16 Now, ayurveda-based fitness tests before high altitude ... › Bulletin › 16092016.pdf ·...

16th September, 2016 Page: 1

CSIR-IGIB

Now, ayurveda-based fitness tests before high altitude postings

Treacherous weather conditions in high altitude army camps test the fitness of even the most able-bodied soldier. To be deemed fit for high altitude postings, army jawans and officials will henceforth have to clear a new fitness test. This test has been devised by CSIR’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) by integrating elements of both traditional and modern medicine. According to IGIB’s director Rajesh S Gokhale, the project christened as Ayurgenomics was started to study characteristic behaviour of humans getting affected by several diseases and find out remedies for those. “It has been observed that army personnel posted at higher altitudes ranging from 17,000 feet to 23,000 feet are prone to pulmonary disorders and cardiac ailments apart from other disease. The symptoms of these diseases typically start appearing after 15-20 days of their posting, which means, the jawan or official has to be sent back to ground posting for treatment and some other personnel would replace them,” Gokhale said.

“With the new testing technology in place, the personnel would be tested for vulnerability to any such disease at ground posting only by analysing three sutras of Ayurveda – vata, pitta and kapha. In Ayurveda, the treatment of a common disease can be different for different people, which is not the case in modern medicine like allopathic treatment where a drug is prescribed on the basis of symptoms and drugs are identical,” Gokhale said, adding that three doctors of AIIMS are also a part of this project. While spelling out the achievements of the research institute, he said, “The project was started some 6-7 years ago and now it has started giving positive results. The objective of the mission was to develop affordable health care solutions based on traditional knowledge of Ayurveda.” If the project is a success, it will not only help army personnel posted at higher altitudes, but also 30,000 jawans of ITBP stationed at similar altitudes. Commenting on the new fitness test, ITBP spokesperson Vivek Pandey said, “We will be happy to see this project succeed as it will definitely boost the morale of our jawans, who suffer one or other disease during their posting at higher altitudes.” “There are about 200 posts of ITBP, of which about 150 are at higher altitudes, including Ladakh, Sikkim, Tamang, etc. We have to first study the whole project and if it would fit into our scheme of things , we would also request the research institute to extend their services to other paramilitary forces,” Pandey said. Ayurgenomics study, which was started in collaboration with other research institutes, has convincingly correlated genomic variations with the classification of prakriti (nature of body). The study, which has analysed 262-well-classified male individuals belonging to three prakritis – vata, pitta and kapha, has showed that the phenotypic classification of India’s traditional medicine has a genetic basis and its nature-based practice in vogue for many centuries resonates with personalised medicine.


DhirendraKumar|September16,2016

Source:www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=324929

The CSIR labs such as IGIB, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) are proactively working towards deciphering the molecular mechanism for rare disorders.


CSIR-NPL

Your sugar, BP readings may be wrong

If you check your blood pressure (BP) or sugar level, there are chances that you may get varying results from different instruments at the same time. This is because the biomedical equipment in India are not calibrated as per certain uniform standards. Though biomedical equipment follow the Bureau of Indian Standards parameters, there has been no uniformity in the sector due to absence of mandatory calibrations. Pointing out this major anomaly in the use of different biomedical equipments in the country, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) director Dinesh K Aswal on Wednesday pitched for calibrations of all such equipments and said it was "essential for correct diagnosis as well as treatment of the patients". Citing examples of blood pressure (BP) measuring equipments, Aswal noted that in many cases different instruments give varying results to an extent of as high as plus\minus 10 points. "Such a margin is quite high if one looks for correct diagnosis and correct line of treatment", said the NPL director. Currently, the NPL of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - country's premier national R&D body - provides apex calibration of equipments to various industries, strategic, academia and government agencies.


VishwaMohan|September15,2016

Source:Kmesofindia.indiaKmes.com/india/Your-sugar-BP-readings-may-be-wrong/arKcleshow/54341079.cms

CSIR-NPL

Setting computers to IST is just a matter of time

The National Physical Laboratory wants this to be a legal requirement The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)’s National Physical Laboratory, the organisation that defines the Indian Standard Time (IST), has formally proposed to the Central government that all Indian computers be “legally required” to synchronise their clocks to the IST. NPL Director Dinesh Aswal told The Hindu that the time displayed on laptops or smartphones — being derived from multiple American servers — would be a few seconds off from the actual Indian time. The frequent mismatches in the time stamps make it harder for Indian cyber security experts to investigate Internet-perpetrated frauds. “All countries require their computer infrastructure to synchronise to their local times,” Mr. Aswal said. “It would be a landmark service if Indian computers were also mandated to do so.” The CSIR has sent its proposal to the government but Aswal said it was up to “higher authorities” to consider it. The NPL is the Indian organisation that maintains the clocks, weights and other apparatus that conform to globally agreed standards on measuring units such as metre, kilogram and second. Were such a system to become mandatory, NPL’s servers would have to gear up to process trillions of server requests, up from the “tens of thousands now”, for which NPL would require an infrastructural investment of Rs. 500 crore.


JACOBKOSHY|September16,2016

Source:www.thehindu.com/news/naKonal/seXng-computers-to-ist-is-just-a-maZer-of-Kme/arKcle9112703.ece

In recent months, India has stepped up efforts to become self-reliant in its communication networks. This month, the Indian Space Research Organisation is expected to operationalise the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (its operational name is NAVIC). Mr. Aswal said the Indian Air Force had recently teamed up with NPL to improve the accuracy of their time-keeping systems and reduce error to the range of “microseconds.”


CSIR-NEIST

Study cites chilling quake scenarios

NEIST's replay of 1897 Shillong disaster reveals total collapse of NE infrastructure


What if the Shillong earthquake of 1897 were to revisit today? Consider some of these bone-chilling and mind-boggling consequences: Nearly 35,454 people living in 5,950 houses in East Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills will be rendered homeless. Some 81,343 people living in 15,968 houses in East Khasi Hills, South Garo Hills (Meghalaya) and Kamrup rural (Assam) will be seriously injured and traumatised, will abandon houses and properties.

At several locations National Highway 40 - better known as the Guwahati-Shillong Road - is likely to remain cut-off for many days because of excessive landslide and slope failure; National Highway 44 connecting Nongstoin-Shillong (Meghalaya/Assam border) will also be affected due to landslide and collapse of the bridges. The airports in Shillong and Guwahati will be non-operational because of damage to the runways, air traffic control towers and the ground failure and connectivity to these airports may remain cut-off for several days due to disruption of road communication .

A study, conducted by the North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) here by way of a scenario-building exercise for repeat of the 1897 Shillong earthquake to assess the anticipated impact in the region, has come up with these and more (see chart) such nuggets. Claimed to be one of the deadliest in the world, the Shillong earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale that took place on June 12, 1897, had devastated the plateau and affected the entire Northeast. It had ruined all masonry structures over an area of 3,90,000 square km and was felt over 6,50,000 square km. "It is almost impossible to predict an earthquake but the fact is that the Northeast lies in a highly seismic zone and there is every possibility of a big earthquake hitting the region anytime and the consequences would be catastrophic," former chief scientist of the geo-science department of NEIST, Ranju Duarah, told The Telegraph today. Duarah had headed the study conducted in association with the National Disaster Management Authority, New Delhi, which involved scientific studies, besides various capacity-building and sensitisation activities to identify the gaps in earthquake preparedness and mitigation in the region. NEIST had started the project - M8.7 Shillong 1897 Earthquake Scenario: NE Multi-state Preparedness Campaign - in 2014 and submitted the report to the NDMA, New Delhi, recently. The project envisaged two major components: to create a scientific scenario of loss and damage for a repeat of the 8.7 earthquake based on the historic intensities of ground shaking observed during 1897 and make the public aware of the hazardous situation to promote earthquake preparedness through media campaign, well-organised road shows, workshops on capacity development, training-education and mock drills. "A repeat of the Shillong 1897 earthquake in the present day will lead to a very damaging scenario because of rapid increase in population, urbanisation and overall changes in building typologies throughout the Northeast," Duarah said.


PullockDuZa|September16,2016

Source:www.telegraphindia.com/1160916/jsp/northeast/story_108458.jsp#.V9uyXz5EmUk

The study has revealed that not only Meghalaya or Kamrup district in Assam, but nearly two lakh people living in 45,000 houses in Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari would also face the consequences of loss and damage as dilapidated houses will collapse. Duarah said a great earthquake like Shillong 1897 could distort the entire socio-economic set-up of the region to a large extent. "All development activities in the region, including business and commerce and education, will be disrupted because of damage to infrastructure like power, water, transportation and other communication networks," he said. The scientist said NEIST has successfully implemented the programme, M8.7 Shillong 1897 Earthquake Scenario: NE Multi-state Preparedness Campaign, with technical guidance and financial support from NDMA. The NEC Shillong, State Disaster Management Authority of the states in the Northeast and various other central and state government agencies and public communities extended support while implementing the preparedness campaign and awareness programmes throughout the region. The study recommended mock drills to be a part of the routine conduct of all government offices and institutions, hospitals and private nursing homes as a measure for preparedness. "Such programmes should be compulsory for medical colleges and hospitals, including private nursing homes. Schoolchildren sensitisation (ScS) programme may be conducted at district-level/subdivision wise to benefit the students," the study recommended.


CSIR-IICT

Government launches initiative to mitigate impact of gases on ozone

The research initiative will be led by the CSIR's Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences are some of the key players of the initiative. On the eve of Ozone Day, the Environment Ministry launched a major research and development initiative to develop long-term technology to mitigate the impact of refrigerant gases on the ozone layer. "The Ministry today announced a sustainable refrigerant technologies as alternatives to HFCs. This R&D initiative brings together government, research institutes, industry and collaborative R&D programme... To develop long term technology solutions to mitigate impact of currently-used refrigerant gases on the ozone layer and climate. With this initiative, India reaffirms its commitment to working with all other countries to safeguard the Earth's natural ecosystem," an official statement said. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences are some of the key players of the initiative. India has a small carbon footprint at citizen level and its sustainable lifestyle results in low contribution of the country to overall emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances, as compared with other developed nations.


September16,2016

Source:www.deccanchronicle.com/science/science/160916/govt-launches-iniKaKve-to-miKgate-impact-of-gases-on-ozone.html

However, there is an urgent need for developing new technologies indigenously as alternatives available today are patented apart from being expensive. "A research-based programme to look for cost effective alternatives to the currently used refrigerant gases is essential. The initiative is a significant step forward in line with India's national focus on research, innovation and technology development and Mission Innovation," it said. The Ministry's research initiative will be led by the CSIR's Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. The Ministry along with DST and CSIR has decided to create a corpus fund for this research programme, with industry also committing to contribute to the effort. "The collaboration of research institutes as well as industry will create larger ecosystem for developing sustainable solutions, and eventually deploying low global warming potential - GWP HFCs on a national scale.” By establishing an effective collaboration between all important stakeholders, the initiative is focused on prioritising areas of research in new refrigerant technologies and natural refrigerants. "This will help the country leapfrog from the current technology high GWP HydroFluoroCarbons or HFCs to technologies with lower climate impact," the statement added. The proposed initiative is also an important step in the direction of enabling the country achieve national development goals, while continuing to maintain a sustainable environmental footprint.


CSIR-IITR


CSIR-NGRI


CSIR-CBRI


DainikJagran|Page7|September15,2016

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