Community concerns
A two-day workshop, titled “Fishery-dependent Livelihoods, Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity: The Case of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas in India”, was held in New Delhi during 1-2 March
Sumana Narayanan
-
Trial by error
New US rules to free clinical trials of ethics it is alleged that Johnson and Johnson carried out clinical trials of its anti-psychotic drug, Risperdal, in Gujarat three years ago without the informed consent of patients. The study also used placebos despite drugs being available for treatment. Both these actions flout the Helsinki Declaration, adopted in 1964 by the World Medical
-
Fishy deaths
dead fish floated down two parallel canals, carrying water from the Sutlej river in western Punjab southwards to Rajasthan, for two-three days in mid-June. For a stretch of about 50 km, from Harike in Ferozepur to Faridkot, the water had turned dark and stank of sewage. The water sanitation department of Faridkot town stopped using canal water for two days. The canals also supply water to
-
Pesticide causes blindness in fish in Punjab
carp, the freshwater fish species, are going blind in Punjab. The reason, a study reveals, is a pesticide used in rice fields nearby. Monocrotophos, the pesticide, causes a cataract-like condition reducing the economic value of the fish, said Punjab University researchers who carried out the study. The study was initiated after fish farmers from Patiala and Sangrur districts took their complaint
-
Fungi that absorbs uranium
fungi gel well with uranium, says a recent study from the uk. Depleted uranium, a radioactive by-product of uranium enrichment process in nuclear reactors, is used widely in ammunition. Being
-
Pollution affects flower's fragrance
the attractiveness of a flower diminishes when it does not emit fragrance. And not just we human beings, insects also stop taking interest in such a flower. Researchers from University of Virginia,
-
States may get back CAMPA money
On March 13, a bill to increase the country's green cover received the union cabinet's approval. Rs 6,000 crore collected by the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (campa),
-
Less invasives from ship
cargo ships sailing from coast to coast often transport unwanted freight. Marine plants, animals and microbes regularly hitch rides to distant shores in these ships' ballast water, seawater stored
-
Natural dye can be used in applications such as DNA fingerprinting
indigenous knowledge can now be deployed for a common laboratory procedure. Annatto, a reddish orange dye, is used by indigenous people in many parts of Latin America as a cleanser of poisons.
-
Decoding antibiotic resistance in bacteria
disease-causing bacteria are gaining resistance to antibiotics by producing enzymes that deactivate them. A study has decoded the structure of the enzyme that helps bacteria gain resistance to a
-
Glaxo pulls out anti malaria drugs
pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is recalling its malaria drug Lapdap and has discontinued development of another malaria drug, Dacart, saying the drugs can lead to anaemia in some patients.