e far!er seldo! receives the sa!e
courtes in agricultural oGces or research centres he visits.P
Hot be a barrier
OSuch a treat!ent of the far!ers is not acce#table. The high walls of the
research centres should be li!ited to safeguard the #rivac of research, and
!ust not beco!e a barrier between the !inds of the researchers and the
far!ers,P e(#lains 7r. Jaara!. 2n fact it is their &nowledge and s&ills that
should be sought after b those in agricultural varsities.
Scienti5c far!ing should evolve involving Otrue scholarsP [ the far!ers,
according to hi!.
The fact to be noted here is that though the fa!ine or Aood does not see! to
a0ect a #olitician a beauraucrat or business!an 1 it is onl the far!er who
endures the loss and su0ers.
Heeds !one
OHave ou ever heard about a #erson fro! an other #rofession co!!itting
suicide due to cro# failure,P he as&s.
Seeds, fertili'ers, insecticides etc. do not co!e free of cost. ;ven such a
basic #rofession as far!ing needs !one.
And the far!er needs 5nancial assistance. Drawn b the several
advertise!ents, that endorse these 5nancial institutions, a far!er bus the
seeds and sows it with ho#es of high ields.
OMhen he fails to get a good ield the co!#an that su##lied the seeds does
not ta&e an re#onsibilit, and the agriculture e(#erts &ee# tight li##ed. This
is the case #revailing in !an villages,P asserts 7r. Jaara!.
2ndirect su##ort
< lowering the rate of interests ti!e and again, the govern!ent too
indirectl encourages the! to ta&e such 5nancial assistance, !a&ing the!
lifelong debtors.
The ho#e of a getting a good ield re!ains @ust a drea! for a #oor far!er.
6or !ore details readers can contact 7r. P. Jaara!, <rdhenahalli,
Devanahalli talu&, <angalore rural, !obileC 09+)093$$*2 and 09*91*2+*23.
<rea&through in hdrogen fuel cells
Hdrogen !a&es a great fuel because of it can easil be converted to
electricit in a fuel cell and because it is carbon free.
The downside of hdrogen is that, because it is a gas, it can onl be stored in
high #ressure or crogenic tan&s.
A tea! of Eniversit of Southern 4alifornia scientists has develo#ed a robust,
eGcient !ethod of using hdrogen as a fuel source.
2n a vehicle with a tan& full of hdrogen, Oif ou got into a wrec&, ou/d have
a #roble!,P said Travis Millia!s, assistant #rofessor of che!istr at the
Eniversit of Southern 4alifornia Dornsife 4ollege.
A #ossible solution is to store hdrogen in a safe che!ical for!. ;arlier this
ear, Millia!s and his tea! 5gured out a wa to release hdrogen fro! an
innocuous che!ical !aterial : a nitrogen1boron co!#le(, a!!onia borane
: that can be stored as a stable solid, sas a Eniversit of Southern
4alifornia #ress release.
How the tea! has develo#ed a catalst sste! that releases enough
hdrogen fro! its storage in a!!onia borane to !a&e it usable as a fuel
source.
7oreover, the sste! is air1stable and re1usable, unli&e other sste!s for
hdrogen storage on boron and !etal hdrides.
The research was #ublished this !onth in the Journal of the A!erican
4he!ical Societ .
The sste! is suGcientl lightweight and eGcient to have #otential fuel
a##lications ranging fro! !otor1driven ccles to s!all aircraft, he said. :
=ur <ureau
<reathing new life into ;arth
8er earl in ;arth/s histor, = >12? was a rare : if not co!#letel absent :
#laer in the turbulent !i( of #ri!ordial gases. 2t wasn/t until the -%reat
=(idation ;vent/ K%=;L, nearl 2.$ billion ears ago, when o(gen !ade an
!easurable dent in the at!os#here, sti!ulating the evolution of air1
breathing organis!s and, ulti!atel, co!#le( life as we &now it toda. Toda,
o(gen ta&es u# a heft #ortion of ;arth/s at!os#hereC .ife1sustaining = >12?
!olecules !a&e u# 21 #er cent of the air we breathe.
How, new research fro! 72T suggests = >12? !a have been !ade on ;arth
hundreds of !illions of ears before its debut in the at!os#here, &ee#ing a
low #ro5le in -o(gen oases/ in the oceans.
Tin aerobic organis!s
The 72T researchers found evidence that tin aerobic organis!s !a have
evolved to survive on e(tre!el low levels of the gas in these undersea
oases.
2n laborator e(#eri!ents, for!er 72T graduate student Jacob Maldbauer,
wor&ing with Professor of %eobiolog Roger Su!!ons and Dianne Hew!an,
at the 4alifornia 2nstitute of Technolog, found that east : an organis! that
can survive with or without o(gen : is able to #roduce &e o(gen1
de#endent co!#ounds, even with onl !inuscule #u0s of the gas, according
to an 72T #ress release.
Si!ilarl resourceful
The 5ndings suggest that earl ancestors of east could have been si!ilarl
resourceful, wor&ing with whatever s!all a!ounts of =>12?!a have been
circulating in the oceans before the gas was detectable in the at!os#here.
The tea! #ublished its 5ndings last wee& in the Proceedings of the Hational
Acade! of Sciences . OThe ti!e at which o(gen beca!e an integral factor
in cellular !etabolis! was a #ivotal #oint in ;arth histor,P Su!!ons sas.
OThe fact that ou could have o(gen1de#endent biosnthesis ver earl on
in the ;arth/s histor has signi5cant i!#lications.P
Maldbauer and colleagues suggest that #erha#s =>12?was in fact #resent on
;arth $00 !illion ears before it s#i&ed in the at!os#here. : =ur <ureau
<righter future for solar energ
The eGcienc of conventional solar cells can be increased u# to 33 #er cent
b using an organic #lastic se!iconductor !aterial. 2t is based on harvesting
double the nu!ber of electrons fro! one #hoton.
<ubble for!ation
Mh do air bubbles for! when we #our water fro! a height9
8. SR2RA7FE7AR
8i@aawada, Andhra Pradesh

Mhen we #our water fro! a height, several other #hsical #rocesses
acco!#an the Aow of the water strea!. And !an of these #rocesses
contribute to the observation of bubble for!ation at the base.
2t is si!#ler to anal'e the #heno!enon for a case with regular and ideal
geo!etrT let us ta&e that the #ouring is done fro! a circular o#ening and at
a constant Aow rate. However, the discussion holds good for an other
geo!etr and Aow rate.
The water strea! starts fro! this o#ening as a right circular clinder at the
beginning, but as it descends down, the velocit of the strea! increases and
because the Aow rate is constant, its cross section !ust decreaseT the
strea! ta#ers to a narrower cross section.
As the velocit increases continuousl till it hits the botto!, turbulence in the
!olecular !otion of the water !olecules within the strea! starts and the
strea! develo#s irregular cross section e(hibiting the tendenc to branch.
;ventuall, the strea! degenerates to a dro##ing asse!bl of water dro#s.
Thus the #ouring of water fro! a height results in downward travel of a !ass
of water in di0erent for!s at di0erent heights.
Mhile this ha##ens, the air !ass surrounding the strea!, either as
continuous strea! or as asse!bl of dro#s, gets dragged to travel along with
the water strea!. ;ach branch in the strea! and each falling dro# carr air
along with it.
=ften the strea! with irregular geo!etr tra#s so!e a!ount of air inside the
strea! itself. Thus, the visible #oured water strea! is a co!bination of both
water and air traveling down together.
Mhen this falls into the container at the botto!, where so!e a!ount of
water would alread have got collected, the s!all a!ount of air also di#s
into the water.
Mhile the water #art of the strea! or dro# @oins sea!lessl with the e(isting
water, the air #art a##ears as the bubbles and Aoats u# because of the
di0erence in densit.
2n case the surrounding s#ace is 5lled with so!e other gas, instead of air, the
bubbles will contain that gas.
6or!ation of bubbles is not s#eci5c to water, it can be seen while #ouring
other li"uids, such as oil or hone, as well. However, if the li"uid is viscous,
the bubbles will ta&e !ore ti!e to Aoat u# to the surface.
2f the #ouring is done in a closed envelo#e with near vacuu! condition, there
would not be enough air available to travel with the li"uid strea! and no
bubbles will be observed.
Si!ilarl, if the enclosure has so!e gas that can be readil absorbed b the
li"uid, the gas would get absorbed #artl b the li"uid of the strea! and rest
b the li"uid in the container, resulting in absence of observable bubbles.
PR=6. H. F. SAHE
<utterAies co# their neighbours to
fool birds
The butterA/s wing1#attern variation is due to genes controlling di0erent
ele!ents of the #attern. < changing @ust one gene, the butterA fools its
#redators b !i!ic&ing di0erent butterAies that taste bad.
<utterA legs -taste/ #lants for egg
laing stud
A s#ecies of butterA uses its legs to taste #lants to see which leaves o0er
its eggs the best chance of survival, Ja#anese scientists said Mednesda.
A grou# of researchers sa the have shown for the 5rst ti!e that swallowtail
butterAies have an arra of sensors on their forelegs that allow the! to get a
Aavour of the leaves the land on. The tea!, led b scientists at =sa&a1
based JT <iohistor Research Hall, said the larvae of #lant1eating insects
need s#eci5c t#es of #lants to feed on.
The said the fe!ale/s abilit to select the right #lant on which to la her
eggs is &e to the survival of the larvae when the hatch. Scientists said the
found that swallowtails la eggs onl when the detect the #resence of
s#eci5c che!icals in the leaf as the dru! their forelegs on the surface.
Hew light
The stud casts new light on how di0erent s#ecies use che!ical detection to
boost their chances of survival, the researchers said.
O=ur 5ndings o#en the wa to identifing other rece#tors Kused in the egg
laing #rocessL and to gaining a better understanding of the evolution of host
#lant selection b the butterA,P the said in the stud, #ublished in O Hature
4o!!unications .P : =ur <ureau
4all for !ore awareness on !illet
b#roducts
Though our countr is the largest #roducer of !an &inds of !illets, the are
not as #o#ular as it should be, given their health bene5ts. The !a@or
constraints being the drudger involved in do!estic #rocessing.
8alue addition
OThe value addition through #rocessing technolog received little attention
restricting the utilit range and consu!#tion #atterns of s!all !illet grains.
There is a need to revive and add value to the foods #re#ared fro! such
grains to #ro!ote large scale #roduction and consu!#tion for wider health
bene5ts,P sas Dr. <. Ranganna, ;!eritus Scientist K24ARL, Eniversit of
agricultural sciences, <angalore.
A stud was underta&en to stud the innu!erable value added #roducts
!ade fro! !illets and their #o#ulari'ation at the Eniversit.
24AR has been focusing on increasing the #roduction and #roductivit of all
s!all !illets that are grown in the countr, through its All 2ndia 4o1ordinated
Research Pro@ect on S!all 7illets KHead"uarter is at EAS, <angaloreL.
OMe are #resentl engaged in collection, co!#ilation and docu!entation of
indigenous technical &nowledge K2TFL on #rocessing and utili'ation of s!all
!illets in 2ndia. 2n our research on !a&ing b #roducts fro! !illets we
noticed that traditionall, the !illed rice fro! the selected 5ve s!all !illets
are used for the #re#aration of rice,P he sas.
2n so!e regions the rice is further si'e reduced and used as so@i for u#!a
#re#aration, and also rice is converted into Aour and used for ver!icilli
#re#aration. <eond this no #roduct worth !entioning has been develo#ed
which could reach the urban #o#ulation,P sas Dr. Ranganna.
According to hi! the vision of the scientists is that !alts fro! s!all !illets
should re#lace one da the co!!ercial brands in the !ar&et, since
nutritionall these are on #ar with the! and can be !ade available to #ublic
at half the #rice.
7alt drin&s
O7alt drin&s have been develo#ed out of little !illet, fo(tail !illet, &odo
!illet, #roso !illet and barnard !illet. These #roducts are diabetic friendl
Ke(ce#t the butter biscuitL due to low glce!ic inde(.
OThe !a@or vision of this research stud is to develo# consu!er friendl
nutri1rich value added #roducts that could be well acce#ted b all categor of
#eo#le of the societ,P he adds.
6or !ore details contact Dr. <. Ranganna, ;!eritus Scientist K24ARL, PHT
Sche!e, Eniversit of Agricultural Sciences, <angalore *30 03*, e!ailC
rangannabSg!ail.co!, !obileC 9+)00 10*3)
4all to raise dwarf varieties of coconut
#al!s
Director of State Horticulture 7ission F. Pratha#an has highlighted the need
for growing dwarf varieties of coconut #al!s in Ferala.
High cost of labour for harvesting the cro# has been a handica# to coconut
far!ers. The situation !a turn acute in future, he said.
He was addressing a wor&sho# organised b the All 2ndia 4oconut %rowers/
6ederation here recentl.
High ield
7r. Pratha#an urged the federation to initiate a #ro@ect for raising high1
ielding dwarf varieties in Ferala.
He said the sche!e for cutting o0 senile trees and underta&ing re#lanting
o#erations be underta&en e(tensivel.
He said far!ers should for! clusters and ta&e u# activities of value addition.
Scienti5c a##roach
;arlier, inaugurating the wor&sho#, 4harles Dias, 7P, said coconut far!ing
needed a scienti5c a##roach.
7ore research into !ethods of far!ing and a##ro#riate !ar&eting e0orts
would be re"uired to !a&e the cultivation viable, he said.
High cost of labour for harvesting the cro# has been a handica# to coconut
far!ers
4alorie labelling in the E.S. leads to
!ore awareness
A stud #ublished in the <ritish 7edical Journal sas around a si(th of fast
food custo!ers used calorie infor!ation and, on average, bought food with
lower calories since the introduction of a labelling sste! in the E.S.
=besit rates in the ES are at an all ti!e high in both adults and children and
currentl a third of adults and 1+ #er cent of children and teenagers are
obese.
4usto!ers often underesti!ate the nu!ber of calories in restaurant !eals
and before 200+, nutrition infor!ation was seldo! available at the #oint of
#urchase.
The E.S. researchers found there has been a s!all but #ositive i!#act fro! a
law introduced in 200, in Hew Bor& re"uiring chain restaurants with 1* or
!ore branches nationall to #rovide calorie infor!ation on !enus and !enu
boards in the cit.
The tea! of researchers decided to assess the i!#act of the calorie labelling
regulation on the energ content of individual #urchases at fast food
restaurants in Hew Bor& 4it. Surves were carried out during lunchti!e
hours in s#ring 200+ Kone ear before the regulationL and in s#ring 2009
Knine !onths after its i!#le!entationL at 13, rando!l selected locations of
the to# 11 fast food chains in the cit.
Adult custo!ers #rovided register recei#ts and answered surve "uestions.
Data fro! +,$09 custo!ers in 200+ and ,,),9 custo!ers in 2009 were
analsed.
=verall, there was no decline in calories #urchased across the full sa!#le.
However, three !a@or chains saw signi5cant reductions.
6or e(a!#le, at 7cDonalds, average energ #er #urchase fell b *.$ #er
cent, at Au <on Pain, it fell b 1).) #er cent and at F64, it dro##ed b 3.) #er
cent. Together, these three chains re#resented )2 #er cent of all custo!ers
in the stud. However, average energ content increased at one chain :
Subwa : b 1+., #er cent where large #ortions were heavil #ro!oted.
Analsis also showed that 1* #er cent of custo!ers re#orted using the
calorie infor!ation and, on average, these custo!ers #urchased 103 fewer
&ilocalories than custo!ers who did not see or use the calorie infor!ation. :
=ur <ureau
4a!era that is better than the hu!an
ee
A curvilinear ca!era, !uch li&e the hu!an ee, with the signi5cant feature
of a 'oo! ca#abilit, unli&e the hu!an ee has been develo#ed b
researchers fro! Horthwestern Eniversit and the Eniversit of 2llinois at
Erbana14ha!#aign.
The tuneable ca!era : once o#ti!i'ed : should be useful in !an
a##lications, including night1vision surveillance, robotic vision, endosco#ic
i!aging and consu!er electronics.
The Oeeball ca!eraP has a $.*( o#tical 'oo!, ta&es shar# i!ages, is
ine(#ensive to !a&e and is onl the si'e of a nic&el. KA higher 'oo! is
#ossible with the technolog.L
OMe were ins#ired b the hu!an ee, but we wanted to go beond the
hu!an ee,P said Bonggang Huang of Horthwestern/s 7c4or!ic& School of
;ngineering and A##lied Science, and co1author of the #a#er. O=ur goal was
to develo# so!ething si!#le that can 'oo! and ca#ture good i!ages, and
we/ve achieved that.P
The tin ca!era co!bines the hu!an ee and an e(#ensive single1lens
reAe( KS.RL ca!era with a 'oo! lens. 2t has the si!#le lens of the hu!an
ee, allowing the device to be s!all, and the 'oo! ca#abilit of the S.R
ca!era without the bul& and weight of a co!#le( lens.
The &e is that both the si!#le lens and #hotodetectors are on Ae(ible
substrates, and a hdraulic sste! can change the sha#e of the substrates
a##ro#riatel, enabling a variable 'oo!. ;eball ca!eras develo#ed earlier
had rigid detectors.
The research was #ublished recentl in the re#uted @ournal : Proceedings of
the Hational Acade! of Sciences KPHASL. : =ur <ureau
4an ants forecast earth"ua&es9
O2t can/t be a coincidenceZP thought Elrich Schreiber, a geologist at the
Eniversit of Duisburg1;ssen, when he was bitten b an ant for the
u!#teenth ti!e.
Mh did ants build their nests at the ver s#ot of countrside where he did
research on tectonics9 Thus was born Schreiber/s unusual and controversial
h#othesis, na!el that ants can forecast earth"ua&es.
Hot all ants, !ind ou, but hill1building red wood ants. Schreiber sur!ised
that the ants li&ed to settle on fault sste!s, which is what geologists call
the earth"ua&e1#rone areas of friction between tectonic #lates. According to
Schreiber, gases rising fro! the dee# crust war! the ants/ ho!e. 2n addition,
cavities within the faults !a #rovide hu!idit near the surface that the ants
can use.
6or two ears Schreiber and his universit colleagues have been !onitoring
two anthills in the u#land ;ifel region of western %er!an with Oant ca!sP
around the cloc&.
Peculiar behaviour
The found that the ants behaved in a #eculiar wa when !inor
subterranean earth"ua&es occurred nearb.
The ants then dis#laed unusual nocturnal activit and a##eared !ore
fre"uentl than nor!al on the surface, noted Schreiber, who said he
sus#ected the were reacting to an increase in ascending gases. Nua&e1
related electro!agnetic signals !a also #la a role, he said.
Schreiber travelled to the Abru''o region of central 2tal after the
devastating earth"ua&e in ./A"uila two ears ago and said he had found ant
nests on geological fault lines there, too.
He also wants to do research in 2stanbul, where scientists e(#ect a #owerful
earth"ua&e in the near future.
Although he concedes his research is still #reli!inar, Schreiber said he
5r!l believes that so!eda ants would save hu!an lives b serving as an
earl warning sste! for earth"ua&es.
: DPA
4an chi!#s see sounds9
4an #eo#le be trained to associate colour with sound9 A uni"ue e(#eri!ent
involving si( chi!#s and $$ hu!ans showed that so!e &ind of an
association can be built between the two.
8era .udwig, a cognitive neuroscientist at 4harit^ 7edical Eniversit in
<erlin, %er!an and colleagues fro! the Foto Eniversit 5rst showed the
chi!#s white or blac& bo(es. The were then trained to select s"uares of the
sa!e colour on a screen. <ut each colour was acco!#anied b sound : high
tones for white and low tones for blac&.
During the test, the scientists found that the ani!als correctl #ic&ed the
colour 9$ #er cent of the ti!e when the tone and colour were !atched. The
success rate fell shar#l when the were reversed.
Though hu!ans !ade ver few !ista&es while choosing the correct colour,
the decisions were !ade !ore "uic&l when colour and sound !atchedZ
.udwig suggests that the snaesthesia or associations !ust have been
#resent in the co!!on ancestor of both s#ecies.
<ut a few scientists doubt if such associations are indeed true snaesthesia.
The results were #ublished recentl in the Proceedings of Hational Acade!
of Sciences .
4anada =Fs assisted ding9
As #er a re#ort, assisted suicide should be legall #er!itted for co!#etent
individuals who !a&e a free and infor!ed decision.
4anola oil #rotects against colon
cancer
4anola oil reduces the incidence of colon tu!ours in lab ani!als, suggesting
its use in coo&ing !a #rotect against colon cancer develo#!ent.
4arbon ccling !uch s!aller in last
ice age
A reconstruction of #lants/ #roductivit and the a!ount of carbon stored in
the ocean and terrestrial bios#here at the last ice age b scientists greatl
increases our understanding of natural carbon ccle dna!ics.
4arbon release rate 10 ti!es that in
the #ast
The rate of release of carbon into the at!os#here toda is nearl 10 ti!es
that during the Paleocene1;ocene Ther!al 7a(i!u!, **.9 !illion ears ago,
the best analogue for current global war!ing, sas a geological stud.
4assava can address 8ita!in A
de5cienc
There has been considerable e0ort ai!ed at bioforti5cationT that is,
increasing the a!ounts of available !icronutrients in sta#le cro#s such as
cassava, eaten in !an of the world/s arid regions, to address 8ita!in A
de5cienc.
4assini chronicles life of Saturn/s giant
stor!
Hew i!ages and ani!ated !ovies fro! HASA/s 4assini s#acecraft chronicle
the birth and evolution of the stor! on the northern face of Saturn, for a
ear, fro! its e!ergence as a tin s#ot, to its total encircle!ent of the
#lanet.
4assini delivers holida treats fro!
Saturn
Radio signals Aing clear across the solar sste! fro! HASA/s 4assini
s#acecraft have delivered a holida #ac&age of glorious i!ages , including
those of Saturn/s !oon Titan and other ic baubles orbiting Saturn.
4eiling fan

Mh do the blades of a rotating ceiling fan gather !ore dust than the blades
of a stationar fan Klogicall a rotating fan blade should dis#erse the dustL9
8. JA%AHHATHAH
8isa&ha#atna!, Andhra Pradesh
Bes, logicall, a rotating fan blade should dis#erse the dust. <ut dis#ersal of
dust b fan blades does not #reclude the latter fro! gathering so!e of the
dust. Dis#ersal and gathering of dust b the fan blades are due to di0erent
inde#endent !echanis!s. 2n the #resent case, the act concurrentl and
each one has its own success.
Ta&e a s!all a!ount of ice crea! and throw it gentl unto a wall. 2t would
sli# down b its weight leaving a little onl on the wall on a s!all area. He(t,
ta&e the sa!e a!ount of ice crea! again and throw it, this ti!e, with a
faster throw. Bou can see !ost of the ice crea! stuc& to the wall and widel
s#read.
A little a!ount onl would sli#. .arger the area of contact, larger is the
a!ount a stic& !atter adheres on another surface.
Mhen fan blades rotate, the fan blades !a&e a -hit/ on the dust !atter the
co!e in contact. 2t i!#lies a relative -throw/ of the dust unto the fan blades.
< this i!#act, the otherwise1granular each stic& dust s#ec& s#reads out
li&e a !at over the fan blades holding a larger contact area and thus each
#article has enough gri# on the fan blade to overco!e the gravitational #ull
down and areal wi#e o0. 2n addition, this e(tra !o!entu! allows the stic&
!atter to sin& into the 5ne groves on the surface of the blades.
2n the case of stationar fan blades such i!#act does not originate and
hence the dust #articles which !a co!e in contact to the blades b
convectional <rownian !otion alone would not get s!eared on the surface
and the soon either fall down b gravit or are swe#t awa b the areal
currents.
6urther, a !oving blade harvests !ore dust #articles than a stationar one
b hunting a larger catch!ent area and also b drawing fresh air Kalong with
dustL fro! behind, continuousl. Thus, the chance of encountering stic& dust
#articles is better for the rotating ceiling fan blades than for the stationar
blades.
A. RA7A4HAHDRA2AH
;ditor, 8idarthi 4he&u!u&i
Jana 8ignana 8edi&a
Andhra Pradesh
4ell #hone
Mh are we as&ed to switch o0 our !obile or &ee# in Aight !ode when we
are travelling in a Aight9
F.8. SAHD;;P
Ra@ah!undr, Andhra Pradesh
Air#lanes, soon after ta&eo0 and !uch before landing, A at an altitude of
higher than a &ilo!etre during their Aight. The have to ascend to these high
altitudes for the aerial Aight to avoid turbulence due to clouds and the clear
air turbulence K4ATL #resent at low and nor!al altitudes.
At such high altitudes, the #ilots have to largel de#end on the avionics and
co!#uter1assisted coded signal co!!unications.
The #ilots &now the Aight location and destination besides other
geogra#hical details b guided co!!ands fro! the %lobal Positioning
Sste! K%PSL which lin&s the control tower, air#lane coc&#it and
geostationar satellites.
6urther, the can &now the weather and other !eteorological conditions and
directions of landing and ta&eo0 at the air#orts, onl through wireless
co!!unications fro! the control towers at the air#orts.
2n #oor weather, the #ilots use instru!ent landing sste! K2.SL to 5nd the
runwa. 7ost of these avionics are re!ote o#erations and all the
co!!unications are in wireless radio and !icrowave se!ionics.
All the wireless signal traGc&ing is acco!#lished b !odulated radio and
!icrowave trans!issions which t#e the cell #hones also owe their
functioning to.
2f there are an !obile #hones on board in the cabin of the Aight in - on/
!ode during ta&eo0, Aight and landing, the !icrowave trans!ission between
the !obile #hone towers and the !obile #hones !ight interfere with the
co!!unications the Aights are busil engaged in Kbetween the coc&#it and
the control towersL.
2t is !ainl on this ris& of interference of the !obile #hone !icrowave signals
with the crucial and vital avionics and se!ionics of the Aight o#erations, that
the air #assengers are instructed to &ee# their cell #hones switched o0 or in
Aight !ode.
2n the Aight !ode Kalso &nown as Air#lane !odeL, all wireless radio and
!icrowave co!!unication features are disabled leaving onl the
entertain!ent functions such as !usic #laer, organi'er, ga!es, ca!era and
other as#ects that do not re"uire the radio transceiver hardware activit.
So!e airline o#erators do not #er!it even the Aight !ode and the use of an
&ind of electronic devices on board.
Anwa, the cell #hones cannot serve as #hones on board the Aights
because the cell #hone towers on the ground cannot connect the!selves to
the #hones at such high altitudes and such high Aight s#eeds.
PR=6. A. RA7A4HAHDRA2AH
;ditor, 8idarthi 4he&u!u&i
Jana 8ignana 8edi&a, Andhra Pradesh
4ell #honesC #recautionar a##roach
needed
2n Dece!ber 2010, 7att Par&er, a <ritish !athe!atician, tabulated the
nu!ber of !obile #hone !asts in each count across the Enited Fingdo!
and then !atched it with the nu!ber of live births in the sa!e counties. He
discovered that the correlation was so strong that in areas above nor!al
nu!bers of !obile #hones, he could #redict how !an !ore births above
the national average occurred.
Par&er concluded that for ever additional !obile #hone base station in an
area, the nu!ber of births goes u# b an average of 1+.3 babiesZ
2n realit, !obile #hone !asts have absolutel no bearing on the nu!ber of
births. 7asts do not !a&e #eo#le !ore fertile. There is no causal lin&
between the !asts and the births des#ite the strong correlation.
The nu!ber of !obile #hone trans!itters and the nu!ber of live births are
lin&ed to a third factor, the local #o#ulation si'e. As the #o#ulation of an area
goes u#, so do both the nu!ber of !obile #hone users and the nu!ber of
#eo#le giving birth. 2nstinctivel we tend to assu!e that correlation !eans
that one factor causes the otherZ
Par&er #ublished a #hone #ress release highlighting his 5nding to see
whether !edia outlets would @u!# to the incorrect conclusion that !obile
#hone radiation causes #regnancies. 7ain1strea! !edia ignored the hoa(
release after chec&ing out the facts. So!e readers reacted di0erentl.
OThere were the e(#ected #eo#le who clearl did not actuall read what 2
wrote before seeing the headline and getting e(cited about this a##arent
scare stor, but there were also see!ingl endless co!!ents fro! #eo#le
who understood ! correlation1causalit #ro@ect but could not hel# #utting
forward a #ossible causal lin& anwaP Par&er said.
His headline to The %uardian article O7obile #hone radiation lin&ed to #eo#le
@u!#ing to conclusionsP was a#t.
=ver the ears, there has been di0ering news on the ris&s of radiation fro!
!obile #hones. A MH= boo&let #ublished in 7a 2010, stated that no
adverse health e0ects have been established for !obile #hone use. Studies
are ongoing to assess #otential long1ter! e0ects. MH= noted that there is an
increased ris& of road traGc in@uries when drivers use !obile #hones Keither
handheld or _hands1free_L while driving.
According to HPA KHPA, 7a 1+,2010L, there are thousands of #ublished
scienti5c #a#ers covering research about the e0ects of various t#es of radio
waves on cells, tissues, ani!als and #eo#le. HPA/s views derived fro! the!
were identical to those of the MH=.
Mides#read use
%iven the uncertainties and the wides#read use of !obile #hone technolog,
HPA reco!!ended a #recautionar a##roach.
This included a reco!!endation that e(cessive use of !obile #hones b
children should be discouraged. ;ver countr !ust enforce international
guidelines on !obile #hone technolog.
So!e #ossible e0ect
2n 2009, !e!bers of the 24H2RP K2nternational 4o!!ission on Hon 2oni'ing
Radiation ProtectionT !ost countries have acce#ted the 4o!!ission/s
guidelinesL Standing 4o!!ittee on <iolog noted that there is so!e
evidence of an e0ect of e(#osure to a %lobal Sste! for 7obile
Teleco!!unication K%S7L1t#e signal on the s#ontaneous
electroence#halogra! K;;%L.
This !a be of little functional signi5cance since the did not observe
signi5cant e0ects on cognitive #erfor!ance in adults. The noted that the
e0ect is s!all and e(#osure see!s to i!#rove #erfor!ance.
The authors noted that s!#to!s such as headaches and !igraine had been
attributed to various radiofre"uenc sources both at ho!e and at wor&.
OHowever, in #rovocation studies a causal relation between ;76 e(#osure
and s!#to!s has never been de!onstrated. Pschological factors such as
the conscious e(#ectation of e0ect !a #la an i!#ortant role in this
conditionP KHPA, 7a 2010L.
There were suggestions that radiofre"uenc energ !a cause brain
tu!ours such as glio!a
2n 7a 2010, the 2nter#hone Stud the largest of its &ind in which thirteen
countries including EF, Sweden, 6rance and %er!an collaborated concluded
that overall, no increase in ris& of brain tu!ours was observed with the use
of !obile #hones.
OThere were suggestions of an increased ris& of glio!a at the highest
e(#osure levels, but biases and error #revent a causal inter#retation. The
#ossible e0ects of long1ter! heav use of !obile #hones re"uire further
investigation_K 2nternational J. ;#ide!iolog, 2010L
=ver all, we need not lose slee# on the #otential har! of !obile #hone
radiation. .et us !ini!i'e !obile #hone use as a #recautionar !easure and
discourage children fro! using the!.
F.S. PARTHASARATHB
Ra@a Ra!anna 6ellow, De#art!ent of Ato!ic ;nerg
K &s#arthSahoo.co.u&L
4hanges in #olic can curb #rice rise
to so!e e(tent
Historian M H 7oreland wrote on the agrarian sste! of 7ughal 2ndiaC OThe
#easant is the last #erson to bene5t fro! #rice rise while he is the 5rst to
su0er fro! a fall.P
O2t holds true even toda. 2n s#ite of govern!ent initiatives, the #rices for the
consu!ers continue to rise and the far!ers/ share in the consu!er #rice
&ee#s falling. So!eti!e bac& in A#ril last ear when the #rice of onion cost
Rs.) a &g, no #olitical #art raised concern for the far!ers.
OMhen the #rice suddentl shot u# to Rs.+0 a &g, the !edia and #olitical
#arties went berser& cancelling e(#orts and i!#ort dut, convenientl
forgetting the far!ers,P sas 7r. A@a 8ir Ja&har, 4hair!an, <harat Frisha&
Sa!a@, Hew Delhi.
7e!bers
Hearl one la&h fa!ers are !e!bers of the Sa!a@ s#read across the countr
and !aintain regular contact through !eetings, conventions, se!inars,
training ca!#s, fairs, far!ers e(change #rogra!!es, and e(hibitions.
A !onthl @ournal called -Frisha& sa!achar/ in ;nglish and Hindi and a
!onthl !aga'ine called O6ar!ers foru!P on subscri#tion, are also #ublished
for the bene5t of far!ers.
O%overn!ent should not i!#ort onions,P stresses 7r. A@a. OAbolition of dut
and s!bolic gestures of i!#orts !a suGce for now as the new cro#,
delaed b the unseasonal rains, is starting to arrive,P he adds.
OHistoricall, govern!ents alwas overreact to crises. An abru#t rise in
co!!odit #rices leads to banning of e(#orts. This ha##ens for rice, wheat,
sugarcane and now onions in a bid to reduce food #rices. <ut it does not hel#
in reducing the rate of inAation.
OThe far!er is alwas subsidi'ing the urban consu!er. Hobod see!s to
consider that being the largest section of the countr, far!ers are naturall
also the largest consu!ers the!selves.P
Decreasing ields
Decreasing ields increases the #roduction cost of an cro#. The #rice of the
co!!odit is bound to rise, but beond reasonable li!its, it is unacce#table
to societ.
2t is #ossible through correct interventions that both consu!er and far!er
bene5ts. 8arious changes in #olic can reduce the volatilit to acce#table
li!its.
Mh is the volatilit in food #rices so high9
2t is a fact that volatilit of #rice is inversel #ro#ortional to the !ar&et si'e.
At the world !ar&et, the volatilit is !ini!u! and !a(i!u! at s!aller
!ar&ets.
=ne !ar&et
OAllow one countr to !aintain one !ar&etT re!ove arti5cial boundaries
restricting !ove!ent of food across states boundariesT sto# ta(ing fruits and
vegetables at the 7andi and elsewhereT co!#ensate the States for loss of
revenue 1 the !eagre share of revenue to the States fro! the !andi ta( is
a##ro(i!atel si( #er cent of total #roduce,P he e(#lains.
OThe di0erence in selling #rice on the far! and the #urchase #rice of the
sa!e b a consu!er in the cit in 2ndia, is the highest in the world. 2t is
diGcult to @udge as to who is the greater bene5ciar 1 the wholesale trader or
the street vendor9
2n ! o#inion both wor& in tande! to den the far!er his fair share and the
consu!er his or her savings.P OMh should traders in sab'i!andis be
allowed to control the destin of far!ers, consu!ers, and even
govern!ents9P he as&s.
OTheir #ower ste!s fro! the fact that access to new #laers is controlled b
obsolete regulations.P
There is o##osition to futures !ar&et, but we need to understand that even
though beliefs are i!#ortant, so is science. Standing u# for scienti5c
evidence is crucial.
Redressal sste!
OThe %overn!ent !ust set u# a redressal sste!, sort of a single window
registration and co!#ulsoril use infor!ation technolog for trans#arenc
and eGcienc to bene5t both the far!ers and consu!ers.P
6or !ore details contact 7r. A@a 8ir Ja&har, 4hair!an, <harat Frisha& Sa!a@,
A11 Hi'a!uddin Mest, Hew Delhi111001$, e!ailCa@Sb&s.org.in, #honesC 0 11
[ )3121+0, and 3*3*0$,).
4hea#, #ainless, needle1free
vaccination device develo#ed
%ood news for the needle1#hobic.
Australian scientists have develo#ed a chea# and #ainless -needle1free/
vaccination device that can be self1ad!inistered.
A tea! of 20 researchers led b Professor 7ar& Fendall, fro! the Australian
2nstitute for <ioengineering and Hanotechnolog at The Eniversit of
Nueensland, have develo#ed the Hano#atch, a sta!#1si'ed vaccine deliver
device, that could !a&e vaccination #rogra!!es globall si!#ler and
chea#er.
The Hano#atch, having 20,000 !icro #ro@ections #er s"uare centi!etre, is
designed to directl #lace vaccine into the hu!an s&in, which is rich in
i!!une cells.
And unli&e the needle and sringe, which #laces vaccine into the !uscle :
which has ver few i!!une cells : the Hano#atch #uts it to our i!!une
sweet s#ot.
OAnd b doing that we !a&e vaccines wor& a lot better,P Fendall told PT2.
OThe Hano#atch #otential lies in it being chea#, #ainless, ver e0ective being
trans#orted without refrigeration : and can be given without the need for
e(tensive training,P Fendall said.
The re!oval of the need for refrigeration is achieved b dr1coating vaccine
to the Hano#atch, which could have huge #otential for develo#ing countries
li&e 2ndia, and !an within Africa, he said.
The Morld Health =rganisation esti!ates *0 #er cent of vaccines in Africa do
not wor& #ro#erl because the -cold chain/ has been bro&en.
2n a #ande!ic, the reduced dose would also !a&e it easier for govern!ents
to su##l suGcient vaccine to the #ublic, he added.
The new device is si!#le as it does not need a trained #ractitioner to
ad!inister the vaccine.
The Hano#atch has to be worn to @ust 2 !inutes or even less, thus giving a
#ain1free i!!unisation, he said.
The vaccine could hit !ar&ets in ne(t 10 ears, Fendall said. The Hano#atch,
described as a Ovaccine uto#iaP has recentl won Prof Fendall and his tea!
the 2011 ;ure&a Pri'e for ;(cellence in Research b an 2nterdisci#linar
Tea!.
The #ri'e is #art of the Australian 7useu! ;ure&a Pri'es. : PT2
4hea#er, !ore eGcient solar #anels
#ossible9
Stanford researchers have found that adding a single laer of organic
!olecules to a solar cell can increase its eGcienc three1fold and could lead
to chea#er, !ore eGcient solar #anels.
4he!ical defences of #lants to save
#ollen
7an Aowering #lants have evolved Aower structures that #revent #ollinators
such as bees fro! ta&ing too !uch #ollen. How it is found that #lants also
use che!ical defences to #rotect their #ollen fro! so!e bees.
4he!ical in crude oil lin&ed to heart
disease
A new stud of the health e0ects of the 2010 oil s#ill in the %ulf of 7e(ico
shows that foetal e(#osure to a che!ical in crude oil is associated with an
increased ris& of congenital heart disease.
4he!ical !a&eu# of %ulf oil #lu!e
e(#lained
At +0 !gQ., the oil co!#onent of the %ulf oil s#ill/s #lu!e sa!#led in June
2010 essentiall co!#rised ben'ene, toluene, ethben'ene, and total
(lenes. The e(act adverse e0ects to undersea life are not &nown et.
4hernoblC !ore light on health
e0ects needed
The 2*th anniversar of the accident at the 4hernobl nuclear #ower station
was on A#ril 23, this ear. The accident caused large scale releases of
radioactive !aterials into the environ!ent. Design de5ciencies and o#erator
errors caused the accident.
The Enited Hations Scienti5c 4o!!ittee on the ;0ects of Ato!ic Radiation
KEHS4;ARL con5r!ed that 1$) #lant sta0 su0ered acute radiation sndro!e
KARSL. 7an of the! had s&in in@uries caused b intense beta radiation
K EHS4;AR 200,, A#ril 2011L. Twent eight of these sta0 died. A!ong the
#ersons who su0ered ARS, 19 died before 2003. The died because of
various reasons, not related to radiation e(#osure.
Hew 5ndings
A!ong the ARS survivors, there is clear evidence of s&in in@uries and
radiation induced cataracts. A!ong several hundred thousand #ersons who
#artici#ated in recover o#erations, there are indications that those who
received higher doses had increases in the incidence of leu&ae!ia and
cataracts. There is no evidence of other radiation e(#osure related health
e0ects.
EHS4;AR found that the threshold dose of induction of cataract is lower than
#reviousl thought. There are indications of an increase in the incidence of
cardiovascular and cerebro1vascular diseases a!ong the recover o#eration
wor&ers that correlate with the esti!ated dosesT the 4o!!ittee conceded
that the inAuence of confounding factors and #otential stud biases re!ain.
The throid doses to so!e !e!bers of the #ublic were high. < 2003, the
nu!ber of throid cancers rose to 3000. This was avoidable if the authorities
initiated #ro!#t !easures against consu!#tion of !il& conta!inated with
iodine11$1. Substantial fraction of throid cancers was found a!ong those
who were children or adolescents in 19,3. Throid cancers are curable.
However, b 200*, 1* of the! died.
Ho other e0ects
EHS4;AR 200, con5r!ed its earlier assertion that to date, there has been
no #ersuasive evidence of an other health e0ect in the general #o#ulation.
7ost of the wor&ers and !e!bers of the #ublic were e(#osed to low level
radiation co!#arable to or, at !ost, a few ti!es higher than the annual
natural bac&ground levelsT these e(#osures will continue to decrease as the
de#osited radioactivit decas or is further dis#ersed in the environ!ent.
Since EHS4;AR #ublished the last re#ort, researchers esti!ated the throid
doses to an additional 1*0,000 e!ergenc and recover o#eration wor&ers.
Researchers also e(tended the data on the esti!ated throid doses and
e0ective doses fro! 5ve !illion to about 100 !illion inhabitants of <elarus,
the Russian 6ederation and E&raineT the u#dated si!ilar data on *00 !illion
residents of !ost other ;uro#ean countries.
EHS4;AR noted that several studies have now been conducted that #rovide
rather consistent esti!ates of the radiation ris& factors for throid cancer.
4ontroversies
Nuantitative esti!ates of the health e0ects due the 4hernobl accident are
!ired in controvers. Di0erent interest grou#s have arrived at di0erent
esti!ates.
8irtuall none but the !ost scienti5c grou#s cautioned against esti!ating
the #ro@ected health conse"uences such as deaths fro! ver low doses to
large sections of the #o#ulations. Such esti!ates are not scienti5call
su##ortable.
The total nu!ber of deaths due to the accident is 32 : )+ #lant sta0 and 1*
#ersons due to throid cancer. ;(ce#t in areas ver close to the stric&en
4hernobl reactor, increases in doses were low, often within the changes in
the natural bac&ground radiation #resent ever where.
2n A#ril 2003, %reen#eace 2nternational esti!ated that fro! 19,3 to 20*3,
over 9$,000 #ersons will die due to cancer arising out of radiation e(#osure
fro! the accident.
According to another co!#ilation O4hernoblC 4onse"uences of the
4atastro#he for Peo#le and ;nviron!entP #ublished in Dece!ber 2009,
9,*,000 #ersons worldwide died due to 4hernobl fallout fro! 19,) to 200)Z
Since the authors used the #ublication services of the Hew Bor& Acade! of
Sciences, the esti!ate got wide #ublicit. Soon after its #ublication, the
Acade! distanced itself fro! the boo& stating that the e(#ressed views are
those of the authors or b advocac grou#s or individuals with s#eci5c
o#inions about the 4hernobl volu!e. The Acade! asserted that it is not a
wor& co!!issioned b it.
2nterestingl, Rod Ada!s who is hi!self an ato!ic energ activist listed
several reasons to argue that the boo& is not a legiti!ate acade! re#ort.
K Ato!ic 2nsights, Se#t 1$, 2010L.He noted that the #reface of the re#ort
states that the writing of the re#ort was underta&en with the initiative of
%reen#eace 2nternationalZ
.et us ho#e that EHS4;AR will be able to throw !ore light on the health
e0ects of radiation in its future re#orts.
F.S. PARTHASARATHB
K Ra@a Ra!anna 6ellow, De#art!ent of Ato!ic ;nergL &s#arthSahoo.co.u&
4hi!#s are self1awareC stud
4hi!#an'ees are self1aware and can antici#ate the i!#act of their actions on
the environ!ent around the!, an abilit once thought to be uni"uel hu!an,
according to a stud released Mednesda.
The 5ndings, re#orted in the Proceedings of the Roal Societ <, challenge
assu!#tions about the boundar between hu!an and non1hu!an, and shed
light on the evolutionar origins of consciousness, the researchers said.
Ta&aa&i Fane&o and 7asa&i To!onaga of the Pri!ate Research 2nstitute in
Foto designed a series of three e(#eri!ents to see if chi!#s, our closest
cousins geneticall, to so!e e(tent -thin&/ li&e hu!ans when the #erfor!
certain tas&s.
The 5rst e(#eri!ent
2n the 5rst, three fe!ales initiated a video ga!e b #lacing a 5nger on a
touch1sensitive screen and then used a trac&ball, si!ilar to a co!#uter
!ouse, to !ove one of two cursors.
The !ove!ent of the second cursor, designed to distract or confuse the
chi!#s, was a recording of gestures !ade earlier b the sa!e ani!al and
set in !otion b the co!#uter. The -ga!e/ ended when the ani!al hit a
target, or after a certain la#se of ti!e. At this #oint, the chi!# had to identif
with his 5nger which of the two cursors he had been !ani#ulating, and
received a reward if she chose correctl. All three ani!als scored above 90
#ercent.
OThis indicates that the chi!#an'ees were able to distinguish the cursor
actions controlled b the!selves fro! those caused b other factors, even
when the #hsical #ro#erties of those actions were al!ost identical,P the
researchers said.
Still not clear
<ut it was still not clear whether the good #erfor!ance was trul due to the
abilit to discern Oself1agenc,P or to observing visual cues and clues, so the
researchers devised another set of conditions.
This ti!e the co!#ared two tests. The 5rst was the sa!e as in the #revious
e(#eri!ent.
2n the second, however, both cursors !oved inde#endentl of e0orts to
control the!, one a re#eat of !ove!ents the chi!# had generated in an
earlier e(ercise, and the other a re#eat of an -deco/ cursor. The trac&ball, in
essence, was un#lugged, and had no connection to the screen.
2f the ani!als #erfor!ed well on the 5rst test but #oorl on the second, the
scientists reasoned, it would suggest that the were not si!#l res#onding to
visual #ro#erties but &new the were in charge.
The 5nal e(#eri!ent
The 5nal e(#eri!ent : used onl for the !ost talented of the chi!#s :
introduced a ti!e dela between trac&ball and cursor, as if the two were out
of snc, and a distortion in the direction the cursor !oved on the screen.
All the results suggested that Ochi!#an'ees and hu!ans share funda!ental
cognitive #rocesses underling the sense of being an inde#endent agent,P
the researchers concluded.
OMe #rovide the 5rst behavioural evidence that chi!#an'ees can #erfor!
distinctions between self and other for e(ternal events on the basis of a self1
!onitoring #rocess.P : A6P
4hi!#s s#ontaneousl generous, after
all
4hi!#s have a signi5cant bias for #rosocial behaviour, sas a stud. This
contrasts #revious studies that showed chi!#s as reluctant altruists, and led
to the belief that hu!an altruis! evolved after hu!ans s#lit fro! a#es.
4hina/s a!bitious s#ace #rogra!
This ear, a roc&et will carr a bo(car1si'ed !odule into orbit, the 5rst
building bloc& for a 4hinese s#ace station. Around 201$, 4hina #lans to
launch a lunar #robe that will set a rover loose on the !oon. 2t wants to #ut a
!an on the !oon, so!eti!e after 2020.
Mhile the Enited States is still wor&ing out its ne(t !ove after the s#ace
shuttle #rogra!, 4hina is forging ahead. So!e e(#erts worr the E.S. could
sli# behind 4hina in hu!an s#aceAight the real! of s#ace science with the
!ost #restige.
4hina is still far behind the E.S. in s#ace technolog and e(#erience, but
what it doesn/t lac& is a #lan or 5nancial resources. Mhile E.S. #rogra!s can
fall victi! to budgetar worries or a change of govern!ent, ra#idl growing
4hina a##ears to have no such constraints.
O=ne of the biggest advantages of their sste! is that the have 5ve1ear
#lans so the can develo# well ahead,P said Peter <ond, consultant editor for
Jane/s S#ace Sste!s and 2ndustr. OThe are ta&ing a ste#1b1ste#
a##roach, ta&ing their ti!e and graduall i!#roving their ca#abilities. The
are #utting all the #ieces together for a ver ca#able, advanced s#ace
industr.P
2n 200$, 4hina beca!e the third countr to send an astronaut into s#ace on
its own, four decades after the Enited States and Russia. 2n 2003, it sent its
5rst #robe to the !oon. 2n 200,, 4hina carried out its 5rst s#acewal&.
4hina/s s#ace station is slated to o#en around 2020, the sa!e ear the
2nternational S#ace Station is scheduled to close. 2f the E.S. and its #artners
don/t co!e u# with a re#lace!ent, 4hina could have the onl #er!anent
hu!an #resence in the s&.
2ts s#ace laborator !odule, due to be launched later this ear, will test
doc&ing techni"ues for the s#ace station. 4hina/s version will be s!aller than
the 2nternational S#ace Station.
So!e ele!ents of 4hina/s #rogra!, notabl the 5ring of a ground1based
!issile into one of its dead satellites four ears ago, have alar!ed A!erican
oGcials and others who sa such !oves could set o0 a race to !ilitari'e
s#ace. 4hina, having orbited the !oon and starting collecting data on it, is
!oving toward sending a !an there and beond.
2t ho#es to launch the rover1releasing !oon #robe in about two ears.
4hinese e(#erts believe a !oon landing will ha##en in 202* at the earliest.
OThe lunar #robe is the starting #oint for dee# s#ace e(#loration,P said Mu
Meiren, chief designer of 4hina/s !oon1e(#loring #rogra!, in a 2010
interview #osted on the national s#ace agenc/s website.
OMe 5rst need to do a good @ob of e(#loring the !oon and wor& out the
roc&et, trans#ortation and detection technolog that can then be used for a
future e(#loration of 7ars or 8enus.P : AP
4hina/s lunar #robe to bring bac&
roc&s
4hina #lans to send a drilling !achine on board its 5fth lunar #robe, 4hang/e1
*, in 201+ to drill the !oon surface dee# and bring bac& roc& sa!#les to the
earth, a to# 4hinese s#ace scientist said toda.
4hang/e1* will carr a lunar landing #robe, lunar surface #atrol device and
other e"ui#!ent, said Be Pei@ian, chief designer of 4hang/e11, the countr/s
5rst !oon #robe, and chief co!!ander of the 4hang/e12 and 4hang/e1$
!issions.
O4hang/e1* will also carr a drilling !achine to get !oon roc& fro! a de#th
of two !eters underground,P he told oGcial !edia here. 4hina launched its
5rst lunar #robe, 4hang/e11, na!ed after the countr/s !thical 7oon
%oddess, on =ct 2), 200+.
The #robe ended its 131!onth !ission on 7arch 1, 2009, when it crashed
into the !oon/s surface.
The second lunar #robe, 4hang/e12, was launched on =ct 1 last ear. 4hina
#lans to its third un!anned #robe to the !oon, 4hang/e1$, in 201$.
OA soft1landing on !oon will be a !ain ai! for 4hang/e1$,P Be said, adding a
4hina1designed !oon rover would land with 4hang/e1$.
The !oon rover is a robot that can !ove and acco!#lish co!#licated tas&s
of detecting, collecting and analsing sa!#les.
According to 4hina/s three1#hase !oon e(#loration #lan, the 5rst #hase was
the launch of 4hang/e12. The second will be when 4hang/e1$ lands on the
!oon in 201$.
Then, in 201+, a !oon roc& sa!#le will be returned to earth.
4holera #ande!ic has origins in <a
of <engal
Mhole geno!e se"uencing reveals that the #articular cholera t#e
res#onsible for the current #ande!ic can be traced bac& to an ancestor that
5rst a##eared )0 ears ago in the <a of <engal and then s#read in !ulti#le
waves.
4holera vaccination #ost1outbrea&
bene5cial
7ass cholera vaccinations can be bene5cial in a0ected areas even after
outbrea&s of the bacterial disease, according to two studies b researchers
fro! the Seoul1based 2nternational 8accine 2nstitute K282L.
Results of the studies recentl a##eared in P.oS Heglected Tro#ical Diseases.
;(#erts sa the 5ndings are es#eciall signi5cant in light of the outbrea& of
cholera, &nown as Othe #oor !an/s disease,P in Haiti, which was hit b a
!assive earth"ua&e in Januar 2010. 4lean water and ade"uate sanitation
are ver essential.
<ut the are et to beco!e a realit in !an countries even after !an
decades.
Role less clear
According to an ;ditorial #ublished in the sa!e issue of the @ournal, the role
#laed b cholera vaccine once an outbrea& has started is less clear. ;ver
ear, three to 5ve !illion #eo#le are infected with the 8ibrio cholerae
bacteriu!, the causative agent of cholera. 2n one of the studies, an oral
vaccine containing &illed cholera #athogens that was ad!inistered during a
cholera outbrea& in Hanoi three ears ago had #rotective eGcac of +3 #er
cent.
Reactive use of &illed oral cholera vaccines #rovides #rotection against the
disease and !a be a #otential tool in ti!es of outbrea&s. 6urther studies
!ust be conducted to con5r! these,P the stud/s authors wrote.
Another stud evaluated the #otential bene5t of reactive cholera vaccination
ca!#aigns using e(isting data fro! cholera outbrea&s to si!ulate the
nu!ber of #reventable cholera cases.
O;ven a delaed res#onse can save a substantial nu!ber of cases and
deaths in long, drawn1out outbrea&s,P the authors of the stud wrote. : DPA
4la #ellet !ethod of rice cultivation
!a(i!ises ield
O2n our culture, innovation is dubbed as cra'iness, but our success lies in
identifing !ore /cra'/ #eo#le so that the innovation revolution can s#read
across the countr. The #resent generation is fast losing out on scienti5c
&nowledge. 2n the last several ears we are losing !an such a0ordable
scienti5c &nowledge due to sheer neglect,P sas Prof F. Anil %u#ta, 8ice
4hair!an, Hational 2nnovation 6oundation, Ah!edabad.
.ac& of su##ort
O6unds crunch, lac& of ade"uate assistance fro! govern!ent oGcials and
#rivate sector 5r!s, and lac& of awareness a!ong #eo#le are the !ain
deterrents in identifing such rural innovations as a national !ove!ent,P
adds Prof Anil, who calls for considerable !ore interest fro! science and
technolog institutions in validating, value adding in #eo#le1driven
&nowledge and innovations.
<esides being cost1e0ective and eco1friendl, these #otential scienti5c
discoveries need to be co!!ercialised and even e(#orted, adds Prof Anil.
Source of idea
Ta&e the e(a!#le of a si!#le far!er Ra! Abhilash Patel fro! Allahabad,
Ettar Pradesh. 7r. Ra! develo#ed a conce#t of sowing #add seeds inserted
in cla #ellets. The far!er clai!s that he got this idea fro! within the
household.
O2 noticed that children !ade cla #ellets for #laing and used to throw the!
awa. Suddenl during !onsoon, 2 used to notice a s!all seedling growing
fro! the wet #ellet.
OThis ins#ired !e to tr using the sa!e !ethod for growing #add,P he
e(#lains.
6inding the right &ind of cla soil #osed a #roble!. =ther soil t#es tend to
brea& under #ressure while #ushing the #add seeds into the!.
%er!inate well
The seeds can be easil inserted inside cla and re!ain safe during sowing
and later ger!inate well.
Pond or river soil is !i(ed thoroughl with $1) #add seeds to !a&e s!all
balls of #ellets. The #ellets are !ade during A#ril 1 7a and dr within 21$
hours.
OPond soil is ver fertile and hel#s in !ini!i'ing weeds,P e(#lains 7r. Patel.
The far!er is #ractising this !ethod for the last 1* ears and i!#ressed b
it, !an others in the region are doing the sa!e.
OThe #ellets can be sown !anuall or b using a seed drill. Rows are !ade
facing east to west or vice1versa so that the ger!inating #lant gets a!#le air
and sunlight. This !ethod saves both ti!e and !one and the need to
#re#are a nurser for #add #lants does not arise,P he sas.
< ado#ting the conventional nurser !ethod, #add cro#s ta&e
a##ro(i!atel 130 das to !ature while using this techni"ue it ta&es onl
about 1)* das.
Maiting ti!e reduced
6ar!ers need not wait for !onsoon to start sowing under this !ethod. As
#ondQ river soil, is fertile, the de#endence on fertili'ers is reduced and as the
seeds are in a !ud shell the are #rotected fro! birds etc. The #rocess also
saves water as no standing water is needed in the 5eld.
<etter out#ut
O7ost i!#ortantl, the out#ut gets !a(i!i'ed b this !ethod. 7r. Ra!
Abhilash #roved e(#eri!entall b cultivating #add in a 5eld b all three
!ethods na!el #ellet, nurser, and direct sowing. The #add #roduction
using these !ethods was 1.+, 1.* and 1.) tonnes res#ectivel,P sas Prof
Anil.
Though so!e #roducts are being co!!erciall !anufactured and e(#orted,
there are !illions of ideas such as 7r. Ra!/s, waiting for assistance in ter!s
of funds, technical and design su##ort.
6or !ore details contact 7r. Ra! Abhilash Patel, 8ill. Ti&ari, Po. Fanti,
Allahabad, Ettar Pradesh 21210+, 7obileC 0,12+199,**.
4li!ate change cutting ocean/s 4= >1
2? u#ta&e
Rising te!#eratures are slowing carbon absor#tion across a large #ortion of
the subtro#ical Horth Atlantic. Mar!er water cannot hold as !uch carbon
dio(ide, so the ocean/s carbon ca#acit is decreasing as it war!s.
4li!ate change, hu!an factors will hit
5sheries
4li!ate change and other hu!an1led factors will drive !an 5sh s#ecies
further towards the #oles and into dee#er waters. Mhile 5sheries in a few
regions, such as the far north, !a bene5t, !an other regions will lose
revenues.
4lown 5sh fall #re to #redators in
acidic seas
<ab clown5sh use hearing to detect and avoid #redator1rich coral reefs
during the dati!e, but new research de!onstrates that ocean acidi5cation
could threaten this crucial behaviour b a0ecting their hearing abilit.
-2+ club/ h#othesis is incorrect
The list of well &nown !usicians who have died at age 2+ !a loo& li&e !ore
than a coincidence : A! Minehouse, Ji! 7orrison, Ji!i Hendri(, Janis
Jo#lin, Furt 4obain, and <rian Jones to na!e a few : but their age is unli&el
to have been the cause of their de!ise, according to research #ublished in
the <ritish 7edical Journal.
Mhile fa!e !a increase the ris& of death for !usicians, #robabl due to
their roc& and roll lifestle, this ris& is not li!ited to age 2+, sa the authors
led b Adrian <arnett fro! Nueensland Eniversit of Technolog in Australia.
To test the O2+ clubP h#othesis, the authors co!#ared the !ortalit of
fa!ous !usicians with that of the EF #o#ulation. The included 1,0)3
!usicians Ksolo artists and band !e!bersL who had a nu!ber one albu! in
the EF charts between 19*3 and 200+.
During this #eriod K19*31200+L it was found that +1 K+ #er centL of the
!usicians died.
The sa!#le included crooners, death !etal stars, roc& /n/ rollers and even
7u##ets Kthe actors, not the #u##etsL. The total follow1u# ti!e was 21,+*0
!usician ears.
The authors used !athe!atical analsis to deter!ine the signi5cance of age
2+. The found no #ea& in the ris& of death at this age, however !usicians in
their 20s and $0s were two to three ti!es !ore li&el to die #re!aturel
than the general EF #o#ulation.
The research tea! found so!e evidence of a cluster of deaths in those aged
20 to )0 in the 19+0s and earl 19,0s. <ut there were no deaths in this age
grou# in the late ,0s.
The authors s#eculate that this could be due to better treat!ents for heroin
overdose, or the change in the !usic scene fro! the hard roc& 19+0s to the
#o# do!inated 19,0s.
The authors conclude that the O2+ clubP is based on !th, but warn that
!usicians have a generall increased ris& of ding throughout their 20s and
$0s. The saC OThis 5nding should be of international concern, as !usicians
contribute greatl to #o#ulations/ "ualit of life, so there is i!!ense value in
&ee#ing the! alive Kand wor&ingL as long as #ossible.P : =ur <ureau
4lustered hurricanes/ lower i!#act on
reefs
6or a given long ter! rate of hurricanes Ke.g., once #er decadeL, clustered
events are less da!aging than rando! ones as the give reefs ti!e to
recover. 4onsidering this hel#s #redict the future of coral reefs accuratel.
4lutch o#eration
Mh do we have to release the clutch slowl for the 5rst gear while driving
vehicles, whereas for the subse"uent gears we can release the clutch with
ease9
SHAHASAH H=ESHAD
Hubli, Faranata&a
The #ri!ar function of the clutch is to disconnect the engine fro! the
re!aining #arts of the #ower trans!ission sste! at the will of the driver b
the use of a suitable lever thereb #er!itting the engine to run without
driving the vehicle.
A clutch usuall consists of two !e!bers that are #ositivel driven b the
engine and the third which connects the trans!ission to the wheel. The 5rst
two !e!bers are the clutch and the #ressure #lates which are #resent in the
vicinit of the engine to transfer the #ower to third co!#onent which is the
5nal drive unit Kchain or a shaftL.
The clutch #lates are friction surfaces and are designed so that the driven
!e!ber Kthe wheelL is graduall brought to s#eed b the driving !e!ber
Kthe engineL. These two co!#onents sli# on each other until all the
co!#onents co!e to an e"ual s#eed after which there is a 5r! contact of
the frictional co!#onents.
The drive is !ade #ossible b the friction between these co!#onents and is
&e#t !aintained b s#ring #ressure #resent in the clutch which #revents
sli##ing during nor!al running.
Mhen we start the vehicle fro! a stand1still #osition, the force that the
engine has to overco!e to get the vehicle !oving is the friction between the
tres and the road surface and it is #ro#ortional to the weight of the vehicle
and the contact surface area of the tres.
To get the vehicle !oving, the driver engages the clutch and then shifts to
the #ri!ar gear whose gear ratio is such that when engaged, the 5nal drive
!oves at a considerabl lesser s#eed when co!#ared to the engine.
=nce the vehicle is !oving, the clutch is used onl to disengage the engine
to shift across the gears based u#on necessit. Mhen in a higher s#eed, the
gradual release of the clutch !a not be necessar because of the gear
ratios and the t#e of clutch used.
2n a wet t#e clutch the oil along with the s#ring #ressure #rovides enough
da!#ing to counter the sudden sli# thereb reducing the @er&. Mhereas in a
dr t#e clutch, the sudden release creates a @er& at all s#eeds till a
co!#lete contact is established. 2t can be 5nall said that the o#eration of
the clutch is governed b the vehicle class, t#e of clutch and the e(#erience
of the driver.
PRA<HAFAR J=HHA.A%ADDA
Hderabad
4= >12? !a&es life diGcult for algae
Hew research shows that coccoliths, which are an i!#ortant #art of the
!arine environ!ent, dissolve when seawater acidi5es.
4oconutC origin and east1west s#read
fro! Asia
That over 12 !illion hectares of coconut are grown across ,9 tro#ical
countries is #roof enough of their geogra#hical s#read. <ut whether the
coconuts K4ocos nucifera ..L, belonged to the sa!e genetic t#e or were
ad!i(tures was not &nown till recentl. That "uestion has been 5nall
answered.
Two #o#ulations
According to a #a#er #ublished recentl in theP.oS =H;@ournal, coconuts
have @ust two well de5ned and di0erentiated #o#ulations re#resenting two
se#arate locations where the were cultivated : the Paci5c basin and the
2ndo1Atlantic =cean basin. OThis #attern suggests inde#endent origins of
coconut cultivation in these two world regions,P the authors state.
;arlier atte!#ts to 5nd their #lace of origin were constrained as the were
based on !or#holog and not DHA studies. However, the current stud used
DHA analsis. About 1,$00 coconuts fro! di0erent #arts of the world were
collected for the stud.
The authors found that coconuts of the Paci5c basin K%rou# AL occur
#ri!aril in the region s#anning Southeast Asia to the Paci5c coast of
A!erica. The other grou# K%rou# <L, which re#resents the 2ndo1Atlantic
=cean basin, s#ans fro! South Asia to the 4aribbean Kvia Mest Africa and
the Hew Morld AtlanticL.
Those that contain genetic evidence of ad!i(ture occur #ri!aril in the
southwestern 2ndian =cean.
The di0erences
2n the case of the Paci5c basin grou#, the coconuts were ver li&el to have
been 5rst cultivated in Southeast Asia : Phili##ines, 7alasia, 2ndonesia. 2n
the case of the 2ndo1Atlantic =cean basin grou#, the li&el centre of 5rst
cultivation was the southern #eri#her of 2ndia, including Sri .an&a, the
7aldives, and the .accadives.
This shows that the 5rst cultivation occurred in Asia and s#read in both
eastward and westward directions across the Paci5c and Atlantic =ceans
res#ectivel.
=f the two grou#s, the one that s#ans fro! S; Asia to the Paci5c =cean has
greater nu!ber of subgrou#s. And this reAects the grou#/s greater
#henot#ic diversit Kobservable characteristics or traits such as !or#holog
or #hsiologL.
The grou# that !oved westward fro! 2ndia is re#resented b a single genetic
sub#o#ulation.
%enetic diversit
The two grou#s re#resent about a third of the genetic diversit. According to
Fenneth =lsen of the Mashington Eniversit, St. .ouis, 7issouri, the one1third
diversit within a single s#ecies #rovides conclusive evidence of the two1
origin theor.
Two t#es
4oconuts can be broadl divided into two t#es based on their !or#holog.
Those which have oblong, triangular sha#e with #lent of 5brous hus& are
calledniu &afa.
The second t#e Kniu vaiL has a !ore rounded sha#e and is brightl coloured
with a greater #ro#ortion of li"uid endos#er!.
4oconuts that s#read westward are theniu &afa t#e, while those that s#read
eastward and till the Paci5c =cean are the !ore roundedniu vai t#e.
Trade routes
<ut the stud gains i!#ortance as the stud of the genetic !aterial is in line
with the well &nown #rehistoric trade routes. The eastward !ove!ent is
!ore li&el to have ha##ened around 2,2*0 ears ago.
The grou# that !oved westward fro! 2ndia to reach the Atlantic was after
8asco da %a!a/s 1)9, e(#edition to the 2ndian =cean, the authors note.
These coconuts !oved fro! 2ndia to Africa and to <ra'il before 5nall
reaching the 4aribbean. 2t was #ri!aril due to ;uro#ean introductions, the
note.
4ollective far!ing b wo!en in Ferala
Ferala wo!en/s collective far!ing initiative, billed as the largest livelihood
venture of the &ind in the countr b transfor!ing wo!en labourers into
!aster cultivators, is all set to e!erge as a role !odel for the entire countr
under the 12 >\t? >\h? 6ive Bear Plan.
After grou# far!ing, another revolutionar initiative b Fudu!bashree, an
innovative co!!unit based wo!en1oriented initiative, %overn!ent of
Ferala to 5ght #overt caught the attention of !an.
Planning co!!ission
A tea! of the wor&ing grou# on disadvantaged far!er including wo!en,
under the Planning 4o!!ission, was in Ferala to get a 5rst1hand e(#erience
of it before 5nali'ing its re#ort for the ne(t Plan #eriod.
The tea! also visited di0erent areas and noted the best #ractices and
successful !odels to be incor#orated in its re#ort to be sub!itted b
Se#te!ber end.
6irst #ro@ect
This is the 5rst #ro@ect sanctioned b the 7ahila Fisan Sasahthi&aran
Pario@ana K7FSPL b the 4entre and was launched to ensure food securit
both at household and co!!unit levels.
Sas Fudu!bashree e(ecutive director S!t. Sarada 7uraleedharanC
.OThis is basicall a livelihood initiative to enhance the "ualit of life in the
societ, es#eciall a!ong the wea&er sections.
O2t could bring about an all1round i!#rove!ent in the lives of wo!en who
were !erel wor&ers and now the are successful cultivators,P
Di0erent cro#s
The wo!en are into cultivation of #add, tuber cro#s, food cro#s, vegetables,
s#reading a silent revolution in State b earning e(tra to hel# the!selves
and fa!ilies.
So!e of the grou#s have literall turned barren tracts of lands into highl
fertile 5elds. At Pera!bra in Fo'hi&ode district, the !e!bers cultivated at a
#lace which was fallow land for $0 ears.
A canal, infected with sna&es and water hacinths and waste !aterials was
cleaned b 100) wor&ers including ,+9 wo!en to irrigate this land where *9
grou#s cultivated 10+ acres for #add, while four grou#s went for banana
cultivation in 5ve acres.
OThis ti!e, we will not go to !ar&et to bu rice as we have stoc&ed enough
for the fa!il for the 5rst ti!e in ! life,// sas =!ana, fro! 2du&&i district.
=ne of &e achieve!ents of the #ro@ect is to !a&e the fa!ilies self1suGcient
in the case of food cro#s. 6or !ore details visit www.&udu!bashree.org
4o!et .ove@o sna##ed at
observator in 4hile
The recentl discovered 4o!et .ove@o has been ca#tured in stunning
#hotos and ti!e1la#se video ta&en fro! the ;uro#ean Southern
=bservator/s Paranal =bservator in 4hile.
4o!!on algae re!oves nuclear
waste
An enhanced understanding of a co!!on freshwater algae/s abilit to
re!ove strontiu! fro! water could hel# treat nuclear waste.
4o!!unit based organisations will
solve !an #roble!s
The %overn!entIs clai! about agricultural #roduction achieving a record of
2)1 !illion tonnes raises a #ertinent "uestion as to how far this can translate
into alleviating #overt and reducing hunger inde( in the countr, sas Dr.8.
Ra@ago#al, President, Societ for Hunger ;li!ination KSH;L, Tiru#ati, Andhra
Pradesh.
The Societ wor&s with a !issionar a##roach to care for far!ers, those
below #overt, and starving 2ndians.
6ooling the #ublic
OMhile data on far!ersI suicides is available in the countr, there is harld
an #ro@ection on starvation deaths occurring in !an tribal and rural areas.
Does the %overn!ent want the #ublic to believe that everthing is 5ne with
food securit9P he wonders.
OMh does the %overn!ent want to #rovide subsidised grains to the general
Kabove #overt lineL categor, who are alread bene5ted !ostl b the #rice
inde( based dearness allowances twice ever ear to !eet food inAation9,P
is his ne(t "uestion.
7ore holistic
6ood securit should be !ade !ore holistic than @ust #roviding onl cereal
based food : an inco!#lete food bas&et to the #oor who need health and
nutrition securit !ore than the fa!ilies above the #overt line.
O2s not the !is!atch between the food #roduction and chronic hunger
a!ong over )00 !illion 2ndians visible to the %overn!ent9 Mh are the
turning a blind ee to this star& and ugl realit9P he as&s angril. Dr.
Ra@ago#al urges the %overn!ent to wor& on a strateg to substantiall the
reduce hunger inde( to !eet the target of the 7illenniu! Develo#!ent
%oals of the Enited Hations.
Mhatever ste#s the %overn!ent has ta&en so far are not enough and onl
lac&lustre, see!s to be his view.
Hew initiatives with innovative ideas alone can solve the #roble! to so!e
e(tent bac&ed b strong #olitical will to !a&e our countr hunger freeT
otherwise the nu!ber of hungr #eo#le will !ount further, according to hi!.
Hational sha!e
O2s it not a national sha!e that 2ndia is being #laced alongside countries li&e
;thio#ia and Rwanda on the hunger inde(. Mhere has all the !one
sanctioned for rural develo#!ent and #overt alleviation disa##eared9P he
"ueries. Although the govern!ent boasts of record food #roduction, the
far!ing co!!unit res#onsible for achieving the sa!e is left in the lurch.
<ad reAection
This reAects badl on the #olicies and sche!es li&e loan waiver announced
b the govern!ent for the distressed far!ers.
=bviousl the %overn!ent could not i!#le!ent so!e of the i!#ortant
reco!!endations of the Hational 4o!!ission on 6ar!ers to co!bat the
#roble! of far! suicides.
The #roble! still e(ists with the !ini!u! su##ort #rice for cro#s that does
not satisf the far!ers who have to deal with high costs of cultivation.
The s!all far!ers, who account for large scale suicides, are the worst
a0ected. The conce#t of co!!unit based organisations K4<=sL for s!all
far!ers will be the best solution to !ini!i'e the ris& of #rice Auctuations.
Technologies
Technologies li&e 'ero tillage, good agriculture #ractices, !ulti cro# sste!
instead of de#ending on a single cro#, #roduct diversi5cation, and value
addition and cro# insurance are so!e of the o##ortunities for the far!ers to
generate inco!e and ensure sustainable livelihood.
OThe %overn!ent needs to declare far!ers as national assets and restore
agriculture to a #ri!e #osition,P he sas.
Dr. Ra@ago#al recentl #resented a #a#er on this issue at the John Ho#&ins
Eniversit, Roc&ville 7arland E.S.
6or !ore details readers can contact Dr.8.Ra@ago#al President SH;, 6lat 102
Sri Fataa&sha!, 1,1)130 Railwa colon, Tiru#ati, Andhra Pradesh 1*1+ *01
A.P. Phone nu!ber 0,++122,+0,$, !obile nu!ber 09))12 0021+ and e !ail
id ra@vel))S!ail.co!
4o!#uter learns language b #laing
ga!es
Researchers have created a sste! that allows a co!#uter to learn to #la a
co!#uter ga!e b learning the language re"uired to read the !anual.
4o!#uter sste! cuts travel ti!e in
trains
A tool that !a&es #assenger train @ournes shorter, es#eciall when transfers
are involved : a co!#uter1based sste! to shave #recious travel !inutes
o0 a #assenger/s @ourne : has been develo#ed b 2sraeli scientists.
4o!#uters that 5t on a #en ti#
A #rotot#e i!#lantable ee #ressure !onitor for glauco!a #atients
contains the 5rst co!#lete !illi!etre1scale co!#uting sste!.
4o!#uting building bloc&s fro!
bacteria, DHA
Scientists have successfull de!onstrated that the can build so!e of the
basic co!#onents for digital devices out of bacteria and DHA.
4onserving Fada&nath #oultr breed
An 2ndian #oultr breed, called Fada&nath is native to Jhabua district of
7adha Pradesh.
The breed is fa!ous for its blac& !eat &nown for its "ualit, te(ture and
Aavour. This #oultr reared !ainl b so!e tribal co!!unities in 7adha
Pradesh.
Scientists fro! the Frishi 8igan Fendra, Jhabua, observed that the
#o#ulation of this bird is declining ra#idl and is under threat of e(tinction
and genetic erosion.
Pro@ect
An atte!#t was therefore !ade for conservation and #ro!otion of this high
value 2ndian #oultr race under Hational Agriculture 2nnovation Pro@ect KHA2PL
called O2ntegrated far!ing sste! for sustainable rural livel in undulating
and rainfed areas in Jhabua and Dhar districts of 7adha PradeshP.
7a@or factors
During interaction with far!ers it was observed that high !ar&et de!and,
e(istence of bac&ard #oultr sste! of its rearing, slow growth on natural
feeding K1,3 das se(ual !aturitL and !ore than *0 #er cent !ortalit
before !aturit are !a@or factors which a0ect the survival, growth and
#roductivit of this breed. Accordingl, the intervention !ade in the HA2P
#ro@ect to construct low cost #oultr shed, give training on advanced
technologies of #oultr #roduction, o#ti!u! feed and balance diet,
vaccination for #rotection fro! diseases and e(#lore the !ar&eting avenues.
<ene5ciaries
Ten tribal far!ers were selected and one hundred ten da old chic&s were
!ade available to each bene5ciar.
The far!ers were advocated on technologies for scienti5c #oultr #roduction,
balance feeding, handling of feeder and drin&ers, health !anage!ent and
!ar&eting.
This new technolog reduced the !ortalit rate fro! *0 #er cent to 10112
#er cent The bird attains saleable weight of 1.10 &g in 10*1120 das and the
growers are selling #oultr at Rs $00 to $*0Q&g. 2n this wa, an individual
bene5ciar is getting a good inco!e.
6or !ore infor!ation contact the Directorate of Research Services, Ra@!ata
8i@aara@e Scindia Frishi 8ishwa 8idalaa, %walior, e!ailC
drsrvs&vvSredi0!ail.co!
4ontrol of fear in the brain decoded
A stud has found that e!otional balance is regulated b !olecular factors
behind stress res#onse.
4ontrolling vascular strea& diebac& in
4ocoa
4ontrolling whitegrub !enace in
tur!eric
4o1o#eration between ants and host
trees
Hew research has found that ants use che!ical signals on their host tree to
distinguish the! fro! co!#eting #lant s#ecies. =nce a co!#eting #lant is
recognised the ants #rune the! to defend their host.
4oral reef networ& &e to #reserving
5sh stoc&
A scienti5c tea! has shown that strong lin&s between the coral reefs of the
south 4hina sea, west Paci5c and 4oral Triangle hold the &e to #reserving
5sh and !arine resources in the Asia1Paci5c.
4or#oral #unish!ent has detri!ental
e0ects on child
6indings of a new stud, #ublished in the @ournal Social Develo#!ent ,
suggest that a harshl #unitive environ!ent !a have long1ter! detri!ental
e0ects on children/s verbal intelligence and their e(ecutive1functioning
abilit.
As a result, children e(#osed to a harshl #unitive environ!ent !a be at
ris& for behavioural #roble!s related to de5cits in e(ecutive1functioning, the
stud indicates.
4hildren in a school that uses cor#oral #unish!ent #erfor!ed signi5cantl
worse in tas&s involving -e(ecutive functioning/ : #schological #rocesses
such as #lanning, abstract thin&ing, and delaing grati5cation : than those
in a school reling on !ilder disci#linar !easures such as ti!e1outs,
according to the stud involving two #rivate schools in a Mest African
countr.
The stud : b Prof. 8ictoria Talwar of 7c%ill Eniversit, Prof. Ste#hanie 7.
4arlson of the Eniversit of 7innesota, and Prof. Fang .ee of the Eniversit of
Toronto, involved 3$ children in &indergarten or 5rst grade at two Mest
African #rivate schools. Their fa!ilies lived in the sa!e urban
neighbourhood. The #arents were largel civil servants, #rofessionals and
!erchants.
2n one school, disci#line in the for! of beating with a stic&, sla##ing of the
head, and #inching was ad!inistered #ublicl and routinel for o0ences
ranging fro! forgetting a #encil to being disru#tive in class. 2n the other
school, children were disci#lined for si!ilar o0ences with the use of ti!e1
outs and verbal re#ri!ands, according to a Eniversit of Toronto #ress
release.
Mhile overall #erfor!ance on the e(ecutive1functioning tas&s was si!ilar in
the ounger children fro! both schools, the %rade 1 children in the non1
#unitive school scored signi5cantl higher than those in the #unitive school.
These results are consistent with research 5ndings that #unitive disci#line
!a !a&e children i!!ediatel co!#liant : but !a reduce the li&elihood
that the will internali'e rules and standards. That, in turn, !a result in
lower self1control as children get older. : =ur <ureau
4ountering !alaria b fungal
intervention
The fungi, 7. aniso#liae and <. bassiana cause !uscardine disease in
!os"uito larvae, leading to their death. A snthetic oil1s#ore #re#aration
dis#ersed over a breeding site reduced #u#ation levels drasticall.
4radle to grave #lan a !ust for
nuclear #lants
4o!ing u# with storage solutions for nuclear waste continues to be a last1
!inute decision in a nu!ber of countries besides Ja#an. 2t is now i!#erative
to rede5ne what !a&es a successful nuclear #ower #rogra! : fro! cradle to
grave.
4ro# science innovation !eeting
4T scans best to uncover bod #ac&ed
drugs
During 192), 4a#tain T M <arnard, Director, ;rstwhile 2nstitute of Radiolog
at the %eneral Hos#ital, 7adras, hel#ed the #olice to locate a gold chain in
the sto!ach of a thief b (1raing hi!.
A few ears later, <arnard found #recious stones secreted in s!all cavities
inside the chee&s of the wo!en of a band of cri!inals b (1raing the!T
#olice sus#ected that the stole a large "uantit of @ewels. 2dentifing drugs
in #lace of gold will be diGcult.
<od #ac&ing
The ES 4usto!s and <order Patrol K4<PL sei'e over a !illion #ounds of drugs
K!ainl !ari@uana, cocaine and heroinL annuall. ;ight #ercent of the
s!ugglers caught b 4<P #ractice -bod #ac&ing/ of these illegal narcotics.
The 7a 200, issue of the A##lied Radiolog describes the #ractice of bod
#ac&ing as the traGc&ing of illicit drugs within the gastrointestinal tract or
vagina. According to the @ournal, bod #ac&ers are also &nown as
-swallowers,/ -internal carriers,/ -couriers/ or -!ules./
Detects cocaine
A stud #resented recentl at the annual !eeting of the Radiological Societ
of Horth A!erica KRSHAL identi5ed co!#uted to!ogra#h K4TL as the best
wa to detect cocaine in the bod of a -!ule./
Dr Patricia 6lach, a radiologist at Eniversit Hos#ital of <erne and 2nstitute of
6orensic 7edicine of <erne in Swit'erland and colleagues anal'ed i!ages
fro! ,9 e(a!s using various i!aging !ethods K4TC2+T Digital U1raC *0 and
low1dose linear slit digital radiogra#h K.SDRLC12L and #erfor!ed on *0
sus#ected drug -!ules/ over a three1ear #eriod at Eniversit Hos#ital.
The stud grou# included )* !en and 5ve wo!en aged between 13 and )*.
Researchers identi5ed fort1three of the sus#ects as drug !ules. The
co!#ared the radiologic 5ndings with a written record of the drug containers
recovered fro! the faeces of sus#ects.
4T i!aging the best
4T i!aging allowed the #hsicians to see all the drug containers, es#eciall
when the &new what to loo& for. Thus the sensitivit of 4T is 100 #er cent.
.SDR had a sensitivit rate of ,* #er centT digital (1ra was able to identif
the #resence of cocaine containers onl +0 #er cent of the ti!e.
2ntestinal contents are !ess and non1unifor! in consistenc. According to
Dr 6lach, there were #ositive 5ndings on 4T that were clearl not detectable
on conventional (1ras due to overla# of intestinal air, faeces or other dense
structures.
The coating and !anufacture of the containers changed their a##earance,
es#eciall on 4T i!ages. Rubber1coated condo!s 5lled with cocaine
a##eared h#er1dense, or white, on 4T, while other containers of si!ilar si'e
with #lastic foil wra##ing a##eared iso1 to h#o1dense or gre to blac&.
Dr. Ste#hen J. Taub, Division of To(icolog, De#art!ent of ;!ergenc
7edicine, <eth 2srael Deaconess 7edical 4entre, <oston, ESA and colleagues
stated that bod #ac&ers usuall carr about one &g of drug, divided into *0
to 100 #ac&ets of , to 10 g each. S!ugglers have devised auto!atic
#rocesses to #ac& drugs densel into late( sheaths or condo!s.
6alse negatives
Mriting in The Hew ;ngland Journal of 7edicine, the noted instances in
which #hsicians inter#reted two #lain abdo!inal radiogra#hs as negative.
The sus#ects subse"uentl #assed 103 and 1$* #ac&ets.
Plain abdo!inal radiogra#hs !a be useless to identif drugs in the -!ules./
Mhen the law enforcing authorities sus#ect an individual of being a drug
-!ule,/ the often see& the hel# of radiologists to detect "uic&l the #resence
of drugs concealed in the bod.
According to the researchers, cocaine containers, which !a be swallowed or
inserted in the vagina or rectu!, can be as large as a banana or as s!all as
a blueberr.
O2n these cases it is i!#ortant for us to &now that we have identi5ed all the
drug containers in a bod, both for legal #ur#oses and for the health of the
#atient,P Dr. 6lach said.
OHowever, there was no research telling us which i!aging !odalit was best
in detecting cocaine containers in the sto!ach, intestines or other bod
ori5ces.P
Higher dosage
4T e(#oses the sus#ects to higher doses of ioni'ing radiation. 2t is obviousl
of concern while i!aging health #eo#le.
O4T is the wa to go,_ Dr. 6lach said. _<ut low1dose #rotocols need to be
i!#le!ented to ensure the safet of the #eo#le undergoing the #rocedure,P
she cautioned.
F.S. PARTHASARATHB
Ra@a Ra!anna 6ellow, De#art!ent of Ato!ic ;nerg
&s#arthSahoo.co.u&
4T used to recreate Stradivarius violin
Esing co!#uted to!ogra#h i!aging and advanced !anufacturing
techni"ues, a tea! of e(#erts has created a re#roduction of a 1+0)
Stradivarius violin
4urd, butter!il& and the Hobel Pri'e
of 190,
Mhen our daughter Fataani was but a + da1old infant, she had a bout of
non1sto# diarrhoea and beca!e dehdrated. Her #aediatrician, Dr
4hi&ar!ane, not onl #ut her on intravenous feed but also had her stools
e(a!ined and found her sto!ach infected K in utero L with the #athogen ;.
hist . After getting rid of it using antibiotics, he re1coloni'ed her sto!ach with
lactobacillus, the !icrobe that hel#s in digesting !il&.
Presence of !ind
Than&s to his e(#ertise and #resence of !ind, Fata was saved and in a few
wee&s beca!e Kand continues to beL a health and cheerful girl.
This e#isode brought ho!e the #oint that the gut of a newborn bab is sterile
at birth, and beco!es coloni'ed with !icrobes, so!e good and needed and
so!e har!ful and #athogenic. Mhat Dr. 4hi&ar!ane did was to get rid of the
#athogen and coloni'e the bab/s gut with the hel#ful one. 2n doing so, he
was re#eating what the Russian Scientist 2la 7echni&ov did in 190*.
7echni&ov showed that eating curd is ver health, since it introduces
hel#ful bacteria li&e lactobacillus , and bi5dia . He called fer!ented !il& as a
#ro1biotic, a food that contains organis!s which hel# the host bod digest
food, gain i!!unit and lengthen life. 6or this #ath1 brea&ing discover,
7echni&ov shared the Hobel Pri'e in 190,.
Me have since co!e to reali'e that the hu!an gut Kgastro1intestinal or %2
tractL is tee!ing with !icrobes. 4urrent esti!ates #ut the nu!ber as 10
>\1? >\)? or 100 trillion. This nu!ber is at least 10 ti!es !ore than the
total nu!ber of cells that our own bod hasZ 2n other words, 90 #er cent of
the total cells contained in each of us are actuall bacterial cells : *00
di0erent varieties of the! living in a stable, nutrient1 rich !ediu!.
Mhile the %2 tract of the new born is #rett !uch sterile, it graduall ac"uires
these !icrobial #o#ulations #ostnatall, through contact with the
environ!ent, t#e of feeding, hgiene levels and so on. The hu!an gut is
thus an ecosste!, containing the geno!es of all these gut !icrobes or
!icrobio!e .
Mh are the there9 Are the hel#ful, har!ful or freeloaders9 Me are getting
answers to these "uestions onl during the last decade or so. These e(tra
genes fro! the !icrobio!e endow us with functional features that we have
not had to evolve ourselves.
2n other words, we hu!ans have been co1evolving with the!. 4onsider this
in another wa, in the language of co!#uters. Recall the situation twent
ears ago what our co!#uter scientists did when the ES refused to sell 2ndia
su#erco!#uters. Me #ut together a networ& of several co!#uters, each
doing what it was designed to do @ob, interacting and collaborating with
others in the networ&, and #rocessing in #arallel such that the entire sste!
beca!e a su#erco!#uter called PARA7.
Hardwired in geno!e
7an functions that we are not hardwired in our geno!e to #erfor! we get
sharing fro! a !e!ber of the neighbouring !icrobio!e, each doing its @ob
in #arallel and contributing to the whole ecosste!.
=r is it the other wa around9 ;ach s#ecies which has coloni'ed our gut
downloads #rogra!s fro! our geno!e9 ;ither wa, the relationshi# is
!utualT each #art bene5ts fro! the other. 7olecules that we #roduce
through digestion of our food turn out to be useful for the growth and
sustenance of the gut bacteria, and !olecules that the #roduce through
their !etabolis! are hel#ful for us.
4urd is one such e(a!#le. 7olecules in it, #roduced b !icrobial digestion of
!il&, such as lactic and other related ones hel# us in our growth, even as
these !icrobes feed on the #roducts that we !a&e. Dietar 5bres are
another outstanding e(a!#le.
Mhen we eat cereals and lentils Krice, wheat, barle, various gra!s and
lentilsL, we do not digest all their contents. So!e indigestible starch re!ains.
2t is these that our gut !icrobes feast and forage on. And what the #roduce
u#on !etaboli'ing this resistant starch is useful for us.
Probiotics, #rebiotics
Me call these organis!s, andQor their !olecules, as #robiotics and #rebiotics.
The !icrobes are called #robiotics, and the indigestible Kto usL !aterial that
the feed on is the #rebiotic. Prebiotics are nonliving !aterial such as starch
or hus&, while #robiotics are live organis!s. KAnd biotic !eans relating to,
#roduced b, or caused b living organis!sL.
Mithout the!, we cannot !a&e so!e essential nutrients such as vita!in F,
or !etaboli'e bile acids, cholesterol and so!e short chain fatt acids. The
also hel# us in 5ghting #athogenic bacteria and viruses : a case of internal
coloni'ers acting as defending soldiers against alien invaders.
Readable article
Mhat diet ou eat thus beco!es i!#ortant. 2ndian food, fro! the 2ndus
8alle das, alwas had !illets, gra!s and lentils. A readable article on
#rebiotics in ancient 2ndian diets, written b Drs. A.F Sar!anta, A.P. Folte, S.
Senani, 7. Sridhar and H. Jaa#al, a##ears in the 10 Jul issue of 4urrent
Science .
As the write, #rebiotics have been with us for long and their bene5cial
e0ects are not onl li!ited to the gastrointestinal ecolog, but also in
#hsiological #rocesses li&e i!!une !odulation, blood cholesterol regulation
and bone !inerali'ation.
And this is e(actl what Dr 4hi&ar!ane did to Fata. Hence too the wisdo!
in the e(hortation Oeat !ore 5breP. Bou not onl hel# our gut !icrobio!e
but ourself.
D. <A.ASE<RA7AH2AH
dbalaSlv#ei.org
4usto!ised treat!ent for cancer
2n what could soon i!#rove cancer survival rates, scientists clai! to have
achieved huge success in whole1geno!e se"uencing, a high1tech #rocess
which has o#ened the wa for #ersonalised treat!ents for #atients.
According to two new studies, #ublished in the Journal of the A!erican
7edical Association KJA7AL, the 5rst clinical a##lications of whole1geno!e
se"uencing in cancer #atients showed that custo!ised treat!ents can hel#
the su0ers 5ght the disease signi5cantl, co!#ared to the standard
thera#ies used for all.
Mhole1geno!e se"uencing, which !a#s a #erson/s DHA and analses it for
!utations, enables Ous to screen a !uch larger nu!ber of tu!ours and
correlate the! with the outco!e of the #atientP, said <oris Pasche, de#ut
director of the Eniversit of Alaba!a at <ir!ingha! KEA<L.
OSo it is ver li&el that our targeted thera# is going to be e(#loding in the
ne(t decade,P Pasche said.
O2n #atients with breast cancer, colon cancer and gastric cancer, we now
have s#eci5c a##roaches for tu!ours that e(hibit certain genetic
abnor!alities.P
2n one stud, Pasche said, a #atient with leu&ae!ia had a #oor #rognosis, but
through se"uencing, this #atient was found to have a gene that showed the
would react favourabl with a di0erent thera# than originall
reco!!ended.
O2f #atients have certain genes, the !a not res#ond to certain treat!ents.
<ut whole:geno!e se"uencing gives a full #icture of the genetic !a&e1u# of
the tu!our and the #atient, and it !a allow the #hsician to target a new
treat!ent.P
Pasche said the unbiased #icture of the se"uenced DHA enables #hsicians
to loo& at tu!ours in a wa not #ossible #reviousl. : PT2
4utting Scotland/s e!issions to half
4utting Scotland/s greenhouse gas e!issions b a half within 20 ears is
achievable b greener trans#ort and cleaner #ower generation.
Da!aged heart #atched with
engineered tissue
Researchers have #ioneered a !ethod to #atch a da!aged heart with an
engineered tissue, in a !a@or ste# forward in co!bating cardiovascular
disease, one of the !ost serious health #roble!s of our da.
.ed b %ordana 8un@a&:Hova&ovic, #rofessor of bio!edical engineering at
4olu!bia Eniversit, researchers develo#ed a novel cell thera# to treat
!ocardial infarction Kda!age that follows a heart attac&L, re#orts the
Proceedings of the Hational Acade! of Sciences.
The were able, for the 5rst ti!e, to use lab engineered re#air cells to
!a(i!i'e their abilit to revasculari'e and i!#rove blood Aow to the
da!aged heart tissue, according to a 4olu!bia state!ent.
Mith this #latfor!, the could both &ee# the cells within the a0ected tissue
and enhance cell survival and function, where !ost of the cells would have
died because of the obstruction of their blood su##l.
OMe are ver e(cited about this new techni"ue,P said 8un@a&:Hova&ovic.
OThis #latfor! is ver ada#table and we believe it could be readil e(tended
to the deliver of other t#es of hu!an ste! cells we are interested in to
rebuild the heart !uscle.P : 2AHS
Dand 'ebra 5nches have !ore
grand1&ids
A stud of 'ebra 5nches has shown that !ales/ attractiveness inAuences the
nu!ber and si'e of eggs of their daughters : through the e0ect of their
attractiveness on their !ate/s behaviour.
Dangers of growing antibiotic
resistance
After su0ering severe abdo!inal #ain for about a wee&, )01ear1old Santosh,
who e&es out a living through far!ing and wor&ing as a labourer in a village
in north1eastern 7adha Pradesh, at last decided to see& !edical treat!ent.
That !eant a 2001&! @ourne to a s!all rural hos#ital in <ilas#ur district in
the neighbouring state of 4hhattisgarh.
A bacterial infection had turned a #art of his intestines gangrenous, said
Bogesh Jain of the Jan Swastha Sahog that runs the $*1bed referral health
centre near the village of %aniari.
The organisation is a voluntar, non#ro5t one run b health #rofessionals,
which see&s to reach e0ective low1cost care to village and tribal #eo#le in an
underdevelo#ed #art of the countr.
The #us collected fro! Santosh/s abdo!en during surger revealed that the
bacteriu! was resistant to !ost antibiotics, he told this corres#ondent.
A#art fro! surger, Santosh had to be treated with an intravenous antibiotic
that cost !ore than Rs. $$,000 for a 1*1da course. 2f the bacteriu! had not
been drug1resistant, the antibiotics for it would have cost @ust Rs. +,0.
<ig issue
Antibiotic resistance was, he said, a big issue that the health centre was
co!ing u# against in !an sorts of infections.
Right fro! the ti!e that the world/s ver 5rst antibiotic, #enicillin, beca!e
available in the 19)0s, resistance has been a #roble!. Hitherto, as bacteria
evolved was to evade one drug, a newer one beca!e available.
<ut with the rising tide of drug1resistance in bacteria, /su#er1bugs/ have
e!erged that are barel treatable. 6ew new antibiotics are being develo#ed
and !an worr that the world is running out of was to &ee# these
organis!s in chec&.
There is #articular concern over what are &nown as %ra! negative bacteria,
a classi5cation based on whether the ger! can be stained in the laborator
using a s#eci5c techni"ue for e(a!ination under a !icrosco#e.
;scherichia coli, a bacteriu! that is found in the gut, falls in this categor. 2t
s#reads easil through faecal conta!ination of food and water. 2t is a
co!!on cause of urinar infections, and can also #roduce #neu!onia and
life1threatening bloodstrea! infections in hos#italised #atients. Flebsiella
#neu!oniae, which is res#onsible for !an dangerous hos#ital infections,
too co!es in this grou#.
Swa##ing genes
6ewer antibiotics are e0ective against %ra! negative #athogens. 2n addition,
with their abilit to readil swa# genes, these ger!s have beco!e alar!ingl
resistant to !an of those drugs. Disease1causing strains of ;. coli, F.
#neu!oniae and other %ra!1negative bacteria have e!erged with genes for
-e(tended s#ectru! beta1lacta!ases/ K;S<.sL.
These genes #roduce en'!es that !a&e the bacteria i!!une to the e0ects
of a wide range of antibiotics.
2ndia has signi5cantl higher levels of ;S<. infections co!#ared to other
countries in the Asia1Paci5c region, observed <ala@i 8eeraraghavan of the
De#art!ent of 4linical 7icrobiolog at the 4hristian 7edical 4ollege in
8ellore.
;lsewhere, such drug1resistant infections were t#icall #ic&ed u# in
hos#italised #atients. <ut, in this countr, co!!unit1ac"uired ;S<.
infections, #articularl of ;. coli, were at levels si!ilar to that of hos#ital
ac"uired ones.
The high level of ;S<.1#roducing ;. coli reAects #oor standards of hgiene as
well as ina##ro#riate use of antibiotics, he added. ;ven when the right
antibiotic was used, it was often given at too low a dose.
;S<. #ositive
< last ear, at least a "uarter of the ;. coli isolated fro! #atients who ca!e
to the %aniari health centre with co!!unit1ac"uired urinar tract
infections were ;S<. #ositive, re!ar&ed <iswaroo# 4hatter@ee, a !edical
!icrobiologist who wor&ed with the Jan Swastha Sahog for several ears
and left in 2010. Mith hos#ital1ac"uired infections, the #ro#ortion could be
over *0 #er cent.
Antibiotics &nown as carba#ene!s are needed to treat !an ;S<. infections.
The result has been that bacteria have evolved was to evade these drugs
too.
The 5rst Flebsiella #neu!oniae carba#ene!ase was re#orted in the E.S. in
1993. Such highl drug1resistant for!s of Flebsiella have now reached
countries across the globe.
4reating an u#roar
.ast ear, the s#read of another for! of carba#ene! resistance created an
u#roar. Several countries found that #eo#le who returned after !edical
treat!ent in 2ndia and other South Asian countries were carring bacteria
that had the Hew Delhi !etallo1beta1lacta!ase11 KHD711L gene.
A sign5cant nu!ber of cases of HD7111#roducing ;. coli had been identi5ed,
which suggests this resistance was being disse!inated in the environ!ent
as well as in hos#itals, observed Patrice Hord!ann and others in a @ournal
#a#er #ublished earlier this ear.
As of now, HD7111#roducing bacteria a##eared to be a hos#ital1ac"uired
infection, said Dr. <ala@i. 4arba#ene!1resistant bacteria li&e those with the
HD711 gene could be treated onl with a new drug called tigeccline and an
old one &nown as colistin. The latter had to be ad!inistered onl with close
su#ervision of the #atient, watching for an signs that it !ight be da!aging
the &idnes.
2f such highl resistant bacteria started s#reading in the co!!unit, as was
ha##ening with ;S<. #roducing ones, it will create a Over dangerous
situation,P he re!ar&ed.
-$1D towers/ double data storage areal
densit
A tea! of researchers in 6rance has 5gured out a wa to double the areal
densit of infor!ation b using well1&nown #atterned !edia. The essentiall
cut the !agnetic !edia into s!all #ieces and built a - $D tower/ out of it.
This greatl enhances the a!ount of data that can be stored in a !agnetic
storage device. The tea! #resents their 5ndings in the A!erican 2nstitute of
Phsics/ Journal of A##lied Phsics.
O=ver the #ast *0 ears, the areal densit of infor!ation in !agnetic hard
dis& drives has e(#onentiall increased b + orders of !agnitude,P sas
Jero!e 7orit', a researcher at SP2HT;4, in %renoble.
OThis areal densit is now about *00%bitQin2, and the technolog #resentl
used involves writing the infor!ation on a granular !agnetic !aterial. This
technolog is now reaching so!e #hsical li!its because the grains are
beco!ing so s!all that their !agneti'ation beco!es unstable and the
infor!ation written on the! is graduall lost.P
Therefore, new a##roaches are needed for !agnetic data storage densities
e(ceeding 1TbitQin2.
O=ur new a##roach involves using bit1#atterned !edia, which are !ade of
arras of #hsicall se#arated !agnetic nanodots, with each nanodot
carring one bit of infor!ation.
To further e(tend the storage densit, it/s #ossible to increase the nu!ber of
bits #er dots b stac&ing several !agnetic laers to obtain a !ultilevel
!agnetic recording device,P e(#lains 7orit'. : =ur <ureau
Data travelling b light
Regular .;Ds can be turned into o#tical M.AH with onl a few additional
co!#onents than&s to visible light co!!unication Kin short, 8.4L.
Dawn s#acecraft enters asteroid
8esta/s orbit
HASA/s Dawn s#acecraft on Jul 13 this ear beca!e the 5rst #robe ever to
enter the orbit around an ob@ect in the !ain asteroid belt between 7ars and
Ju#iter : the asteroid 8esta.
Dawn s#acecraft on course to asteroid
HASA/s Dawn s#acecraft has reached its oGcial a##roach #hase to the
asteroid 8esta on its wa for a !ilestone encounter, the Jet Pro#ulsion
.aborator KJP.L said on Tuesda.
The s#acecraft will begin using ca!eras for the 5rst ti!e to aid navigation
for an e(#ected Jul 13 orbital encounter with 8esta, a large asteroid &nown
as a #roto#lanet : a celestial bod that al!ost for!ed into a #lanet,
according to JP. in Pasadena, .os Angeles.
At the start of this three1!onth 5nal a##roach to this !assive bod in the
asteroid belt, Dawn is 1.21 !illion &ilo!eters fro! 8esta Esing its ion engine
to !atch 8esta/s orbit around the sun, the s#acecraft will s#iral gentl into
orbit around the asteroid. Mhen Dawn gets a##ro(i!atel 13,000 &ilo!eters
fro! 8esta, the asteroid/s gravit will ca#ture the s#acecraft in orbit.
Scientists will search the fra!ing ca!era i!ages for #ossible !oons around
8esta. Hone of the i!ages fro! ground1based and ;arth1 orbiting telesco#es
have seen an !oons, but Dawn will give scientists !uch !ore detailed
i!ages to deter!ine whether s!all ob@ects have gone undiscovered,
according to JP..
Dawn/s odsse began on Se#t. 2+, 200+, with its launch fro! 6lorida. :
Uinhua
Dealing with negative e!otions
Peo#le choose to res#ond di0erentl de#ending on how intense an e!otion
is. A big #art of co#ing with life is having a Ae(ible reaction to the u#s and
downs. Mhen confronted with high1intensit negative e!otions, the tend to
choose to turn their attention awa, but with so!ething lower1intensit, the
tend to thin& it over and neutrali'e the feeling that wa.
This is the 5nding of a stud which will be #ublished in an u#co!ing issue
ofPschological Science, a @ournal of the Association for Pschological
Science.
Two !ain was
The stud author %al She##es of Stanford Eniversit and colleagues studied
two !ain was that #eo#le !odulate their e!otionsT b distracting
the!selves or b rea##raising the situation.
6or e(a!#le, if ou/re in the waiting roo! at the dentist, ou !ight distract
ourself fro! the u#co!ing un#leasantness b reading about celebrit
brea&u#s : O7abe that/s wh the !aga'ines are there in the 5rst #lace,P
She##es sas : or ou !ight tal& ourself through itC O2 sa, o&, 2 have to
undergo this root canal, but it will !a&e ! health better, and it will #ass,
and 2/ve done worse things, and 2 can re!ind !self that 2/! o&.P 2n one
e(#eri!ent, #artici#ants chose how to regulate negative e!otions induced
b #ictures that #roduce a low1intensit e!otion and so!e that #roduce
high1intensit e!otion according to an Association for Pschological Science
#ress release.
;lectric shoc&s
2n another e(#eri!ent, #artici#ants chose how to regulate their an(iet while
antici#ating un#redictable electric shoc&s, but the were told before each
shoc& whether it would be of low intensit or !ore #ainful shoc&. <efore the
e(#eri!ents, the #artici#ants were trained on the two strategies, distraction
and rea##raisal, and during the e(#eri!ents, the tal&ed about which
strateg the were using at which ti!e.
2n both e(#eri!ents, when the negative e!otion was low1intensit,
#artici#ants #referred to rea##raise, telling the!selves wh it was/nt so bad.
<ut when high1intensit e!otions arose, the #referred to distract
the!selves.: =ur <ureau
Debt increases with de#endence on
fertili'ers, #esticides
O6ar!ers 5rstP beco!es an ideal !otto for an nation to #rogress.
OEnless far!ers are e!#owered the econo! of the countr can colla#se.
2ndia boasts of develo#!ent, scienti5c advance!ents, and achieving self
suGcienc in food grain #roduction. <ut !alnourish!ent, suicides, and
health #roble!s are star& realities that still e(ist in !an rural areas.
Enfortunate
O2t is a well &nown fact that far!ers in our countr are considered
unfortunate as there see!s to be no great future for the! in their
#rofession,P sas far!er 7r. 8ishwasrao fro! Mashi!, 7aharashtra.
6or 7r. 8ishwasrao, both his #rofession and health did not #rove to be
conducive. <orn with a single &idne, blind in one ee, and surrounded b
ab@ect #overt, he wor&ed as a far! labourer for !an ears.
OThough life #roved frustrating, the desire to live !ade !e invest the s!all
a!ount of !one 2 saved fro! ! hard labour in buing a thorn and weed1
infested fallow land dee!ed un5t for cultivation in ! village.
So!e consolation
O2 wor&ed hard on the land, and the #resence of a river near the land #roved
bene5cial for irrigation. Mithin a ear, 2 harvested a good ield of @owar,
cotton and wheat.
O<ut after so!e ti!e 2 realised that growing cro#s is not all onl about
irrigation as the out#uts started declining.P
A local agriculture oGcial e(#lained to !e about che!ical and organic
fertili'ers, insecticides, and water !anage!ent.
O2 followed his advice and the ield increased but even this lasted onl for a
few ears,P he sas.
According to the far!er, overuse of che!ical fertili'ers and neglecting
organic !anures could be the reason for the declining ield, and he again
started loo&ing for the cause.
Search for a guide
7r. 8ishwasrao/s search brought hi! in contact with several far!ers
#ractising organic far!ing.
The i!#ressed on hi! the need for !a&ing one/s own in#ut for the cro#s
and that it drasticall saves !one for the far!er and hel#s get a good ield.
=wn in#uts
The far!er started du!#ing all the cut weeds, refuse and other wastes he
could 5nd in a three foot #it he dug and added urea and su#er#hos#ate to
the waste to accelerate the #rocess of deco!#osition.
O2t #roved econo!ical. 2 got nearl $0 cartloads of !anure for ! 5elds and
it cost !e about Rs. 300,P he sas.
He is now using his well deco!#osed !anure, ver!ico!#ost, and nee!
e(tract as s#ra for the cro#s. He is getting a ver good ield of soabean,
greengra!, bengalgra!, tur and wheat.
ORecentl, 2 harvested a record ield of 13 "uintals fro! 2 &g of tur dhal
seed. 2 sold the seeds at Rs. 200Q &g and got a gross inco!e of Rs. $,20,000.
6ar!ers also bene5ted as the got it at a !uch chea#er rate, at Rs. 200Q &g
instead of original #rice of Rs. *00Q &g,P he sas.
Advance boo&ing
2n fact 7r. 8ishwasrao/s tur dhal beca!e so fa!ous in the region that !an
far!ers started boo&ing the seeds in advance for the ne(t sowing.
The far!er also gets good ield of $*1)0 "uintals of chilli fro! an acre and
gets an additional a!ount of Rs. *2,000 fro! selling the!.
OAs a far!er, 2 a! able to realise that !an of us incur debt !ainl because
we bu fertili'ers and #esticides. 2f this de#endence can be reduced, it can in
turn reduce indebtedness and distress. %ive a !an a 5sh, he will eat for a
da but teach hi! how to 5sh, he will eat for a lifeti!e, goes the #o#ular
saing. The sa!e is the case for far!ers, P he sas.
Heed toda
OMhat we need toda is a !eans to sustain throughout our lives. 2f our
countr needs to grow faster, e!#ower the far!ers. =nl then true growth
and develo#!ent can ta&e #lace. Mithout agricultural i!#rove!ent all
technological #rogress is li&e !irage in the desert,P he sas #ro#heticall.
6or !ore details contact 7r. 8ishwasrao Haraanrao <unde at Pedgaon
talu&a, Risod district, Mashi!, !obileC 9+3*,1*)+2 and 7. S Swa!inathan
Research 6oundation village resource centre, Farda district, #honeC 0+2*11
223*)).
Deciding to sta or go is a dee# brain
function
2t was found in #ri!ates that an area of the brain &nown to o#erate while
weighing conAicts, steadil increases its activit during foraging until a
threshold level is reached and the individual decides it/s ti!e to !ove on.
Dedicated lab for H28 vaccine design
After conducting a cou#le of A2DS vaccine trials in 2ndia, the Hew Bor& based
2nternational A2DS 8accine 2nitiative K2A82L is shifting its focus to research that
will hel# in 5nding !ore eGcacious vaccines.
The De#art!ent of <iotechnolog KD<TL along with 2A82 will soon establish
and o#erate a laborator in %urgaon, near Hew Delhi, to !eet one of the
biggest challenges of designing and develo#ing an eGcacious A2DS vaccine
: elicitation of antibodies that are ca#able of neutralising a broad s#ectru!
of H28 variants found in hu!ans.
2f the A2DS vaccine trials conducted at the Hational A2DS Research 2nstitute
KHAR2L, Pune, and the Tuberculosis Research 4entre KTR4L, 4hennai, e"ui##ed
the researchers and the institutions to ta&e u# clinical trials of international
standards, the new laborator !a si!ilarl e"ui# our scientists to conduct
H28 research and develo#!ent on #ar with an develo#ed countr.
.ocation of the lab
According to Dr. Ra@at %oal, 4ountr Director of 2A82, 2ndia, the laborator
will co!e u# on the ca!#us of the Translational Health Sciences and
Technolog 2nstitute KTHST2L, an autono!ous institute of D<T. The invest!ent
over the ne(t 5ve ears is about Rs.*1 crores, with invest!ents co!ing fro!
both 2A82 and 2ndia. 2A82 will be investing about Rs.19 crores and the balance
b 2ndia.
A#art fro! the director, the laborator will have three #rinci#al investigators,
1* &e scientists and several su##ort sta0.
Heutralising antibodies
Heutralising antibodies are those that are ca#able of neutralising the virus
causing H28 at the ver #oint of its entr into the cells. An e0ective H28
vaccine containing neutralising antibodies can thus #revent cells fro!
getting infected b the virus.
Though vaccines were initiall designed to &ill the cells that are alread
infected b the virus, researchers are now focussing on 5nding vaccines that
can both neutralise the virus before it infects the cells as well as &ill those
cells that have been infected.
Starting of the laborator gains i!#ortance as it co!es close on the heels of
2A82 and few other institutions around the world identifing and isolating 1)
broadl neutralising antibodies.
2dentifing such antibodies beca!e #ossible b studing adults in 12
countries who have been infected b the virus for at least three ears but
have not #rogressed to a diseased state Kbeco!ing A2DS #atientsL even in
the absence of an antiretroviral thera# KARTL.
These #eo#le a##arentl have the !uch sought after broadl neutralising
antibodies.
Having identi5ed the antibodies in these #eo#le, !an organisations are in
hot #ursuit to 5nd i!!unogens Ksubstances li&e #roteins that #rovo&e
i!!une res#onse in hu!ansL that will ulti!atel be used in the vaccines.
Di0erent a##roach
ODi0erent grou#s have di0erent a##roaches to 5nding the i!!unogens. Me
have co!e u# with a di0erent a##roach. 7ost research laboratories have a
low through#ut screening #rocess. =urs will be a high1through#ut screening
of i!!unogens,P said Dr. Sudhanshu 8rati, Dean, Translational Health
Science and Technolog 2nstitute and Senior Scientist at the Hational
2nstitute of 2!!unolog, Hew Delhi.
According to Dr. 8rati, the new laborator will be a dedicated facilit to 5nd
the best i!!unogen at a faster #ace.
OThe new laborator will be res#onsible for isolation, selection and
#rioritisation of the i!!unogens,P said Dr. %oal. 2dentifing the antibodies
is the 5rst ste#. Mhat follows is the designing of the i!!unogens and 5nall
the isolation and selection of the i!!unogens. 8accines containing the
i!!unogens will be read for #re1clinical evaluation once the #rocess of
isolation, selection and #rioritisation of the i!unogens is co!#leted.
The crucial stage
Mhile the 5rst #art : identi5cation of the antibodies : has been co!#leted,
the designing of the i!!unogens is being done in 2ndia as well. The new
laborator, along with other centres in other #arts of the world, will #la a
crucial role in the 5nal stage of the vaccine design #rocess.
Designing the i!!unogens is done through a #artnershi# 2A82 has with the
2ndian 7edicinal 4he!istr Progra! K274PL, where scientists fro! 2ndian
2nstitute of Science, <angalore, and the Hew Delhi1based 2nternational 4entre
for %enetic ;ngineering and <iotechnolog are involved. 274P was
established in 200+.
Dee#1reef coral hates light, #refers
shade
Mhile nor!all corals de#end on light for their energ re"uire!ents, the
dee# corals, in a stud, a##eared to have ada#ted to low light conditions b
having an increased ca#acit to e(#loit nutrients and #lan&ton.
Delhi High 4ourt to #ass orders on
A!ar Singh/s bail #leas on 7onda
The Delhi High 4ourt will #ass orders on =ctober 2) on the interi! as well as
regular bail a##lications of the for!er Sa!a@wadi Part leader and Ra@a
Sabha !e!ber, A!ar Singh. He is facing #rosecution in the cash1for1vote
sca! of 200,.
Justice Suresh Fait 5(ed the date on Mednesda while reserving the orders
with counsel for the Delhi Police leaving it to the 4ourt to decide the fate of
the two bail a##lications on the basis of the !edical re#ort sub!itted b the
All12ndia 2nstitute of 7edical Sciences on the health condition of the accused.
The #rosecution also sub!itted that the investigation of the case was over
and the state!ent of 7r. Singh had alread been recorded.
2n its !edical re#ort sub!itted to the 4ourt on =ctober 12, the 2nstitute said
that 7r. Singh re"uired constant !onitoring. 2t had sub!itted the re#ort on a
direction b the 4ourt.
7r. Singh, under @udicial custod, is at #resent ad!itted to A227S. He has
sought bail on !edical grounds sub!itting that he was re"uired to visit
Singa#ore urgentl for further !edical advice and treat!ent on Se#te!ber
9. He is su0ering fro! various ail!ents following the #ost1&idne trans#lant
done in Singa#ore in 2009.
OSubverting Parlia!entP
.ast !onth, a s#ecial court for 4<2 cases had dis!issed 7r. Singh/s #lea for
regular a##lication, saing the cash1for1vote scandal was an atte!#t to
Osubvert the functioning of Parlia!ent and !oc& the Re#ublic of 2ndiaP.
Mhile dis!issing his bail a##lication, S#ecial Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal
had saidC OThe incident which is the basis of the #resent case has far1
reaching conse"uences, which are beond i!agination, and has a ver dee#
i!#act on societ at large, as an atte!#t to subvert the functioning of
Parlia!ent and !oc& the Re#ublic of 2ndia has been !ade. The nature and
gravit of the accusations against the accusedQa##licant cannot be lost sight
of and for the foregoing reasons 2 decline the grant of regular bail to accused
A!ar Singh.P
O6ro! the !aterial available on record, it a##ears #ri!a facie that there are
5ngers which #oint that the accusedQa##licant W7r. A!ar SinghX #laed a
!a@or role in the entire e#isode which ca!e to light on Jul 22, 200,, during
the debate on the !otion of con5dence in the .o& Sabha,P the Judge added.
Dengue vaccine develo#ed
Thai scientists have successfull #roduced the world/s 5rst dengue
he!orrhagic fever vaccine and will let the #rivate sector i!#rove it for the
e0ective treat!ent of #atients.
The Thailand 7inistr of Science and Technolog has introduced the world/s
5rst live attenuated dengue he!orrhagic fever vaccine develo#ed b
Thailand researchers.
Thai Science and Technolog 7inister 8irachai 8ira!etee&ul said that the
nu!ber of dengue he!orrhagic fever #atients in Thailand has risen,
e(ceeding 100,000 last ear and adding so!e 1,200 cases in Januar 2011.
Dr Suthee Bo&sarn, a lecturer of 7ahidol Eniversit, together with his tea!
and 4hiang 7ai Eniversit have @ointl develo#ed four stereot#es of the live
attenuated vaccine.
This was achieved b co!bining attenuated DHA with a #rotein structure
that sti!ulates i!!unit against the dengue he!orrhagic fever : caused b
the #resent strain of the dengue virus.
The newl develo#ed vaccine is e(#ected to better #rotect #eo#le fro! the
dengue he!orrhagic fever. : PT2
Designing auto!obile interiors goes
hi1tech
To design car interiors, researchers have now develo#ed high1resolution
scanners which co# ob@ects and fabric sa!#les in a few !inutes, converting
the! into virtual !odels. The light e0ects are startlingl realistic.
Detailed !a# of gene activit in
!ouse brain
A new atlas of gene e(#ression in the !ouse brain #rovides insight into how
genes wor& in the outer #art of the brain, the cerebral corte(. 2n hu!ans, the
cerebral corte( is res#onsible for !e!or, sensor #erce#tion and language.
Dia!ond1studded #lanets
Recent 5ndings have revealed that so!e stars in the 7il& Ma could be
harbouring carbon su#er earths : gigantic #lanets co!#letel bereft of life
but #otentiall holding billions of tonnes of dia!ond. The 5nding co!es fro!
a lab e(#eri!ent at =hio State Eniversit, where scientists recreated the
te!#eratures and #ressures of earth/s lower !antle to stud how dia!onds
for! there.
The goal was to understand what ha##ens to carbon inside #lanets in other
solar sste!s, and whether solar sste!s that are rich in carbon could
#roduce #lanets that are !ostl !ade of dia!ond.
Mend Panero, researcher in the School of ;arth Sciences at =hio State along
with doctoral student 4a!an Enterborn used what the learned fro! the
e(#eri!ents to construct co!#uter !odels of the !inerals that for! in
#lanets co!#osed with !ore carbon than earth.
O2t is #ossible for #lanets that are as big as 1* ti!es the !ass of the ;arth to
be half !ade of dia!ond,P said Enterborn, according to a universit
state!ent. =ur results suggest carbon1rich #lanets can for! with a core and
a !antle, @ust as ;arth did,P said Panero. OHowever, the cores would li&el be
ver carbon1rich !uch li&e steel and the !antle would also be do!inated b
carbon, !uch in the for! of dia!ond,P he added. : 2AHS
Did hu!ans and Heanderthals coe(ist
in ;uro#e9
How long bac& did the last of the Heanderthals wal& in so!e #arts of ;uro#e,
and for how long did the live after the arrival of !odern hu!ans into
;uro#e9
Data gathered till date based on carbon dating techni"ues of Heanderthal
re!ains found in di0erent #arts of ;uro#e suggest that the lived till the ti!e
the 5rst wave of !odern hu!ans reached ;uro#e )0,000 to $0,000 ears
ago.
4o1e(istence
;vidence also suggests that !odern hu!ans and Heanderthals coe(isted in
#arts of ;uro#e before our close relatives vanished fro! the fossil records,
i!#ling the end of their #resence on ;arth. That the geno!es of !ost
!odern hu!ans contain 11) #er cent of Heanderthal genes is #roof of the
coe(istence.
The bones fro! which the Heanderthal DHA !aterial was re!oved ca!e
fro! the 8indi@a 4ave in 4roatia, and were dated as between $,,$00 and
)),)00 ears old.
<ut a new stud #ublished recentl in The Proceedings of the Hational
Acade! of Sciences KPHASL #rovides evidence that "uestions the ver basis
of our understanding of Heanderthals and hu!an coe(istence with our
cousins.
According to a re#ort in Hature, !odern hu!ans !ust have found ;uro#e a
ghost land with no trace of Heanderthals. Studing Heanderthal re!ains
recovered fro! the foothills of the 4aucasus 7ountains, the authors found
that our cousins had died so!e 10,000 ears before !odern hu!ans arrived
in ;uro#e. The bones were recovered fro! a cave in western Russia called
7e'!ais&aa.
According to the #a#er, the new thin&ing has less to do with the Heanderthal
bones and !ore to do with the techni"ue used to date the!. The had used
a !ore #recise techni"ue to date the fossils.
2t is a well &nown fact that though carbon dating is robust, and is of little use
while dating bones older than $0,000 ears.
The li!itation arises as all of the radioactive carbon gets decaed b then.
Bet, it cannot be absolutel denied that hu!ans and Heanderthals lived as
neighbours in ;uro#e. 6or instance, Heanderthal re!ains found in %orha!/s
cave in %ibraltor were dated as 2),000 ears old, and are well within the
u##er li!it of carbon dating usefulness.
So did an interbreeding between hu!ans and their cousins ta&e #lace in
such #laces as %ibraltor, though not wides#read in ;uro#e9 6or that !atter,
how and when did the interbreeding ever ta&e #lace9
7iddle ;ast
The i!#lication of the PHAS stud is that the geno!e ad!i(ture never too&
#lace in ;uro#e. 2f at all, it could have and should have ta&en #lace well
before hu!ans arrived in ;uro#e : #robabl in the 7iddle ;ast.
O7 gut feeling would be that #robabl the latest Heanderthals and the
earliest !odern hu!ans !a have overla##ed for a bit, but not for too
!uch,P Tho!as Higha!, a #alaeoanthro#ologist at the Eniversit of =(ford,
EF., and co1author of the PHAS stud was "uoted as saing in Hature.
Dr. Higha! and other co1authors have ta&en u#on the!selves the tas& of
accuratel dating !ore Heanderthal re!ains.
This is to arrive at a ti!eline of their disa##earance fro! ;uro#e, and
#robabl #in#oint the closer a##ro(i!ation of the ti!e when we lived
together with our relatives and the location where such coe(istence
ha##ened.
Diesel engine
Mh do diesel internal co!bustion engines re"uire no s#ar& #lug to ignite
the fuel unli&e #etrol engines9
JABAFR2SHHAH 8.
Fochi, Ferala
S#ar& #lugs are used in the #etrol engines to ignite the air fuel !i(ture
whereas in diesel engines the #resence of s#ar& #lugs is not necessar.
Technicall #etrol engines are called as s#ar& ignition engines K S2 L and
diesel engines are called as co!#ression ignition engines K42 L . 2n S2 engines
air and fuel K#etrolL get !i(ed in the carburettor and then it is su##lied to the
engine through inlet !anifold, then the air fuel !i(ture is co!#ressed inside
the clinder.
At the end of co!#ression the s#ar& is ignited and then co!bustion ta&es
#lace fro! where the #ower stro&e is obtained. Hor!all the co!#ression
ratio of S2 engines will in the range 3 1 , .This #roves that in #etrol engines
the co!#ression alone doesn/t !a&es the fuel to burn.
Technicall s#ea&ing this #rocess is governed b constant volu!e #rocess or
=tto ccle. <ut in case of diesel engines s#ar& #lugs are not needed. The air
fro! the at!os#here is suc&ed into the clinder of the engine and then the
air is co!#ressed to high #ressure which eventuall leads to the increase of
te!#erature, so when the diesel is su##lied at end of co!#ression stro&e,
the te!#erature develo#ed is !ore enough to ignite the diesel, this !a&es
the fuel to burn and then e(#ansion of gases ta&es #lace fro! where the
#ower stro&e is obtained.
This eli!inates the usage of s#ar& #lug as the te!#erature re"uired to ignite
the fuel is obtained on co!#ression itself, so alwas the co!#ression of
diesel engines will be in the range 12 11).This t#e of #rocess is governed b
constant #ressure #rocess. This !a&es one identif the engines. 2n #etrol
engines s#ar& #lugs will be #resent but in the case of diesel engines fuel
#u!# will be #resent.
A... A7ARHATH
Siva&asi, Ta!il Hadu
Diet change for gorillas in Horth
A!erican 'oos
Heart disease is the nu!ber one &iller of !ale Mestern lowland gorillas :
the onl s#ecies of gorillas in Horth A!erican 'oos. To counter this, the
#ri!ates are being returned to a diet !ore a&in to what the/d eat in the
wild.
Discovering how best to e(cite brain
cells
A neuron #refers one signal within a certain grou# of signals, and a di0erent
signal within another grou# even when the two signals aren/t ali&e. This
5nding !a lead to the design of brain i!#lants for neurological disorders.
Dish T8 rece#tion
During rains, the T8 #rogra!s telecast b dish T8 #roviders are disru#ted or
bloc&ed. Mh9
4.8. RA7A.2H%A7
Pala&&ad, Ferala
Rain can have an adverse e0ect on dish T8 signal rece#tion !a&ing the
digital #icture free'e or go out altogether. .oss or wea&ening of satellite
signal during bad weather is called -rain fade/ or -rain attenuation./
Rain fade occurs due to the #resence of !oisture in the air between the
trans!itting satellite and the receiver site. 7oisture interferes with the
satellite signal. The raindro#s wea&en the trans!ission b absorbing and
scattering the electro!agnetic signals. The !ore the !oisture, the !ore the
interference.
Several fre"uencies are used to carr satellite trans!issions. ;arlier satellite
television was broadcast in 41band 1 radio in the $.)1gigahert' K%H'L to +1
%H' fre"uenc range. 4urrentl, digital satellite T8 is trans!itted in the Fu
fre"uenc range K10 %H' to 1) %H' L.
.ower fre"uencies Klonger wavelengthsL !ove through the !oisture in the air
better than higher fre"uencies Kshorter wavelengthsL.The longer
wavelengths of 41band are less susce#tible to rain attenuation than the
shorter Fu and Fa wavelengths.
Higher fre"uencies e(#erience !ost deterioration in their signals due to rain
fade. This interference cannot be avoided co!#letel, but its e0ects can be
!ini!ised and the rece#tion of signals can be i!#roved. =ne wa is to
increase the antennae si'e.
<ut under heav rain conditions increase in antennae si'e will not have an
i!#act. Another techni"ue that is used to !ini!ise the loss of signal and the
interference of satellite signal is to establish e(tra co!!unication lin&s.
FA.BAH2 D;S2FAH
4hennai
Divers 5nd #rehistoric wood in la&e
Ender the cold clear waters of .a&e Huron, researchers have found a 5ve1
and1a1half1foot1long, #ole1sha#ed #iece of wood that is ,,900 ears old.
DHA for counting endangered s#ecies
How reliable are the traditional !ethod of counting wildlife ani!als to &now
their nu!bers for #ur#oses of conservation9
Scientists have shown that the are "uite unreliable, and can lead to
signi5cantl incorrect totals that the believe could adversel a0ect
conservation e0orts. The found genetic !ethods to be far su#erior.
Andrew DeMood, a #rofessor of genetics at Purdue EniversitT Ja!ie 2v,
#o#ulation !anager at the San Diego VooT and Todd Fat'ner, a research
assistant #rofessor at the Eniversit of Mest 8irginia, found that visual
counts of i!#erial and white1tailed sea eagles in the Har'u! Hational Hature
Reserve of Fa'a&hstan signi5cantl underesti!ated the i!#erial eagle
#o#ulation there. Esing DHA fro! eagle feathers gathered in the area, the
researchers were able to identif individual DHA 5nger#rints for each bird.
The #roof
The techni"ue showed that there were )1) eagles, !ore than three ti!es as
!an as had been visuall observed, and !ore than two and a half ti!es
!ore than !odelling suggested would be there.
OA biologist doesn/t alwas see the! co!ing and going,P said DeMood,
whose 5ndings were #ublished in the earl online version of the @ournal
Ani!al 4onservation.
O;agles are diGcult to ca#ture, !ar& and resight. <iologists in the 5eld can/t
di0erentiate individuals, whereas b a genetic 5nger#rint geneticists can
di0erentiate a!ong individuals that have visited a site.P
The collected thousands of eagle feathers around roosts and nesting sites.
The e(tracted DHA fro! those feathers and deter!ined that there were
hundreds of eagles that had recentl visited the site. : =ur <ureau
DHA found in !eteorites
Scientists have found co!#onents of DHA, the building bloc&s of life on
;arth, in !eteorites, a discover the sa con5r!s the theor that at least
so!e of the !aterials needed to !a&e earl life for!s ca!e to our #lanet
fro! s#ace.
;leven !eteorites
2n the HASA1funded stud, #ublished in the Proceedings of the Hational
Acade! of Sciences , scientists used advanced !ass s#ectro!etr
instru!ents to scan 11 organic1rich !eteorites called carbonaceous
chondrites and one ureilite, a ver rare !eteorite with a di0erent che!ical
co!#osition.
The found three nucleobasesC#urine, 3,,1dia!ino#urine and 2,31
dia!ino#urine : that are widel distributed in carbonaceous chondrites and
which are Orare or absent in terrestrial biolog,P said the researchers.
The scientists found no signi5cant concentrations of the trio in soil and ice
sa!#les near where the !eteorites landed, .iveScience re#orted.
Past research had revealed a range of building bloc&s of life in !eteorites,
such as the a!ino acids that !a&e u# #roteins.
This was the 5rst ti!e all but two of these !eteorites had been analsed for
nucleobases, the researchers said.
O6inding nucleobase co!#ounds not t#icall found in ;arth/s bioche!istr
strongl su##orts an e(traterrestrial origin.
OThis shows us that !eteorites !a have been !olecular tool &its, which
#rovided the essential building bloc&s for life on ;arth,P stud co1author Ji!
4leaves, of the 4arnegie 2nstitution of Mashington was "uoted as saing to
SPA4;.co!.
The analtical techni"ues #robed the !ass and other features of the
!olecules to identif the #resence of e(traterrestrial nucleobases and see
that the a##arentl did not co!e fro! the surrounding area.
Two of the carbonaceous chondrites contained a diverse arra of nucleobases
and structurall si!ilar co!#ounds &nown as nucleobase analogs.
Hot found in soil, ice
2ntriguingl, three of these nucleobase analogs are ver rare in ;arth biolog,
and were not found in soil and ice sa!#les fro! the areas near where the
!eteorites were collected at the #arts #er billion li!its of their detection
techni"ues, the researchers said.
OAt the start of this #ro@ect, it loo&ed li&e the nucleobases in these !eteorites
were terrestrial conta!ination : these results were a ver big sur#rise for
!e,P said stud co1author 7ichael 4allahan, an astrobiologist at HASA
%oddard S#ace 6light 4enter.
.aborator e(#eri!ents showed that che!ical reactions of a!!onia and
canide, co!#ounds that are co!!on in s#ace, could generate nucleobases
and nucleobase analogs ver si!ilar to those found in the carbonaceous
chondrites.
However, the relative abundances of these !olecules between the
e(#eri!ents and the !eteorites di0ered, which !ight be due to further
che!ical and ther!al inAuences fro! s#ace. : PT2
DHA of cancer1resistant rat se"uenced
Scientists have generated the 5rst whole1geno!e se"uencing data of the
na&ed !ole1rat, a rodent that is resistant to cancer and lives for !ore than
$0 ears.
Do doctors reco!!end sa!e thera#
for #atients as selves9
2t a##ears that #hsicians reco!!end di0erent treat!ents for #atients than
the would choose for the!selves. <efore ou conclude that this is
so!ewhat sel5sh, #lease read on. A recent stud b a tea! of sociologists
and doctors K Archives in 2nternal 7edicine, A#ril 2011 L #oints to an
interesting dichoto!.
The stud involved two di0erent scenarios, both h#othetical. 2n scenario
one, the researchers interviewed *00 doctors and as&ed the! to i!agine
that either the or one of their #atients had colon cancer, and the had to
choose one of two surgical treat!ent o#tions.
<oth surgeries shared the #ossibilit of ,0 #er cent success, without an
co!#lications.
=f the re!aining 20 #er cent involving side e0ects, surger one had the
danger of four di0erent &inds of troubles, such as re!oval of the colon, or
chronic diarrhea, or bowel obstruction, or wound infection. These accounted
for a total of ) #er cent co!#lications.
The rest 13 #er cent was chances of death or !ortalit. 2n surger 2, there
were no co!#lications at all, but the failure rate was 20 #er cent, that is, for
ever 100 #eo#le o#erated for colon cancer, 20 die.
How, which o#tion is betterC surger with 13 #er cent death and ) #er cent
co!#lications, or surger with no co!#lications but 20 #er cent chances of
death9
2n other words, should we ris& a higher chance of death but if successful,
there will be no additional troubleC a true doctor/s dile!!a.
The results of the stud were interesting. =f the *00 doctors interviewed,
2)2 res#onded. =ut of these, a signi5cant nu!ber of the! chose surger 2
Kno side e0ects but higher chances of !ortalitL for the!selves. 2n contrast,
when as&ed for reco!!endation to a #atient who co!es to the!, !an of
the! K30 of the 2)2L reco!!ended surger 1 Kwith lower death chances, but
side e0ectsL to their #atients.
Scenario 2 involved a Au e#ide!ic. Here the tea! of researchers interviewed
1,300 #ri!ar care #hsicians and gave the! two treat!ent o#tions for
reco!!endation. =ne grou# was as&ed to i!agine that the the!selves had
been infected with the newl e!ergent Au virus. The second grou# was
as&ed to i!agine that his or her #atient was infected.
Here again, there were two treat!ent !odes. The #artici#ants Kdoctors and
#atientsL were also infor!ed that a new i!!unoglobulin treat!ent was
available to treat this Au virus.
2n !ode one, the treat!ent was si!#le hos#itali'ation and bed rest for a
wee&, no i!!unoglobulin or an other for! of treat!ent. The hos#itali'ation
rate was $0 #er cent. <ut the ris& with such a -no intervention at all/ o#tion
was that 10 out of ever 100 a`icted would die K10 #er cent !ortalitL.
The second treat!ent o#tion involved using the newl introduced
i!!unoglobulin, and 1* #er cent hos#itali'ation rate.
Here, the chance of adverse events fro! the virus is cut in half Kso we would
e(#ect a * #er cent death rate fro! the AuL, but there are co!#lications such
as #aralsis of the leg K) #er centL and death due to others 1 #er cent.
Hotice that the i!!unoglobulin treat!ent cuts the !ortalit rate but creates
co!#lications such as #aralsis, an o#tion that a vast !a@orit of #eo#le
thin& better than death.
Mhat did the doctors choose9 =f the 1300 doctors, onl 39, res#onded to
the "uestionnaire. Mhen the were the!selves #atients, ))0 doctors chose
to forego the lifesaving bene5ts of i!!unoglobulin treat!ent, so as to avoid
its side e0ects, even if it carried a higher chance of death Kand the rest 2*,
#referred i!!unoglobulinL. <ut, when it ca!e to the #atients, a larger
nu!ber of doctors K$,3L suggested that their #atients Kcusto!ersL ta&e the
i!!unoglobulin treat!ent, even with side e0ects, but lower !ortalit.
2n both instances Kcolon cancer and Au virusL, the doctors chose the o#tion
with a higher !ortalit rate for the!selves, #resu!abl to avoid adverse
reactions a0ecting their everda activities.
So!e co!#lications
<ut, to their #atients, the suggested the o#tion with lower !ortalit rate but
so!e co!#lications. And it did not !atter whether the doctor was !ale or
fe!ale, relativel oung or old, white or blac&, #rivate #ractitioners or
govern!ent1based. The reco!!end the lower !ortalit o#tion to their
#atients.
Mh this di0erence9 Hot @ust because of lawsuits or other worries. There
a##ears a #schological basis, called cognitive biases, behind this.
Pschologists #oint outC Owhen #eo#le !a&e reco!!endations for others,
the tend to focus on a single di!ension of alternatives, t#icall one that is
easiest to defendP.
<ut when the have to !a&e #ersonal choices, several biases co!e into #la.
=ne is the feeling that the intervention intended to #revent har! is worse
than the har! caused b the illness itself. Pschologists call this betraal
aversion.
Then again is Oo!ission biasP1 har! resulting fro! an act is worse than not
doing it at all Ko!ission better than co!!issionL. These cognitive biases
co!e into #la in #ersonal decisions, but in reco!!ending to others, the
easiest to defend o#tion is safer.
Hi##ocrates has guided the doctor all the while1 -do no har! to the #atient/.
<ut if the side e0ects and co!#lications co!e in "uanti5able nu!bers, the
doctor/s dile!!a beco!es !ore #ronounced.
And he wants the least loss of life, with the ho#e that co!#lications can
#erha#s be treated with other !ethods or in ti!e.
D. <A.ASE<RA7AH2AH
dbalaSlv#ei.org
Dogs can sni0 out earl stage bowel
cancer
Dogs can sni0 out bowel cancer in breath and stool sa!#les, with a ver high
degree of accurac : even in the earl stages of the disease : sas
research #ublished online in the @ournal %ut.
Dol#hins show wa to care for hu!an
in@uries
A dol#hin/s abilit to heal "uic&l fro! a shar& bite with a##arent indi0erence
to #ain, resistance to infection, he!orrhage #rotection, and near1restoration
of nor!al bod contour !a #rovide insights into the care of hu!an in@uries.
Double destruction due to -double
tsuna!i/
The destructive tsuna!i generated b the 7arch 2011 Ja#an earth"ua&e was
a -!erging tsuna!i/ that doubled in intensit over rugged ocean ridges,
a!#lifing its destructive #ower before reaching shore.
Dra!aticall i!#roving solar #anel
eGcienc
A new technolog that could dra!aticall i!#rove solar energ #anels
!erges the o#tics of nanoscale antennas with the electronics of
se!iconductors for infrared1light detection and for higher1eGcienc solar
cells.
Dri#tech launches new low1cost dri#
irrigation sste!s
Drought has hit s#ecies in desert
ecosste!s
A stud sas that increasingl fre"uent and severe drought, dro##ing water
tables and dried1u# s#rings have #ushed so!e a"uatic desert ecosste!s
into a state fro! which !an s#ecies will not recover.
Dust disc of s#iral gala( H%4 2)+
The s#iral gala( H%4 2)+/s co!#onent stars are clearl resolved and !an
glowing #in& clouds of hdrogen, !ar&ing regions of active star for!ation
can be !ade out in the loose and ragged s#iral ar!s.
Ding with dignit through -assisted
suicide/
O2 thin& su0ering is !uch !ore than a !edical situation. There/s this notion
that su0ering can be controlled b !edicine and healthcare #ractice. 2 thin&
that/s a ver s#urious notion,P the <ritish 7edical Journal K<7JL "uoted
Pauline S!ith, Mest 7idlands HHS Strategic Health Authorit as telling the
unoGcial co!!ission, hosted b the inde#endent thin& tan& De!os. 7rs
S!ith is an end of life care lead for Mest 7idlands region.
O=ur view is that the current law doesn/t !atch the re"uire!ents of the 21st
4entur,P <7J "uoted her as telling the co!!ission chaired b for!er .ord
4hancellor and .abour #eer 4harles 6alconer.
The co!!ission has been set u# as ;ngland and Males are ta&ing the 5rst
ste#s to facilitate assisted ding [ #roviding assistance to so!eone to die.
The co!!ission O#lans to #roduce #ro#osals on whether the current law
should be changed and, if so, in what wa,P notes <7J.
There are !an who share 7rs. S!ith/s views. 7an doctors in E.F. are for
assisted ding. A new grou# for health #rofessionals called the ODignit in
DingC Healthcare Professionals for 4hangeP has ta&en on itself the tas& of
challenging the <ritish 7edical Association and a nu!ber of roal colleges in
their stance against assisted ding of ter!inall ill #eo#le.
ODignit in DingC Healthcare Professionals for 4hangeP was set u# b Ann
7cPherson, a fellow of the Roal 4ollege of %eneral Practitioners.
Public su##ort
;ven the #ublic su##orts the idea of assisted ding. <ritish social attitudes
surve underta&en last ear found that ,2 #er cent #eo#le su##ort assisted
ding, according to a <7J Hews ite! #ublished on =ctober *, 2010.
Assisted ding is di0erent fro! euthanasiaT it is not a doctor but the #atient
hi!self who ad!inisters the lethal dose to &ill hi!self in the case of assisted
ding. The doctor/s role is li!ited to #rescribing a life1ending dose of
!edication to a !entall co!#etent, ter!inall ill adult at his re"uest.
Assisted ding is currentl illegal in ;ngland, and doctors who hel# #atients
to die are co!!itting an o0ence. The 121!e!ber co!!ission will be
sub!itting its re#ort b the end of the ear.
;ven as it is illegal in ;ngland, !an #atients travel fro! E.F to Swit'erland
for assisted ding. Mhile assisted ding or assisted suicide is not illegal in
Swit'erland, #eo#le in E.F who have hel#ed the #atient to travel to
Switerland can be #unished.
According to the Hew Bor& Ti!es, as on Se#te!ber 2$, 2009, !ore than 100
ter!inall ill or severel disabled <ritons have travelled to Swit'erland in
recent ears for assisted ding.
<ut it is not Swit'erland alone that has legalised assisted ding. ;ven in the
E.S. where destroing e!bros for harvesting e!bronic ste! cells is not
#er!itted using 6ederal !one, the State of =regon legalised it in 199+.
Mashington State followed =regon/s footste#s and legalised assisted ding in
Hove!ber 200,.
Hu!ber of deaths
About )30 #atients have ta&en advantage of the O=regon/s Death with
Dignit ActP and ended their lives between 199, and 2009. 2n the case of
Mashington State, 11 #eo#le have ended their lives within si( !onths of the
law co!ing into force.
According to a #a#er #ublished in the Hew ;ngland Journal of 7edicine
KH;J7L, there were 2$ who got legal #rescri#tions for lethal !edications in
=regon in 199,, the 5rst ear when doctors could legall assist #eo#le to dieT
1* of the 2$ actuall used the lethal !edications and ended their lives.
A Hews ite! in <7J states that in 2009, ** #hsicians wrote 9* lethal
#rescri#tions. =nl *9 #eo#le actuall too& the lethal #rescri#tion to its
logical end b ending their lives.
Three other countries e(cluding Swit'erland have legalised assisted ding :
<elgiu!, .u(e!bourg and the Hetherlands.
Dsle(ics 5nd it harder to recognise
voices
Pic& u# the #hone and hear, OHe, what/s u#9P 4hances are, those few words
are enough to recogni'e who/s s#ea&ing #erha#s unless ou have dsle(ia.
2n a sur#rise discover, researchers found adults with that reading disorder
also have a hard ti!e recogni'ing voices.
The wor& isn/t @ust a curiosit. 2t 5ts with research to uncover the building
bloc&s of literac and how the can go wrong. The eventual goal : to s#ot
at1ris& oungsters even before the o#en a boo& in &indergarten instead of
diagnosing dsle(ia in a struggling second1grader.
O;verbod is interested in understanding the root cause of dsle(ia, so we
can intervene earl and do so!ething about it,P sas 7assachusetts 2nstitute
of Technolog cognitive neuroscientist John %abrieli, senior author of the
stud #ublished recentl in the @ournal Science .
Dsle(ia is thought to a0ect thousands of #eo#le who can have great
diGcult reading and writing. 2t is not a #roble! with intelligence or vision.
2nstead, it is language1based. The brain struggles with what/s called
O#honological #rocessing : being able to distinguish and !ani#ulate sounds,
li&e ObahP and O#ah,P that eventuall have to be lin&ed to written letters and
words.
A graduate student in %abrieli/s lab wondered if dsle(ia would i!#air voice
recognition as well. After all, subtle di0erences in #ronunciation hel#
distinguish #eo#le.
How to test that9 Previous studies have shown it is easier to recogni'e voices
if the are s#ea&ing our own language. So the researchers recruited
;nglish1s#ea&ing college students and oung adults, half with dsle(ia, half
without. The watched ani!ated characters li&e a clown, a !echanic, a
soccer #laer s#ea&ing either ;nglish or 4hinese, to get fa!iliar with how
the sounded.
Then ca!e the test, to !atch a voice to its character. The volunteers
correctl identi5ed the 4hinese s#ea&ers onl about half the ti!e, regardless
of whether the had dsle(ia. <ut when the heard ;nglish s#ea&ers, #eo#le
with dsle(ia still were right onl half the ti!e while the non1dsle(ics did far
better, identifing +0 #ercent of the voices correctl.
That #rovides further evidence of dsle(ia/s strong lin& to #honological
i!#air!ent.
8oice1recognition stud has broader i!#lications for brain science. 2t shows
that for s#lit1second recognition, the brain/s social1oriented right side wor&s
together with the s#eech 1 #erce#tion region of the left brain. Peo#le with
dsle(ia a##arentl are !issing out on so!e of that interaction. : AP
;arliest evidence of tooth deca
7issing teeth and the decaed @awbone of a 2+*1!illion ear old re#tile have
#ushed bac& the earliest evidence of tooth deca so!e 200 !illion ears,
according to a stud #ublished Tuesda.
The downside
The new 5nd also highlights the downside of the evolutionar shift fro!
loosel15tted teeth that fall out but grow bac& to having a single set of
#er!anent cho!#ers, a drawbac& shared b adult hu!ans, the researchers
said.
.abidosaurus ha!atus : a fat1headed, o!nivorous re#tile about +*
centi!etres K$0 inchesL long : ada#ted over !illions of ears to life on land
rather than the water !arshes of its a!#hibious forebear.
2ts stouter legs and ar!our1li&e s&in were better ada#ted to running and
warding o0 #redators.
And its non1re#laceable teeth, dee#l anchored in its @aw, were better suited
for eating 5brous #lants and ste!s, alongside its !ore ancient diet of Aing
and crawling insects.
<ut having 5(ed1for1lifeti!e dentition !ade ha!atus vulnerable to the sa!e
t#e of bacterial deca that #lague hu!ans and &ee# a##ro(i!atel two
!illion dentists around the world e!#loed.
O=ur 5ndings allow us to s#eculate that our own hu!an sste! of having
@ust two sets of teeth, bab and #er!anent : although of obvious advantage
because if its abilit to chew and #rocess !an di0erent food stu0s : is
!ore susce#tible to infection,P the authors concluded.
Researchers led b Robert Reis', a #rofessor at the Eniversit of Toronto at
7ississauga, analsed an Oe("uisitel #reservedP @aw found near 4o0ee
4ree&, Te(as using 4T1scan technolog.
7assive infection
The found evidence of !assive infection, li&el resulting in the loss of
several teeth and bone destruction in the @aw in the for! of an abscess.
The stud was #ublished in the #eer1reviewed @ournal The Hature of Science.
: A6P
;arliest evidence #ushed bac& so!e 200 !illion ears <acterial deca sa!e
as that which #lagues hu!ans
;arl Aowering #artl due to cli!ate
change
According to recent research, native #lants in southwestern =hio, E.S. are
Aowering signi5cantl earlier, a 5nding attributed, at least in #art, to global
war!ing.
;arth"ua&eC un#redictabilit is its
!iddle na!e
How safe are nuclear #lants located in countries that have faults cutting
across the! or located close to tectonicall active regions9 How reliable and
hel#ful is seis!olog Kthe science of earth"ua&esL in forecasting the
#robabilit of occurrence of da!aging "ua&es9
The 3.$ "ua&e that struc& 4hristchurch in Hew Vealand on 6ebruar 22 &illed
nearl 3* #eo#le and caused wides#read da!age to #ro#ert. Mere scientists
e(#ecting a &iller "ua&e to stri&e the cit9 The si!#le answer is, no.
<lind fault
The 4hristchurch "ua&e occurred along a Oblind fault.P <lind faults have no
surface e(#ression, and scientists are #lainl ignorant of their e(istence.
4hristchurch is not an isolated case.
The + !agnitude "ua&e of Januar 2010 that hit Haiti is another e(a!#le.
<lind faults have #laed a role in the not so recent #ast as well.
The + !agnitude .o!a Prieta earth"ua&e that struc& the San 6rancisco <a
Area in 19,9, and the 3.+ !agnitude Horthridge "ua&e of 199) which hit
southern 4alifornia were caused b release of energ fro! blind faults. 7a
200$ saw a 3.+ !agnitude tre!or fro! a blind fault stri&ing northern Algeria.
Ja#an had also witnessed a blind fault ri##ing a#art structures wa bac& in
199*. Fobe cit that was struc& b a "ua&e will be !ost re!e!bered for the
da!ages caused Krunning to hundreds of billions of dollarsL and thousands of
fatalities.
As scientists continue to discover new blind faults, as in the case of the
Puente Hills 6ault that runs right under downtown .os Angeles, the have
co!e to realise that the earth/s crust, @ust a few &ilo!etres below the
surface, has an innu!erable nu!ber of such wea& 'ones.
6ar awa #laces hit
2f blind faults are a great cause for concern, high !agnitude "ua&es stri&ing
one #art of the globe can result in s!aller intensit "ua&es in #laces located
as far as a few thousand &ilo!etres awa.
.uc&il, till date, tre!ors, triggered b high !agnitude "ua&es, stri&ing
#laces hundreds of &ilo!etres awa have been low1intensit ones.
Scientists never believed these tre!ors were #ossible till the +.9 "ua&e that
roc&ed Alas&a in Hove!ber 2002, and the +.$ !agnitude earth"ua&e of June
1992 that struc& the town of .anders in 4alifornia, set o0 @olts thousands of
&ilo!etres awa.
2f the Alas&an "ua&e triggered tre!ors as far as $,200 &! awa in the
Bellowstone Hational Par& in the E.S., the .anders "ua&e led to s!aller ones,
again, in the Bellowstone Hational Par&.
Scientists found that the 200) Su!atra earth"ua&e triggered "ua&es even on
the o##osite side of the earth in ;cuador.
2n fact, according to a stud #ublished in 7a 200, in the Hature %eoscience
@ournal, 12 of the 1* !a@or tre!ors Kbetween 1992 and 2003L greater than +
!agnitude caused "ua&es even thousands of &ilo!etres awa.
Nua&e clustering
2f #laces far awa fro! !a@or "ua&es are @olted, there is #lent of evidence to
show that "ua&es co!e in clusters following a giant tre!or. 6or instance, the
9.1 !agnitude Su!atra "ua&e of 200) set o0 a series of nearb "ua&es,
including one 5ve ears later. These are distinctl di0erent fro! aftershoc&s.
<ut do giant "ua&es co!e in clusters9 Though statisticall signi5cant
evidence of a nu!ber of giant "ua&es occurring in clusters is not available, it
is a fact that within a ti!e interval of less than seven ears there have been
three giant "ua&es : Dece!ber 200) Su!atra "ua&e of 9.1 !agnitude,
6ebruar 2010 4hile "ua&e of ,., !agnitude, and now the 9 !agnitude
"ua&e o0 Sendai.
Si!ilarl, si( of the 13 greatest "ua&es have occurred between 19*0 and
193*.
Another instance of co!#arabl large "ua&es originating fro! the sa!e or
neighbouring faults is the ,.$ !agnitude Furil 2slands event Knorth of Ja#anL
of Hove!ber 2003 followed b another one of ,.1 !agnitude within two
!onths KJanuar 200+L.
Stress loading
2t is well &nown that release of stress during an earth"ua&e can in turn load
u# the sa!e fault or ad@acent faults with stress.
So was that the case even with the Su!atra and Furil 2slands events9
4lustering has been seen even when the initial "ua&e has not been a giant
one. A 2009 #a#er in Hature cites how a series of "ua&es in 1992 shoo&
4alifornia/s 7o@ave Desert in "uic& succession.
2t started with the 3.2 !agnitude Joshua Tree "ua&e of A#ril 1992 followed b
two "ua&es in June 1992 : the +.$ !agnitude .anders "ua&e and the 3.*
!agnitude <ig <ear "ua&e, and 5nall the +.1 !agnitude Hector 7ine
earth"ua&e in 1999.
Are cratons safer9
4ratons, the old and stable #arts of the continental crust, which are far awa
fro! the #late !argins, are generall considered to be free fro! big "ua&es.
<ut the late 1,11 and earl 1,12 "ua&es of !ore than , !agnitude that
@olted the Hew 7adrid region in 7ississi##i, E.S. de5ed that assu!#tion.
So will the 9 !agnitude "ua&e that roc&ed Ja#an on 7arch 11 lead to !inor
@olts in far awa #laces, big "ua&es in the neighbouring regions, and giant
"ua&es in other regions of the world in the co!ing ears9
Fobe cit was ri##ed a#art b a blind fault that had no surface e(#ression
The 200) Su!atra "ua&e triggered "ua&es even on the o##osite side of the
earth in ;cuador
;arth/s orbit
Mh does earth follow an elli#tical orbit9 Mh not a circular orbit9
F. SARA8AHAH
Frishnagiri, Ta!il Hadu
Planetar !otion is governed b the gravitational force and is understood
through the classical #hsics of Hewton. 6urther, according to the Hewton/s
.aw of %ravitation the force between the #lanets li&e the ;arth and the Sun
de#ends on the distance between the! and is isotro#ic i. e. it is felt to the
sa!e e(tent in all directions.
Although the force on the ;arth due to the Sun is e(actl of sa!e !agnitude
as that on the Sun due to the ;arth, the Sun can still be considered to be at
rest because of its enor!ous !ass, about one third !illion ti!es that of the
;arth.
The Hewtonian #hsics of the !otion of the earth in the gravitational 5eld of
the Sun leads to the fact that the tra@ector of the ;arth is a closed orbit and
is li!ited to a #lane &nown as the ecli#tic #lane.
6urther, the force law of the gravitation #heno!enon is ver s#eci5cT the
!agnitude of the force between two !asses decreases as the s"uare of the
distance between the! and involves certain universal constants li&e the
%ravitational constant %, the !ass 7 of the Sun and that of the earth !.
There are several was to understand and describe the geo!etric nature of
the orbitT the si!#lest a!ong the! uses the force law where the force is
given b the ratio of the #roduct % . 7 .! and the s"uare of the distance r
between the Sun and the ;arth.
<ecause the orbit is li!ited to a #lane it is #ossible and is useful to anal'e it
using the coordinates along two #er#endicular directions. These "uantities
can be transfor!ed, according to de5nite rules, into another #air of
inde#endent "uantities called the #olar coordinates which, in this case,
ields a e"ualit relation between the!. This relation is called the e"uation
of the orbit.
The given force law, as stated above, gives the e"uation of the orbit to be an
elli#se with The Sun located at one of the two foci of the elli#se. This focus
also ha##ens to be the origin of the #olar coordinates used above. The #oint
on the orbit, nearest to the Sun is called the #erihelion and the one farthest
is &nown as the a#helion.
The straight line @oining these two #oints is the !a@or a(is of the elli#se. The
elongated sha#e of the elli#se is described b a geo!etric #ara!eter, the
eccentricit the value of which for the ;arth/s orbit is @ust 0.013+.
This !eans that the orbit is ver nearl circular. A detailed analsis of the
di0erent co!#onents of energies shows that the origin of this s!all
eccentricit is the s!all ratio of the gravitational #otential energ to its
&inetic energ at an #oint on the orbit.
The force e(#erienced b the ;arth is !a(i!u! at the #erihelion and its
s#eed there is !a(i!u!. These #hsical "uantities decrease continuousl to
their lowest values at the a#helion. This ha##ens in such a concerted !anner
that the line @oining the Sun and the ;arth swee#s the sa!e area in the sa!e
length of ti!e.
PR=6. H.F. SAHE
;arth1Sun distance
How do ou !easure the distance between ;arth and Sun9
2HDRAJ2T F.
Pala&&ad, Ferala
.et us as& 5rst a related "uestion, na!el, OHow is the distance between
;arth and an #lanet, !easured9P Ta&e for e(a!#le the #lanet nearest to the
Sun, na!el, 8enus. This distance to 8enus can be obtained at an ti!e
during its travel b radar !easure!ents.
6or this, a #ulse of radio wave is trans!itted fro! ;arth and is received when
it bounces o0 8enus and co!es bac& to ;arth. Since radio waves travel at
the s#eed of light, b !easuring the total ti!e ta&en for the #ulse to co!e
bac&, the distance can be calculated asC Distance a 0.* U Kti!e ta&en b
radar #ulse to travel both wasLU Ks#eed of lightL
How we co!e to the other "uestion, na!el, the !easure!ent of distance
between earth and sun. =bviousl we cannot use the earlier radar
!easure!ents since the sun itself is a source of intense electro!agnetic
waves and in addition it is too far awa fro! the earth.
<ut our !easure!ent of distance between #lanet and earth will beco!e
useful for this i!#ortant !easure!ent. .et us assu!e that the distance
between ;arth and the Sun is -R./ To 5rst a##ro(i!ation, the orbits of ;arth
and 8enus are #erfect circles around the Sun. How, let us consider the orbit
of 8enus. There are two #laces where the Sun18enus1;arth angle is 90
degrees.
At these #oints, the line @oining ;arth and 8enus will be a tangent to the orbit
of 8enus. These two #oints indicate the greatest elongation of 8enus and is
the farthest that 8enus will get awa fro! the Sun in the s& with res#ect to
an earth observer. How, b !a&ing observations of 8enus in the s&, one can
deter!ine the #oint of greatest elongation. =ne can also !easure the angle
between the Sun and 8enus in the s& at the #oint of greatest elongation. 2n
the diagra!, this angle will be the Sun1;arth18enus angle !ar&ed as in the
right angled triangle. How, using the trigono!etr, one can deter!ine the
distance between ;arth and Sun R, in ter!s of the ;arth18enus distance at
this ti!eC Ra K;arth[8enus distance at #oint of greatest elongationLQ 4os .
Me get the distance between the Sun and ;arth to be 1.)93(10>\1?
>\1?!etres Knearl 1*0!illion &ilo!eters or 9$ !illion !ilesZL.
Prof. T.S. HATARAJAH
De#t of Phsics, 22T 7adras
;ast Asian, Denisovan genetic lin&
found
=ur ancestors !ated with Heanderthals, but also with other related
ho!inids. Hew research shows that ;ast Asians share genetic !aterial with
Denisovans, na!ed after the cave in Siberia where the were 5rst found.
;ating berries lowers ris& of
Par&inson/s
;ating berries lowers ris& of develo#ing Par&inson/s disease. 7en !a also
further lower their ris& b regularl eating oranges, a##les and other sources
rich in Aavonoids.
;0ect of hu!an1!ade noise on
cetaceans
A sste! e"ui##ed with hdro#hones detects the #resence of cetaceans and
!a&es it #ossible to anal'e how noise caused b hu!an activit a0ects
their natural habitat and the natural balance of oceans.
;0ective !anage!ent of #a#aa
!eal bug
;0ects of data /deluge/ on new
su#erco!#uters
The e(#onentiall increasing digital infor!ation and new challenges in
storing !assive datasets, are changing the architecture of newest
su#erco!#uters and how researchers will use the!.
;lderl as fast as oung in so!e brain
tas&s
Health older #eo#le can be trained to res#ond faster in so!e decision1
!a&ing tas&s without hurting their accurac : !eaning their cognitive s&ills
in this area aren/t so di0erent fro! ounger adults.
;lectric conduction
Mh does water conduct electricit while air does not9
F. AHAHTHAHARABAHAH
Fana&u!ari, Ta!il Hadu
4onduction of electricit is a #hsical #heno!enon where electric charges do
!ove in the !ediu! as a res#onse to an a##lied electric 5eld which, in turn,
arises fro! a di0erence in electric #otential. Thus, in the !ediu! there has
to be suGcient electric charges available for !ove!ent.
<ased on this consideration, there are three t#es of electric conductionT
electron conduction which ha##ens #redo!inantl in !etals, hole conduction
ta&ing #lace in se!iconductors and a few !etals li&e 'inc and ionic
conduction which is caused b !ove!ent of ions in the !ediu! under the
inAuence of an a##lied electric 5eld.
;lectric conduction in water is due to ionic conduction. Mater, H >12?=, being
a #olar !olecule in the li"uid state, gets dissociated into #ositivel charged
H >\\? and negativel charged =H >\1? ions. These ions are available even
in absence of an e(ternall a##lied electric 5eld.
=n a##lication of an electric 5eld, these ions e(#erience a force given b the
#roduct of the ionic charge and the 5eld. Mhile the get into directed
!ove!ent in the !ediu!, the encounter other si!ilar ions and get
scattered at rando!. This leads to a stead Aow of the charges resulting in
an electric current. This current is the indicator of electric conduction in
water.
Such ions are not readil available in all !aterials li&e air. Air consists !ostl
of nitrogen !olecules, H >12?, and o(gen !olecules, = >12?, a#art fro!
trace a!ount of other gases. The ato!s in these !olecules are ver strongl
bound and do not dissociate into ions on their own as it ha##ens in water.
Hence on a##lication of ordinar electric 5elds there is no charge to !ove
and there is no electric conduction.
However, there are s#eci5c conditions in which the air !ediu! also su##orts
electric conduction. 2f a fairl high electric 5eld is a##lied across air !ediu!
!aintained at suitable #ressure and te!#erature conditions, the constituent
o(gen and nitrogen !olecules also dissociate into the corres#onding ions
and electrons, and set the electric conduction. =ften this t#e of conduction
is in the for! of short lived s#ar&s as in the lightning #heno!enon. Also, if
the air is da!# and contains suGcient a!ount of #olar water !olecules,
electric conduction is #ossible in such air !ediu! due to the !ove!ent of
the H >\\? and =H >\1? ions. =f course, because the charge carriers are
less in nu!ber, the conduction is #oor.
PR=6. H. F. SAHE
;lectric train
=ver electri5ed railwa trac&s, there is onl one electric line. How is @ust one
line able to su##l #ower to the loco!otives9 Do the not re"uire a !ini!u!
of two lines to !a&e a circuit9
Hderabad
6or feeding the =ver Head ;"ui#!ent K=H;L with 2*F8, A4, *0H' su##l the
Railwa/s Traction Sub1station, each situated at a distance of about )0130 F!
avail 220Q1$2Q110F8 fro! the State ;lectricit <oards. The voltage is then
ste##ed down to 2*F8 fro! 220Q1$2Q110F8 with the hel# of traction #ower
transfor!er 2 #hase, 21.3 Q $078A #rovided in the Railwa/s traction sub1
station. %enerall two #hases are obtained fro! the State ;lectricit <oards
and the sa!e is a##lied to the H8 side KPri!arL of the Transfor!er and in
the .8 side KSecondarL the out#ut is !aintained at 2+F8. =ut of the two .8
ter!inals of the Transfor!er KSecondarL one is #er!anentl and solidl
earthed and then connected to the Rails Krunning trac&sL through bonds.
The su##l of 2+F8 fro! the other ter!inal of the .8 side is fed to the over
head e"ui#!ent K4onductorsL. 6or an electrical circuit to co!#lete a return
#ath is re"uired. 2n the electric loco!otive the su##l is collected with the
hel# of #antogra#h at 2*F8, A4, 2 #hase , *0H' and further ste##ed down to
feed the traction !otors KD4 !otorsL after the are converted fro! A4 to D4
with the hel# of recti5ers. 2n the !ain transfor!er of the loco, one ter!inal
of the #ri!ar is connected to the #antogra#h to receive the 2*F8 A4
su##l, the other ter!inal connected to a grounding transfor!er and
connected to the bod of the loco. The grounding transfor!er ensures that
the current going through the car bod 5nall 5nds its wa through the
wheels and is then earthed via the rails.
The electrical circuit is co!#leted through the bod of the loco!otive to the
rails and then to the traction sub1station where the secondar Kone ter!inalL
of the traction #ower transfor!er is connected solidl to earth then
connected to the rails. Thus the load current Aows through the =H; K=ver
Head 4onductorsL to the loco!otive and returns through the rails and earth
to the traction sub1station Kfro! where the su##l is fed to the =ver head
4onductors thereb co!#leting the return #athL.

P. SER;SH
De#ut 4hief ;lectrical ;ngineer
Railwas, Secunderabad
;lectricit fro! hot geother!al Auids
Hew Vealand scientists are #lanning to drill a geother!al borehole ) &! or
!ore dee# b 201) to test the feasibilit of e(tracting su#er hot geother!al
Auids to generate electricit, said a state!ent released b %HS Science
recentl.
Researchers fro! the state1run geother!al and nuclear sciences institute,
%HS Science, rec&on the energ fro! the Auids below the Tau#o volcanic
'one in the central Horth 2sland could generate enough energ to !eet the
entire countr/s electricit de!and.
Scientists and researchers fro! Hew Vealand and 10 other nations gathered
in the town of Tau#o Mednesda to discuss #ro#osals for the #ro@ect, the
state!ent said.
4onventional geother!al energ in Hew Vealand derived fro! boreholes u#
to $ &! dee#, ta##ing Auids u# to $00 degrees 4elsius, said the state!ent.
However, scientists believed that b drilling to de#ths of about * &! and
ta##ing even hotter Auids, the energ out#ut could increase dra!aticall.
4onventional geother!al technologies currentl #rovided about 1$ #er cent
of Hew Vealand/s total electricit generation fro! an installed ca#acit of
about +$0 !egawatts.
OScientists conservativel esti!ate that dee# geother!al resources in the
central Horth 2sland could #rovide 10,000 !egawatts for over 100 ears for
Hew Vealand,P said %HS Science senior geother!al scientist Dr %reg <ignall,
a convener of the Tau#o wor&sho#.
OThis would satisf all of Hew Vealand/s current electricit de!and, which is
generated fro! a ca#acit of 9,000 !egawatts,P <ignall said.
O<ut to achieve this there are a nu!ber of engineering and scienti5c
challenges to overco!e as conventional technologies would be #ushed
beond their li!its to e(tract Auids fro! such de#ths. 4urrentl there is no
satisfactor wa of handling geother!al Auids that are )00 degrees 4elsius.P
%round1brea&ing science, innovation and engineering would be needed for
successfull drilling into the dee#, ver hot environ!ents.
The wor&sho# in Tau#o, called HAD;SC Hotter and Dee#er ;(#loration
Science, would hel# in build #artnershi#s needed to achieve this, said the
state!ent.: Uinhua
;lectron s#eed
At what s#eed does the electron !ove around the nucleus9
82J;TH J. SH;TTB
Edu#i, Farnata&a
The #hsics of subato!ic #articles li&e the electrons is governed b laws and
rules of "uantu! !echanics rather than those of the classical #hsics
a##licable to relativel large or !acrosco#ic bodies such as a cric&et ball, a
bus or a #lanet. However, the transition fro! the classical #hsics to the
then new real! too& #lace in a so!ewhat gradual !anner.
Though toda it is well established that the electrons do not have de5nite
tra@ectories, in the beginning of the twentieth centur, Prof. Heils <ohr !ade
revolutionar #ostulates of de5nite stationar circular orbits for the electron
in a hdrogen ato! and de!onstrated the success of this new a##roach
though the theoretical derivation of the e(#eri!entall observed line
s#ectru! of hdrogen ato!. This gave the necessar credence to the !odel
though its inade"uac was ver soon discovered and recti5ed.
Mithin the <ohr/s !odel, one can tal& of electrons !oving on a circular orbit
where the centrifugal force it e(#eriences b virtue of the circular !otion is
e(actl balanced b the electrostatic attraction towards the centrall #laced
#ositivel charged nucleus.
The radius of this circle in the hdrogen ato! is called the <ohr radius and
has a value of 0.*29 angstro! units K1 angstro! a 10>\1?>\1?>\0?!L.
The !ass of an electron is 9.109 ( 10>\1?>\$?>\1?&g. The electric charge
on the electron and the hdrogen nucleus Kwhich is @ust a #rotonL is 1Q\ 1.302
( 10>\1?>\1?>\9?4oulo!b. Esing these values along with the dielectric
constant of free s#ace to be ,.,*) ( 10>\1?>\1?>\2?6arad #er !eter, it is
#ossible to !a&e an esti!ate of the s#eed of the electron in the circular orbit
of the hdrogen ato! to be about 2.1,, ( 10>\3?!eters #er second or
21,, &!Qsec. This s#eed is about 1*0 ti!es s!aller than the s#eed of light
in free s#ace.
However, even within this earl "uantu! descri#tion, the above esti!ate
!ust be used with care because the circular orbit !odel does not hold good
for all other ato!s where the electron orbits are in general elli#tical which
ta&e circular sha#e onl in a li!it.
And in an elli#tic orbit, the centrifugal force &ee#s varing at ever #oint, so
does the distance of the electron fro! the nucleus whose charge is di0erent
fro! that of @ust one #roton as we used for hdrogen nucleus. So, the
electron s#eed at ever #oint on the orbit can be di0erent.
The !ore co!#lete and !odern "uantu! theor does not ad!it such
de5nite and #recise orbits but rather describes the e(istence of the electron
through a #robabilistic descri#tion.
Here, under an given circu!stance, there is a #robabilit of 5nding the
electron at a #oint in s#ace and at an instant of ti!e. This &ee#s on
changing fro! #lace to #lace and fro! ti!e to ti!e. 2n a sense, one can
#icturise the ato!ic electron to be a negative charge cloud around the
nucleus, di0erent electrons in an ato! having di0erent s#atial sha#e of its
charge distribution.
Therefore, in this #icture we cannot tal& of s#eed of an electron around the
nucleus.
Prof. H. F. SAHE
;lectronic weighing !achine
How does an electronic weighing !achine wor&9
P.S. 7ATH;M
Ala##u'ha, Ferala
The o#eration of an electronic weighing scale can be s#lit into two #arts for
understanding. The 5rst being the sensing #art and the second, the
#rocessing #art. The sensing #art essentiall contains a collection of sensors
which !easure the weight and convert it into electrical for! for #rocessing.
The #rocessing #art then ta&es this signal and dis#las it on the .4D for a
readout. The sensors used for !easure!ent are &nown as load1cells.
A load cell is basicall a transducer Ka device which converts one for! of
energ into other for!L that converts a force Kthe weight in this caseL into an
electrical signal. The load1cell consists of a set of strain gauges which get
defor!ed u#on a##lication of a #ressure KstrainL on the!. This defor!ation
is !easured as an electrical signal so that it is suitable for #rocessing.
<ecause of the fact that the a##lied strain changes the electrical resistance
of the wire, a load cell nor!all consists of ) strain gauges that are
connected as a wheatstone bridge.
A collective out#ut of the ) strain gauges is obtained that is in a order of a
few !illivolts. The arrange!ent in a weighing scale is such that, the ob@ect
that is #laced on the #latfor! e(erts the force onto carefull #laced load1cells
beneath it. These transducers generate an electrical signal which is then
a!#li5ed b the use of a high "ualit signal a!#li5er for it to be suitable in
the subse"uent sections of electronics in the device.
This signal after a!#li5cation is ta&en b the #rocessing #art which converts
the analog voltage into a digital for! with the hel# of a #recision analog to
digital converter which is then dis#laed on to the digital read out.
This #art of the #rocessing and the digital read out is handled b the use of a
7icro #rocessor 4ontrol Enit K74EL which can #erfor! other necessar
o#erations based u#on the design necessit. These o#erations can be
!aintenance of so!e statistical data, 'ero ad@ust!ent, interface to a P4
sste! etc.
4are is ta&en to calibrate these devices before the are used. This is done
because of the uni"ueness of the co!#onents that are used in the!. This is
an i!#ortant ste# without which the device #rovides a wrong reading.
Hderabad
;!ail source
2s it #ossible to locate the #lace of origin of an e!ail9 2f es, how9
S.P.S. JA2H
Hew Delhi
Bes, it is #ossible. =n 2nternet, each !essage that is sent out contains the
uni"ue identi5cation nu!ber called 2.P. Address of the source co!#uter fro!
where the !essage is sent.
Though nor!all not visible to the receiver, it can be e(tracted b using a
suitable o#tion of the e!ail software li&e BahooZ, Hot!ail, g!ail etc. Ke.g., in
an e!ail received on Bahoo !ail, there is an o#tion 6ull 8iew Header to
e(#and and show the details of the #ath ta&en.
The 2P address !ar&ed U1=riginating12P is the 2P Address of the source
co!#uterL.
Esing this 2P Address and one of the worldwide 2nternet Registries or so!e
software a##lications, one can 5nd the details of the 2nternet Service
Provider K2SPL li&e the 2SP na!e, address, #erson res#onsible etc.
So!e software show the full #ath ta&en b the !essage fro! source
co!#uter to the destination.
2SP !a be a #ublic 2SP li&e <SH., Reliance, A=. or a closed organisation li&e
2ndian Railwas, <oeing, T4S etc. 2n a closed organisation it will be easier for
the networ& ad!inistrators to identif the #erson de#ending on the internal
2P Address, ti!e of the !ail etc.
Hderabad
;1!ails not all that -green/
;nabling 2ndia to shine in the world of
science
An discussion on the state of science in 2ndia !ust begin with discussing
how our children learn science in schools. 7ost of the! are forced to learn b
rote in schools and colleges. Me have to hel# the! beco!e ade#t at
analtical thin&ing and #roble! solving.
The urgent need is to train the! to translate what the learn in the
classroo! into an understanding of the natural and #hsical #heno!ena of
science in the real world, and thin&ing of solving #roble!s in the societ
around the!. 2nde#endent thin&ing and a health sce#ticis! of widel1
acce#ted theories should be #laced above students/ !aster of school notes.
.et !e cite @ust two boo&s that can enhance thin&ing #ower and #roble!
solving ca#abilit of our high school children. O Thin&ing PhsicsC
Enderstandable Practical RealitP b .ewis 4arroll ;#stein is &nown to hel#
the! a##reciate the role of #hsics in understanding dail1life #heno!ena,
and, therefore, i!#rove their curiosit and critical thin&ing.
6or high school econo!ics, 2 would reco!!end O The ;cono!ic HaturalistC
Mh ;cono!ics e(#lains al!ost everthingP b Robert 6ran&, which will hel#
students thin& criticall about funda!ental conce#ts of econo!ics. Me would
have succeeded in hel#ing the ne(t generation to thin& criticall and to
analse dee#l if our children start using such boo&s.
Shifting focus
There is an great need to shift our focus fro! #assing e(a!inations to
understanding the conce#ts. 2n ! conversations with several students of
co!#uter science at 2nfoss, 2 a! sad that !ost of the! had forgotten even
the funda!ental conce#ts li&e se!a#hores within three !onths of their
e(a!inationsZ
Me should also create #latfor!s for co!#etition in scienti5c and
!athe!atical thin&ing in ever s!all town in the countr so that children are
encouraged to thin& criticall. The best a!ong the! should be sent to State,
regional, and national level co!#etitions. The winners at the national level
should be sent to international co!#etitions so that the can co!#ete with
the best in the world. Me should also sub!it our school sste! to global
co!#arisons and bench!ar&s to !easure where we stand. 2 was told b a
ver enlightened bureaucrat that we used to do it in the #ast but sto##ed it
when we found we were consistentl rated lowZ
These suggestions ai!ed at refor!ing our school1level teaching !a see!
ver a!bitious but several countries have indeed succeeded in changing
their educational sste!s using so!e of these well1&nown ideas. Singa#ore
and South Forea are two good e(a!#les to e!ulate.
The refor!s
.et !e now co!e to so!e refor!s at the college level. The universities that
have created the !ost i!#act in the world have e(celled both in research
and in teaching. Therefore, our higher educational institutions !ust focus not
@ust on teaching but on research as well. 4urrentl, our research out#ut :
!easured b #a#ers #ublished in internationall1acclai!ed conferences and
#eer1reviewed @ournals, and #atent 5lings : lags behind 4hina, the E.S., and
several develo#ed countries.
The best wa to i!#rove our #erfor!ance in this area is to wor& on
develo#ing a research1oriented !indset a!ong undergraduate students b
focusing on inde#endent and critical thin&ing.
The was
6or instance, e(#ecting students to read the !aterial to be discussed in a
class, devoting a s!all #art of the class ti!e to @ust teaching critical issues in
the !aterial that the students have studied at ho!e, and allotting !ost of
the class ti!e to "uestions and answers can be the 5rst ste#s in i!#roving
curiosit and analtical thin&ing.
A classical e(a!#le of such a !ethod would be the well1&nown course on
Justice b Prof. 7ichael Sandel at Harvard Eniversit. This is a ver #o#ular
undergraduate course in Philoso#h and is held at the Sanders Theatre in
4a!bridge, 7assachusetts, to acco!!odate around 1,*00 students who
ta&e this class ever ear. The course video is available free for downloading
at 2Tunes Eniversit.
2t !a be a good idea to encourage our undergraduates to s#end a se!ester
doing inde#endent research on a to#ic chosen b the! in consultation with
their teachers. The outco!e of research is less i!#ortant co!#ared with a
change in students/ !indset. At the least, this sche!e will hel# our
oungsters gain con5dence in inde#endent and critical thin&ing. Than&s to
such a sche!e, 2 have seen several bright students e(cel in research at
4ornell, Stanford and To&o Eniversities. 2n fact, #rofessors at !an well1
&nown universities in the E.S., have told !e about the e0ectiveness of this
sche!e in attracting oung !inds to research careers.
Such a focus on analtical thin&ing and #roble! solving is e(tre!el
i!#ortant in a countr li&e 2ndia that is riddled with socio1econo!ic and
develo#!ental challenges.
These challenges to our inclusive growth actuall re#resent a signi5cant
o##ortunit and act as a source of ins#iration for our oung researchers.
The need
2n a countr where $*0 !illion1#lus #eo#le lac& access to decent #ri!ar
education, health care, shelter, safe drin&ing water and basic sanitation, a
research1and1#roble!1solving orientation a!ong the oung will #la a
se!inal role in i!#roving the overall "ualit of life for the #oorest of the
#oor. Me have to encourage such e0orts with awards and recognition. This is
where the 2nfoss Pri'es fro! 2nfoss will, ho#efull, #la a role in saluting
the e0orts of our oung researchers.
The onl wa we can ignite the !inds of our children and oungsters is b
!a&ing the! #roud of the i!#act of our educational institutions on our
societ. The world will recognise our institutions and salute the! if these
institutions hel# transfor! the lives of ever 2ndian li&e !an of the
universities in the develo#ed countries have done. Me would have arrived
when we have 10 2ndian high schools a!ong the global *0, and 10 2ndian
universities a!ong the global *0. This will ha##en when our universities and
institutes co!#are favourabl with universities li&e 72T, Harvard, =(ford,
;cole Poltechni"ue, 4ornell, and 4a!bridge in their research out#ut,
citation inde( and #atents.
2 a! o#ti!istic and con5dent we can achieve this. Me can do it as long as we
su##le!ent our desire to get there with a single1!inded focus on s#eed and
e(ecution. Me have an abundance of scienti5c talent. That has never been in
doubt. 2t is now u# to us to unleash the full #otential of our oung !inds.
H.R. Haraana 7urth Trustee 1 2nfoss Science 6oundation, and 4hair!an
;!eritus,2nfoss .i!ited,<angalore
;ndosulfan entangleC when #esticide
turns #est
The Rando! House Dictionar of ;nglish .anguage de5nes the word -cnic/
as a #erson who believes that onl sel5shness !otivates hu!an actions and
who disbelieves in or !ini!i'es selAess acts or disinterested #oints of viewT
and -cnical/ as showing conte!#t for acce#ted standards of honest or
!oralit.
The argu!ents
These de5nitions co!e to !ind when one reads the argu!ents that the
4entral govern!ent has !ade before the Su#re!e 4ourt of 2ndia on the
issue of banning of the #esticide endosulfan.
This is in res#onse to a #etition 5led b the De!ocratic Bouth 6ederation of
2ndia on the ill e0ects of endosulfan on the environ!ent and hu!an life, and
that it should be banned. Re#orting on the #roceedings in the court,
J.8en&atesan of The Hindu writes on August $>\r?>\d?C OThe 4entre has
said that long1ter! use of the #esticide was unli&el to #resent #ublic health
concern. The 4entre !ade it clear that endosulfan was not the reason behind
health #roble! in Fasargod in FeralaP. The court as&ed the govern!ent to
a##oint a co!!ittee to loo& into the health issue and re#ort.
This was done and The Hindu re#orts on August 3>\t?>\h?C OThe
co!!ittee/s interi! re#ort said #ublic health concern or ha'ard associated
with the #esticide was not re#orted fro! an state barring Ferala and
Farnata&aP.
And the 4entre !aintained that e(ce#t in Ferala and Farnata&a, no negative
i!#act of this #esticide on cro#s, hu!an and ani!al health or environ!ent
was re#orted anwhere and the ban should not be i!#osed in other states.
Mhat is the truth9
2s the govern!ent correct9 Are Ferala and Farnata&a so di0erent
environ!entall and geneticall that the are the onl areas where life for!s
were a0ected9 =r is the argu!ent based on the fact that banning endosulfan
will a0ect the !ar&et, where the annual value is Rs 2+0 crores9 Three
!anufacturers KHindustan 2nsecticides .td, 4oro!andel 6ertili'ers and ;(cel
4ro# 4areL together #roduce about ,*00 tones of endosulfan ever ear,
a!ounting to +0 #er cent of the world #roduction.
2n science, we loo& at and anal'e all data available on a given issue, loo& for
cogenc and consistenc between the! and decide whether the infor!ation
culled out of the! !a&es sense, or whether !ore research is needed in
order to arrive at a rigorous conclusion. And on issues concerning health and
#ublic welfare, societ generall ado#ts the cautionar #rinci#le.
Hence, let us loo& at what science has suggested so far or the e0ects of
endosulfan on the environ!ent and on life. Several co!#rehensive
su!!aries are available free online, and are highl reco!!ended. =ne is in
Mi&i#edia, on the to#ic of endosulfan, with 9) references and licensed b
4reative 4o!!ons. The other is an e"uall co!#rehensive su!!ar,
available at htt#CQQwww.#anna.orgQresourcesQs#eci5c1#esticidesQendosulfan
These re#orts not onl describe the chronolog of the endosulfan e0ects and
the international e0orts KMH=, ;nviron!ental Justice 6oundation, Parties to
the Rotterda! 4onventionL as well as re#orts fro! 2ndian govern!ent
centres and industr grou#s.
;arl re#ort
The 4S2R lab 2ndustrial To(icolog Research 4entre K2TR4L, based in .uc&now
ca!e out with a re#ort as earl as 19,9 KTo(icit Data Handboo&. 8ol 222,
Pesticide AL classifing endosulfan as e(tre!el ha'ardous.
OThe 6inal Re#ort of The 2nvestigation of Enusual 2llnesses Allegedl
Produced b ;ndosulfan ;(#osure in Padre 8illage of Fasargod District, H.
Ferala C H2=H StudP states that endosulfan e(#osure in earl life !a result
in adverse health e0ects in later life.
Mhat does current scienti5c literature sa9 A "uic& search in Pub7ed
revealed that KaL organochlorine #esticide residues Kendosulfan, DDT, aldrin
etc. were found in fresh and Pasteuri'ed cow/s !il& fro! Fa!#ala !ar&et in
Eganda K 4he!os#here , August 2011LC KbL endosulfan #rovo&es sste!ic
to(icit in the brains of rats Kstud fro! %reece in The Journal of To(icological
Sciences , A#ril 2011L, and KcL one fro! an 24AR lab in our own Anda!an
2slands, which re#orts in the June 2011 issue of 6ish Phsiolog and
<ioche!istr that endosulfan e(#osure severel altered liver histolog in
5sh.
The govern!ent/s argu!ent in the court thus a##ears wea& in science and
#erha#s strong in co!!erce, of !ore on wealth than on health. Mh else
would the Agriculture 7inister Pawar declare si( !onths ago that 2ndia will
not ban endosulfan9
The entire saga is eeril re!iniscent of DDT, which was hailed as a wonder
#esticide, and used e0ectivel and successfull a generation ago.
2ts ill e0ects and health ha'ards co!e to light onl later, and it is now
banned the world over. Recall that DDT was 5rst snthesi'ed in 1,+), but its
insecticidal #ro#erties ca!e to light onl in 19$9, than&s to the %er!an
scientist Paul 7ueller.
2ts successful use during the 22 Morld Mar against !os"uitoes was a huge
success, and 7ueller was awarded the 19), Hobel Pri'e in 7edicine.
;nviron!ental havoc
4o!#anies li&e 4iba, =lin, 7onsanto and 7ontrose !anufactured DDT in tons
and tons. Then ca!e Rachel 4arson who, in her OSilent S#ringP, catalogued
the environ!ental havoc that DDT causes.
This triggered the ;nviron!ental 7ove!ent, and than&s to their e0orts, DDT
was banned for wides#read use in 19+2. Mith endosulfan, the results have
hit us in the face well ahead of ti!e.
K2t was 5rst !anufactured in 19*), and its ill e0ects ca!e to light b the
1990s. 2ts ban was i!#osed alread b 2000, a full decade before todaL.
.et us use the cautionar #rinci#le and not co!!ercial #riorit, sto#
endosulfan and #ursue research on safer alternatives. That would be the wa
of science.
D. <A.ASE<RA7AH2AH
dbalaSlv#ei.org
;ngineered fungus to 5ght !alaria
Scientists have geneticall engineered a fungus to be a #otent, s#eci5c and
eco1friendl tool against !alaria.
O=ur transgenic fungal a##roach is a ver Ae(ible one that allows design and
deliver of gene #roducts targeted to al!ost an disease1carring
arthro#od,P said Ra!ond St. .eger, #rofessor of ento!olog at the
Eniversit of 7arland, the @ournal Science re#orts.
.eger, Meiguo 6ang and colleagues at the Johns Ho#&ins School of Public
Health and the Eniversit of Mest!inster, .ondon, created their transgenic
anti1!alarial fungus b starting with 7etarhi'iu! aniso#liae.
The inserted aniso#liae, a fungus that naturall attac&s !os"uitoes, into
genes for a hu!an antibod or a scor#ion to(in, a Ho#&ins School state!ent
said.
S#eci5c target
<oth the antibod and the to(in s#eci5call target the !alaria1causing
#arasite P. falci#aru!. The tea! then co!#ared three grou#s of !os"uitoes
all heavil infected with the !alaria #arasite.
2n the 5rst grou# were !os"uitoes s#raed with the transgenic fungus, in the
second were those s#raed with an unaltered or natural strain of the fungus,
and in the third grou# were !os"uitoes not s#raed with an fungus.
The research tea! found that co!#ared to the other treat!ents, s#raing
!os"uitoes with the transgenic fungus signi5cantl reduced #arasite
develo#!ent.
;ven in the 2* #er cent of !os"uitoes that still had #arasites after being
s#raed with the transgenic fungi, #arasite nu!bers were reduced b over
9* #er cent co!#ared to the !os"uitoes s#raed with the wild1t#e fungus.
: 2AHS
;ngineering ice to its advantage
Sea1ice algae : the i!#ortant 5rst rung of the food web each s#ring in
#laces li&e the Arctic =cean : can engineer ice to its advantage.
;n'!e that drives cancer under
stud
Researchers are hel#ing unloc& the cellular1level function of the telo!erase
en'!e which drives cancer growth, thus #aving the wa for i!#roved
cancer15ghting thera#ies.
The nu!ber of ti!es a cell divides is deter!ined b telo!eres, #rotective
ca#s on the ends of chro!oso!es KgenesL that indicate cell age. ;ver ti!e
a cell divides, the telo!eres shorten, the @ournal 7olecular 4ell re#orts.
Mhen telo!eres shrin& to a certain length, the cell either dies or sto#s
dividing. 2n cancer cells, the en'!e telo!erase &ee#s rebuilding the
telo!eres, so the cell never receives the cue to sto# dividing.
O2t/s a signi5cant advance in our understanding of how telo!erase wor&s,P
said Moodring Mright, #rofessor of cell biolog and senior stud author at
Eniversit of Te(as Southwestern 7edical 4entre, according to a Te(as
state!ent.
Although telo!erase was discovered in 19,*, e(actl how this en'!e
re#airs telo!eres was largel un&nown.
=ne drug that bloc&s telo!erase, 2!etelstat or %RH13$., was develo#ed b
the biotechnolog co!#an %eron with hel# fro! Mright and Jerr Sha,
#rofessor of cell biolog.
That drug, tested at Southwestern, is currentl in clinical trials for treat!ent
of several t#es of cancer. : 2AHS
;#ic @ournes of turtles revealed
6or the 5rst ti!e than&s to groundbrea&ing research using satellite trac&ing,
the e#ic ocean1s#anning @ournes of the gigantic leatherbac& turtle in the
South Atlantic have been revealed.
A 5ve1ear stud was led b e(#erts at the 4entre for ;colog and
4onservation K4ornwallL at the Eniversit of ;(eter to 5nd out !ore about
these increasingl rare creatures and infor! conservation e0orts.
The research, #ublished in the Proceedings of the Roal Societ <, has shed
new light on the little1&nown !igration behaviour of these ani!als :
following their !ove!ent fro! the world/s largest breeding colon in %abon,
4entral Africa, as the returned to feeding grounds across the South Atlantic.
=ut of 2* fe!ales studied in the new research, three !igrator routes were
identi5ed : including one +,*3$&! @ourne straight across the South Atlantic
fro! Africa to South A!erica , according to a Eniversit of ;(eter #ress
release.
=ther routes still involved large distances, as the !oved fro! %abon to
food1rich habitats in the southwest and southeast Atlantic and o0 the coast
of 4entral Africa. The will sta in these areas for 21* ears to build u# the
reserves to re#roduce, when the will return to %abon once again.
Dr 7atthew Mitt, a researcher involved in the stud saidC ODes#ite e(tensive
research carried out on leatherbac&s, no one has reall been sure about the
@ournes the ta&e in the South Atlantic until now.
Mhat we/ve shown is that there are three clear !igration routes as the head
bac& to feeding grounds after breeding in %abon, although the nu!bers
ado#ting each strateg varied each ear. Me don/t &now what inAuences that
choice et, but we do &now these are trul re!ar&able @ournes.P : =ur
<ureau
/;#igenetic !e!or/ &e to ti!ing
Aowering
A #heno!enon, /e#igenetic !e!or/ enables #lants to -re!e!ber/ the
length of the cold winter #eriod in order to ti!e Aowering so that #ollination,
seed dis#ersal and ger!ination can all ha##en at the a##ro#riate ti!e.
;ru#tion of volcano #redicted
E.S. scientists said recentl the have for the 5rst ti!e successfull
#redicted the eru#tion of one of the world/s !ost active undersea volcanoes
o0 the coast of the western state of =regon.
Scientists fro! =regon and Hew Bor& have been !onitoring A(ial Sea!ount,
2*0 !iles out to sea, since it last eru#ted in 199,, and #redicted it would
again before 201).
=n an e(#edition to the area on Jul 29, researchers using a re!otel
o#erated robot discovered a lava Aow that was not there the ear before,
and began noticing that the entire area loo&ed unfa!iliar.
OMhen we 5rst arrived on the seaAoor, we thought we were in the wrong
#lace, because it loo&ed so co!#letel di0erent,P said <ill 4hadwic&, an
=regon State Eniversit geologist who co1authored a 2003 stud that
forecast another eru#tion b 201).
OMe couldn/t 5nd our !ar&ers or !onitoring instru!ents or other distinctive
features on the botto!.P
The tea! was using botto! #ressure sensors, the sa!e tools used to
!onitor the sea Aoor for #otential tsuna!is after an earth"ua&e.
A cou#le of their recording instru!ents soon turned u#, and scientists
deter!ined that the eru#tion ha##ened on A#ril 3.
The tea! cautioned that !ost volcanoes re!ain highl volatile.
OMe now &now that A(ial Sea!ount behaves in a !ore #redictable wa than
!an other volcanoes.P : A6P
;E to hel# radiation victi!s
A ;uro#ean bone !arrow trans#lant grou# on Mednesda o0ered to treat
Ja#anese e!ergenc wor&ers who !a be e(#osed to dangerous radiation
fro! the cri##led nuclear reactors.
OJa#an is !ore co!#etent than an ;uro#ean countr when it co!es to
radiation treat!ent,P said Ra Powles, chair of the nuclear accident
co!!ittee for the ;uro#ean %rou# for <lood and 7arrow Trans#lantation.
O<ut the are dealing with an awful lot right now and so we !ade this o0er
and are read to hel# if the blow the whistle.P
Short window #eriod
Doctors sa there is a short window of o##ortunit after #eo#le are e(#osed
to radiation when the can assess whether #atients will need e(tensive
treat!ent or a bone !arrow trans#lant.
OAfter a #erson has been radiated, ou have three to four das before the/re
on the cus# of severe co!#lications,P Powles said. OAt that #oint, the could
be #ut on a Aight to ;uro#e if Ja#anese facilities are overwhel!ed.P
Powles said *00 bone !arrow trans#lant centres across 2+ ;uro#ean
countries have been #ut on alert and could treat 200 to $00 #atients if
necessar.
He said the grou# !ade their o0er to Ja#anese oGcials and the MH=. The
;uro#ean grou# based in 7aastricht, the Hetherlands, initiall drew u# its
e!ergenc #lans to res#ond to a radiation threat in the after!ath of terrorist
attac&s and the 4hernobl nuclear disaster.
;0ect on bone !arrow
Radiation t#icall &ills !an bone !arrow cells, which can lead to a
co!#ro!ised i!!une sste! in #atients, leaving the! vulnerable to
infections and other health #roble!s.
Powles said ;uro#ean doctors were not o0ering to #erfor! bone !arrow
trans#lants, but to treat Ja#anese #atients with su##ortive care li&e
antibiotics until a trans#lant was #ossible.
He said it was i!#ortant to 5nd out how !uch radiation nuclear #lant
wor&ers are being e(#osed to as the atte!#t to cool reactors.
Peo#le e(#osed to a lethal dose as was the case with so!e wor&ers in the
after!ath of 4hernobl will li&el die within das. <ut those who onl get a
!oderate dose could survive !uch longer even if the ulti!atel need a
bone !arrow trans#lant.
OMe do have the lu(ur of ti!e if wor&ers are not getting increasing doses of
radiation as the go into the #lants,P Powles said. He said doctors could
accuratel #redict which #eo#le would be in trouble 12 to ), hours after
being e(#osed to radiation and that e!ergenc care could be #rovided in
;uro#e to &ee# the! alive.
Ji! S!ith, a #hsics e(#ert at the Eniversit of Ports!outh said the radiation
ris& to the general #ublic is low, even for #eo#le in the i!!ediate vicinit of
the #roble!atic nuclear #lants. : AP
;ver #olic and decision is gre, not
blac& or white
;vidence of blac& holes destroing
stars
Astro#hsicists have found evidence of blac& holes destroing stars, a long1
sought #heno!enon that #rovides a new window into general relativit.
;volution and s&ull sha#e
S&ull sha#e did not occur inde#endentl through se#arate evolutionar
events, but b actuall #reci#itating each other.
;volution of Aowering #lants earlierC
stud
The evolution and diversi5cation of the !ore than $00,000 living s#ecies of
Aowering #lants !a have been -@u!# started/ !uch earlier than #reviousl
calculated, nearl 200 !illion ears earlier, a new stud indicates.
;volutionar histor of Aies !a##ed
for stud
4alling it the -new #eriodic table for Aies,/ researchers have !a##ed the
evolutionar histor of Aies, a fra!ewor& for further co!#arative studies on
the insects that co!#rise !ore than 10 #er cent of all life on ;arth.
;(cess fat
Mhen we ta&e e(cess water or #roteins our bod eli!inates the!, but when
we ta&e in e(cess fat it is stored in our bod. Mh9
PAT;. H2HAR2FA
<ellar, Farnata&a
Hearl 1*120 #er cent of the bod weight in hu!ans is constituted b li#ids.
A!ong the li#ids the !ost abundant are triglcerides Kneutral fatsL, which
for! ,*190 #er cent of the total bod li#ids. The are stored in the adi#ose
tissue !ade of li#octes Kfat storing cellsL and serve as !ost #redo!inant
energ reserve of the bod. The fat cells store the li#id as s!all dro#lets of
fat !olecules. These fat !olecules are for!ed as the concentrations of fatt
acids in the blood rises, such as after a big !eal. An increase in
concentrations within the blood triggers li#ase en'!es located in fat tissue,
to grab the fatt acids and convert the! into a fat !olecule KtriaclglcerolsL
for storage.
There are two !ain reasons for fat being the fuel reserve of the bodT K1L
Triaclglcerols KT%L are highl concentrated for! of energ, ielding 9
&ilocalories K9 4alQgL, in contrast to carbohdrates and #roteins that #roduce
onl ) 4alQg. This is because fatt acids found in T% are in the reduced for!.
K2L The T%s are non1#olar and hdro#hobic in nature, hence stored in #ure
for! without an association with water Kanhdrous for!L. =n the other
hand, glcogen Ka #olsaccharide called hu!an starchL and #roteins are
#olar !olecules. =ne gra! of glcogen co!bines with two gra!s of water
for storage.
6or the two reasons stated above, one gra! of anhdrous fat stored in the
bod ields, nearl si( ti!es as !uch energ as one gra! of glcogen
KhdratedL. 2n a health adult about 101)111 &g of fat is stored in adi#ose
tissue, which corres#onds to a fuel reserve of 100, 000 4als. 2f this !uch of
energ were to be stored as glcogen Kinstead of fatL, then the weight of the
#erson would increase b at least **&gZ This clearl e(#lains wh fat has
been chosen as a fuel reserve during evolution.
6ats can also su##ort the bod/s energ needs for long #eriods of food
de#rivation. 2n e(tre!e case, hu!ans can fast and survive for 30190 das,
and the obese #ersons can survive even longer #eriods than this.
Hibernating ani!als #rovide good e(a!#le for utili'ing fat reserve as fuel.
6or instance, #olar bears go on hibernation for about seven !onths and,
during this entire #eriod, the energ is derived fro! the degradation of
stored fat. The rub1throated hu!!ing birds A non1sto# between Hew
;ngland and Mest 2ndies K2,)00 &!L at a s#eed of )0 &!Qh for 30 hours. This
is #ossible onl due to the stored fat.
S. PA.AH2APPAH
Pudu&ottai, Ta!il Hadu
;(cess fat
Mhen all the other ele!ents are e(creted wh fat alone has to be stored9
Patel Hihari&a
<ellar, Faranata&a
2n the &idne there is an a##aratus called %lo!erular ca#sule and renal
tubules, which act as a natural 5lter to the bod ele!ents whose natural @obs
is selective 5ltration and selective absor#tion res#ectivel. 2f ou consu!e
e(cess water, e(cess sugar, and if there are abnor!al #roteins in the blood,
it will be naturall e(creted. <ut, all the other essential nutrients, even if
the are high, Kthose which are necessar for the bod functionL are
reabsorbed. <ut fat !olecules will not get e(creted nor!all, unless the
tubule or %lo!erular ca#sule is da!aged. 2n conditions li&e fat e!bolis! to
the blood during fractures of long bones, there is da!age to the &idne
5ltering units, and fats a##ear in the urine as fat globules. The free fatt
acids and a#o#roteins, to which the fat !olecules are attached, cannot be
e(creted. This is so as the si'e of the fat !olecules is relativel bigger than
the #ore of glo!erular ca#sule. =n the contrar, the !a get e(creted in
the faecal !atter, if an drug #revents absor#tion of these fatt acids Kanti
obesit drugs actionL. Mhatever fat has been absorbed cannot circulate in
the blood as the blood viscosit has to be !aintained. Hence the are
tra##ed nor!all as fat globules underneath the s&in, !a!!ar glands of
wo!en, #eritoneu!, to na!e a few. The onl wa to !obili'e these fat
!olecules is b using the! for the energ #ur#oses. 6or instance, when we
e(ercise, the energ for the !uscle is obtained b !etaboli'ing or burning
this fat. The si!#le fact, that as fats cannot be e(creted the are tra##ed
inside the bod as fat globules onl. This is basic #hsiolog. There are no
co!#licated issues in this #rocess at all.
Prof. Dr. 8. HA%ARAAJAH
Senior consultant HeurologistProfessor ;!eritus in Heuro sceicnce, Ta!il
Hadu Dr 7%R 7;D24A. EH28;RS2TB
;(ercise bene5cial in #reventing
!igraine
Although e(ercise is often #rescribed as a treat!ent for !igraine, there has
not been suGcient evidence that it reall wor&s. How, new research shows
that e(ercise is @ust as good as drugs at #reventing !igraines.
;(ercise lowers ris& of colon cancer
death
4onsistent e(ercise is lin&ed to a lower ris& of colon cancer death, according
to a new stud, a!ong the 5rst to show that #hsical activit can !a&e the
disease less deadl and even hel# after a cancer diagnosis has been !ade.
;(#erience guides birds while building
nests
2n contrast to the co!!onl1held assu!#tion a!ong scientists that nest1
building is an innate abilit, researchers found that individual birds varied
their techni"ue fro! one nest to the ne(t as the learned fro! e(#erience.
6ar! to ho!e deliver sste!
launched
A !eet on awareness of organic far! #ractices was organised recentl in
4hennai. A large nu!ber of organic far!ers, retailers and consu!ers
#artici#ated in the !eeting.
=rganic far!ers s#o&e about their e(#eriences and how the have been able
to succeed in toda/s critical agriculture #hase. 7an of those who s#o&e
gave their own e(#eriences as to how costs can be drasticall cut down b
using natural in#uts and how the bio #esticides hel#ed their cro# to beco!e
resistant to #ests and infestation attac&s.
Discussion
2n a #anel discussion regarding the bene5ts of organic #roducts, their cost
and the #resent #roble!s far!ers face were hotl debated
7r. Pa!aan, a far!er fro! Adisil in his s#eech said that Ofar!ers should
beco!e !ore aware on organic far!ing !ethods.P He stressed that if onl
the too& u# natural far!ing can the get a good ield and #ro5t.
Heed !ore subsidies
OThe govern!ent should co!e forward to grant !ore subsidies to organic
far!ers. .ast ear the subsidies given to those #ractising che!ical based
agriculture totalled nearl Rs. one la&h crores,P he said.
Another leading far!er 7rs. Ra@areega, #resident of wo!en far!ers
association fro! 7uthu#atti village in Sivaganga talu& said, far!ers are now
struggling with labour, trans#ort and storage #roble!s.
O;ven in s!all roadside eateries the 5( the #rice of the #roduct the are
selling, but far!ers are denied their right to 5( the #rice for their #roduce.
The govern!ent !ust bring in the sste! of #rice 5(ing b far!ers,P she
stressed.
7r. 7urali, a retailer handling organic #roducts said that the consu!ers/
awareness level on consu!ing organic food is "uite low. O4onsu!ers are
read to bu an lu(ur or fashion #roduct for an cost but when it co!es to
organic foodstu0s the are not read to s#end,P he said.
7otivated
7r. Ruso, 7anaging Director, Raasi organic Pvt .td in his address said that his
co!#an is soon going to start a free ho!e deliver sste!. OMe have
!otivated a nu!ber of far!ers in the outs&irts of 4hennai to ta&e u# organic
cultivation and have assured the! that we will bu their #roduce at a
co!#etitive #rice. OThere see!s to be a shortage in the availabilit of
organic #roducts toda in the !ar&et. 4o!#ared to other che!icall grown
food grains, organic food is not available in all the sho#s. Those interested in
buing it have to search for su##liers,P he said.
To contact 7r. Ruso e!ail rusoSg!ail.co! and !obileC 09323)+1+2+.
6ar!ers cannot solve the crises in
agriculture on their own
6ar!ers cannot solve the crises in agriculture on their own. 2f one does an
2nternet search on how to solve the #resent crises in 2ndian agriculture, there
are sur#rises in store : several hundred answers to e0ectivel tac&le the
#roble!s on hand.
<ut the #resent crisis cannot be solved b the far!ers alone. The initiative
!ust co!e fro! the govern!ent, according to Dr. P. 7urugesa <oo#athi,
8ice 4hancellor, Ta!il Hadu Agriculture Eniversit, KTHAEL, 4oi!batore.
OThe govern!ent should view agriculture as a national re"uire!ent. Till then,
the livelihood of far!ers and sustainabilit cannot i!#rove,P he sas.
6ast econo!
O;verbod toda lives in a fast econo!. 7one alone can bu food,
clothing and shelter. Absence of cash !eans loss of #urchasing #ower and
for a cash1stra##ed far!er it !eans the end of life. A s!all far!er/s 5rst
need toda is to !a&e !one fro! the !eagre land holding.
OTo hel# such s!all far!ers, technologies available toda !ust be a0ordable
and eas to locate,P he adds.
The #ri!ar factor for success in an business is the consu!er orientation
!odel that ful5ls the needs of the consu!er and the de!and of the growing
nation.
7ar&et orientation
7ar&et orientation !ust be in ter!s of what to #roduce, when to #roduce,
and how !uch to #roduce.
.osses are incurred due to e(cess #roduction Kstorage loss and #rice
reductionL and #rice rise during de5cit #roduction.
7ar&et oriented agricultural #roduction #lanning, with a !ediu! and short
ter! hori'on, needs to be done at the national, State, and far! level.
OThis can lead to e0ective and eGcient allocation of resources,P he stresses.
Ergent need
There is an urgent need to attract #rivate sector invest!ent in agriculture,
es#eciall for storage and trans#ort infrastructure if things are to i!#rove, he
argues.
OThere are #resentl nearl eight !illion far!ers in Ta!il Hadu. <ut
e(tension functionaries such as scientists and agricultural oGcers, are less
than 10,000. This creates a ga# in eGcient transfer of technolog.
O7ost are s!all and !arginal far!ers, and !an are not interested in
ado#ting i!#ortant technologies such as seed re#lace!ent rate, bio1fertili'er
a##lication, integrated #lant #rotection, etc.,P he e(#lains.
OAlthough we ta&e e0orts to disse!inate the infor!ation through several
!edia, onl a few far!ers show interest in ado#ting the!.
Progressive far!ers following these develo#!ents a##roach the nearest
college ca!#us, research stations or F8Fs and get re"uired directions. Such
far!ers show !arvellous develo#!ent.
Hard wor&ing
O=ur far!ers are e(tre!el hard wor&ing and entre#reneurial. Mhat the
need is a #latfor!, to utili'e it to i!#rove their life [ !ar&et orientation and
!ar&et lin&ages with a greater share for the! in the consu!er/s ru#ee,P he
sas. To hel# the far!ers, THAE has u#loaded co!#lete details of all the
technologies in its Agri Portal website www.agritech.tnau.ac.in
A far!er can get al!ost an infor!ation he is loo&ing for regarding 5eld
#re#aration, seeds, !achiner, e(#ert advice and !ar&eting.
7ar&et #rices
Another website www.tnag!ar&.tn.nic.in also disse!inates technologies and
suggests re!edies for !aladies a0ecting cro#s. 2n addition the Eniversit
also #rovides !ar&et #rices of agri1horti #roduces through D;724 KDo!estic
and ;(#ort 7ar&eting 2nfor!ation 4entreL.
Hew technologies
According to Dr. <oo#athi, the Eniversit is !a&ing a lot of headwa in
technolog develo#!ent and transfer. 7ar&eting, #rice, and e(#ort #olicies
that i!#rove the #ro5tabilit of s!all far!s are essential at the !o!ent.
O2t is the dut of our scientists to develo# relevant need based technologies
to aug!ent #roductivit. 2t beco!es the tas& of State e(tension functionaries
to facilitate !ar&et orientation of the far!ers and #rovide all the re"uired
technologies to i!#rove.
OThere is #ro5tabilit in agriculture. Those interested can directl contact !
oGce on an wor&ing da and we will be glad to guide the!,P sas Dr.
<oo#athi.
6or an "ueries or guidance contact Dr. 7urugesa <oo#athi at e!ailC
vcStnau.ac.in and #!boo#athitnauSahoo.co!, #honeC 0)221 2)$1+,,.
6ar!ers/ choiceC 8a!ban 3 blac&gra!
variet
A new variet blac&gra! called 8a!ban 3 has been develo#ed at the
Hational Pulses Research 4entre, 8a!ba!, Ta!il Hadu Agricultural
Eniversit.
According to Dr. P. 7urugesa <oo#athi, 8ice 4hancellor, the new blac&gra!
variet co!es to harvest in 3* to +0 das and is suitable for growing in all
seasons.
<etter ield
O2t is heartening to note that 8a!ban 3 gives high ield, about ,90 &gQha in
irrigated condition and as high as ,*0 &gQha in rainfed. The variet is
#referred b far!ers because it ields higher and is resistant to ellow
!osaic virus disease and the #ossible da!age due to #od borer is less,P he
said.
Dr. 7. Para!ath!a, Director of Research urged far!ers who #refered to ta&e
u# this new variet for cultivation, to treat the seeds with two gra!s
4arbenda'i! or Thira! #er &g of seed.
Reco!!endation
ORhi'obiu! should be !i(ed with seeds after 2) hours of 4arbenda'i!
treat!ent. 6or an hectare 20 &g seeds are suGcient. Three #ac&ets of
Rhi'obiu! !i(ture with rice gruel shade dried for 1* !inutes is
reco!!ended.
Reiterating the urgent need for increasing the #ulses #roduction, Dr.
7urugesa <oo#athi suggested two critical technologies to double the #ulses
ield, na!el the seed drill to !aintain #ro#er #lant #o#ulation and using
!obile s#rin&ler for irrigation during $* to )* das after sowing.
Pulse wonder
He also said that the Eniversit has develo#ed OTHAE #ulse wonderP, a !icro
nutrient !i(ture to boost #ulse ield.P
This, if #o#ulari'ed widel, will have great i!#act on increasing the ield u#
to 20 #er cent, he added.
A#art fro! these bene5ts, the #ulse wonder also decreases Aower shedding
and increases drought tolerance.
7echanisation of #ulse cultivation is a #riorit area according to Dr. <oo#athi
who stressed that Oit is #lanned to create a !odel far! at the Hational Pulses
Research 4entre which would be under 100 #er cent !echani'ation as a
de!onstration #lot to educate far!ers.P
6or further details, readers can contact C Dr. 7. Para!ath!a, Director of
Research , Ta!il Hadu Agricultural Eniversit, 4oi!batore 3)1 00$, Phone C
0)221 3311*)+ or 7obile C 09))$* 0*,)$
6ar!ers de!and ter!s within 6D2 in
!ulti1brand retail
6ar!ers go to college to brush u#
their &nowledge
Students going to school or college is routine, but a 30 ear old senior citi'en
running to a class, boo&s in hand, does &indle so!e curiosit a!ong
onloo&ers.
.i&e hi! there are nearl 200 and odd students fro! 2+ ears to +* ears
who have enlisted for a three ear o#en and distance education course
called <achelor of 6ar! Technolog K<6TL at the Ta!il Hadu Agriculture
Eniversit, 4oi!batore.
The course, a si( se!ester schedule, is the brainwave of the 8ice 4hancellor,
Dr. 7urugesa <oo#athi.
Personal e(#erience
O;ven 10th class school dro#outs doing far!ing in 2srael are brilliant. The
s#ea& on issues that our PhD scholars are wor&ing on. 7 #ersonal
e(#erience during travel !ade !e thin& of introducing a new course that
bene5ts both the far!er and those desirous of entering far!ing as a
vocation.
ODas of #lanning and discussion a!ong our #eo#le resulted in introducing
this course that see!s to be ver #o#ular,P sas Dr. <oo#athi.
This uni"ue course is the 5rst of its &ind for an State agricultural universit
and was introduced in Hove!ber 2010.
Po#ular course
After nearl si( !onths, it turned out to be a !uch sought after stud a!ong
retired oGcials, oung entre#reneurs, sales #ersons, and business!en,
according to Dr. 8. 8alluva#aridasan, Director, =#en and Distance .earning
K=D.L.
OToda, our course draws students fro! di0erent age grou#s and fro!
diverse bac&grounds. All share one co!!on drea! 1 to !a&e a di0erence as
a far!er in agriculture,P he sas.
An ,01ear1old far!er, 7r. Anbu Sundaranand fro! Thiru!alaa!#alaa!
near 4oi!batore, is the oldest student.
<etter infor!ed
O2 chose to @oin this course even after +0 ears of far!ing e(#erience. There
see!s to be a lot of di0erence between what 2 did in the #ast and what 2
should do now.
2 a! now able to do far!ing !ore #recisel as 2 a! e"ui##ed with scienti5c
&nowledge and guidelines fro! an e(#ert. 2 5r!l believe that far!ers !ust
beco!e aware about the new technologies,P he sas.
There is a lot of di0erence between teaching students and far!ers.
OThe older and e(#erienced students, the !ore #re1deter!ined is the
!indset and it ta&es so!e ti!e for the! to agree on certain things. <ut we
en@o teaching the! because the are eager to learn,P adds Dr.
8alluva#aridasan.
Dr. F. Singaravelu a retired inco!e ta(, oGcial sas that before he @oined this
course he did not &now anthing about far!ing.
Mh the losses
O2 a! now in the second se!ester and alread 2 a! able to understand
certain details about wh far!ers face losses.P
OThough !an of us !a be e!#loed in #rivate @obs, our #arents, and
brothers are still into agriculture. %iven a choice we do not want to !ove
awa fro! far!ing.
<eing a student of this curriculu! now, 2 a! able to as& "uestions to !
labourers about the seeds, in#uts and !ore i!#ortantl about the !ar&eting
facilities. 2 no longer si!#l nod ! head for everthing the sa,P sas R.
Saravana&u!ar, a business e(ecutive who @oined the course recentl.
According to Dr. <oo#athi, there is no age li!it for those desirous of @oining
this stud.
A !ini!u! #ass #ercentage in the 10th standard is the eligibilit for
a##ling. The course ai!s to create awareness a!ong #eo#le about the
!an new technologies, cro# growing, in#uts and subsidies that the
%overn!ent o0ers to far!ers. 2n fact there is one #a#er in the last se!ester
that deals with e0ective !anage!ent of labour.
.ot of en"uiries
OThis ear our Eniversit is being Aooded with nu!ber of en"uires about the
course. 6riends of #resent students also want to @oin. Me feel i!!ensel
ha## that we are able to bridge the co!!unication and &nowledge ga# that
e(isted between far!ers and those interested in the sector b this new
course,P sas Dr. <oo#athi. 6or !ore details contact Dr. 8. 8alluva#aridasan,
Director, =#en and Distance .earning, Ta!il Hadu Agricultural Eniversit
4oi!batore, Phone 0)22 3311229, 7obileC 09))21110)3, e1!ailC
vanilo!aSg!ail.co! and Dr. <oo#athi at #!boo#athitnauS
ahoo.co!
6ar!ers/ organisations can #la a
!ore constructive role
O=n tring to co!#ile an endless su0ering that far!ers need to bear, one is
left wondering if there e(ists a !agic #ill that can solve their #roble!s,P sas
7r. A@a 8ir Ja&har, 4hair!an, <harat Frisha& Sa!a@, Hew Delhi.
The biggest bane of the far!ers according to hi!, Ois that the vote on caste
or religious lines, nudged b #olitical leaders and later e(#ect the
govern!ent to deliver their needs as a co!!unit of far!ers. Enfortunatel,
toda, dearth of far!er leaders e(ists in all1#olitical #arties. .eaders
re#resent their own individual co!!unities and castes to win their
elections,P he sas.
Heed for awareness
Sur#risingl, !ore than a far!er, it is the #olic !a&ers who need to be
educated 1 es#eciall on !ar&eting 1 because their decisions deter!ine a
far!er/s future.
O=ver the ears, a nu!ber of far!ers/ organi'ations are beco!ing either
o0shoots of #olitical #arties or #oliticall aligned. As a conse"uence, these
beco!e !outh#ieces of #olitical grou#s,P adds 7r. A@a.
<eing de#endent on one #art or the other, Kas is usuall the caseL, an
organisation beco!es !ore active during o##osition rule.
<ecause of this, several grou#s are beco!ing inherentl seasonal, agitating,
channelising #ent u# frustration and anger against the govern!ent of the
da,P he sas and adds Oat no #oint should this be !ista&en to re#resent
absence of good organisations.P
There are several organisations doing a good @ob, but are less &nown, as the
wor& for the welfare of far!ers and are not in the business of #ublicit. These
grou#s are nearl lost in the vast ocean of na!esa&e far!ers/ welfare
organisations, according to 7r. A@a.
Self #ro#agation
O;verone criticises aloud to get noticed,P he stresses. Ho doubt, criticis!
being valuable, gets #ublic attention in the societ, increases T8 ratings,
garners su##ort, and eventuall !one and #osition.
At !ost se!inars, far!er !eets, and debates on agriculture, we 5nd #eo#le
#ro@ecting the!selves, highlighting faults in sight. Positive discussions are a
rarit, see!s to be his view.
7ore inAuence
O;ven though !ost agitations that hold u# the roads and bloc& traGc are for
a far!er related cause, the do not achieve !uch. The far!ers in the E.S.
wield !ore inAuence on the govern!ent #olic because the are better
organised to loo& after their own interests,P he sas.
Though +0 #er cent of the far!ers in 2ndia are wo!en, ver few ad!it
wo!en !e!bers, and even fewer shoulder constitutional res#onsibilities in
their res#ective setu#s.
6ar!ers/ organisations can #la a vital role on two frontsC 6irst enlighten the
far!ers/ about wrong #olicies a0ecting the!T and two, dissect infor!ation of
best available agriculture #ractices so that the far!er can !a&e an infor!ed
decision for ado#tion.
4o!!unication value
The value of good co!!unication, #ressurising #olic!a&ers, awareness and
infor!ation access to far!ers cannot be underesti!ated, according to 7r.
A@a.
O2t beco!es diGcult to evaluate resultant gains or "uantif the bene5ts.
6unding obviousl re!ains a !a@or hurdle for those doing good wor&,P he
adds.
The Panchaati Ra@ toda acts li&e a double edged sword : #roviding !uch
needed e!#ower!ent and bene5ts to the rural co!!unit on the one hand,
and on the other destroing the social har!on in the villages .
O2t acts to divide far!ers on #olitical lines b #itting one against the other in
ever street, to the #oint that far!er solidarit !a be lost for ever,P regrets
7r. A@a
Several #ossibilities
The #ossibilities of various #ositive roles that an organisation can #la toda
to ease the far!ers/ su0ering are endless if we vote on issues that bene5t us
irres#ective of #olitical aGliations, rather than on our vested ideologies, local
and sectarian interests, according to hi!.
6or !ore details contact 7r. A@a 8ir Ja&har, 4hair!an, <harat Frisha& Sa!a@,
A11 Hi'a!uddin Mest, Hew Delhi111001$, e!ailCa@Sb&s.org.in, #honesC 011[
)3121+0, and 3*3*0$,).
6ar!ers would "uit agriculture if the
had an alternative
So!e ears ago the Hational Sa!#le Surve =rgani'ation KHSS=L re#orted
after its stud on agriculture that roughl half the far!ers in the countr did
not wish to continue far!ing.
OThe would rather "uit if the had an alternative. This sha!eful realit
reAects the des#air far!ers feel and is based on the fact that agriculture is a
loss !a&ing enter#rise and the far!ers are unable to either feed the!selves
or turn a #ro5t,P sas Dr. Su!an Sahai, 4onvener, %ene ca!#aign, Hew
Delhi in her blog Ksu!ansahai1blog.blogs#ot.co!L on Mh far!ers don/t
far!.
Provides training
Dr. Sahai, a genetic scientist, served as facult !e!ber at Eniversities of
4hicago and Heidelberg, is convenor of the %ene 4a!#aign, an organi'ation
dedicated to #rotecting far!ers/ rights and food and livelihood securit.
2t also #rovides training to far!ers in ada#ting the fragile agriculture of the
drland to the growing uncertaint of global war!ing and cli!ate change.
Dr. Sahai has been honoured with a nu!ber of international and national
awards and including the Pad!ashri recentl.
ORural 2ndia is loo&ed down u#on b the well to do urban #o#ulation,
including the #olic !a&ers, who are seen as #art of the urban elite. This
discri!ination stri#s far!ing and the far!er of his dignit and #rovides an
incentive to the ounger generation to !ove awa fro! far!ing,P she sas.
Raised on a diet of unreal as#irations bea!ed on television soa# o#eras and
<ollwood 5l!s, rural outh sees neither gla!our, !one nor dignit in
far!ing.
Mh would the want to ado#t it if there is nothing there for the!9P she
as&s.
O;lectoral #olitics #las with rice and wheat as gi!!ic&s to get votes. The
#oor !ust certainl get the hel# of the state to overco!e hunger and
#overt but the wa to do this should be e!#ower!ent and fostering self
reliance : not creating de#endenc through doles,P she !entions in her
blog.
=nl one cro#
Encertain rainfall and drought in the last three ears has !ade far!ing even
!ore ris& than before. 2n Jhar&hand, far!ers can harvest onl one cro# in
the ear during the !onsoon.
<ecause there is no irrigation, the are unable to #lant a second cro# in the
winter as far!ers in the irrigated regions of Pun@ab and E.P can.
6ar! losses beco!e even higher if the single cro# too fails, creating a crisis
of hunger for far! fa!ilies.
The co#ing !echanis! for such a situation is to abandon far!ing and see&
wor& as !anual labour since that brings assured inco!e, which far!ing does
not.
OAbandoning far!ing now !a&es econo!ic sense to the far!er. 2n
Jhar&hand, in a fa!il with 5ve !e!bers, if four go out to see& !anual wor&
in !ines or at construction sites, the collectivel earn about Rs.$00 #er da
at an average wage rate of Rs.+* #er #erson which is below the !ini!u!
wage.
OAnd it is !one that co!es into their hands at the end of the da. This
!a&es the average !onthl inco!e of the fa!il Rs. 9,000 #er !onth, or Rs.
1.,.000 #er ear,P e(#lains Dr. Sahai.
This is several ti!es that the can ever drea! of earning fro! far!ing .
;(#ensive
According to her, in the far!er/s calculation, agriculture is e(#ensive, ris&
and re"uires bac& brea&ing wor& which does not even bring enough to eat,
let alone an sur#lus.
=n to# of all this, it carries the near certain burden of debt since in order to
coa( his single cro# out of the ground, the far!er needs to ta&e credit to
#rocure in#uts li&e seed and fertili'er, so!eti!es even water. O2n another
scenario, the <P. card holder gets $* &g of rice at Rs 1 #er &g and $ litres of
&erosene oil #er !onth for coo&ing. This subsidi'ed grain lasts for 5fteen
das in the !onth, for the other 5fteen das he #urchases food fro! the
!ar&et with the !one the fa!il has earned fro! !anual labour.
O=n the other hand, here is what !an far!ers recounted about their
e(#erience with hbrid rice cultivation. Hbrid rice is #ro!oted aggressivel
b govern!ent agencies although all the hbrid rice seed is being sold b
#rivate co!#anies and there is not a single #ublic sector hbrid rice variet
available on the !ar&et.
Ho invest!ent
6ar!ers bought hbrid rice seed at about Rs 2*0 #er &g, #lanted the nurser
and at the ti!e of trans#lantation, the rains failed. Since there is no
invest!ent in rainwater conservation, there are no water bodies and life
saving irrigation is not available to save the cro#.
OSo, after investing between $,000 to ),000 ru#ees, the far!ers got about *0
to 30 &g of rice fro! the entire &harif cro#. 4o!#are this with the $* &g rice
that the get for Rs $*, ever !onth. Mh would the far!er far!9P she as&s.
7an in the ounger generation are forgetting how to far!. Two !ore
generations of this &ind of outh and we !a not have enough #eo#le who
can grow food in this countr : and then9P she as&s.
Readers can contact Dr. Su!an Sahai at !ailSgeneca!#aign.org, J12$*QA,
.ane M11*4, Saini& far!s, Hew Delhi1 1101032, #honeC0111 29**32), and
29***931.
6ighting iron de5cienc
So!eone with an iron de5cienc should substantiall reduce consu!#tion of
co0ee and blac& tea.
This is according to Petra Renner1Meber, a !e!ber of %er!an/s Ho!e
;cono!ics and Hutrition Science Association. She sas that tannin in the
drin&s inhibits the absor#tion of iron. OAbout two hours should #ass after a
!eal before drin&ing co0ee or tea,P she added.
Renner1Meber said the bod absorbed iron fro! ani!al #roducts such as
!eat and sausage best. Mhen its iron stores are de#leted, the bod absorbs
a lot of iron fro! food. Mhen stores are well su##lied, it ta&es in little of the
!ineral.
She advises vegetarians to eat iron1rich vegetables such as beets as well as
legu!es and whole grains.
She said that vita!in 4 and organic acids enhanced the absor#tion of iron
fro! #lant foods and so she reco!!ends drin&ing a glass of orange @uice at
!eals or having fruit salad for dessert.
2ron de5cienc, which a doctor can detect with a blood test, is caused b an
unbalanced diet or, in wo!en, heav !enstrual #eriods, Renner1Meber said.
S!#to!s included tiredness, wea&ness, increased susce#tibilit to
infections, #roble!s with hair and nail growth, and dr, cha##ed s&in. 7en
re"uire about 10 !g of iron dail, and wo!en 1*. : DPA
6ilter neurons in brain tac&le -clutter/
The &e to nor!al functioning of the brain is -5lter neurons/ which selectivel
inhibit uni!#ortant infor!ation, giving the brain access to what is relevant.
6inancing s!all far!ers through an
innovative sche!e
6ar!ers &now the diGcult in obtaining loans for their far!ing activities in
the countr.
Though !an 5nancing institutions #ro!ise all necessar hel# to far!ers,
sadl !ost of it re!ains onl on #a#er.
The Fshethra Dha!asthala Rural Develo#!ent Pro@ect KSFDRDPL, an H%= in
Dhar!asthala e0ectivel !a&es use of the self hel# grou# a##roach called
#ragathibandhu for #ro!oting union a!ong s!all far!ers and to access
loans for its !e!bers.
4haritable organi'ation
Started as an charitable organi'ation so!e two decades ago to #rovide
subsid to s!all far!ers in villages around Dhar!asthala, the H%= toda is
one of the biggest in the countr.
Toda, active in nine districts of Farnata&a the H%= has so far #ro!oted
1,13,*00 self hel# grou#s KSH%sIL and a cu!ulative !e!bershi# of
12,,*,000 fa!ilies. These SH%sI !aintain a cu!ulative savings of Rs. 2*,.00
crores as on Se#te!ber 2010.
OTill date we have #rovided credit to the e(tent of Rs. 1919.00 crores. The
interest rate charged at 1* #er cent Kreducing balanceL is considered as the
best in the sector. <esides loans we also #rovide training and ca#acit
building, technolog, co!!unit develo#!ent, !ar&eting su##ort to the
far!ers,P sas Dr. 8eerendra Heggade, Dhar!adhi&ari.
According to Dr. ..H. 7an@unath, ;(ecutive Director, the loan hel#s in
reali'ing the drea! far! #lan to the #ragathibandhu !e!bers. ;ach
!e!ber saves Rs. 10 ever wee&. Me #rovide 5nancial assistance of u# to
)0 ti!es their savings.
OThis saving is called as fund and not loan as we e(#ect the far!ers to treat
this !one with res#ect. Hor!all, we borrow bul& funds fro! co!!ercial
ban&s at interest rates of around 10 #er cent for lending to the grou#.
Re#a!ent ti!e
OThe !e!bers get a re#a!ent #eriod of $ to * ears however, the !one
!ust be re#aid in wee&l instal!ents. Ho !e!ber can sa that he #as bac&
the loan fro! the returns of the cro# for which he has invested,P he e(#lains.
6or e(a!#le a far!er borrowing Rs. 20,000 for cultivating arecanut has a
gestation #eriod of * ears, after which he needs to re#a the !one in 1*3
wee&s at Rs. 1*3 ever wee&.
6or this #ur#ose the !e!ber will have to resort to subsidiar occu#ations
li&e dair, Aoriculture, betel leaf or labour wor& to re#a the loan.
So far lending b co!!ercial ban&s to far!s has been activit s#eci5c
e(#ecting re#a!ent to co!e fro! the inco!es fro! that activit.
6or instance the ban& 5nances sugarcane cultivation and wait for 1, !onths
for the sugarcane ield to co!e before de!anding recover of the loan.
2f sugarcane cro# fails, ields less or there is !ar&et crisis the far!er is
totall un#re#ared and faces balance sheet crisis.
Mhere as in the #ragathi bandhu innovation loo&s at dail inco!e of the
far!er and encourages hi! to ta&e u# !i(ed far!ing that increases his
inco!e source.
S!all revenues
6or e(a!#le a far!er ta&es u# #lantation cro#, cash cro#, vegetable
cultivation Aoriculture fruit cro#s, dair far!ing, #oultr, a#iar, etc all of
which bring in s!all revenues to the far!er and reduces the ris& on an one
cro#.
OThe far!er also !anages his cash Aow dail to #a s!all a!ounts fro! his
net sur#lus to the loans borrowed b hi!.
O6or instance the far!er #as bac& the sugarcane loan in wee&l instal!ents
fro! his other inco!es without waiting for sugar cane ield. Mhen his
sugarcane starts ielding he has alread #aid bac& his dues and his
de#endence on sugarcane actuall co!es down. He is able to !anage the
ris&s on sugarcane #roduction and !ar&eting con5dentl. 2n short SFDRDP
has rede5ned the lending to s!all far!ers,P sas Dr. Heggade.
The a##lication for the loan is generated b the grou# after discussion with
the !e!bers and based on the far! #lans of each !e!ber.
The a##lications are then vetted b the village level federation of the SH%s
who constitute a subco!!ittee for reco!!ending the loan.
.oan sanction
The a##lications are then sub!itted to the 5eld wor&er after the
reco!!endation of the subco!!ittee, who then sub!its it to the
a##ro#riate authorit for sanction.
OHor!all, the ti!e ta&en fro! generating the a##lication at the grou# level
till the release of the che"ue is 1* das. 2f there is e!ergenc, loans are
released i!!ediatel. At the sa!e ti!e bigger loans are a##raised before
release and therefore !a ta&e a little !ore ti!e,P sas Dr. 7an@unath.
6or !ore details contact Dr. . H 7an@unath, ;(ecutive Director, SFDRDP,
Dhar!ashri <uilding, Dhar!asthala, <lethangad Talu&, Da&shin Fannada
District, Farnata&a [ *+)213, e!ailC edSs&drd#india.org, !obileC
09)),)39009, #honeC 0,2*312++21*.
6inland far ahead in nuclear waste
!anage!ent
6inland consu!es nearl 1+,000 units of electric #ower #er ca#ita annuallT
its share of nuclear electricit is about 2, #er cent. Though its nuclear #ower
#rogra!!e is ver !odest co!#ared to that of E.S. or E.F. it is far ahead in
its universall a##lauded #lans for nuclear waste !anage!ent.
The general refrain of la #ublic Koften reinforced b antinuclear rhetoricL is
that there is no ulti!ate solution for !anaging high level nuclear waste.
6inland de!onstrates that it has in #lace a #o#ularl acce#ted technological
solution.
6innish #rogra!!e
4urrentl, 6inland o#erates four nuclear #ower reactors with a total installed
ca#acit of 2+13 7Me. 2t #roduces about +0 tonnes of s#ent fuel annuall.
6inland has no #lans to re#rocess the s#ent fuel.
6inland started its #reli!inar #re#arations for its nuclear waste
!anage!ent shortl before the 5rst reactors started o#eration 1n 19++1
19+,. 2n 19+,, the 5rst lot of s#ent fuel entered the facilit for interi!
storage at .oviisa.
The Huclear ;nerg Act 990Q19,+ #assed b its #arlia!ent stated that
nuclear waste generated in connection with or as a result of the use of
nuclear energ in 6inland shall be handled, stored and #er!anentl dis#osed
of in 6inland.
2n 19,$, 6inland started screening of #otential sites for s#ent fuel dis#osal.
Mithin the ne(t four ears, 6innish scientists started 5eld research in 5ve
!unici#alities for selecting the 5nal dis#osal site.
6inal re#ositor
2n 2000, the chose =l&iluoto. The #lan to dis#ose of s#ent fuel in an
underground geological re#ositor. Posiva, a 6innish co!#an which is
entrusted with the @ob has drilled a 3.* !etre [high, * !1 wide and *000!
long =&alo tunnel. 2t has re!oved over 100,000 cubic !etre of roc&.
The co!#an successfull located the #lace where no one would ever be
li&el to dig a dee# hole later for e(#loiting !inerals because the #lace is not
!ineral1rich. The idea is to abandon forever, the !ostl natural, and #artl
engineered underground re#ositor after 5lling it.
4anister design
After a few decades of interi! storage, the levels radioactivit and heat of
s#ent fuel reduce to about 0.1 #er cent of the original values.
2t is then enca#sulated in a cast iron insert which in turn is covered b a * c!
thic& co##er canister. ;ach insert !a carr u# to 12 fuel bundles.
The will be #laced in neatl bored holes a few !etre a#art in the
underground re#ositor. The ga#s between each canister and the hole will be
5lled with bentonite cla, which swells b absorbing water.
This cla #rovides cushioning to the canister in case of geological
!ove!ents and ensures that there are no voids through which water can
enter and corrode the container.
6inland ho#es to start 5lling the re#ositor b 2012 and co!#leting it b
2120. The can cover the !outh of the tunnel and forget about it.
4anister integrit
7ost of the radioactivit in the s#ent fuel is due to 5ssion #roducts.
The have a half life of about $0. 2n 100,000 ears, the radioactivit
re!aining in the fuel will be negligible. 6innish scientists #roved that 1.* c!
of co##er cladding would last over 100,000 ears. ;videntl, * c! of co##er
cladding will be !ore than ade"uate.
During the #eriod, an ice age !a co!e and cover the area under 21$ &! of
ice. The #ressure on the canister due to ice, tightl gri##ing bentonite cla
and ground water !a e"ual that e(#erienced b it at an ocean de#th of ).*
&!. 6inns #roved that their co##er clinders will withstand a #ressure three
ti!es that before failing.
Maste !anage!ent cost is !anageable. 6inland collects a few #ercentage of
the electricit cost #er unit of #ower to !anage the waste and de#osits it in
an inde#endent Hational Huclear Maste 7anage!ent 6und, controlled and
ad!inistered b the 7inistr of Trade and 2ndustr.
The agenc esti!ates and assesses the liabilit annuall.
6inland/s nuclear waste !anage!ent #rogra!!e was acce#ted b #eo#le
because the %overn!ent too& the! into con5dence at ever stage.
6inland de!onstrates that nuclear waste can be !anaged safel. This issue
need not co!e in the wa of harnessing nuclear #ower.
F.S.PARTHASARATHB
Ra@a Ra!annna 6ellow, De#art!ent of Ato!ic ;nerg
K &s#arthSahoo.co.u&L
6ire and wind
Mind blows out 5re, at the sa!e ti!e it s#reads 5re. Mh this #heno!enon9
F.8.SAHD;;P
Ra@ah!undr, Andhra Pradesh
Answer 1C 6irstl, consider the #resence of a low velocit wind. K sa,
virtuall, still airL. At an !o!ent of ti!e, this wind is @ust suGcient to
sustain the 5re. That is, it functions @ust as an -ele!ent./
=bviousl, it cannot #rovide an !otive force K&inetic energL for the 5re
KAa!eL. Hence, the 5re cannot s#read. Elti!atel, it blows out. Secondl,
consider the #resence of a high velocit wind. At an !o!ent of ti!e, there
is not onl suGcient su##l of air to sustain the 5re but also there is
ade"uate air to #rovide !otive force.
Thus, its function is two1foldC as an ele!ent and as a !otive force. Hence,
the 5re s#reads.
F.H. FR2SHHA PRASAD
%uest facult, <uilding 6ire Research 4entre
Hational ;ngineering 2nstitute KAutono!ousL
7sore, Farnata&a
6ire ants for! life raft fro! their
bodies
6ire ants can create a life raft out of their own bodies to survive a Aood and
save the colon, according to a stud.
The research #ublished in the @ournal Proceedings of the Hational Acade! of
Science KPHASL studied the 5re ants K Soleno#sis invictaL of South A!erica
where the regularl have to deal with Aooding.
Ants are well &nown for their grou# intelligence and that !entalit of the
collective wor&s in the construction of the Aoating raft.
The clutch onto each other with their @aws and claws according to David Hu
of the %eorgia 2nstitute of Technolog in Atlanta. The researchers threw
between *00 and ,,000 ants into water at a ti!e and the "uic&l gathered
and for!ed a tortilla1sha#ed structure within !inutes.
According to the authors, about half of the colon went underwater to build a
#latfor! to carr the rest of the ants.
Thousands to !illions of #assengers can be trans#orted without one of the!
ding. The for!ation of air tra##ed under the rafts is li&el to increase
buoanc and #revent the ants in the botto! laer fro! drowning. The 5re
ants can s#end long #eriods in this swi!!ing for!ation before coloni'ing
other areas. : DPA
6ire, Aa!e
Mhat constitutes a Aa!e or 5re9
828;F HA8;;H
Thrissur, Ferala
6ire is the ra#id, but #ersistent, che!ical reaction, in the #resence of heat,
acco!#anied b the e!ission of heat, light and various #roducts. This
co!#le( che!ical #rocess is &nown as Oco!bustionP or OburningP. 2t is a
se"uence of e(other!ic Kheat evolvingL reactions between the fuel and the
o(idant. O6la!eP is the visible !anifestation of 5re.
6ire re"uires four things Kele!entsL. The areC KiL a fuel Kan o(idisable
!aterialL, KiiL =(gen Kusuall, airL, KiiiL a certain K!ini!u!L te!#erature
KheatL, and KivL free radical reactions Ka che!ical chain reaction to continue
the co!bustionL. These four things Kele!entsL gra#hicall create a #ra!id
structure that is called Othe 5re tetrahedronP.
4arbon, in the for! of charcoal, burns in air. <ut, it has to be heated to a
te!#erature of about *00 degrees 4 in order to start the reaction. However,
once lit, burning continues as long as charcoal and o(gen are #resent.
Substances li&e charcoal are &nown as OfuelsP. The !ost co!!on Aa!e
#roducing reaction is co!bustion : a reaction between a fuel and an
o(idiser, usuall o(gen, in thefor! of air. <ut, a variet of substances can
#la the sa!e role in co!bination with the right fuel. 6or e(a!#le, chlorine
Ko(idantL can co!bine with hdrogen KfuelL b burning. However, such
reactions are onl s#ecial cases. <ut, all substances cannot burn. Su##ose,
!ercur is heated in air, it cannot burn. However, if its te!#erature is raised
suitabl, it will co!bine with the o(gen of the air for!ing !ercuric o(ide.
Me can, therefore, conclude that all fuels get o(idised b burningT but, all
o(idation reactions do not constitute burning.
6la!e is "uite an accidental feature. Thus, iron burning in o(gen gives no
#erce#tible Aa!e. The intense light is due to the incandescent solid. =n the
other hand, #hos#horus, sul#hur, wa(, etc., burn with a Aa!e because these
solids are volatili'ed at the te!#erature of co!bustion. The colour of the
Aa!e de#ends u#on the !aterial undergoing the reaction and the
te!#erature. Actuall, it is an e(other!ic reaction front or wave in a gaseous
!ediu!.
F.H. FR2SHHA PRASAD
%uest facult, <uilding 6ire Research 4entre
Hational 2nstitute of ;ngineering, 7sore
Farnata&a
6iring lasers to !a&e rain9
Researchers have used a #owerful laser to #roduce water dro#lets in the air,
a ste# that could ulti!atel hel# trigger rainfall.
Mhile nothing can #roduce a down#our fro! dr air, the techni"ue, called
laser1assisted water condensation, !ight allow so!e control over where and
when rain falls if the at!os#here is suGcientl hu!id.
Records fro! 1$$ hours of 5rings revealed that intense #ulses of laser light
created nitric acid #articles in the air that behaved li&e at!os#heric glue,
binding water !olecules together into dro#lets and #reventing the! fro! re1
eva#orating.
Mithin seconds, these grew into stable dro#s a few thousandths of a
!illi!etre in dia!eterC too s!all to fall as rain, but large enough to
encourage the scientists to #ress on with the wor&.
OMe have not et generated raindro#s : the are too s!all and too light to
fall as rain. To get rain, we will need #articles a hundred ti!es the si'e, so
the are heav enough to fall,P said Jero!e Fas#arian, a #hsicist at the
Eniversit of %eneva. A re#ort on the tests a##ears in the @ournal Hature
4o!!unications .
Mith i!#rove!ents, shooting lasers into the s& could either hel# trigger or
#revent showers. =ne #ossibilit !ight be to create water dro#lets in air
!asses drifting towards !ountains. The air would cool as it rose over these,
causing the water dro#lets to grow and eventuall fall. An alternative !ight
be to stave o0 an i!!ediate down#our b creating so !an tin dro#lets in
the air that none grew large enough to fall. O7abe one da this could be a
wa to attenuate the !onsoon or reduce Aooding in certain areas,P
Fas#arian said. : b %uardian Hews#a#ers .i!ited, 2011
6irst stars in universe were not aloneC
stud
The 5rst stars in the universe could have for!ed alongside nu!erous
co!#anions when the gas dis&s that surrounded the! bro&e u# during
for!ation, giving birth to sibling stars in the frag!ents.
6irst ste! cells fro! endangered
s#ecies
The 5rst ste! cells fro! endangered s#ecies have been #roduced and could
eventuall i!#rove re#roduction and genetic diversit for so!e s#ecies,
saving the! fro! e(tinction, or boosting their health while in ca#tivit.
6irst true view of global erosion
Two 8er!ont geologists have created the 5rst1ever standardi'ed view of #re1
hu!an erosion rates for the whole #lanet.
21st 4entur 5sh live fast and die
oung
6ish in the 21st centur live fast and die oung. That/s the 5nding of a recent
stud that co!#ared 5sh recentl caught in coastal Fena with the bones of
5sh in ancient Swahili refuse hea#s.
6ish s#ecies identi5ed with hel# of
6aceboo&
How could a handful of #eo#le identif *,000 5sh in @ust a few das9 Esing
the 2nternet/s 6aceboo&, on which the #hotos of each s#ecies were u#loaded,
the networ&, of !an with PhDs in ichtholog succeeded in the tas&.
6isheries !anage!ent !a&es coral
reefs grow faster
=ver5shed reef sste!s have !ore sea urchins : organis!s that in turn eat
coral algae that build tro#ical reef sste!s. < contrast, reef sste!s closed
to 5shing have fewer sea urchins : the result of #redator 5sh &ee#ing
urchins under control : and higher coral growth rates and !ore structure.
These were the 5ndings of an 1,1ear stud of Fena/s coral reefs b the
Mildlife 4onservation Societ and the Eniversit of 4alifornia at Santa 4ru'.
The destroer
The #a#er a##eared in the Dece!ber 2010 issue of the scienti5c @ournal
;colog. The authors found that reefs with large nu!bers of gra'ing sea
urchins reduced the abundance of crustose coralline algae, a s#ecies of
algae that #roduce calciu! carbonate.
4oralline algae contribute to reef growth, s#eci5call the &ind of !assive Aat
reefs that fringe !ost of the tro#ical reef sste!s of the world.
The stud focused on two areas : one a 5sher closure near the coastal cit
of 7o!basa and another site with 5shed reefs. The researchers found that
sea urchins were the do!inant gra'er in the 5shed reefs, where the
#redators of sea urchins : trigger5sh and wrasses : were largel absent.
The absence of #redators caused the sea urchins to #roliferate and coralline
algae to beco!e rare.
OThese under1a##reciated coralline algae are &nown to bind and stabili'e reef
s&eletons and sand as well as enhance the recruit!ent of s!all corals b
#roviding a #lace for their larvae to settle,P said Dr. Ti! 7c4lanahan, M4S
Senior 4onservationist and head of the societ/s coral reef research and
conservation #rogra!.
OThis stud illustrates the cascading e0ects of #redator loss on a reef sste!
and the i!#ortance of !aintaining 5sh #o#ulations for coral health.P The
stud also focused on the e0ects of herbivorous 5sh : surgeon5sh and
#arrot5sh : on coral reefs.
Mhile these -gra'ing/ 5sh did !easurabl i!#act the growth rates of coralline
algae in reef sste!s, the also re!oved Aesh algae that co!#ete with
coralline algae.
Reefs with !ore sea urchins grew signi5cantl slower than ones with !ore
co!#lete 5sh co!!unities, according to a Mildlife 4onservation Societ
#ress release.
%reater e0ect
The authors also found that the gra'ing e0ect was stronger and !ore
#ersistent than the strong ;l Hico that devastated coral reefs throughout the
tro#ics in 199, Kthe stud e(tended fro! 19,+ until 200*L.
The stud shows that !anaging coral reef 5sheries can a0ect coral reef
growth and i!#roving the !anage!ent of tro#ical 5sheries can hel# these
reefs to grow and #ersist in a changing cli!ate. : =ur <ureau
6itness tru!#s bod weight, cuts
death ris&
2f ou !aintain or i!#rove our 5tness level : even if our bod weight has
not changed or increased : ou can cut our ris& of death, according to
research re#orted in 4irculationC Journal of the A!erican Heart Association.
6ive Sata! case accused get bail as
trial deadline la#ses
The Su#re!e 4ourt on Mednesda granted bail to 5ve accused #ersons in
the !ulticrore Sata! accounting fraud case as trial could not be co!#leted
b Jul $1 as it directed in =ctober last.
A <ench of Justices Dalveer <handari and Di#a& 7isra granted bail to the
for!er e!#loees %. Ra!a&rishna, D. 8en&ata#athi Ra@u and 4h Srisaila!,
the for!er chief internal auditor 8. S. Prabha&ar %u#ta, and PM4/s for!er
auditor Subra!ani %o#ala&rishnan.
The <ench saidC O=n the totalit of the circu!stances, we dee! it
a##ro#riate to release the! on bail on a #ersonal bond of Rs.2 la&h each and
a suret for a li&e a!ount.P
The #etitioners challenged the August $0 Andhra Pradesh High 4ourt/s order
dening bail. The other !ain accused, the for!er Sata! chief, Ra!alinga
Ra@u, and his brother and for!er !anaging director, <. Ra!a Ra@u, are also
in @udicial custod.
The #etitioners said the had been in custod for !ore than two ears and
since trial could not be co!#leted b Jul $1 the were entitled to be freed
on bail. The said 211 witnesses had been e(a!ined and 4<2 e(a!ination of
seven of the 1* oGcers was over.
The #etitioners contended that there was no "uestion of their inAuencing
witnesses.
6le(ible organic .;Ds created on
#lastic
The world/s !ost eGcient organic light1e!itting diodes on #lastic have been
develo#ed, enabling a Ae(ible for! factor and a chea#er alternative to
traditional =.;Ds which currentl rel on glass.
6loating #u!#setC an innovation well
suited for all seasons
6lower colour

Mh are Aowers not blac& in colour9
R.7. 7A7DHA
Tiruchira#alli, Ta!il Hadu
2n addition to the answer #ublished last wee& KDece!ber $0L in this colu!n,
there are other factors deter!ining the colour of Aowers.
There is a lot of #hsics and che!istr involved in Aowering and colouration
of Aowers. 8isual and che!ical sti!uli are #rovided b the Aowers to the
#ollinators li&e bees. 6lowers have to be essentiall in colours other than
blac&. <lac& ob@ects absorb and retain heat. Hence, Aowers, if blac&, will
wither soon after sunrise. ;ssentiall the #ollen will have to be &e#t cool
during dati!e, atleast for , hours for viable #ollination. Since !ost of the
Aowers directl face the sun at least for a few hours, stresses li&e rise in
te!#erature, #hotosnthetic o(gen surge and Auid rise due to ca#illar
#ressure will adversel a0ect the te(ture, co!#osition and longevit of
Aowers. That is wh Aowers are not blac& in colour. 2t is a natural ada#tation.
Dr. S. FR2SHHAH
7e!ber, 4o!!ission on ;cosste!s 7anage!ent, 2E4H
6or a brief #eriod, anti!atter tra##ed
At the 4ern #article collider in %eneva, #hsicists have created and tra##ed
ato!s of antihdrogen for !ore than a thousand seconds, it was announced
recentl. 2t !ight not sound li&e long, but it is enough ti!e for e(#eri!ents
that could hel# answer so!e of the !ost funda!ental "uestions in #hsics.
The sa!e scientists were the 5rst to tra# antihdrogen last ear when the
created and held on to $, ato!s of the stu0 for 1+2 !illiseconds in a strong
!agnetic 5eld. 2n their latest wor&, #ublished in this !onth/s edition ofHature
Phsics, the tra##ed $09 antihdrogen ato!s for varing a!ounts of @ust
over 13 !inutes.
Je0re Hangst of the Eniversit of Aarhus in Den!ar&, who led the
e(#eri!ents, said that the #ur#ose of the stud was to co!#are anti!atter
with ato!s of nor!al !atter. OMe/ve studied what/s going on with these
ato!s while the/re in the tra#, how the/re !oving, what energ or velocit
the have. Mith $,, that was diGcult, but with $00 it starts to loo& li&e
so!ething ou can !a&e averages out of. Me/re getting infor!ation about
how the/re behaving in the tra#.P Anti!atter was 5rst #ostulated b the
<ritish #hsicist Paul Dirac in 19$0 while wor&ing on a wa to reconcile the
ideas of "uantu! !echanics with Albert ;instein/s theor of relativit.
The "uestion scientists want to answer is wh anti!atter see!s to be
!issing fro! the universe. The laws of #hsics do not di0erentiate between
!atter and anti!atter so, at the creation of the universe during the big
bang, e"ual a!ounts of both should have been !ade. 6or ever #article of
!atter in the universe, there should be a #article of anti!atter. 2n #ractice,
though, we do not see the!.: b %uardian Hews#a#ers .i!ited, 2011
6or !ore accurate <P readings
H#ertensive #atients, wh, even nor!al #eo#le, sensing their blood
#ressure rising as the doctor #re#ares to !easure their blood #ressure is not
unusual. 2t is called the -Mhite coat e0ect./
Studies have shown that a subset of about 2* #er cent of h#ertensive
#atients e(#erience an elevation in their blood #ressure Owhen readings are
ta&en in treat!ent settings, es#eciall b #hsicians.P This can lead to
overtreat!ent.
7an studies have shown that this #heno!enon is wides#read. There are
also concerns about the "ualit and accurac of <P !easure!ent in clinical
settings. 7an studies done in the #ast have found that auto!ated <P
!easuring instru!ents o#erated b #atients the!selves can overco!e this
white coat fear.
.ower sstolic values
A stud #ublished recentl online in the <ritish 7edical Journal K<7JL has
once again established that the e0ect is real. =n an average the sstolic
blood #ressure was *.) !! H% lower in #eo#le who had their <P !easured
using an auto!ated device co!#ared with the !anual !ercur instru!ent.
The di0erence was not signi5cant in the case of diastolic blood #ressure.
Another stud found the di0erence was as !uch as 9 !! H% between
routine !anual and auto!ated !easure!ent. And greater reductions have
been shown b other studies. <ut i!!aterial of the a!ount of reduction, it is
beco!ing increasingl clear that using auto!ated !easuring devices show a
lower sstolic #ressure.
The stud included a total of *+2 h#ertensive #atients, who were rando!l
s#lit into two grou#s. =ne grou# continued to be tested !anuall with the
conventional !ercur instru!ent Ks#hg!o!ano!etersL. The other grou#
had their <P !easured using an auto!ated !onitor K<#TRE deviceL. <lood
#ressure levels of #atients in both the grou#s were also !easured with an
a!bulator blood #ressure !onitor.
The stud was underta&en in a clinical setting, and not in a research
environ!ent.
7an readings needed
Enli&e one reading ta&en with the conventional device, the auto!ated one
re"uired 5ve readings. These were ta&en at two1!inute intervals between
each reading. =ther studies have also insisted on !ore than one reading and
have used di0erent ti!ings between each reading. 7ore studies are needed
to &now the interval between readings and the nu!ber of readings to be
ta&en.
The latest stud, however, found that the use of an auto!ated device onl
reduced the white coat e0ectT it did not totall eli!inate it. OThe si!#le
#resence of an observer see!s to increase blood #ressure,P the authors
note. The authors also attribute the increase to disturbance of #atients b
doctors when the readings were ta&en.
The authors therefore note that a reduction would be seen if #atients using
auto!ated devices followQare !ade to follow the three basic tenets : the
#atient rests alone in a "uiet roo!, the #atient is alone when the readings
are ta&en, and !ulti#le readings are ta&en.
The need for rest before readings are ta&en a##ears to be of great
i!#ortance. An increase, as seen in white coat e0ect, can be noticed if the
#atient does not rest #rior to readings being ta&en, and onl one or two
readings are ta&en.
The need for rest can be done awa with if 5ve readings are ta&en with onl
one !inute interval between readings, the note.
An alternative
6inall the authors conclude that auto!ated devices are an alternative to
!anual readings as the can overco!e the white coat fear if the #atient is
left alone.
This and other studies are su##orted b the reco!!endation of several
associations. 6or instance, the A!erican Heart Association and the ;uro#ean
Societ of H#ertension have reco!!ended Othe wides#read use of ho!e
blood #ressure !onitoring.P
;ven if conventional !anual blood #ressure !easuring devices are not
abandoned, these studies have shown that the #rovide Osubo#ti!al
!easures of an individual #atient/s blood #ressure status,P the stud notes.
An ;ditorial #ublished in the sa!e issue of the @ournal notes that Oauto!ated
blood #ressure !easure!ent #rovides an alternative to !anual and out of
clinic !onitoring. <ut its #recise role de#ends on further evidence.P
6or !ore solar energ
Esing !inute gra#hite #articles 1,000 ti!es s!aller than the width of hu!an
hair, !echanical engineers ho#e to boost the eGcienc and #ro5tabilit of
solar #ower #lants.
An alternative that can !a&e use of all of the sunlight, including light
#hotovoltaics can/t use, is the solar ther!al collector, re#orts the Journal of
Renewable and Sustainable ;nerg.
The #ur#ose of these collectors, is to collect heat that can then be used. To
further increase the eGcienc of solar collectors, nano#articles, a billionth of
a !etre in si'e, were !i(ed into the heat1transfer oils nor!all used in solar
ther!al #ower #lants, according to an Ari'ona State Eniversit Kwhere the
research too& #laceL state!ent.
The researchers chose gra#hite nano#articles, in #art because the are blac&
and therefore absorb light ver well, !a&ing the! eGcient heat collectors.
2n lab tests, lead researcher Robert Talor and his colleagues found that
nano#articles increased heat1collection eGcienc b u# to 10 #er cent. :
2AHS
6ossil !oths show their true colours
The brightest hues in nature are #roduced b tin #atterns in, sa, feathers
or scales rather than #ig!ents. These so1called Ostructural coloursP are
wides#read, giving #eo#le their blue ees, and #eacoc&s their brilliant
feathers.
6or co!!unication
7an ani!als use this t#e of colour for co!!unication, notabl butterAies
and !oths K .e#ido#tera L, which dis#la the biggest range of structural
colours and #ut the! to uses fro! advertising their to(icit to choosing the
best !ates.
<ut des#ite the i!#ortance of structural colours in their lives, little is &nown
about how le#ido#terans develo#ed these &e social signals.
According to a #a#er in P.oS <iolog , #alaeobiologist 7aria 7cHa!ara of
Bale Eniversit and colleagues bring us closer to the origins of structural
colours b reconstructing the! in fossil !oths that are )+ !illion ears old.
This is the 5rst evidence of structurall coloured scales in fossil le#ido#terans
. The fossil !oths ca!e fro! the 7essel oil shale in %er!an, a site fa!ous
for e("uisite fossil #reservation. : =ur <ureau
-6reebies and subsidies onl destro
agriculture and #roductionI
O2t is a well &nown fact that the rural agricultural econo! is in dire crisis
toda. Mhether the govern!ent is aware of this or is deliberatel ignoring
far!ersI issues is a !illion dollar guess,P sas 7r. R. Fulandaisa! a leading
far!er and owner of Tari <io1Tech, Than@avur.
Prices #lu!!et soon after harvest and traders refuse to bu the #roduce due
to high stoc&s and volatile #rice Auctuations.
Price Auctuation
OThe Auctuation in #rice or absence of buers is !ainl due to e(cess
#roduction of a single co!!odit. 6or !ain cereals such as #add and wheat
the govern!ent 5(ed a !ini!u! #rice but toda the are not able to
#urchase the entire "uantit fro! far!ers at that #rice,P sas 7r.
Fulandaisa!.
O2f the far!er cannot sell the #roduce how can he get bac& his invest!ent9 A
sugar factor is aware of its cane re"uire!ent and #lans #lanting onl for
that re"uire!ent. Si!ilarl %overn!ent !ust decide on its annual food grain
re"uire!ent and decide to what e(tent cro#s need to be cultivated. <ut sadl
that never ha##ens,P he sas.
The State agriculture de#art!ent !ust select the !ost suited districts or
talu&s in ter!s of soil, water availabilit, and cli!ate.
<ased on this, each area !ust be #rovided a target area of cultivation and
season of cultivation.
O2f this can be ado#ted then our resources will be saved [ for instance
Tiruvarur district, Ta!il Hadu is suited onl for #add. <ut we 5nd Ra!nad
far!ers also growing #add in s#ite of severe water shortage. 2nstead, these
far!ers can tr to cultivate #ulse or ground nut and get two harvests in a
ear,P e(#lains 7r. Fulandaisa!.
Pa attention to #rice
Mhile 5(ing the #rice, the %overn!ent should #a attention to the e(tent
cro#s need to be grown. O2f the do this, there will not be e(cess #roduction
and conse"uentl an !ar&eting #roble!,P he reasons.
Si!ilarl each and ever cro##ing #attern needs to be #lanned b the
govern!ent before #er!itting far!ers to cultivate. ;ven toda a general
belief e(ists that there is a shortage of cultivable lands.
O2f the cultivable land availabilit is !ore, then the govern!ent needs to loo&
at e(#ort !ar&et and 5( a rate at least close to the international rate for the
#roduce as well as the cultivation cost involved for a reasonable #ro5t,P
asserts the far!er.
=ne of the !ain reasons for declining #roduce is the freebies and subsidies.
The are destroing agriculture and our lives, according to 7r. F. Tharsius his
son.
Since #ower and water are #rovided free, a far!er does not feel the need to
#lan nor devise an i!#rovised !ethod to !ini!i'e their usage.
Abolish free #ower
O2f far!ers are charged for electricit it will hel# i!#rove their eGcienc in
!ini!i'ing this scare resource,P sas 7r. Tharsius.
Another i!#edi!ent is the availabilit of fertili'ers and che!icals. 2ndia is
de#endent on other countries and hence rates are increasing da b da.
There are chances of these che!ical fertili'ers getting e(hausted.
The #er!anent solution is onl through so!e renewable sources such as bio1
fertili'ers and organic !anures, according to 7r. Fulandaisa!.
Act #ro1 activel
O2t is high ti!e the %overn!ent seriousl starts thin&ing in #roactive
!easures to reva!# our agriculture sste!. The negative trend in
agriculture toda is bound to create adverse i!#act on the overall health of
our nationIs econo!.
OMe need to 5nd new avenues to &ee# far!ers on the far!, attract new
#eo#le to ta&e u# far!ing, and !a&e agriculture #ro5table since it is the
bac&bone of our countr,P sas 7r. Tharsius.
7r. R. Fulandaisa! and Tharsius can be reached at
e!ailCtari]hitechSahoo.co!, websiteC www.tarigrou#.co!, !obilesC 9,)$01
*911+ and 9,)$)1$9909.
6rog s&in for treating cancer9
Proteins in frog s&ins which could be used to treat cancer, diabetes, stro&e
and trans#lant #atients b regulating the growth of blood vessels have been
discovered b Scientists at Nueen/s Eniversit <elfast.
.ed b Professor 4hris Shaw at Nueen/s School of Phar!ac, the scienti5c
tea! has identi5ed two #roteins, or -#e#tides/, which can be used in a
controlled and targeted wa to regulate -angiogenesis/ : the #rocess b
which blood vessels grow in the bod.
According to a Nueen/s Eniversit #ress release, the discover holds the
#otential to develo# new treat!ents for !ore than sevent !a@or diseases
and conditions that a0ect !ore than one billion #eo#le worldwide.
The #roteins are found in secretions on the s&ins of the Ma( 7on&e 6rog
and the %iant 6irebellied Toad.
Professor Shaw saidC OThe #roteins that we have discovered have the abilit
to either sti!ulate or inhibit the growth of blood vessels. < -switching o0/
angiogenesis and inhibiting blood vessel growth, a #rotein fro! the Ma(
7on&e 6rog has the #otential to &ill cancer tu!ours. 7ost cancer tu!ours
can onl grow to a certain si'e before the need blood vessels to grow into
the tu!our. Sto##ing the blood vessels fro! growing will !a&e the tu!our
less li&el to s#read and !a eventuall &ill it. This has the #otential to
transfor! cancer fro! a ter!inal illness into a chronic condition.
O=n the other hand, a #rotein fro! the %iant 6irebellied Toad has been found
to -switch on/ angiogenesis and sti!ulate blood vessel growth.
This has the #otential to treat an arra of diseases and conditions that
re"uire blood vessels to re#air "uic&l, such as wound healing, organ
trans#lants, diabetic ulcers, and da!age caused b stro&es or heart
conditions.P: =ur <ureau
6rogs 5nd !ates with !atching
chro!oso!es
Mhen it co!es to love songs, fe!ale tree frogs are #rett #ic&. 4ertain
fe!ale tree frogs !a be re!ar&abl attuned to the songs of !ates who
share the sa!e nu!ber of chro!oso!es as the do, sas a new stud.
6u&ushi!aC Ja#an sets new radiation
safet level for seafood
The govern!ent set its 5rst radiation safet standards for 5sh Tuesda after
Ja#an/s tsuna!i1ravaged nuclear #lant re#orted radioactive conta!ination in
nearb seawater !easuring at several !illion ti!es the legal li!it.
The #lant o#erator insisted that the radiation will ra#idl dis#erse and that it
#oses no i!!ediate danger, but an e(#ert said e(#osure to the highl
concentrated levels near the 6u&ushi!a Dai1ichi #lant could cause
i!!ediate in@ur and that the lea&s could result in residual conta!ination of
the sea in the area.
The new levels cou#led with re#orts that radiation was building u# in 5sh led
the govern!ent to create an acce#table radiation standard for 5sh for the
5rst ti!e. So!e 5sh caught 6rida o0 Ja#an/s coastal waters would have
e(ceeded the new #rovisional li!it.
Tuesda, T;P4= announced that sa!#les ta&en fro! seawater near one of
the reactors contained +.* !illion ti!es the legal li!it for radioactive iodine
on A#ril 2. Two das later, that 5gure dro##ed to * !illion.
;(#erts agree that radiation dissi#ates "uic&l in the vast Paci5c, but direct
e(#osure to the !ost conta!inated water !easured would lead to
Oi!!ediate in@ur,P said Boichi ;no&ida, a #rofessor of !aterials science at
Hagoa Eniversit/s graduate school of engineering.
He added that seawater !a be diluting the iodine, which decas "uic&l,
but the lea& also contains long1lasting caesiu!11$+. <oth can build u# in 5sh,
though iodine/s short half1life !eans it does not sta there for ver long. The
long1ter! e0ects of caesiu!, however, will need to be studied, he said.
The !ove ca!e after the health !inistr re#orted that 5sh caught o0 2bara&i
#refecture, which is about halfwa between the #lant and To&o, contained
levels of radioactive iodine that would have e(ceeded the new #rovisional
li!it.
4aesiu! also was found, at @ust below the li!it. The 5sh were caught 6rida,
before the new #rovisional safet li!its were announced.
Such li!its are usuall ver conservative. After s#inach and !il& tested at
levels far e(ceeding the safet standard, health e(#erts said ou would have
to eat enor!ous "uantities of tainted #roduce or dair before getting even
the a!ount of radiation contained in a 4T scan. : AP
6ull1s#ectru! solar cell develo#ed
A solar cell that res#onds to the entire solar s#ectru!, and can be !ade
using one of the !ost co!!on !anufacturing techni"ues has been
develo#ed.
6ungi and bacteria hel# one another
travel
6ungal s#ores can attach the!selves to bacteria, -hitching a ride/ wherever
the bacteria travel. Mhen faced with a ga#, the bacteria can dro# the fungal
s#ores to for! a bridge, and continue across the chas!.

The Hindu S&T 2011 - A-F

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