No quota for faculty posts in super speciality medical courses: SC
10 11 2013|
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The
Supreme Court ruled that there can be no reservation in appointment for
faculty posts in speciality and super speciality courses in medical
colleges including the prestigious All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS).
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A
five-judge constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir
said it cannot take a contrary view expressed in 1992 by a nine-judge
bench in the Indra Sawhney case, also known as the Mandal case, that
there could be no compromise with merit at the super speciality stage.
“We cannot take a different view, even though it has been suggested
that such an observation (of Mandal verdict) was not binding, being
obiter in nature. “We cannot ascribe to such a view since the very
concept of reservation implies mediocrity and we will have to take note
of the caution indicated in Indra Sawhney’s case,” the bench also
comprising justices S S Nijjar, Ranjan Gogoi, M Y Eqbal and Vikramajit
Sen said in a unanimous judgement.
Referring to various judgements including that of the Mandal case, it said, “We impress upon the Central and State Governments to take appropriate steps in accordance with the views expressed in Indra Sawhney’s case and in this case, as also the other decisions referred to above, keeping in mind the provisions of Article 335 (claims of SC/ST to service and posts) of the Constitution.” The court pronounced its verdict on the plea of the Faculty Association of AIIMS against a Delhi High Court judgement. The Faculty Association had contended that there cannot be any reservation for faculty posts to speciality and super speciality faculty courses in AIIMS. AIIMS and the Centre had however taken a contrary stand and had pleaded that the reservation be given to SC/STs and Backward classes candidates in appointment to assistant professors and other senior posts in speciality and super speciality courses. |
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MR Gene halts cancer growth discovered
10 11 2013|
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Scientists
have identified a “master regulator” gene that, when repressed in
cancer cells, puts a halt to tumours and stops them from enlarging and
spreading to distant sites.
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Researchers
hope the gene may be the key to developing a new treatment for tumours
resistant to current drugs. This master regulator is normally turned
off in adult cells, but it is very active during embryonic development
and in all highly aggressive tumours studied to date,” said Linda
Resar, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Our work
shows for the first time that switching this gene off in aggressive
cancer cells dramatically changes their appearance and behaviour,” said
Resar. Resar has been investigating genes in the master regulator’s
family, known as high mobility group or HMG genes, for two decades. In
addition to their role in cancer, these genes are essential for giving
stem cells their special powers, and that’s no coincidence, she said.
“Many investigators consider cancer cells to be the evil twin of stem
cells, because like stem cells, cancer cells must acquire special
properties to enable the tumour to grow and metastasise or spread to
different sites,” she said. In the newly reported study, the Resar’s
team applied the same techniques to several strains of human breast
cancer cells in the laboratory, including the so-called triple negative
cells – those that lack hormone receptors or HER2 gene amplification.
The Resar team blocked HMGA1 expression in aggressive breast cancer
cells and followed their appearance and growth patterns. “The
aggressive breast cancer cells grow rapidly and normally appear
spindle-shaped or thin and elongated. Remarkably, within a few days of
blocking HMGA1 expression, they appeared rounder and much more like
normal breast cells growing in culture,” said Resar. The team also
found that the cells with suppressed HMGA1 grow very slowly and fail to
migrate or invade new territory like their HMGA1-expressing cousins.
Researchers next implanted tumour cells into mice to see how the cells
would behave. The tumours with HMGA1 grew and spread to other areas,
such as the lungs, while those with blocked HMGA1 did not grow well in
the breast tissue or spread to distant sites.
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1.3 million people died of TB worldwide in 2012
10 11 2013|
TB
killed 1.3 million people worldwide in 2012, while India alone
accounted for 26 percent of total TB cases globally, the WHO said as it
expressed concern over drug-resistant forms of the disease.
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The “Global tuberculosis report 2013″ released here found that
global TB deaths decreased to 1.3 million in 2012, which is 100,000
less than the previous year.
Approximately 75 per cent of total TB deaths occurred in the African and South-East Asia Regions in 2012. India and South Africa accounted for about one-third of global TB deaths, the report said. The report also found that the number of people ill with TB fell to 8.6 million in 2012. The largest number of incident cases in 2012 were India (2.0 million-2.4 million), China (0.9 million1.1 million) and South Africa (0.4 million0.6 million), the report said. The majority of TB cases worldwide in 2012 were in the South-East Asia (29 per cent), African (27 per cent) and Western Pacific (19 per cent) regions. India also accounted for 31 per cent of the estimated 2.9 million missed TB cases people who were either not diagnosed or diagnosed but not reported to National Tuberculosis Programmes (NTPs), the report said. WHO also expressed concern over multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) which claimed 170,000 lives in 2012. The agency estimates that 450,000 people fell ill with (MDR-TB) last year, with the highest burden in China, India and the Russian Federation. The report also revealed that between 1995 and 2012, 56 million people were successfully treated for TB in countries that had adopted WHO’s global TB strategy, saving 22 million lives. The new data confirm that the world is on track to meet the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of reversing TB incidence, along with the target of a 50 per cent reduction in the mortality rate by 2015 (compared to 1990), the report said. “Quality TB care for millions worldwide has driven down TB deaths,” said Dr Mario Raviglione, WHO Director of the Global TB Programme. “But far too many people are still missing out on such care and are suffering as a result. They are not diagnosed, or not treated, or information on the quality of care they receive is unknown,” Raviglione said in a statement. |
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A blood test to detect gastrointestinal disorders
10 11 2013|
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Scientists
have for the first time developed a blood test to determine if a person
is suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), or another serious
condition such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
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Researchers
have conclusively identified a test for antibodies that form against a
particular protein, vinculin, found in the guts of patients, many of
whom suffered acute gastroenteritis at some point.
“This is a major breakthrough. It is the first test with a high
specificity for IBS, likely based on a pathological mechanism of the
disease,” said Cedars-Sinai physician researcher Mark Pimentel,
co-author of the study.
In the study, 221 patients were evaluated; some had a diagnosis of IBS, some were diagnosed with IBD and some were healthy, with no symptoms. Anti-vinculin antibodies were significantly elevated in IBS patients as compared to those with IBD or those who were healthy. “Until this study, there had been no accurate biomarkers identified specifically for IBS. The new blood test has the potential to distinguish IBS from IBD and reduce the need for unnecessary testing, expense and years of suffering,” said Pimentel. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a gastrointestinal disorder characterised by diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain. However, millions of patients are never diagnosed correctly. A simple blood test at the first sign of symptoms means patients who have IBS could get effective treatment sooner. The research was presented at the American College of Gastroenterology’s 78th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego. |
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New bio patch uses DNA to regrow bone
10 11 2013
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Indian-origin
scientists have developed a revolutionary new bio patch which can
regrow missing or damaged bones from within the body.
Researchers at the University of Iowa created the bio patch to
regenerate bones by putting DNA into a nano-sized particle that
delivers bone-producing instructions directly into cells.
The bone-regeneration kit relies on a collagen platform seeded with particles containing the genes needed for producing bone.
n experiments, the gene-encoding bio patch successfully regrew bone fully enough to cover skull wounds in test animals. It also stimulated new growth in human bone marrow stromal cells in lab experiments.
The study is novel in that the researchers directly delivered bone-producing instructions – using piece of DNA that encodes for a platelet-derived growth factor called PDGF-B – to existing bone cells in vivo, allowing those cells to produce the proteins that led to more bone production.
“We delivered the DNA to the cells, so that the cells produce the protein and that’s how the protein is generated to enhance bone regeneration,” said Aliasger Salem, co-corresponding author on the paper.
The researchers believe the patch could be used to rebuild bone in the gum area that serves as the concrete-like foundation for dental implants.
That prospect would be a “life-changing experience” for patients who need implants and don’t have enough bone in the surrounding area, said Satheesh Elangovan, joint first author, as well as co-corresponding author, on the paper.
It also can be used to repair birth defects where there’s missing bone around the head or face.
“We can make a scaffold in the actual shape and size of the defect site, and you’d get complete regeneration to match the shape of what should have been there,” Elangovan said.
The team loaded the bio patch with synthetically created plasmids, each of which is outfitted with the genetic instructions for producing bone.
They then inserted the scaffold on to a 5 by 2mm missing area of skull in test animals. Four weeks later, the team compared the bio patch’s effectiveness to inserting a scaffold with no plasmids or taking no action at all.
The plasmid-seeded bio patch grew 44-times more bone and soft tissue in the affected area than with the scaffold alone,and was 14-fold higher than the affected area.
The bone-regeneration kit relies on a collagen platform seeded with particles containing the genes needed for producing bone.
n experiments, the gene-encoding bio patch successfully regrew bone fully enough to cover skull wounds in test animals. It also stimulated new growth in human bone marrow stromal cells in lab experiments.
The study is novel in that the researchers directly delivered bone-producing instructions – using piece of DNA that encodes for a platelet-derived growth factor called PDGF-B – to existing bone cells in vivo, allowing those cells to produce the proteins that led to more bone production.
“We delivered the DNA to the cells, so that the cells produce the protein and that’s how the protein is generated to enhance bone regeneration,” said Aliasger Salem, co-corresponding author on the paper.
The researchers believe the patch could be used to rebuild bone in the gum area that serves as the concrete-like foundation for dental implants.
That prospect would be a “life-changing experience” for patients who need implants and don’t have enough bone in the surrounding area, said Satheesh Elangovan, joint first author, as well as co-corresponding author, on the paper.
It also can be used to repair birth defects where there’s missing bone around the head or face.
“We can make a scaffold in the actual shape and size of the defect site, and you’d get complete regeneration to match the shape of what should have been there,” Elangovan said.
The team loaded the bio patch with synthetically created plasmids, each of which is outfitted with the genetic instructions for producing bone.
They then inserted the scaffold on to a 5 by 2mm missing area of skull in test animals. Four weeks later, the team compared the bio patch’s effectiveness to inserting a scaffold with no plasmids or taking no action at all.
The plasmid-seeded bio patch grew 44-times more bone and soft tissue in the affected area than with the scaffold alone,and was 14-fold higher than the affected area.
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Categories : Environment, health, Science, Uncategorized
10K feared dead in typhoon-ravaged Philippines
10 11 2013
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A
super typhoon that destroyed entire towns across the Philippines is
believed to have killed more than 10,000 people, authorities said on
Sunday, which would make it the country’s deadliest recorded natural
disaster.
The horrifying new feared death toll from Super Typhoon Haiyan came
as the United States pledged military help in the relief effort and as
countless survivors across a huge swathe of the country remained
without aid for a third day.Ten thousand people were believed to have
been killed in the worst-hit province on Leyte, regional police Chief
Elmer Soria told reporters in Tacloban, the devastated provincial
capital.
“We had a meeting last night with the governor and, based on the government’s estimates, initially there are 10,000 casualties (dead). About 70 to 80 per cent of the houses and structures along the typhoon’s path were destroyed,” Soria said.
The scenes in Tacloban, a city of 220,000 people, and other coastal towns were reminiscent of a tsunami aftermath, with concrete slabs the only part of many homes remaining, vehicles flipped over and power lines destroyed.
“This is destruction on a massive scale. There are cars thrown like tumbleweed and the streets are strewn with debris,” said Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, the head of a UN disaster assessment coordination team, in Tacloban.
“The last time I saw something of this scale was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami,” he said, referring to the 2004 disaster that claimed about 220,000 lives.
Haiyan hit Leyte and the neighbouring island with maximum sustained winds of around 315 kilometres on Friday, and generated waves up to three metres high that surged deep inland.
However, while Leyte was believed to have been the worst hit, the carnage extended across a 600-kilometre stretch of islands through the central Philippines.
A few dozen other deaths had been confirmed in some of these areas, but authorities admitted they were completely overwhelmed and many communities were still yet to be contacted.
“We’re still establishing command and control through logistics and communications,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala told.
“We had a meeting last night with the governor and, based on the government’s estimates, initially there are 10,000 casualties (dead). About 70 to 80 per cent of the houses and structures along the typhoon’s path were destroyed,” Soria said.
The scenes in Tacloban, a city of 220,000 people, and other coastal towns were reminiscent of a tsunami aftermath, with concrete slabs the only part of many homes remaining, vehicles flipped over and power lines destroyed.
“This is destruction on a massive scale. There are cars thrown like tumbleweed and the streets are strewn with debris,” said Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, the head of a UN disaster assessment coordination team, in Tacloban.
“The last time I saw something of this scale was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami,” he said, referring to the 2004 disaster that claimed about 220,000 lives.
Haiyan hit Leyte and the neighbouring island with maximum sustained winds of around 315 kilometres on Friday, and generated waves up to three metres high that surged deep inland.
However, while Leyte was believed to have been the worst hit, the carnage extended across a 600-kilometre stretch of islands through the central Philippines.
A few dozen other deaths had been confirmed in some of these areas, but authorities admitted they were completely overwhelmed and many communities were still yet to be contacted.
“We’re still establishing command and control through logistics and communications,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala told.
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Categories : Business, health, Politics, Science, Uncategorized, world News
Address Impacts of Small Hydel Projects
10 11 2013
Over
47 experts and organisations from across the country have written to
the Ministry of Environment and Forests, including the Minister Ms.
Jayathi Natarajan to include hydel projects between 1-25 MW under the
purview of EIA Notification 2006. A similar letter has been sent to the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Minister Dr. Farooq Abdulla,
to address the impacts of these projects which are governed by the MNRE
Those who have written include eminent personalities like Former Water Resources Secretary: Dr. Ramaswamy Iyer, Former Ambassador of India: Ms. Madhu Bhaduri, Former Secretary of Power and Principle Advisor to Planning Commission: Dr. EAS Sarma, Former member of MoEF’s Forest Advisory Committee: Dr. Ullas Karanth, Head of IISC’s Centre for Ecological Sciences: Dr. TV Ramachandran, Head of People’s Science Institute: Dr. Ravi Chopra, experts from energy field, as well as activists, fisheries experts, scientists and importantly, representatives from affected communities
The letter states that “Small Hydel Projects (SHPs) are
exempt from environmental impact assessment, public hearing, and
environmental management plan as EIA Notification 2006 restricts itself
to projects above 25 MW. The local communities are specifically
affected due to this omission as they do not have a platform to voice
their concerns. SHPs can have and are having severe impacts on
communities and ecosystems”
The letter states examples of
projects with severe impact, which include projects like Greenko’s
24.75 MW Kukke I from Karnataka, which will submerge 388 hectares of
Western Ghats forests, 4.5 MW Hul Project which is being opposed
severely by remote villages in Himachal as it will affect drinking
water and irrgation water sources, Greenko’s Perla and Shemburi
projects also in Karnataka which are shown to be different projects on
paper , but are in reality a single big project across Netravathi, etc.
The letter demands that MoEF
should urgently amend EIA Notification 2006 to include these projects
in the ambit of Environmental Clerance while the MNRE needs to address
the impacts of these projects, while providing incentives. MNRE’s
recent report on social and environmental impacts of Renewable energy
projects did not mention hydel projects at all.
We hope that the agencies will take the necessary steps urgently.
Letters to both ministries are attached herewith.
Parineeta Deshpande-Dandekar
South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP)
+91 9860030742
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