World's oldest plant found in Tasmania
A 43,000 year old plant, the world's oldest living organism, has been found in Tasmania. The plant whose botanical name is Lomatia Tasmanica, belongs to the sterile shrub category and can be found only in a small area of the bathurst range in the south west national park Tasmania.
Hi-tech bra developed to detect breast cancer
Scttish researchers have developed a bra with heat sensors and an electronic memory chip to detect premenopausal breast cancer. The thermometric bra called Chronobra, developed by pathologist Dr. Hugh W.Simpson at the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow, can be an alternative to Mammography.
Drug makers may be asked to follow GMP norms
The Office of the Drug Controller General, a Health Ministry agency responsible for health safety in the country, is likely to make it mandatory for all bulk drugs manufacturers to follow the Good Marketing Practices (GMPs).
Listening capacity of city dwellers being impaired
The listening capacity of the people living in Dhaka city is being impaired due to noise pollution caused by uncontrollable use of hydraulic horns in the vehicles, mikes and clamour from construction work, according to experts. Department of Environment (DOE) which conducted a survey in early 1997 in 14 educational …
Baghhar hydel unit work to begin in Oct
Work on the ambitious 450 MW Baghhar hydel power project, among the largest in Jammu and Kashmir, will commence from October this year. To be set up in the state sector, work on the project is scheduled for completion in five years.
Punjab health care revamp on cards
A primary health care project with World Bank assistance to revamp total health care approach in Punjab is in the offing. This project now being drawn up will endeavour to increase existing capacity of the buildings at the primary level as well as upgrade primary health centres to meet the …
Lead, kindly light
At long last, the Centre has announced a policy package to shore up investment in hydro-electric capacity. The initiative is two steps forward but, sadly, one step back. Notice how the norms for competitive bidding have been considerably watered down. What would be affected is transparency. (editorial)
Paracetamol may help protect blood
Paracetamol may help protect blood from changes that lead to hardening of the arteries, a condition that commonly contributes to deaths from stroke, heart attack and other forms of cardiovascular diseases.These are the findings of a new research presented by Addison A. Taylor, Professor of Medicine and Professor for Pharmacology, …
Net address may be home to depression
Warning: the internet could be bad for your psychlogical health. In particular, it may increase your sense of loneliness and depression, cause you to drop friendships and weaken your bonds with members of your immediate family. These are the findings of a US academic study that claims to represent the …
Dropsy may also lead to loss of vision
Doctors of the Delhi Opthalmological Society announced that dropsy patients, their family members and people in the same vicinity should have regular eye-pressure check ups to detect the incidence of epidemic dropsy glaucoma.
Database planned for toxic chemicals
The Health and Welfare Ministry in Japan is planning to set up a computer database on toxic chemicals and first aid for poisoning in 900 public health centers around the country, officials said over the weekend. By developing a database on toxic chemicals, the centers will be able to better …
New chemical poses threat to ozone layer
A new ozone-destroying chemical has been found in the earth's atmosphere by Australian scientists, throwing repair of the ozone layer into doubt. A firefighting chemical suspected of being used by the Russian military, halon-1202, has increased five-fold in the atmosphere over the past 20 years, according to a scientist with …
18 die as cholera breaks out in Murree
Cholera has broken out in Murree - Pakistan's only major hill station and a tourist resort - and has claimed some 18 lives over the last fortnight. According to reports, many of the victims, belonging to far flung areas of Murree, died on their way to the only civil hospital …
No room for complacency
Health authorities in Bangladesh are finally waking up to the dangerous implications of the AIDS pandemic : a report.
A flu that sends shivers
The bird flu strain of influenza virus has caused only 20 confirmed or suspected cases of human illness and has not jumped from birds to humans anywhere except Hong Kong. Yet health officials are so worried about the virus that they began slaughtering all 1.3 million chickens in the territory. …
Gomti riverbed rising fast
Report: An obsession with concrete construction, dictated by greedy engineers and contractors, has led to the Gomti river rising to a dangerous level, threatening the trans-Gomti area. While the clamour for 'bund' continues, no one is talking about the long-overdue dredging that experts feel is the solution to any flood …
Curbing pollution
in an attempt to reduce air pollution, the European Commission has laid down strict standards not only for pm 10s - particles with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres, but also for pm 2.5s which are less than 2.5 micrometres. It is felt that these rules will halve emissions …
