Monsoons went erratic 18,000 years ago

2010

Syed Akbar

Hyderabad, April 30: Erratic rainfall during present day monsoons is not a new phenomenon, but a result of climatic changes that occurred in the Arabian sea some 18,000 years ago.

The Arabian sea, from which emerge the monsoons bringing in rainfall to the Indian sub-continent, turned warmer by 4 degrees Celsius about 18 millennia ago, leading to reduced rainfall in the region. The phenomenon continues till day causing erratic monsoons.

Researchers at the National Institute of Oceanography and the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research have reconstructed the rainfall viability over thousands of years to study what went wrong with the monsoon system, since the Indian sub-continent largely depends on the monsoon for rainfall.

The joint research team of NIO-NCAOR has found that the Arabian sea was 4 degrees C cooler during 18,000 years ago, while the general belief is that the sea was cooler by just 2 degrees C. "In our study we have demonstrated that Arabian sea was 4 degrees C cooler during 18 kilo annum (18,000 years), which had a strong bearing in the initiation of monsoon rainfall in the Asian sub-continent," Dr Pothuri Divakar Naidu of NIO, Goa.

He told this reporter that the reconstruction of rainfall viability over thousands of years reveal that from 10.5 to 3.5 ka (10,500 years to 3,500 years ago) there was good amount of rainfall in the subcontinent. "But from about 3,500 years onwards descending phase of monsoon rainfall started due to arid climatic conditions in the Indian  subcontinent," Dr Divakar pointed out.

The team studied variations in sea surface temperature, sea water and salinity in the Arabian sea. They reconstructed the atmospheric model for the past 68,000 years using a sediment core from the Eastern Arabian Sea to understand the changes in evaporation and precipitation associated with the monsoon system.

The southwest monsoon emanates from the temperature and pressure gradients that occur between the Indian Ocean and Tibet Plateau during summer. The upper ocean heat supplies the necessary evaporation and atmospheric moisture transport during this phenomenon. Thus, a strong link exists between ocean dynamics and the atmospheric heat and moisture transfer behind the monsoon

"The socio-economic and agriculture development of southeast Asia depend on the monsoon precipitation from June through September,

which contributes about 70 to 90 per cent of the annual precipitation in the region. Therefore, an understanding of the monsoon system beyond historical records is desired," he said.

Tiny nanotubes to deliver biomaterials like DNA and RNA for effective gene therapy

2010

Syed Akbar

Hyderabad, April 23: A group of city scientists has developed tiny nanotubes that could serve as next generation micro pills to deliver biomaterials like DNA and RNA for effective gene therapy.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology have already patented this unique technology. The nanotubes developed from organic material, for the first time in the world, could be useful not only to deliver small regulatory RNA and DNA as therapeutic materials but also to optimise pill-like properties for orally ingested materials.

"This beautiful technology may help in making the next-generation micro pills to deliver biomaterials for effective gene therapy and novel cargoes for molecular diagnostics. It can also be used for mass delivery of therapeutic biomolecules via food in various animal populations for the improvement of animal husbandry," Dr Utpal Bhadra of CCMB told this correspondent.

The IICT-CCMB team comprising JS Yadav, MP Lavanya, PP Das,

Manika Pal Bhadra and Utpal Bhadra zeroed in on a special material for construction of nano tubes. They selected p-aminobenzoic acid

or PABA in short. This is a natural material that forms part of folic acid and the vitamin B complex present in the human liver. Since it is a natural non-protein amino acid, it has little side effects on animals or human beings. Moreover, PABA is also known to support folic acid production by intestinal bacteria.

The PABA nano tubes will also help in increase of PABA concentration in the intestine during oral ingestion, which might help intestinal bacteria to convert it into folic acids, and protect against strokes, cardiovascular diseases and even certain cancers. Therefore, ingestion of PABA nano tubes plays a dual role, directly as a delivery vehicle of therapeutic agents and indirectly by preventing different diseases as a therapeutic agent itself.

"These nano structures minimise many obstacles including absorption in body fluids, systemic spreading and the reduction of immunogenetic symptoms. The tubes also maintain their fluorescent activity for a long period of time and do not suffer from dissociation or decay of fluorescence," Dr Bhadra said.

The advantage of nano tubes is that they spontaneously adsorb onto the membrane and later accumulate within intracellular compartments.

Referring to the safety of the new technology, the team points out that in drosophila studies no difference in size or any abnormalities in their sexual behaviour were observed. The egg laying capacity of adult females for six consecutive days after hatching and the sex of hatched flies were counted. No significant difference was detected in egg laying capacity and male/female ratios in nano tube-fed females as compared to the wild type.

Natural calamities: Yoga helps in stress management

Syed Akbar

Hyderabad, March 18: Practising yoga for about a week will be useful in stress management after any natural calamity. A week of yoga will decrease sadness and anxiety in victims of natural disasters like tsunami, flash floods, cyclones and earthquakes. Yoga is a good intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to Dr Shirley Telles of the department of Yoga Research, Patanjali Yogpeeth, certain yoga exercises help in controlling heart beat, breath rate and emotional distress. Yoga, particularly Sudarshana Kriya, acts not only on the body improving physiological functions, but also relieves mental tension, stress and trauma associated with loss of life and property in a calamity.

Patanjali Yogpeeth researchers including Dr N Singh, Dr M Joshi and Dr A Balkrishna studied the effect of yoga on the victims of natural calamities including floods. The team selected two groups of victims, one performing yoga and another non-yoga group. The results showed that those who performed yoga had overcome the trauma and sadness easily. The yoga group practised yoga for 60 minutes while the non-yoga group continued with its normal work.

"A week of yoga can reduce feelings of sadness and possibly prevent an increase in anxiety after calamity," the study pointed out, adding that

since yoga includes asanas, kriyas, pranayamas and dhyana, it can be regarded as an intervention to treat stress resulting from a traumatic event.

According to the Yogpeeth team, high distress levels at the time of assault significantly predict increased levels of fear and anxiety in the following months. "Since the level of distress is strongly correlated to Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, an attempt to decrease distress immediately following the event may result in a more positive treatment outcome.

The study noted that since interventions like trauma debriefing in the initial period will only increase the risk of PTSD symptoms, yoga practices like Sudarshan Kriya Yoga can be considered for surviving victims of natural calamities. The researchers suggest yoga activities like loosening exercises (movement of joints) for 10 minutes, asanas for 20 minutes and pranayamas for 25 minutes. The session can be concluded by five minutes of guided relaxation in shavasana.

Health Quiz: All about the heart and its functions

By Syed Akbar
This simple quiz will help you know how well informed you are about your heart and its functions. Each right answer fetches you 10 points. Excellent, if your score is 80 and above, good if it is between 60 and 80, average if it is 40 and 60, and bad if the points earned are below 40. Get ready to take the test.
1. We quite often hear cardiologists referring to infarction or myocardial infarction to be precise. Infarction is one of the leading causes of heart attacks. What is meant by infarction?
a) Heart-lung machine b) Fast beating of heart c) Heart attack d) death of cells of heart
2. Coronary artery supplies blood to the heart. If this is blocked, it prevents blood supply to heart muscles, leading to heart attacks. Is this true?
a) yes b) no
3) What happens if a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain is damaged or blocked?
a) heart attack b) stroke c) fever d) nothing, simple giddiness
4) Many say that they love from the deep of their hearts. By the way how many rooms or chambers does heart have?
a) three chambers b) four chambers c) two chambers d) no chambers, it is one solid piece
5) What is hypertension?
a) blood pressure b) low blood pressure c) high blood pressure d) mild blood pressure
6) When blood pressure is measured, the meter shows two readings. What is the upper reading called?
a) systolic blood pressure d) diastolic blood pressure (c) BP d) hypotension
7) When a person is said to have a normal blood pressure?
a) systole of less than 90 and diastole of less than 150 b) systole of less than 140 and diastole of less than 90 c) systole of more than 100 and diastole of more than 150 d) none of the above
8) Children do not get heart attacks?
a) yes b) no
9) What exactly is the function of heart?
a) generating vital nutrients necessary for the body b) intelligence c) creating affection d) pumping blood
10) Major symptoms of heart attack are
a) Chest discomfort b) pain in arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach c) shortness of breath with or without pain d) all the above
Answers:
1) d 2) a 3) b 4) b 5) c 6) a 7) b b 9) d 10) d

Did HIV has its roots in India?

2010

Syed Akbar

Hyderabad, March 8: The deadly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has its roots in India, according to researchers at the University of Hyderabad and Kakatiya University.

Contrary to popular belief that HIV, the infectious agent of AIDS, had originated in sub-Saharan Africa, the new study points out that the virus had its roots on the Indian soil in pre-historic times. The researchers, M Radhakrishna of HCU, and S Ram Reddy of Kakatiya University, observe that Charaka Samhita (ancient Ayurvedic text dating back to 300 BC) contains reference to an immunodeficiency problem similar to HIV.

"Medical, archaeological, mythological and biological evidences point out the possibility of origin of AIDS in Indian sub-continent. The man and monkey association started in India by Paleolithic period. We can find monkey paintings in various historic sites and ancient Indian literature... Many sculptures from 300 BC to 12th century CE depicted the monkey-man association. It is also depicted that the monkeys are giving medicine to the king that strengthens monkey-man association from many thousand years," the researchers said.

Caraka Samhita contains references to "azokshyam" (degradation of immunity) an AIDS-like disease. Many of the archaeological sites of period between 3000 BC to 1000 in India were displaced due to various viral diseases. Archaeological reports reveal that massive deaths occurred in those areas.

"The consumption of primate meat by certain tribal and non tribal communities is still prevalent in north east and eastern India. The use of meat from hunted primates as a bait to agricultural pests is also common in the north eastern states. A few of these Indian monkeys were found to be serologically and virologically positive to simian retroviruses," they pointed out.

According to them, Assamese macaque and pigtailed macaque harboured simian foamy virus. Natural infection by simian retrovirus in languor (Semnopithecus entellus) has been traced in two different geographical regions of India.

"Analysis of HIV-1 subtype C and HIV 2 genome sequences from India showed that these sequences were closely related to each other and phylogenetic (evolutionary) analysis of these sequences clustered together and showed monophyletic (common) lineage. Origin of AIDS in Indian peninsular should be investigated for simian immunodeficiency virus in wild monkeys of India," they said.

Crease on earlobe? Then take care of your eyesight

2010

Syed Akbar

Hyderabad, Feb 23: Diagonal crease on earlobe has long been associated with coronary heart disease and latest research by a group of Indian scientists link the presence of earlobe crease to sight-threatening diabetes retinopathy.

People with crease on their earlobes are relatively more prone to diabetes retinopathy (damage to retina, which ultimately causes blindness) than those without crease on their earlobes.

A team of researchers from Sankara Nethralaya, comprising Dr Tarun Sharma, Dr Rajiv Raman, Dr PK Rani and Dr V Kulothungan, has noticed that earlobe crease is present in nearly 60 per cent of urban south Indian population with diabetes, aged above 40 years. The presence of earlobe crease is somewhat related to sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy.

"The study is representative of a large population and results could be extrapolated to the whole of urban India," says Dr Tarun Sharma.

According to the researchers, in predicting any diabetic retinopathy, the presence of earlobe crease had sensitivity of 60.4 per cent, and specificity, 40.5 per cent. The earlobe crease was observed in nearly 60 per cent of the urban south Indian population.

The study revealed that the subjects in the earlobe crease group were older, had longer duration of diabetes and had poor glycemic (blood sugar) control. They had a higher socio-economic status as compared to the group without earlobe crease. "This could be an indirect measure of the population that is at a greater risk for coronary artery disease," the study pointed out.

The team also noticed that people with earlobe crease had almost twice the risk of developing sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy. The researchers explain that people with earlobe crease had loss of elastin (a protein that gives skin its shape). This loss of elastin in retinal blood vessels leads to increased leakage and dilatation, and gradual blindness.

"We also speculate the presence of ischemia (shortage of blood supply to particular part or parts of the body) in people with earlobe crease. The focal ischemia of the dermal fat might cause ear lobe crease, and ischemia in retina causes sight- threatening changes," the scientists pointed out.