Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
The Bhutanese government has laid down that import of second-hand and re-conditioned cars will be banned henceforth. The ban will ensure that the old cars, which cause more pollution, will be off the roads. Import duty on new vehicles has also been reduced concomitantly to encourage buyers to go in …
Epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterised by fits, is the focus of a combined drive launched by the World Health Organization and the International League Against Epilepsy, an international NGO. The campaign which began last month, will essentially aim at increasing public and professional awareness of the brain disorder which affects …
Japanese chemists have discovered a new gel which is a polymer of N-isopropylacrylamide and ruthenium. The gel swells and contracts on its own, an action that can be used to facilitate the periodic release of drugs. The timing for the release of the drugs can be set by the choice …
Oriental food has the potential to guard against killer diseases like cancer and heart ailments. According to a top UK nutritionist, Helen Wiseman, oriental food is low on fat and rich in soya products, which are good at keeping these diseases at bay. It is reported that soya beans and …
the centennial olympics at Atlanta marked a significant watershed for women athletes. Close to 3,000 female athletes participated in the games. If such a trend continues, the phrase
Nepal will continue to benefit from Australia's assistance in the community forestry sector. A new project in the districts of Sindhupalchok and Kabrepalanchok will have the backing of Australian expertise and aims to incorporate community forestry with income generation and conservation activities. This project will begin early next year once …
the Japanese (who else?) are stealing a march over other industrialised nations in recycling. While earlier it was the law for the promotion of utilisation of recyclable resources passed in 1992 which forced industries to improve recycling methods, it is now the law for the promotion of sorted collection and …
researchers at the Long Ashton Agricultural Research Station near Bristol in southwest uk, are combining genetic engineering and largescale field experiments to find ways by which to reduce the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers. Cutting down on the use of such chemicals will help protect the environment and also …
Auburn University's Institute for Biological Detection Systems, with a team of veterinarians, chemists and physiologists, is working towards the ultimate detective device: an electronic artificial nose. Such a device would find a host of applications ranging from crime investigation to helping in the detection of drugs. It could even be …
with the growing realisation that regular physical activity is vital for good health, more and more women are taking to strenuous physical exercises. But exercise regimens are governed by guidelines on how far the body can be pushed. Such recommendations are based on three considerations: • potential health benefits • …
Sri Lankan tribals fearing extinction of their tribe have appealed to the United Nations (UN) to save them. People belonging to the Wannyala-Atto, or forest people, lived for years in the jungles but had to disappear when the forests were declared as conservative areas in 1993. They have been forced …
the last of the Bactrian camels - between 730 to 880 - living in the sparse deserts of Gashun Gobi and Taklimakan along the Sino-Mongolian border, may soon have a sanctuary for themselves. A hairy creature with bald knees, large feet and two small humps, the Camelus bactrianus ferus is …
There is reason for hope for fair skin individuals worrying about UV radiations triggering sporadic basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. Researchers at the Stanford University, Palo Alto and the University of California, both in the US have identified mutations in the patched gene as a …
The days are certainly numbered for the northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita), one of the world's rarest birds. Their numbers dropped sharply by 17 per cent when 38 of them were struck down by a mysterious disease. The bald ibis once occupied the grasslands of North Africa and the Middle …
A recent nine-day investigation led by Polish explorer and scientist Jacek Palkiewicz, has revealed that the Amazon, one of the world's largest rivers, has its source in an underground glacier in the southern Peruvian Andes. The Apachita crevice, an icy creek 16,958 ft above sea level near the city of …
For those who are tired of battling it out with colds, this may come as a relief. A study published in the Lancet says that 20 per cent of the people suffering from cold could benefit by taking antibiotics. Although common cold is actually caused by a class of virus …
it may be difficult, but not impossible to operate on a beating heart. Coronary bypass surgeries can now be conducted without using heart-lung machines. The thought that during the operation, survival depends upon a machine and the heart is temporarily stopped, makes a patient tense. But in future, this may …
