The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed online shopping behaviours, according to a survey of about 3,700 consumers in nine emerging and developed economies.The survey, entitled “COVID-19 and E-commerce”, examined how the pandemic has changed the way consumers use e-commerce and digital solutions. It covered Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, the Republic …
Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are among the most important antibacterial agents (synthetic antibiotics) used in human and veterinary medicine. An analytical method based on reversed-phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of nine FQs and the quinolone pipemidic acid in urban wastewater. Aqueous samples were …
a clear glass pane usually reflects about eight per cent of the light that is incident on it. For someone using a pair of binoculars it means loss of precious light and therefore a duller magnification. For other applications, such as photovoltaic panels, television screens, one would like this reflection …
The message of community based water harvesting is spreading - not just in India but also globally. The Food and Agriculture Organisation ( fao ) now sees "increasing water harvesting and water conservation" as a key challenge for ensuring food security. For a large number of people, especially those who …
while just a few years ago, 540 Megabytes was considered a huge storage for computer hard disks. Now 30-gigabyte drives are standard in most computers. However, this expansion in storage capacity is now reaching a saturation point. Data is stored in a magnetic disk as 1's and 0's. The number …
lake Geneva may end up becoming deoxygenated and a weed covered dead zone, thanks to the dams built on the river Rhone in Switzerland, say researchers at the University of Geneva. In the past 40 years, nine large hydroelectric dams have been built on the tributaries of the Upper Rhone
The forest fires of 1997 and 1998 created enormous ecological damage and human suffering and helped focus world attention on what is an increasing problem. This report is a follow-up to the WWF International Discussion Paper The Year the World Caught Fire which was published in December 1997. However, eighteen …
Scientists have genetically-engineered a variety of rice that could end vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. The deficiency results in blindness. Researchers at the International Rice Research Institute in Switzerland spliced three genes to make the rice rich in betacarotene, the source of vitamin A. However, the new crop, which …
It is known for its ability to render birds sterile, enter the food chain, persist in its original form without degrading for a long period of time, disrupt the reproductive system and is suspected to have carcinogenic properties. But it seems that dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) will not be banned. …
swiss researchers have stated that rain falling in Europe is so full of toxic pesticides that much of it is not fit for drinking. Pesticides sprayed on crops evaporate and, in the stratosphere, they react with water vapour. Water contaminated with these toxic substances fall as rain. Stephan Muller of …
Easy dissemination of information and global access are two of the Internet's key strengths. Ironically, these are also its biggest weaknesses. Anyone any corner of the globe can sneak into important government files and documents, and then do whatever they want with these. Hackers, as these Internet fiends are called, …
ONE peek at genetic behaviour and the microscopic world of cellular biology seems no less dramatic than the larger socio-political ethos of human societies. A team of two researchers has recently come up with some eye-opening findings following research on ants. The findings indicate that the interplay of cooperation and …
on june 7, 1998, Swiss citizens voted in favour of research in genetic engineering. The biotechnology industry has not stopped smirking since. To the environment organisations, at the end of two years of campaigning against genetic engineering, this has come as a rude shock. The Swiss vote is relevant in …
a two-year campaign against genetic engineering by environmentalists, animal rights and consumer groups in Switzerland received a severe jolt on June 7, when Swiss voters, in a referendum, decisively rejected a proposal to ban the production and patenting of genetically modified organisms ( gmo s). The people rejected the ban …
alarmed by the decline of certain species such as ibex, deer and chamois in the forests of the Alps through hunting, conservationists had urged governments to restrict all activities that would further endanger these animals and disrupt the natural ecology of the Alps. But now, they have discovered that it …
For some people, the burning desire for fine foods may be an indication of a subtle brain damage, say Swiss researchers. Marianne Regard of University hospital, Zurich and Teodor Landis of Hospital Cantonal Univeresitaire de Geneve, Geneva, term the disorder as "Gourmand Syndrome'. They suggest abnormal serotonin activation may play …
After a six-year research, a tennis speedball analyser (TSA), has been developed by Toucon SA, Verbier, Switzerland and a government sponsored company. The graphite racket features a unique software with a microchip in its handle, powered by a lithium battery. This software calculates the speed of the ball through the …
Neutrons, the neutral constituents of the atomic nucleus are excellent tools for probing the structure of biological compounds and for determining the constituents of materials. Understandably, there is a heavy demand for neutron sources. Till now, low energy neutrons from atomic reactors have been used for biological experiment while neutrons …
The Geneva-based 61-member UN disarmament commission began its 1997 session on January 21 to establish a committee on a fissile materials cut-off treaty, a top priority on the UN's agenda since March 1995. But the developing countries' insistence on multilateral talks to eliminate all nuclear weapons within a fixed period …
