My Blogs : Nuclear Issues ; Radiation Protection Issues ; My Voice

My Website : www.radsafetyinfo.com

Friday, December 28, 2007

Stem cell magic

Stem cells are cells found in all multi-cellular organisms. The human body contains more than 200 different types of cells such as blood, brain, heart tissue, nerve cells, bones, etc. They retain the ability to renew them-selves through mitotic cell division and have the capacity to differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types.

The two broad types of mammalian stem cells are: embryonic stem (ES) cells that are found in blastocysts, and adult stem cells that are found in adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. Embryonic stem cells are commonly extracted from unwanted, surplus embryos. These are typically embryos that are created during medical procedures in fertility clinics which help infertile couples conceive. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues.

In order to make embryo stem cells practical for therapeutic use, it would be necessary to create a new stem cell line for each patient that needs treatment. The embryonic stem cell potential remains untested, adult stem cell treatments have been used for many years to treat successfully leukemia and related bone/blood cancers through bone marrow transplants. The stem cell patch (of new tissues) is developed to heal/replace tissues damaged by heart attack. Many nations currently have moratoria on either ES cell research or the production of new ES cell lines. However, it is being done in places like England and Korea, where researchers are now world leaders in this technology. The use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is not as controversial as embryonic stem cells, because the production of adult stem cells does not require the destruction of an embryo.

Scientists are confident that the research will lead to treatments to wide variety of diseases and disorders such as: bone loss, broken bones, brain damage due to oxygen starvation, severe burns, cancer (some forms), diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis, incomplete bladder control, Huntington's, leukemia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, stroke, etc, etc. Millions of patients worldwide are going to be benefited by the research.

The ensuing public debate has prompted authorities around the world to seek regulatory frameworks and highlighted the fact that stem cell research represents a social and ethical challenge. Misuse of the unused embryos is matter of great concern. In US, Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee provides the necessary guidelines for the research. They address the many ethical, legal, scientific, and policy issues that are of concern to the public, and the scientific community. The guidelines report also called for the establishment of a national body to assess periodically the adequacy of the guidelines and to provide a forum for continuing discussion of human embryonic stem cell research.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Greenbelt concept for pollution abatement

Mitigation of air pollution has emerged as one of the challenging tasks in environmental management. Air-cleaning technologies such as cyclones, high efficiency particulate filters, etc do provide the necessary level of particulate removal from the air discharges from industries. However, in the absence of 100% removal or malfunctioning of the ventilation systems, there is a possibility of particulates getting released into the environment. In addition to the industrial effluents, the air pollution is also caused due the burning of transportation fuels (petrol, diesel etc) in cities. The pollution includes many harmful organic compounds and particulates.

Green belt is a workable, cost effective concept which can easily be adopted to control air pollution in industrialized cities. Rows of plants are grown in such a way as to function as air pollutants sinks. The Green belt concept is useful around nuclear facilities where small amounts of particulate releases are trapped on the leaves of the trees which form greenbelt around the facilities. Leaves on the trees with their vast area, absorb or collect the pollutants on their surface, thus effectively reduce the concentration of the pollutants in the ambient air. Greenbelt designing in an appropriate scientific manner not only reduces air pollution, but also attenuates noise pollution.

The effectiveness of the greenbelt for pollution abatement depends on the type of tree, the tree height, width of the green belt and the distance of green belt from the source of release. Any excessive releases may endanger the life of the trees and hence limits for tolerance should be established depending upon the type of pollution. For example very high exposures of the trees to ionizing radiation (example: during Chernobyl reactor accident) are likely to be fatal for most of the trees. Keeping this mind, the new basic recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP-2007 (see www.radsafetyinfo.com) is providing some guidelines for the radiation protection of non-human species including plants and trees.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Climate Change due to Global Warming – a hoax?

Anything one does, ultimately it results in contributing to global warming! Doesn’t make much sense. Suddenly, everybody thinks that a half a degree rise in the average global temperature is causing all the catastrophic events seen world-wide. The scenario which was expected after a few decades has arrived right now at our doors.

The way the things are projected, doesn’t go well with the public. These days, the individual members of the public are aware of the importance of keeping the environment clean, and they can not be expected to be at the receiving end all the time.

There are many doubts in their mind:

1. Either all the concerned monitoring agencies were misreporting / underreporting the actual global warming status all these years when the developed countries were polluting the environment with the green house gases (GHGs). Today, the countries (example: USA at Bali) not willing to accept any commitment to cut down the GHG emissions!
2. The countries want to bring severe restrictions on the emissions on the developing countries like India and China. Unfair political deal!
3. In reality, how carbon credits are going to reduce the existing global warming scenario?
4. Is the small rise in the temperature is the real reason for the climate change which is being witnessed today?
5. What is the assessed contribution to global warming from the volcanic eruptions and high altitude flights / space activities?
6. Is this climate change not a natural cyclic phenomenon, which is difficult to reverse?

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Agitating Medicos in India – What future?

In Indian government medical colleges, the medical education is highly subsidized. A private medical college charges about 4 lakh rupees per year for the graduate course (MBBS), while the government college fees can be as low as 210 rupees in AIIMS, Delhi. In view of the acute shortage of doctors in rural health centers, and the poor quality of medical care, the Health Ministry is considering additional one-year rural stint before they are allowed to practice medicine.

The medical students are agitated by this new development. A one-year extension of the MBBS course as per the government recommendation will make the medical education as the longest professional course in the country. As per the student’s point of view, the infrastructural support in the rural areas for practicing medicine is very poor. Practically, as per the conditions of the internship, there is nothing much to gain either by the interns or by the rural folks. As compared to other professionals like engineers and MBAs, the earning of the doctor until they are settled (by 40-45 years of age) is meagre, about 200-300% less). To make up this loss, later the medicos start earning money by unethical means of cuts and commissions.

It is evident that families, in which one generation after another donned the white coat willingly, are slowing dwindling. Children with doctor parents are not now willing to join medical profession. They prefer software engineering where just after four years in the college, they are selected in the campus itself getting two to three times higher salary than a medical graduate who will be looking for job after six and half years now! The trend will further deteriorate the health care status in India. Unless somebody is committed to the “holistic” social cause, it will be difficult to motivate students to join medicine.

Friday, December 14, 2007

School rage – how to relax?

Violence is ubiquitous in our present society. Latest to hear is the shoot-out in classroom which killed one student in one of the prestigious schools in India and teens shooting six fellow students over girl in Las Vegas, US. Already many suicides by the students are reported from different parts of the country. Reasons like unable to coup up with the exams pressure, non-English medium children not following lessons taught in English in technical/medical colleges, excessive competitions, peer pressure, over exposure to crimes/violence in media, parent’s neglect, less of teacher-student interaction, etc.

Somehow, the parent’s neglect, less of student-teacher interaction and over-exposure to media seem to be the prime causes for the aggressive and violent behavior of children at home and at school. As Jesse Jackson, the American Civil Right Activist rightly puts it “Your children needs your presence than presents” is so much true in today’s parent-children relationship. At schools, committed/dedicated teachers are rarely found. Education is highly commercialized today.

It is parent’s moral duty to ensure that the children are suitably trained at home so as to prepare them to face the outside, often cruel, world. They should be made to feel that they are wanted at home. Stress reliever practices such as yoga and meditation should be introduced at schools and should be practiced at home as a routine. Meditation is an ancient practice and there many techniques: Hindu Vedic tradition, Buddha, Christian and Muslim are available. One can follow any method suiting to his liking and belief. There are scientifically proven benefits by the practice of yoga and meditation. The most important benefits for the children are: increase in the level of relaxation, decrease in the stress hormone, and improved perception and memory. Go, get it.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Mob violence is increasing

Every other day, we see in India, violence of various kinds, road rage, violence involving mob, etc for various reasons, some which are very trivial. The government is not able to handle these situations and watch the violence helplessly as the laws are not enough to handle such situations. The victims under such situations are the young children, girls and elderly. The young people of today, in general are not able to control their emotions, either singly or as a group. Peace and harmony in the society is missing. May be, it is becoming a world wide phenomenon.

The unity in diversity is really not true. In most of the instances, the mob fury is connected with caste, class and religion. The benefits of reservation in education and jobs are driving people to agitate so as to include their community in the list of scheduled cast/tribes or backward class communities. Most of the issues are fueled by the local politicians. The police force is not allowed to act in a professional and efficient manner. In fact, the police force is made the target of the violence. The government follows a simple rule: Allow violent incidents and then react mildly. This helps them to draw enough political mileage from the incidents. Common man is at the receiving end.

Many reasons can be quoted for such ubiquitous violent behavior. The so-called economic boom has only widened the gap between rich and the poor. There is excessive competitiveness in the society. There are no stringent laws to tackle the situations in the initial “building-up” stages. Too much political interference, multiple party governments, corrupt police force, corruption in the government departments, irresponsible media coverage, etc, etc. Terrorist activities only compounded many of the issues.

The needs of the hour are education of the youth and make them aware of their responsibilities along with their rights, professionally managed police force without any political interference, reservations only on the basis of family income, stringent laws against corruption, and finally the positive role of the media to promote peace.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Education of the Dalits is the answer

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (born:14 April 1891: Died: 6 December, 1956) is remembered every year after year as the champion of the oppressed in India. The controversial reservation system in the professional colleges and in jobs in government departments has benefited a selected group of “creamy layer” of the so-called backward class community, scheduled chaste and tribes. Any further reservations or benefits will be cornered by the same group of people and the bulk of the masses are not going to gain much. They remain as they are today.

There are already many groups in the Dalit communities with different ideologies and personal priorities. By accepting the system of reservation, the above communities, particularly the younger generation will continue to suffer the humiliation of reminding them of their “lower” status in the society. The children of today, particularly from the so-called upper caste, do not know much about this past historic unfair system and they have many friends from the Dalit communities in schools and colleges. But unfortunately, today’s politicians remind the young Dalits that they are not equal to their upper caste friends in the society and they need reservations in every walk of life!

Why to continue to remember the existence of this unfair social inequality? Why not follow the slogan of Dr. Ambedkar: Educate, Unite and Agitate? The younger generation is of the strong opinion that due recognition is bound to come in due course of time. Education is the key word. The column of “Caste” in the application form for education and employment should be removed once for all. In today’s India, the majority Dalits are going to have a say even on the formation of the central government. Then, why reservation?

Friday, December 7, 2007

HIV + men can become father?

It was reported in the media that HIV+ men can father a child by using Assisted Reproductive Technique (ART), also known as infertility treatment. The technique, established by testing it on over a thousand couples, claims virtually zero percent risk of transferring the virus to the mother and the child.

It is true that every married couple would like to have their own child and it is really unfortunate for the wife to discover that the husband is HIV positive, and virtually it is not recommended having a child of their own by natural process of conceiving.

But, what about the risk involved in the procedure? Whether the national medical authorities will study the issue and give clear-cut instructions with regards to the possibility of the virus not getting “washed out” in the procedure. Can the procedure be called as 100% safe? Governments, world over are spending billions of dollars on controlling the spread of AIDS. Under the circumstances, it is in the interest of world community that appropriate regulations/protocols should be brought out by the national medical councils or the responsible agencies to educate the public about the risks involved, including medico-legal issues in the procedure. Let us not permit a few of the so-called specialists exploit financially and emotionally the desperate HIV-hit couples promising them healthy babies of their own.