DISTRICT LEVEL INTERACTIVE SESSION OF SCIENCE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ORGANISED BY ODISHA BIGYAN ACADEMY B. S. HIGH SCHOOL, SUNDERGARH, Dt. 5-6th February, 2016

Inaugural Session Teachers and Students Participants ZILLA SCHOOL, BHADRAK, Dt. 9-10th February, 2016

Inaugural Session Valedictory Session CAPITAL HIGH SCHOOL, Unit-3, Bhubaneswar, Dt. 15-16th February, 2016

Inaugural Session Teachers and Students Participants Science Horizon

6TH YEAR 2ND ISSUE FEBRUARY, 2016

President, Odisha Bigyan Academy Editorial Board Prof. Sanghamitra Mohanty Prof. Gopendra Kishore Roy Advisor Prof. Sodananda Torasia Prof. Govind Chandra Sahoo Chief Editor Prof. Tarini Charan Panda Prof. Niranjan Barik Prof. Arun Chandra Sahu Editor Prof. Niraj Kanti Tripathy Prof. Tarani Charan Kara Prof. Satyaban Jena Managing Editor Dr Rekha Das Prof. Bijay Kumar Parida Secretary, Odisha Bigyan Academy Prof. Madhumita Das CONTENTS

Subject Author Page

1. Editorial : Personalized Medicine : Prof. Tarani Charan Kara 2 A Promising Health Perspective of the Future

2. Light Weight Particles, Heavy Weight Action Dr. P. C. Dash 3

3. Cancer ...What One Should Know ? Dr. Choudhury Satyabrata Nanda 6

4. Risk Factors for Cancer Dr. Soma Nanda 14

5. The Scientist Who Experimented on Prof. G. C. Sahoo 22 Himself and Mocked Cancer

6. Solar Power Er. Mayadhar Swain 24

7. Polonium As The Suspect in High Profile Murders Dr. Ramesh Chandra Parida 28

8. Resins - Precursors of Plastics Prof. S. K. Mohapatra 30

9. MRI Pioneers Sri Bibhuprasad Mohapatra 33

10. Icebergs - Moving Wonders of Polar Region Sri Ashit Kumar Swain 38

11. Horseshoe Crab - A Priceless Marine Arthropod Siddhartha Pati & Dr. B.P Dash 43

12. Quiz : Fishery Science Sri Titaram Nanda Brahmachari 47

The Cover Page depicts : Personalised Medicine Cover Design : Sanatan Rout EDITORIAL PERSONALIZED MEDICINE : A Promising Health Perspective of the Future

Personalized medication is a promising therapeutic individual's needs. A key attribute of this medical model is model that refers to the tailoring of medical treatment to the development of companion diagnostics, whereby the individual characteristics of each patient. It is not the molecular assays that measure levels of proteins, genes or creation of drugs or medical devices that are unique to a specific gene mutations are used to provide a specific patient, but rather the ability to classifyindividuals basing therapy for an individual's condition bystratifying disease on their susceptibilitytoa particular disease or their response status, selecting proper medication, and tailoring dosages to a specific treatment. to that patient's specific needs. This knowledge has enabled Following completion of the sequencing of the the development of the science of "Pharmacogenomics", human genome, significant progress has been made in which identifies individuals for responding to specific characterizing the human epigenome, proteome and therapy based on their genotype information. It leads to the metabolome; a better understanding ofpharmacogenomics development ofpersonalized medicine whosegoal is to use has been developed and the potential for customizing health the right drug in right dose, with minimal or no toxicity,for care for the individual has grown tremendously.The human the right patient at the right time. genome is the complete set of nucleic acid sequence encoded Why personalized medicine is needed? The DNA in DNA within 23 pairs of chromosomes present in cell from different cells of an individual is same, but the genes nucleus together with a small circular DNA moleculepresent coding in one organ (and their cells) behave differentlythan within individual mitochondrion. The nuclear genome is genes inother organs. For example, in cancer, differenttumors containing about 21000 protein-codinggenes and morethan mayhave the same DNA, but the pattern of gene expression 3 billion base pairs, which store massive data and is different in different tumor types. Technologies such as informations not only about genes themselves but also gene expression microarray allow us to examine the gene relating to their expression. The mitochondrial genome expression profile of hundreds of genes at a time and to contains 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes. The first distinguish a cancer-associated geneexpression profile from personal human genome sequence was published in 2007. normal profiling. Modern personalized medicine takes into Since then thousands of personal genome sequences have account an individuals genetic makeup and disease history been released, indicating significant level of diversity in before a treatment regimen is generated. However, the human genome attributed to single nucleotide genetics-based drug therapy does not always work polymorphisms (SNPs) and structural variations of the efficiently.Although there are different such targeted drugs genome. From the study of DNA fingerprinting, it is also availablefor varioustypes ofcancers, including breast, colon, clear that the probability of two people having identical lung, prostate, myeloid neoplasia, leukemia and lymphoma. fingerprints i.e. similarity at the level ofDNA is only one in ten billion. Considering the fact that the world population Currently, only a few successful examples of is approximately 7.4 billion, it is not possible to find two personalized medicine, such as the measurement of erbB2 individuals in the world living todayhaving identical genetic and EGFR in breast and lung cancer patients before proper setup or fingerprint patterns. Furthermore, it is also clear treatments are selected. Further the use of genetic based that human individuals not only differ at the level of their drugs such as ipilimumaband PLX4032 are known to show genome but also differ in the proteins and peptides improvement in survival of melanoma patients. However, (proteomics), production ofdifferent metabolites inside the successful implementation of personalized medicine will cell (metabolomics) and various epigenetic modifications require the infrastructure and technologyto assaymolecular of the DNA of different cells (epigenome). analytes and collaboration among all the stakeholders (physicians, specialists to interprete genomic informations, Traditionally, patient care is given by physicians insurance companies, market and business people and based on pathological examinations, symptoms of the government etc.). Ethical issuesand genetic tests are further disease and history of the medications. Following topics for consideration toimplement personalizedmedicine. advancements in diagnostictechnologies and earlydetection of molecular markers, a number of diseases includingcancer Nowone can ask : Are we ready at this point to treat types can be detected before pathological systems develop. each patient uniquely based on the complete DNA data of These markers are biochemical, epigenetic, genetic, their cells (healthy and/or cancerous)? The answer is no, imaging, metabolic and proteinaceous profiles which can we are not yet ready. However, the field is evolving and be used by physicians to diagnose the disease early and personalized medicine has many more to offer towards accurately.These molecular profiling informations about a improving the treatment ofcancer and other geneticdiseases patient could be used to tailor medical care to that of the for today and tomorrow. Prof. Tarani Charan Kara e-mail : [email protected] FEBRUARY, 2016 LIGHT WEIGHT PARTICLES, HEAVY WEIGHT ACTION

Dr. P. C. Dash

The lightest of all fundamental particles Arthur B McDonald for discovering neutrino having mass equal to one billionth of electron oscillation which implies that neutrinos have mass has secured four Nobel prizes in years mass. If it has mass its abundance in the 1988, 1995, 2002 and 2015. Still it awaits Universe is so enormous (1.2 x 1089) that the many more such prizes in the process of overall mass contributedby all these neutrinos understanding the physics associated with would be comparable to the total mass of the these particles. In 1930 Wolfgang Pauli first visible stars. So its effect could be very proposed an electrically neutral, weakly profound. Let us now discuss how these interacting and very light particle to explain mysterious particles revelaled their secrets energy conservation in nuclear beta decay gradually over the years culminating in the process. Afterwards Enrico Fermi named it awards of several Nobel prizes. Neutrino (electron neutrino). Gradually, it Nobel Prize, 1988 became evident that there exists three types The most important question then was of neutrinos namely electron neutrino, muon to find out a neutrino experimentally. But how neutrino and tau neutrino along with their to observe it since neutrino does not interact respective three antineutrinos. The with the known fundamental forces being antineutrino is exactly same as neutrino, but electrically neutral with very insignificant with opposite quantum numbers like helicity mass. At that time no method was available and lepton number. According to the standard for the experimental study of weak forces at modelof particle Physics, neutrinos have zero high energies producing neutrinos. In 1988, mass and move with nearly the speed of light. Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly They are produced in nuclear reactions and to Leon Lederman (USA), Melvin Schwartz hence found near nuclear reactors and particle (USA) and Jack Steinberger (Switzerland) for accelerators. It is also available in plenty in the neutrino beam method designed by them the radiationcoming fromSun and stars where in 1960 and also for using it to find a new fusion reaction is goingon day in and day out. type of neutrino (Muon-neutrino, this was Every human being is penetrated by solar considered new because at that time only neutrinos at a rate of several billion per square electron neutrino was known only centimetre per second, without leaving any theoretically). First, they isolated sufficiently noticeable trace. The recent Nobel Prize for intense beam of neutrinos free from all other 2015 was awarded to Takaaki Kajita and types of particles and then discovered a new

Science Horizon 3 FEBRUARY, 2016 type of neutrino, the muon neutrino with the "A solar neutrino was expected to help of thisbeam. The importance of this work produce radioactive argon when it interacts was that a method could be found out to with a nucleus of chlorine. Davis developed experimentally discover the existence of a an experiment based on this idea by placing a neutrino (may it be the muon-neutrino) and 100,000-gallon tank of perchloroethylene, a study it further. commonly used dry-cleaning chemical and a Nobel Prize 1995 good source of chlorine, 4,800 feet underground in the Homestake Gold Mine in In 1995 the second Nobel Prize on South Dakota and developing techniques for neutrino was awarded to Frederick Reins for quantitatively extracting a few atoms of argon his collaborated works of 1950 with Cowan. from the tank. The chlorine target was located They discovered the first type of neutrino (the deep underground to protect it from cosmic electron neutrino) as suggested by Pauli. In 1950 Frederick Reines along with Clyde rays. Also, the target had to be big because Cowan used a water tank located close to a the probability of chlorine's capturing a nuclear reactor in South Carolina in order to neutrino was ten quadrillion times smaller find the result. Since Cowan died in 1974 than its capturing a neutron in a nuclear Reines was awarded the prize in 1995. reactor. Despite these odds, Davis's experiment confirmed that the Sun produces Nobel Prize 2002 neutrinos. But only about one-third of the After seven years, again a Nobel Prize number of neutrinos predicted by theory could was won by a chemist Raymond Davis of be detected." Brookhaven National Laboratory and a Nobel Prize, 2015 particle physicist, MasatoshiKoshiba of Japan in 2002 for the discovery of cosmic neutrinos. The discovery that one third of Sun's In 1950 Davis started his works on neutrinos neutrinos reach earth was very puzzlingas that in Brookhaven's Graphite Research Reactor would mean a cold death for earth. The Sun but he could detect solar neutrinos only in was thought to be powered by nuclear 1970. With another gigantic detector, called reactions in its core which produce neutrino Kamiokande, a group of researchers led by particles. Theoretical models of the Sun's Masatoshi Koshiba were able to confirm interior had predicted the number of neutrinos Davis's results. They were also able to detect that were being produced. Now Davis's neutrinos from a distant supernova explosion experiment conclusively shows that Sun is a on 23 February 1987 and complimented the vast nuclear reactor which produces neutrinos. discovery of Davis. Both of them together But the number of captured neutrinos was only shared half of 2002 Nobel. about one-third of what is expected.Although

4 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 it takes many hundreds of thousands of years per day for two years. This corresponds to one for the energy generated in the sun's core to third of the particles expected. Any way the fight its way to the surface and then fly to observatory was designed to capture all type Earth, the neutrinos come straight out. So the of neutrinos and to their surprise they found surface brightness tells us about the ferocity that though electron neutrino’s number is less, of the nuclear reactions that were taking place the total number including all flavours hundreds of thousands of years ago. The remained same. It means two third of the neutrinos tell us about the reactions taking expected neutrinos had changed into other place today and there was a clear difference types since Sun produces only electron in the two rates. This means Sun will die very neutrinos. On the other side of the world, in early in spite of the immense brightness the mines of Japan Prof Takaaki Kajita was observed now and earth will meet a cold end leading a group of researchers working with sooner than later. One of the suggestion to the neutrino detector known as Super- overcome the imbroglio was that there may Kamiokande . This gigantic detector built be something wrong in the theoretical in a nickel mine 1000 kms below earth calculations for the production of neutrinos surface and consisted of a tank 40 meters in the sun.Another was that the neutrinos may high and filled with 50,000 tonnes of water be changing identities. Usually neutrinos started operating in 1996. In 2001 he occur in three varieties -electron, muon and reported the flip up of muon neutrinos to tau. Physicists call them flavours. These were tauon type. Both Kajita and McDonald were mere speculations. In the context of this, the awarded Nobel Prize for 2015 as the experimental discovery of neutrino- neutrino flip up conclusively prove that oscillations by Kajita and McDonald solved neutrinos possess mass. the mystery, establishing the Sun's ability to MacDonald and Kajita estimated the continue to warm Earth. mass as 0.07 ev. More precise measurements Prof Arthur B McDonald was the of mass is very necessary because director of the Sudbury observatoryin Ontario gravitationallensing measurements by Planck Canada from 1990 and was leading a group Space Observatory scientists of European of researchers who were working with the Space Agency find fewer number of galaxy huge neutrino detector beneath the earth. They clusters in comparison with the predictions were studying the electron neutrinos coming by the cosmic microwave background from Sun. Out of the 60 billion neutrinos per radiation (CMB) search. This inconsistency square centimetre per second coming to earth can only be resolved if the total mass of their Sudbury observatory captured only three neutrinos of all flavours is 0.320 0.081 ev..

Science Horizon 5 FEBRUARY, 2016 So, more accurate investigations are necessary to find out the accurate value of neutrino mass CANCER...WHAT or to discover other neutrino flavours. ONE SHOULD KNOW ? Our main method to investigate the Dr. Choudhury Satyabrata Nanda universe is the electromagnetic photon. But this is not a sufficient tool to get knowledge Cancer is a non-communicable disease about the interior activities of stars, Galaxy of high mo rbidity and mortality clusters, supernova remnants, active galaxies characterized by abnormal cell growth with containing black holes at the centre etc. Direct a potential to invade or spread to other parts observations with neutrinos may help us get of the body. direct knowledge. Now many detectors like The International Agency for Research Chlorine detectors, KamLAND, Ringing- on Cancer (IARC) estimates that over 14.1 Imaging, Mineral oil detector, Super- million of new cases of cancer occurred in KamioKande, Heavy water detector, MINOS 2012 of which over 8 million (57%) occurred detector etc are designed for detail and in less developed regions like Africa, precision investigations. With all these Asia(excluding Japan ),Latin America and developments, not only the Standard model of the Caribbean. Over 8.8 million deaths particle Physics but also Standard model of occurred from Cancer Worldwide, out of Cosmology will benefit a lot. The light weight which 5.83 million in developing countries neutrino gives a ray of hope to comprehend and 3.03 million in developed countries.This the universe with heavy weight performance. is predicted to increase to 21.7 million "It would not just demolish any incident cases and13 million deaths by 2030. particular model,it would require revision The 10 most common cancers diagnosed of the whole way we do particle physics." worldwide in 2012 were lung (13%), breast Further Reading (12%), colon/rectum (10%), prostate(8%), All about Neutrinos https://icecube.wisc.edu/info/neutrinos stomach(7%), liver(6%), cervix(4%), Art McDonald and Takaaki Kajita win 2015 Nobel Prize osophagus (3%), bladder (3%) and non- for Physics, Oct 6, 2015, Physicsworld. Com Hodgkin lymphoma(3%). Dan Falk, On the trail of the neutrino, Nature 411, 10-12 (3rd May 2001) Demographic Factors Wick Haxan, Neutrino physics: What makes the Sun shine, Nature 512,378,(27 August 2014) Age : The rates of most cancers E. Kearns, T. Kajita and Y. Totsuka, Detecting Massive increase with age with increased numbers Neutrino, ScientificAmerican, Vol.281,August.  in older age gr oups. Howeve r, some Professor of Physics, cancers have different age incidence. In 16, LaxmiVihar, P.O: Sainik School, Bhubaneswar-751005

6 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 first few years of life retinoblastoma, neuroblastoma and in young adulthood testicular cancer are common. Hodgkin lymphoma has a bimodal age incidence with peaks in younger and old adults. Breast cancer rates increase speedly with age in premenopausal women but increase more slowly postmenopausal cases. Sex : The incidence of female breast cancer is 1% higher than the male breast cancer in most of the countries. Smoking of natural selection where mutations that related cancers are higher in males due to bestow a growth and/or survival advantage longer duration of smoking. allow for clonal expansion of the population Cancer as a Genetic Disease of cells that carry the mutation. During this Cancer develops from mutation in process many mutations occur that are genes that regulate normal cellular processes; disadvantageous, cells that carry these thus cancer can be thought as a genetic mutations die out. The timing of mutation is disease. Mutations that lead to cancer involve also a factor in the evolution of cancer. two types of genes. Some mutations that help to drive I) Mutant genes that enhance the cancer developments are deleterious to development of cancer are known as normal cells but can provide a growth/ oncogenes. survival advantage in cells in which other II) Genes that inhibit tumorigenesis are mutations have occurred, for example, known as tumor suppressor genes. activation of oncogenes in normal cells can Alterations in the function of lead to cell death through apoptosis or oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes allow induce permanent arrest of the cell cells to escape the normal control that growth. Their oncogenic activity is only regulates tissue homeostasis leading to the manifested if mutations that negate these outgrowth of mutant cells and the subsequent effects have already occurred in the cell. development of cancer. The need for mutation to occur in the The acquisition of these mutations is correct order represents an important random and tumor evolution follows a model break on cancer progression.

Science Horizon 7 FEBRUARY, 2016 Causes of Cancer mostly foods of plant origin and limiting the It is seen that people who migrate from intake of red and processed meat. low to high organ specific cancer incidence Body weight and Height : Obesity is countries tend to acquire the cancer incidence inversely related to the incidence of profile of their new country within one to three premenopausal breast cancer but positively generations suggestingthat environmental and related to postmenopausal breast cancer. life style changes play important roles rather Greater height is associated with modest than genetic susceptibility in the development increases in the risk of cancer at many sites. of cancer. Cancer epidemiologists have tried Physical inactivity : A large number of to establish these factors over several years. studies suggest that higher levels of physical Smoking : it is the major modifiable activity are associated with lower incidence of cause of cancer in many countries. It has been colorectal cancer irrespective of body weight estimated to cause twenty-one percent of and inverse relationship with breast cancer. cancer deaths worldwide. The number of Alcohol : Consumption of alcohol is cancer deaths from tobacco smoking is likely associated with cancer at several sites like to be much higher in 21st century than 20th mouth, pharynx, larynx, breast, liver and century. Although lungs cancer dominates the spectrum, but other anatomic sites like oro- rectum. Global incidence is about 5 percent. pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, stomach, cervix, Ionizing radiation : It is a clear cause bladder are also affected. Passive smoking is of leukemia and thyroid cancer. However associated with lung cancer. Smoking minimization of exposure means that it is a cessation before the age of thirty reduces the relatively infrequent cause of cancer. risk of cancer by ninety percent. Ultraviolet radiation: It is the major Infections : Sixteenpercent of the cases cause of non-melanoma skin cancers and are caused by infectious agents in less melanoma is estimated to account for three to developed countries. They are Helicobacter four percent of cancers in the western world. pylori (stomach cancer), Human papilloma Avoidance of sunburn in early life may be virus (cervical cancer), and hepatitis B & C important for reducing the risk of melanoma. viruses (liver cancer). Occupational exposures: Cancers at Diet : It is noted that a large fraction is certain sites is more frequent in specific associated with dietary factors, although the occupations, for example in Chimney exact cause has not yet been established. workers. Exposure to a wide variety of However, people get benefit with limiting industrial chemicals are more common in consumption of energy dense foods, eating certain occupations.

8 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 Exogenous Hormones: Use of oral Vaccines are recommended in some cancers contraceptives increase the relative risk of for developing resistance. To name some are breast cancer by thirty percent. Prolonged use tamoxifen and raloxifene for breast cancer, of OCPs for over ten years reduces the risk Gardasil and cervarix for cervical cancer, of ovarian and endometrial cancer by around finasteride and dutasteride for prostate cancer. 50 percent. Secondary Prevention: It is the early Reproductive factors: A variety of detection and treatment of disease. Screening reproductive factors have been associated activity is an important component of with risk of cancer in women like early secondary prevention. Screening test of breast menarche, late age at first birth, null parity, includes clinical examination of the breast and low parity, late age menopause, short duration mammography, cervical cancer screening of lactation etc. include the papanicolaou smear (Pap) test and human papilloma virus testing, for colorectal Prevention of Cancer cancer screeningincludes stool based testsand Epidemiology is the key discipline of colonoscopy test, prostate screening includes public health which provides the scientific estimation of prostate specific antigen etc. background for formulation of policies Tertiary Prevention: This occurs in aimed at preventing the development of clinical phase of the disease. It is the use of disease in healthy persons. Accordingly the treatment and rehabilitation programme to prevention strategies for cancer are designed improve the outcome of illness among as follows; affected individuals. Although tertiary Primary Prevention: It is the prevention approaches do not involve preventing (or of disease by reducing the exposure of treating) the cancer at the outset, it is important individuals to risk factors or by increasing to note that prevention of recurrence of a pre- their resistance to them. Measures of existing cancer or of a subsequent, different population impact are very useful in helping cancer following definitive treatment of early to identify exposures that are potentially stage cancer patients also can be included in responsible for large numbers of cases of a the definition of tertiary cancer prevention. particular cancer in the population. Some of Signs and Symptoms of Cancer the modifiable risk factors are: use of tobacco, Cancer is a group of diseases which can sun exposure, diet, exercise, obesity, alcohol cause any sign or symptom. This will depend use, hormonal replacement therapy, on the site, size and involvement of other environmental/occupational exposures, structures like organ, blood vessels, and infectious exposures, and sexual activity. nerves by cancer. If a cancer has spread to

Science Horizon 9 FEBRUARY, 2016 different parts/organs of the body, it is called symptoms which are not usually linked to metastasis and the signsand symptoms of that cancer. For example, some cancer of pancreas may appear in different parts of body. As a can cause blood clots in veins of legs. Some cancer grows in size it can begin to push the cancers of lungs make hormone–like nearby organs, nerves, lymph node or blood substances that raise blood calcium levels. vessels. This pressure effect can also cause This in turn can cause weakness and dizziness signs and symptoms of cancer. A very small by affecting nerves and muscles. tumor in a critical area of an organ like brain General Signs and Symptoms of Cancer can cause wide varieties of symptoms. For Unexplained weight loss : Many example tumor in pituitary gland can cause patients of cancer lose weight at some point galaxies of symptoms. for no obvious reason.An unexplained weight But sometimes cancer starts in places lossover 5-7 kg may be the first sign of cancer. where it won’t cause any sign or symptom This occurs most commonly with cancer of until it has grown quite large. Cancers of the stomach, pancreas, oesophagus and lung. pancreas, for example, usually do not cause Fever : It is frequently associated when any sign or symptom until they grow large cancer spreads to other organs/parts of the enough to press the nearby nerves and organs body. When immune system is affected either to cause back pain or pain in the abdomen. by the disease or by therapy like radiation or Others, may grow around bile duct and chemo therapy fever is often associated. In obstruct the flow of bile to cause yellow bloodcancer like leukemia or lymphoma fever coloration of skin and eyes to call jaundice. is an early sign. By the time a cancer of pancreas grows in size and shows signs and symptoms of the disease Fatigue: It is a state of extreme tiredness i.e. already in an advanced stage. which is not relieved with rest. This increases as there is progression of cancer. A cancer may also cause symptoms like fever, extreme tiredness or weight loss. This Pain : Some type of cancers affecting is because the cancer cells consume much bone and testes present with early pain. of the body energy or may release substances Intense headache may be an early that change the way the body makes energy manifestation of brain tumor. Back pain can from food. Cancer also causes the immune be a symptom of cancer of colon/rectum/ system to react in ways that produce these pancreas and or ovary. It is taken as a sign of signs and symptoms. spread of the disease. Sometimes, cancer cells release Skin changes: Some of the cancers substances into the bloodstream that cause cause changes in skin color. Darker looking

10 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 skin( hyperpigmentation), yellow color Thickening or lump in the breast or (jaundice), reddened skin(erythema), itching other parts of body: Many cancers can be felt (pruritus) and excessive hair growth are some through skin. For example breast, testis, of the signs of cancer. lymphnodes and soft tissue of body. A lump Changes in bowel habits or bladder or thickening growing in size is the presenting function: Prolongedloosemotionorconstipation sign of cancer which needs urgent attention may be the sign of colon cancer. Change in of a doctor. bladder function like pain, blood etc.may be Indigestion or trouble swallowing: the related to bladder or prostate cancer. Indigestion not responding to therapy or a Sores that do not heal: Skin cancers frequent occurrence is a sign of bowel cancer. may bleed and look like sores that do not heal. Difficulty in swallowing is a sign of Non healing ulcer in mouth may be related to oesophagus or pharynx cancer which to start mouth cancer. This is often the early for solids and then for liquids. manifestation of persons taking tobacco, Recent change in wart or mole or any alcohol etc. new skin change: Any wart, mole, or freckle White patches inside the mouth or that changes in size or shape or loses its sharp white spots on tongue: This is called as border can be a manifestation of cancer. Skin leukoplakia and is regarded as a precancerous color change can be melanoma which on early condition. This is caused due to frequent reporting and treatment cures the disease. irritation. It is often caused by smoking or Nagging cough or hoarseness: Acough tobacco use. People who smoke pipes or oral that does not go away may be a sign of lung spit of tobacco are at high risk. If not treated cancer. Hoarseness can be a sign of cancer of then it may turn to cancer in long run. the larynx or thyroid gland. Unusual bleeding or discharge: Stages of Cancer Unusual bleeding is a sign of some cancer in advanced stage. Lung cancer present with Cancer staging is the process of coughing of blood. Bleeding from anus can determining the extent to which a cancer has be a presenting sign of colon or rectal cancer. developed by spreading. The stage generally Cancer of cervix or endometrium cause either takes into account the size of a tumor, whether frank bleeding from vagina or a blood stained it has invaded adjacent organs, involvement discharge. Bloody discharge from nipple is of regional lymph nodes and appeared in associated with cancer of breast. Blood in distant locations (metastasis). urine is often the manifestation of bladder or Cancer staging can be divided into a renal cancer. clinical stage and a pathologic stage. In TNM

Science Horizon 11 FEBRUARY, 2016

(Tumor, Node, Metastasis) system clinical has spread (metastasized) to other part(s) of stage and pathological stage are denoted by a the body prior to surgery, complete removal small ‘c’ or ‘p’ before the stage. This staging is difficult. The goal of surgery can be either is used for most forms of cancers,except brain removal of the tumor or the entire organ. As tumors and hematological malignancies. we know it is not possible to visualize a single Doctors use physical examination and cancer cell which has got the potentiality to imaging tests like X-Ray, CT scans, MRI, regrow into a new tumor (recurrence). In this Ultrasound, and PET scans to ascertain the situation the responsibility lies on the spread of the disease. Biopsy examination is pathologist to examine the removed specimen needed to confirm cancer diagnosis. Staging to determine if a margin of healthy tissue is is done as stage 0: cancer is in situ, stage 1: present, thereby decreasing the chance of localized cancer, stage2: spread to the nearest leftover of cancer cells in the body of the lymph node, stage3: more extensive lymph patient. To add to the decision of the surgery node involvement, stage 4: indicates a distant the essential criteria is the staging of the spread. The modalities of treatment are cancer i.e. determining the extent of the decided on staging of cancer. disease and whether it has spread to regional lymph nodes. It is a major determinant for Management of cancer prognosis and need for adjuvant therapy. Medical science is still in infant stage Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is to make technology to reverse the mutation the use of ionizing radiation to killcancer cells of genes to normal genes. So the management and reducing the size of the tumor.The effects of choices available to this date is surgery, of radiotherapy are localized and confined to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal the region being treated. It injures or destroys therapy and targeted therapy (including the cells in the area treated by damaging the immunotherapy like monoclonal antibody genetic material so that the injured cells are therapy). The choice of modalities of not able to grow or divide. Radiation damages treatment depends on the location and grades both cancer cells and healthy cells. The goal of tumor and the stage of the disease as well of radiation therapy is to destroy as much as the general condition of the patient. cancer cells as possible with a minimal injury Surgery: The cancer which is non to healthy cells. It is used to treat solid tumors hematological and is localized can be and the dose depends on the site, the radio effectively cured by total removal of the sensitiveness of the tumor and the tissues and affected part through surgery. When the cancer organs nearby.

12 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 Chemotherapy: It is a form of cancer Immunotherapy: This is a diverse set treatment in which anti-cancerous drugs of therapeutic ways designed to induce having the potentiality to kill cancer cells are patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. used. These drugs are cytotoxic in nature For generating immune response against which affect the rapidly dividingcancer cells. tumor of bladder BCG immunotherapy is Chemotherapy drugs interfere with cell used. Interferons and other cytokines are also division in various ways like duplication of used to initiate immune response in renal cell DNA or the separation of newly formed carcinoma and melanoma. Vaccinesare given chromosomes. Most forms of chemotherapy in cancer treatment like sipuuleucel-t in target all the rapidly dividing cells of the body prostate cancer. and are not specific to cancer cells only. Hormonal therapy: The growth of some Cancer cells are unable to repair DNA cancer can be reduced by providing or damages while healthy cells can do that repair. blocking certain hormones. Certain hormone In chemotherapy more than one drug are used sensitive tumors are breast and prostate. to increase the efficacy and called as combination therapy which is now a standard Angiogenesis inhibitors: Angiogenesis procedure. In some cases chemotherapy and inhibitors prevent the extensive growth of radiation therapy are used sequentially to blood vessels that tumors require to survive. enhance the effect which has a potentiality to Drugs like bevacizumab have been approved suppress the bone marrow for which periodic for clinical use for this purpose. blood examinations are needed. References: Targeted therapies: This form of 1. Enger,Eldon; et el. Concepts in Biology 2007 Ed.2007. treatment came to use in 1990 and has a McGraw-Hill significant effect in some types of cancer. This 2. What is Cancer? National Cancer Institute. Retrieved 2009-08-17. constitutes the use of agents specific for the 3. “Cancer Fact Sheet”. Agencyfor Toxic Substances and deregulated proteins of cancer cells. Small Disease Registry. 2002-08-30. Retrived 2009-08-17. molecule targeted therapy drugs are generally 4. Wanjek, Christopher (2006-09-16) “Exciting New Cancer Treatments Emerge Amid Persistent Myths” inhibitors of enzymatic domain on mutated, Retrieved 2009-08-17. overexpressed, or otherwise critical proteins 5. “Epidemiology Of Cancer” David J Hunter. Goldman- within the cancer cells. These agents are Cecil Medicine. Vol.1. 25th Edn.2016. Elsevier. P-1222. tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib and 6. “Approach To The Patient With Cancer” James H. Doroshow. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Vol.1.25th gefitinib. Monoclonal antibody therapy is Edn.2016. Elsevier. P-1206. another way in which the therapeutic agents  are the antibodies which specifically binds to Gopalgaon, Balasore, Mobile No. 9040832663 a protein on the surface of the cancer cells. E-mail; [email protected]

Science Horizon 13 FEBRUARY, 2016 RISK FACTORS FOR CANCER certain behaviors. They also include things Dr. Soma Nanda people cannot control, like age and family history. Afamily history of certain cancers can What Cancer really is ? Volumes of be a sign of a possible inherited cancer literature exist to answer this question. The syndrome. The great majority of cancers, some very term Cancer itself causes fear and people 90-95% of cases, are due to environmental immediately link it with death. Unlike other factors. The remaining 5-10% is due to killer diseases, cancer usually causes a slow inherited genetics. Environmental, factors death involvingpain, suffering, mental anguish refer to any cause that is not genetically and a feeling of hopelessness. An estimated inherited, such as lifestyle, economic and 600,000-700,000 death in India was caused behavioral factors, and not merely pollution. by cancer annually. Whether it is preventable Common environmental factors that or curable is still a million dollar unanswered contribute to cancer death include tobacco question in the medical field. However, what (25-30%), diet and obesity (30-35%), we have in hand is an idea about the risk infections (15-20%), radiation (both ionizing factors for this most dreaded condition. and non-ionizing, up to 10%), stress, lack of It is nearly impossible to determine what physical activity, and environmental pollutants causes a cancer in any individual, because . Excepting the rare transmissions that occur most cancers have multiple possible causes. with pregnancies and only a marginal few For example, if a person who is a heavy organ donors, cancer is generally not a tobacco user develops lungcancer, then it was transmissible disease. probably caused by the tobacco use, but since everyone has a small chance of developing Most cancer risk (and protective) factors lungcancerasaresultofairpollutionorradiation, are initially identified in epidemiology studies. then there is a small chance that the cancer Now, what is an epidemiological study`? developed because of air pollution or radiation. These are studies in which scientists look at large groups of people and compare those who Research has shown that certain risk develop cancer with those who don't. These factors may increase a person's chances of studies may show that the people who develop developingcancer. (There are also factors that canceraremoreorlesslikelytobehaveincertain are linked to a lower risk of cancer. These are sometimes called protective risk factors, or ways or to be exposed to certain substances just protective factors.) than those who do not develop cancer. Cancer risk factors include exposure to On an elaborate level, the probable chemicals or other substances, as well as factors leading to cancer are discussed herein:

14 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 Age Tobacco Advancingage is the mostimportant risk Tobacco use is a leading cause of cancer factor for overall cancer and for many and of death from cancer. People who use individual cancer types. tobacco products or who are regularly around Forexample, the median age at diagnosis environmental tobacco smoke (also called is 61 years for breast cancer, 68 years for secondhand smoke or passive smoking) have colorectal cancer, 70 years for lung cancer, an increased risk of cancer because tobacco and 66 years for prostate cancer. products and secondhand smoke have many chemicals that damage the DNA. But the disease can occur at any age. For example, bone cancer is most frequently Tobacco use causes many types of diagnosed among people under age 20, with cancer, including cancer of the lung, larynx more than one-fourth of cases occurring in (voice box), mouth, oesophagus, throat, this age group. And 10 percent of leukemia bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas, are diagnosed in children and adolescents colon and rectum, and cervix, as well as acute under 20 years of age, whereas only one myeloid leukemia. People who use smokeless percent of cancer is diagnosed in that age tobacco (snuff or chewing tobacco) have group. Some types of cancer, such as increased risks of cancers of the mouth, neuroblastoma, are more common in children oesophagus, and pancreas. or adolescents than in adults. There is no safe level of tobacco use. Heredity People who use any type of tobacco product The vast majority of cancers are non- are strongly urged to quit. People who quit hereditary ("sporadic cancers"). Hereditary smoking, regardless of their age, have cancers are primarily caused by an inherited substantial gains in life expectancy compared genetic defect. Less than 0.3% of the with those who continue to smoke. Also, populations are carriers of a genetic mutation quitting smoking at the time of a cancer that has a large effect on cancer risk and this diagnosis reduces the risk of death. cause less than 3-10% of all cancer. Some of Alcohol these syndromes include: certain inherited Drinking alcohol can increase the risk mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, with a more than 75% risk of breast cancer larynx, liver, and breast.The more one drinks, andovariancancer and hereditarynonpolyposis the higher is the risk. The risk of cancer is colorectal cancer (HNPCC or Lynch syndrome), which is present in about 3% of much higher for those who drink alcohol and people with colorectal cancer. also use tobacco.

Science Horizon 15 FEBRUARY, 2016 Diet Some research suggests that a high calcium Many studies have looked at the intake may increase the risk of prostate cancer. possibility that specific dietary components  Charred meat :Certain chemicals, or nutrients are associated with increases or called HCAs and PAHs, are formed when decreases in cancerrisk. Sometimes the results muscle meat, including beef, pork, fish, and of epidemiologic studies that compare the diets poultry, is cooked using high-temperature ofpeoplewithandwithout cancerhaveindicated methods. Exposure to high levels of HCAs that people with and without cancer differ in and PAHs can cause cancer in animals; their intake of a particular dietary component. however, whether such exposure causes Scientists have studied many additives, cancer in humans is unclear. nutrients, and other dietary components for  Cruciferous vegetables : Cruciferous possible associations with cancer risk. These vegetables contain chemicals known as include: glucosinolates, which break down into several

 Alcohol : Heavy or regular alcohol compounds that are being studied for possible consumption increases the risk of developing anticancer effects. Some of these compounds cancers. have shown anticancer effects in cells and animals, but the results of studies with humans  Antioxidants : Antioxidants are have been less clear. chemicals that block the activity of other chemicals, known as free radicals, which may  Fluoride : Fluoride in water helps to damage cells. Laboratory and animal research prevent and can even reverse tooth decay. has shown that exogenous antioxidants can Many studies, in both humans and animals, help prevent the free radical damage have shown no association between fluoridated associated with the development of cancer. water and cancer risk.  Garlic : Some studies have suggested  Calcium : Calcium is an essential dietary mineral that can be obtained from food that garlic consumption may reduce the risk and supplements. Research results overall of developing several types of cancer, support a relationship between higher intakes especially cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. of calcium and reduced risks of colorectal However, the evidence is not definitive. cancer, but the results of studies have not  Tea:Teacontainspolyphenolcompounds, always been consistent. Whether a particularly catechins, which are antioxidants. relationship exists between higher calcium Results of epidemiologic studies examining intakes and reduced risks of other cancers, the association between tea consumption and such as breast and ovarian cancer, is unclear. cancer risk have been inconclusive.

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 Vitamin D : Vitamin D helps the body Certain medical procedures, such as use calcium and phosphorus to make strong chest x-rays, computed tomography (CT) bones and teeth. It is obtained primarily scans, positron emission tomography (PET) through exposure of the skin to sunlight, but scans, and radiation therapy can also cause it can also be obtained from some foods and cell damage that leads to cancer. However, the dietary supplements. Epidemiologic studies risks of cancer from these medical procedures in humans have suggested that higher are very small, and the benefit from having intakes of vitamin D or higher levels of them is almost always greater than the risks. vitamin D in the blood may be associated Sunlight with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, but the results of randomized studies have been The sun, sunlamps, and tanning booths inconclusive. all give off ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Exposure to UV radiation causes early aging Radiation of the skin and skin damage that can lead to Radiation of certain wavelengths, called skin cancer. ionizingradiation,hasenoughenergy todamage Hormones DNA and cause cancer. Ionizing radiation includes radon, x-rays, gamma rays, and other Estrogens, a group of female sex forms of high-energy radiation. Lower-energy, hormones, are known human carcinogens. non-ionizing forms of radiation, such as Although these hormones have essential visible light and the energy from cell phones physiological roles in both females and males, and magnetic fields, do not damage DNA and they have also been associated with an have not been found to cause cancer. increased risk of certain cancers. For instance, taking combined menopausal hormone Radon : Radon is a radioactive gas therapy (estrogen plus progestin) can increase given off by rocks and soil. People who are a woman's risk of breast cancer. Menopausal exposed to high levels of radon have an increased risk of lung cancer. hormone therapy with estrogen alone increases the risk of endometrial cancer. X-RaysandOtherSources of Radiation: High-energy radiation, such as x-rays, gamma Immunosuppression rays, alpha particles, beta particles, and Many people who receive organ neutrons, can damage DNA and cause cancer. transplants take medications to suppress the These forms of radiation can be released in immune system so that the body won't reject accidents at nuclear power plants and when the organ. These "immunosuppressive" drugs atomic weapons are made, tested, or used. make the immune system less able to detect

Science Horizon 17 FEBRUARY, 2016 and destroy cancer cells or fightoff infections result of environmental exposures that that cause cancer. Infections with HIV also damage DNA. These exposures may include weaken the immune system and increase the substances, such as the chemicals in tobacco risk of certain cancers. smoke, or radiation, and ultraviolet rays from the sun. Research has shown that transplant recipients are at increased risk of a large People can avoid some cancer-causing number of different cancers. The four most exposures, such as tobacco smoke and the common cancers among transplant recipients sun's rays. But others are difficult to avoid, and that occur more commonly in these especially if they are present in the air we individuals than in the general population are breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and cancers or the materials we use to do our jobs. of the lung, kidney, and liver. NHL can be Scientists are studying which exposures may caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, cause or contribute to the development of and liver cancer by chronic infection with the cancer. Understanding which exposures are hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) harmful, and where they are found, may help viruses. Lung and kidney cancers are not people to avoid them. generallythoughttobeassociatedwithinfection. The substances listed below are among the most likely carcinogens to affect human People with HIV/AIDS also have health. Simply because a substance has been increased risks of cancers that are caused by designated as a carcinogen, however, does not infectious agents, including EBV; human mean that the substance will necessarily cause herpes virus 8, or Kaposi sarcoma-associated cancer. Many factors influence whether a virus; HBV and HCV, which cause liver person exposed to a carcinogen will develop cancer; and human papilloma virus, which cancer, including the amount and duration of causes cervical, anal, oro-pharyngeal, and the exposure and the individual's genetic other cancers. background. Cancer-Causing Substances in the  Aristolochic Acids  Aflatoxins Environment ArsenicAsbestos Benzene Benzidine Cancer is caused by changes to certain Beryllium 1,3-Butadiene Cadmium genes that alter the way our cell’s function. Coal Tar and Coal-Tar Pitch Coke-Oven Some of these genetic changes occur Emissions Crystalline Silica (respirable size) naturally when DNA is replicated during the Erionite Ethylene Oxide Formaldehyde process of cell division. But others are the  Hexavalent Chromium Compounds

18 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016

Indoor Emissions from the Household Human Hepatitis B Virus and Combustion of Coal  Mineral Oils: Hepatitis C Virus (HBV and HCV) : Untreated and Mildly Treated  Nickel Chronic infections with HBV or HCV can Compounds Radon Secondhand Tobacco cause liver cancer Smoke (Environmental Tobacco Smoke) Human T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma Soot  Strong Inorganic Acid Mists Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) : HTLV-1 can cause Containing Sulfuric Acid Thorium Vinyl a type of leukemia and lymphoma. Chloride Wood Dust Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infectious Agents (HIV) : HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. Certain infectious agents, including Infection with HIV weakens the immune viruses, bacteria, and parasites, can cause system and makes the body less able to fight cancer and account for almost 20% of the off other infectious agents that cause cancer. global cancer burden. Some viruses can People infected with HIV have an increased disrupt normal controls on cell growth and risk of Kaposi sarcoma, lymphoma, and proliferation. They may also increase the cancers of the cervix, liver, lung, and anus. chance that a person will be affected by other Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) : Infection cancer risk factors, such as UV radiation or with EBV, a type of herpes virus, has been substances in tobacco smoke that cause linked to an increased risk of lymphoma and cancer. Some viruses, bacteria, and parasites cancers of the stomach and nasopharynx. also cause chronic inflammation, which may Human Herpes virus 8 (HHV8) : lead to cancer. HHV8, also known as Kaposi sarcoma- Most of the viruses that are linked to an associated herpes virus (KSHV), can cause increased risk of cancer can be passed from Kaposi sarcoma. one person to another through blood and/or other body fluids. The eight known human Merkel Cell Polyomavirus (MCPyV) : tumour viruses contribute to nearly 10-15% MCPyV can cause Merkel cell carcinoma, of the cancer worldwide. which is a rare type of skin cancer.

Human Papilloma viruses (HPVs) : Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) : H. Infection with high-risk types of HPV causes pylori is a type of bacteria that can cause nearly all cervical cancers. They also cause stomach cancer and a type of lymphoma in most anal cancers and many, oropharyngeal, the stomach lining. It can also cause vaginal, vulval, and penile cancers. stomach ulcers.

Science Horizon 19 FEBRUARY, 2016 Schistosoma hematobium : This Conclusion flatworm (fluke), which is found inAfrica and Cancers as such are neither predictable the Middle East, can cause bladder cancer. nor preventable. However in view of the risk Opisthorchis viverrini : This flatworm factors discussed, as the age old saying goes (fluke), which is found in SoutheastAsia, can "prevention is better than cure", one ought to cause cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the bile keep in mind the probable risk factors that ducts in the liver). might predispose them to developing cancer. Vaccination is an option for certain types of Chronic Inflammation cancer and further and newer researches are Chronic inflammation may be caused by still on their way. The best and probably only infections that don't go away, abnormal hope for complete cure of this dreaded immune reactions to normal tissues, or disease is early diagnosis which can be done conditions such as obesity. Over time, chronic only through regular health check-ups and inflammation can cause DNA damage and routine examinations and most importantly, lead to cancer. For example, people with keeping oneself away from the established chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as risk factors, to the extent possible. ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, have References: an increased risk of colon cancer. 1) Stewart, BW; Wild, CP, ed. (2014). "Cancer Obesity etiology". World Cancer Report 2014. WorldHealth Organization. ISBN 9283204298. People who are obese may have an 2) Cancer and the Environment: What you Need to increased risk of several types of cancer, Know,What YouCan Do. NIH Publication No. 03- includingcancers of the breast (in women who 2039: National Institutes of Health. 2003. have been through menopause), colon, 3) Cancer Fact sheetNo.297".WorldHealthOrganization. February 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014. rectum, endometrium (lining of the uterus), 4) "Heredity and Cancer". American Cancer Society. esophagus, kidney, pancreas, and gallbladder. Retrieved July 22, 2013. Conversely, eating a healthy diet, being 5) http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes- prevention/risk physically active and maintaining a healthy 6) Sasco AJ, Secretan MB, Straif K (August 2004). weight as per the individual's Body Mass "Tobacco smoking and cancer: a brief review of Index may help reduce risk of some cancers. recent epidemiological evidence". Lung Cancer. 45 These healthy behaviors are also important Suppl 2: S3-9.doi:10.1016/j.lungcan.2004.07.998. PMID 15552776. to lessen the risk of other illnesses, such as  heart disease, type II diabetes, and high Working at: IMS&SUM Hospital, Bhubaneshwar Address: M-67 Madhusudan Nagar, Unit 4, BBSR. blood pressure. Mob: 9040140847, Email: [email protected]

20 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016

BLOOD SAMPLE NEW WAY OF DETECTING CANCER

A new RNA test of blood platelets can be used to detect, classify and pinpoint the location of cancer by analysing a sample equivalent to one drop of blood. Using this new method for blood-based RNA tests of blood platelets, researchers have been able to identify cancer with 96 per cent accuracy and classifying the type of cancer at an accuracy of 71 per cent. This according to a study at Umeå University that has recently been published in the journal Cancer Cell. “Being able to detect cancer at an early stage is vital. We have studied how a whole new blood-based method of biopsy can be used to detect cancer, which in the future renders an invasive cell tissue sample unnecessary in diagnosing lung cancer, for instance. In the study, nearly all forms of cancer were identified, which proves that blood-based biopsies have an immense potential to improve early detection of cancer,” according to Jonas Nilsson, cancer researcher at Umeå University and co-author of the article.

In the study, researchers from Umeå University, in collaborations with researchers from the Netherlands and the US, have investigated how a new method of blood-based RNA tests of the part of the blood called platelets could be used in detecting and classifying cancer. The results show that blood platelets could constitute a complete and easily accessible blood-based source for sampling and hence be used in diagnosing cancer as well as in the choice of treatment method.

Blood samples from 283 individuals were studied of which 228 people had some form of cancer and 55 showed no evidence of cancer. By comparing the blood samples RNAprofiles, researchers could identify the presence of cancer with an accuracy of 96 per cent among patients. Among the 39 patients in the study in which an early detection of cancer had been made, 100 per cent of the cases could be identified and classified. In follow-up tests using the same method, researchers could identify the origin of tumours with a so far unsurpassed accuracy of 71 per cent in patients with diagnosed cancer in the lung, breast, pancreas, brain, liver, colon and rectum. The samples could also be sorted in subdivisions depending on molecular differences in the cancer form, which can be of great use in the choice of treatment method.

- Editor

Science Horizon 21 FEBRUARY, 2016 THE SCIENTIST WHO EXPERIMENTED ON HIMSELF AND MOCKED CANCER (Anecdotes from the life of J.B.S. Haldane) Prof. G. C. Sahoo

John Burdon Sanderson Haldane was monoxide, carbon dioxide, pure oxygen, born in Edinburg in 1892 to a renowned nitrogen, mustard gas in various physiologist. JohnScott Haldane a descendent combinations until he turned blue. As per his of Scottish aristocrats. He started biographer, he survived a high concentration experimenting of carbon monoxide in his blood which from a very young looked entirely plausible as the "cause of age of six years death1" on a death certificate. when he used to Haldane was educated at Dragon make queer facial School, then at Eaton and graduated fromNew expressions in College. Oxford on 1911. He made a very front of mirror to important contribution to mathematical resemble dogs analysis of genetics and evolution and near his house. He cofounded the discipline of population used to conduct genetics along with Ronald Fischer and d a n g e r o u s Seawell Wright. He was a very cultivated JBS Haldane experiments on his person who mastered Latin, Greek. German own body and once became unconscious and French while he was still a student and while breathing methane. In another later on also wrote extensively on history and horrifying experiment, he drank hydrochloric politics. Haldane was a prolific writer of acid to observe its effects on muscle action several books that are considered scientific and another time, he exercised till exhaustion classics, including Enzymes (1930) and The for measuring the pressure of carbon dioxide Causes of Evolution(1932) which focused on in his lungs. He also subjected himself to the mathematics of natural selection, showing extreme exercises at immense height and how the Darwin's theory could work. On depth, includingdeep sea diving inspiteof not reading Gregor Mendel's work, he indulged knowing how to swim. He spent most of his in the study of genetics and made numerous working life up the high mountains, down the advances in the law of inheritance by using mines, at bottom of the sea. wading through his sisters' three hundred guinea pigs in sewers and gassing himself in the comfort of experiments. Haldane also did significant his own house with chlorine, carbon research on color blindness and haemophilia.

22 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 He participated in the 1stWorldWar in France Haldane was a committed Communist as a bombing officer and later as a trench and an active member of the British mortar officer and completed his war service communist Party. He very often spoke in 1919. He was nicknamed as 'Bombo' critically of the rulingparty on political issues because of his enthusiasm as a bombing includingSuez Crisis as he felt the then British officer by his troops. .IBS was very popular Government had violated the international law among his troops and regarded like a hero. in dealing with the Suez Canal Crisis. Being He used to sneak into the enemy lines in the disillusioned with the future of England. night to get invaluable information and once Haldane decided to immigrate to India in 1957 during his adventure, he heard a nasty remark because of his shared socialist dream. His on Britain when he dropped the bomb in anger interest in India was also because of his and barelymanaged toescape under heavy fire! interest in biological research in a warm climate in a free India. He joined the Indian JBS taught both at Cambridge and Statistical Institute (ISI) initially and became University College in London and remained a naturalized citizen of India in 1961. .IBS as a professor of biometry at University headed the Biometry unit at ISI and was College for 20 years. Haldane also did a lot keenly interested in inexpensive research. He of experimental work in human physiology also developed an interest in anthropology. and worked along with his father during the Botany, Human genetics, study of floral Second World War to improve gas mask. He symmetry, Hinduism etc. His wife, Helen formulated a mathematical theory in 1920 Spurway also conducted studies in wild silk along with two other geneticists which moth. After his arrival in India, Haldane included mathematical analysis of mutation became a vegetarian and never returned to rate, intensiveness of selection and rates of England again. evolutionary change which set the framework for neo-Darwinian interpretation of evolution. In the beginning of his stay in India. After his introduction to enzyme reaction in Haldane shared flat Hat with his male 1924, .IBS produced the first proof that these secretary but when he came to know that the enzymatic reactions obey the law of secretary's finance was coming to stay with thermodynamics. Haldane also confirmed them, he wrote a welcoming letter to her. In that natural selection and not mutation was the letter he cautioned her that ''It is only fair the driving force behind evolution. His to warn you that you should probably avoid unique mathematical approach co-related being on the roof with me at the night. That is classical genetics and evolutionary not for the reason which you might think, for phenomena which established Haldane as an I am sixty five years old and love my wife, innovative pioneer as a population geneticist but because I am liable to start talking about and evolutionary biologist. stars and you might find this very boring!!"

Science Horizon 23 FEBRUARY, 2016 Haldane resigned his job in 1961 for not being able to get along with the Director. P. C. Mahalanobis and moved to a newly SOLAR POWER established biometry unit in Orissa, Haldane. a pioneer of interdisciplinary research, left Er. Mayadhar Swain instructions to have his body immediately We all know that Sun is the source of all refrigerated after death so that it could be used for medical research at Rangaraya Medical energy. Life exists on the Earth due to Sun. College, Kakinada. His skeleton and organs That is why Sun is worshipped as a respectful are still on display in the Maiden's museum God in almost all civilizations. We receive in the paraclinical block of this institution. energy from Sun in the form of heat and light. Shortly before his death on December I, 1964. We experience this type of energy in our due to cancer, the irrepressible Haldane wrote everyday life. Sun also drives the climate and an outrageous comic poem in hospital weather and supports life on the Earth. The mockinghis own incurable disease which was plants produce food by photosynthesis with circulated among his friends, who savored the the help of sunlight. By solar power we mean consistently witty irreverence with which solar energy or specifically the conversion of Haldane has lived his courageous and sunlight into electricity. productive life. Haldane died at the age of 71 Solar Energy at Bhubaneshwar and even during his painful 2 illness; he remained his normal cheerful self Earth continuouslyreceives 340 W/m of while writing the merry poem "Cancer's a incoming solar radiation at the upper Funny thing" in his last days. atmosphere. Approximately 30% is reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by the Further Reading atmosphere, oceans and land masses. The total 1) Dronamraju K R (1987) on some aspect of the solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, life of John Burdon Sanderson Haldane, FRS in India. Notes and Records of the Royal oceans and land masses is approximately 3850 Society of London. 41. 21 1-237 zettajoules per year (1 zetta = 1021). It is to be 2) Haldane JBS (1964) Cancer's a Funny Thing, noted that worldwide energy consumption is New Statesman less than one zettajoule. 3) Majumdar P P (1968) Haldane's contribution to biological research in India. Resonance 3, The renewable sources such as wind 32-35. power, wave power, hydroelectricity and 4) Rao L Lakshmana (2011). JBS Haldane (1892- biomass are called secondary solar resources. 1964) History of Medicine (An Anthology of Medical Anecdotes) P 27-32 These resources along with solar radiation  account for over 99.9% of the available flow D-69, Maitri Vihar, Chandrashekharpur, Bhubancshwar-751023 of renewable energy on the Earth.

24 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 Solar Power Technologies semiconductor materials are placed in contract Although, solar radiation is being with one another. One layer is an 'n-type' utilized from time immemorial for drying, semiconductor with an abundance of heating etc, direct production of electrical electrons, which have a negative electrical energy from it is a recent one. Electricity is charge. The other layer is a 'p-type' being generated from solar radiation mainly semiconductor with an abundance of "holes", in two methods such as solar photovoltaic and which have a positive electrical charge. These solar concentration methods. two layers create a p/n junction at their interface, thereby creating an electric field. Solar Photovoltaic The word photovoltaic has been formed from photo, derived from the Greek word for light, and volt, relating to the unit of electric potential. So, photovoltaic can be literally translated as light-electricity. Photovoltaic (PV) materials and devices do the same. In other words, they convert light energy into When n-type and p-type semiconductors electricity. In fundamental form of physics, it come in contact with each other, excess is known as photoelectric effect which was electrons move from n-type side to the p-type developed by Albert Einstein and other side. This creates a build-up positive charge physicists and for which Einstein was awarded along the n-type side of the interface and a the Nobel Prize in 1921. build-up negative charge along the p-type side. The PV cells are made of semiconductor The p-type or n-type semiconductor materials material such as silicon. It is commonly known are made by adding an element to it that either as solar cells. When light falls on it, its energy has an extra electron or lacks an electron. This is transferred to the electrons of the atoms of process of adding another element to the the cell and these electrons escape from their semiconducting materials is called doping. normal positions in the atoms and their flow In a locality, a number of PV cells are causes current in an electrical circuit. installed and are connected together to form A special electrical property of the PV PV modules that may be up to 2 m long and 1 cell provides the force or voltage to drive the m wide. PV modules are joined together in current through the load. This property is series and parallel configuration to form PV called 'built-in electric field'. To induce this arrays of different sizes and power output. The in the PV cell, two layers of different modules along with power-inverters,

Science Horizon 25 FEBRUARY, 2016 electricity from the generation source to the battery and the load. During day time when solar insolation is available, the PV cells produce electricity and supply to loads. During night, no insolation is available, but still electricity can be availed from the charged battery. The solar lantern which is popular in remote areas works in the similar way. It has PV cells, battery and a bulb. During day time it is kept outside and the battery is charged form PV cells and during night the battery supplies power to light the bulb. Concentrated Solar Power transformer, switchgear and other electrical equipment are called PV system. Each solar Solar thermal power station is like a cell produces a small amount of power, conventional thermal power station having typically 4.5 watts at 0.5 volt and the typical steam boiler, turbine and generator. In the output of a module is 250 watts at 24 volts. conventional thermal power station, water is After mounted in arrays power is produced at heated by burning coal, gas or petroleum oil higher voltage of 415 volts. to produce steam which rotates the turbine and generator to produce electricity.But in the case of solar thermal power station, water is heated by heat derived from solar radiation. Sun rays are concentrated at solar receiver made of calcium carbide to have greater effectiveness. To achieve this, sunrays are reflected from large mirrors called heliostats positioned at different positions at different angles so that Solar array the reflected rays concentrate at a point on If the power output is more it can be the solar receiver. It may be mentioned that connected to an electrical grid or it can also Greek scientist Archimedes (287 BC - 212 be used as stand-alone basis. However, if one BC) used this method to concentrate reflected likes to store power for use when the system sun rays on the ships of enemy countries and is not producing electricity, then one requires this burnt the ships. The surface of the solar batteries and charge controller. The charge receiver reaches to temperature as high as controller regulates the rate of flow of 10000C. In the receiver, a heat transfer fluid

26 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 (HTF) is heated. The HTF can be used directly Nehru National Solar Mission. Under this in a small turbine to produce power or program, Government is giving incentives to indirectly, to produce power when the heat is the firms establishing the solar power plant fed to a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger along with providing necessary can transfer the heat in the HTF to high- infrastructures for the same. It has been pressuresteam, which is fed to a steam turbine. planned to install 20000 MW of solar plant in the country by 2022 in three phases. As on July 2015, the grid-connected capacity of solar power in the country is 4102 MW. In addition to this, a total of 234 MW has been installed which are not connected to the grid and are used locally. Conclusion Solar energy is a clean, environment friendly and renewable source of energy. If Concentration of Solar Radiation we analyze the present energy scenario in our Presently four major solarthermal power country and also in the whole world, we will stations (one 354 MW plant in California find that about 65% of electricity is being desert and one 64 MW plant in Nevada of generated by burning fossil fuels, which is USA, one 35 MW plant in Australia and one polluting the environment along with 11 MW plant in Spain) are in operation. Two releasing huge amount of carbon dioxide to 50 MW and one 15 MW plants are under the atmosphere causing global warming and construction in Spain. climate change. Many countries are now adopting solar technology for electricity. Solar Power in India Initially cost of solar power generation was India is endowed with abundant solar more compared to thermal power; but now it energy, which is capable of producing 5000 has been reduced for competition with it. trillion kilowatts of clean energy. Our country References is blessed with around 300 sunny days in a 1. Power from Solar Tower - Mayadhar Swain - Akshaya year and solar insolation of 4 - 7 kWh per sq. Urja, May - June 2008. 2. Sun Power - Saji Salkalachen - Current Science, Vol. m per day. In India, solar power is drawn 107, No. 8, 25 October 2014. through PV technology. Although it started  many years ago, it got impetus recently after Deputy General Manager, PP & EE Section, MECON Limited, Ranchi-834002 the Government announced Jawaharlal Mobile No. 09470193755

Science Horizon 27 FEBRUARY, 2016

POLONIUM AS THE SUSPECT IN HIGH PROFILE MURDERS

Dr. Ramesh Chandra Parida

Of the immortal names that are isotopes, with atomic masses varying from inextricably associated with the discovery of 188 to220, outof which the longestlivingones natural radioactivity and its development as are polonium -209 (209 Po 84) having a half an important branch of science, undoubtedly life period of 102 years and polonium - 208 that of Marie Sklodowska Curie, popularly (208 Po 84) with that of 2-89 years. However, known as Madam Curie, leads the list. One the most abundant of those is polonium-210 of her ground breaking contributions to the (210 Po 84), which has a half life period 138. field that catapulted her to the position of the 38 days. It is a strong alpha-emitter. A undisputed empress of the world of science milligram (5 curies) of it can emit as many was the discovery of poloniumin 1889. While alpha-particles per second as 5 g of radium. working on pitch blende, the natural ore of Polonium-210 has a few industrial uses uranium, she found it to be more radioactive including the elimination of static electricity in its raw form than when refined and in machineries, caused by processes like enriched. It led her to believe that probably rolling of paper, wire or metal sheets and unrefined pitch blende also contained some formation of neutron sources in combination other radioactive substances, in addition to with beryllium. Besides it is also used in uranium. Then, after undertaking the brushes for removing dust from photographic herculean task of analysing several tons of it, films. It is one of the rarest of the rare elements she was able to obtain tiny amounts of occurring naturally. In the earth crust its polonium along with radium, another abundance is 2 x 1010mg per kg and in oceans radioactive element. One ton of pitchblende 1.5x10-14mg per litre. Therefore, to meet its contains only about 100 micrograms or 0.0001 demand polonium-210 is artificially produced gm of polonium. Ironically, in the hands of by bombarding bismuth - 209 with neutrons the enemies of science, this hard earned in a nuclear reactor. As a result bismuth -210 precious little thing has of late earned the with a half life period of 5 days is formed, dubious distinction as a suspect in some high which undergoes beta-decayto produce it. The profile murders. major producers of polonium 210 are Russia, Named after Curie's native country Israel and the U.S. In fact, it is this isotope, Poland, polonium, the element number 84 of which is at the centre of the suspicion of the the Periodic Table, has as many as 33 known high profile murders.

28 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 It is highly lethal, 1 microgram of it material can easily be added to his food or being as lethal as 250mgof cyanide. So, when drink. Soluble polonium -210 gets easily ingested in extremely small doses and once it dispersed in soft tissues particularly, kidney reaches the blood stream its deadly effects are and bone marrow receiving the high doses. almost impossible to stop. Poloniumcan enter According to Roger Cox of the Centre for our body through contaminated food, air or Radiation, Chemical and Environmental an open wound. The symptoms of its Hazards, UK, its fatal dose would have to be poisoning include multiple organ failure, above five greys (grey is a measure of resulting from the bombardment of alpha- radiation absorbed by the body tissue). So, the particles on liver, kidney and bone marrow. quantity of polonium -210 required for the Besides, hair loss, nausea and throat swelling purpose could be a few millicuries or a few are also associated with it. tenth of a microgram. Such amounts can only It is believed that Irene, the daughter be available with countries, which produce of Madam Curie died of leukemia, caused it artificially and those include Russia and by her accidental exposure polonium -210 Israel, bringing them under the scanner for in the laboratory. Similarly, the cause of death the above crimes. of several Israeli scientists in cancer in 1957 An alpha-particle from polonium -210 in attributed to its leakage at the Weizmann has a range of about 35 microns (1 micron = Institute of Science. However, the high 0.0001 cm) in tissue. So 3 or 4 cells can stop profile political murders in which the finger of suspicion is pointed towards it include it. Radiation interacting with cells may kill a those of the ex-Russian spy Alexander few of them, while some may survive. These Litvinenko, in London in 2006 and the surviving cells may lose their precisely set Palestanian Leader Yasser Arafat in Paris in growth control mechanism and therefore, have 2004. Both of them were found to have died the potential to become cancerous. under mysterious conditions, which the Of course, in case of both Arafat and investigating agencies suspect to be radiation Litvivenkc, circumstantial evidences go in hazards, caused by the ingestion of polonium favour of polonium poisoning, may be by their -210 as they had developed a number of respective enemies, but the crimes are yet to symptoms of its poisoning. It is alleged that be proved conclusively, because, as the half- they were poisoned by the Russian and Israeli life period of polonium -210 is more than 138 agents respectively: days, it is difficult to determine who did the To poison someone, it is most likely mischief and when. The suspected countries taken as a type of dissolvable salt, for vehemently deny their involvements. So the example, polonium nitrate. In this form, the investigations are still going on.

Science Horizon 29 FEBRUARY, 2016 Atomic Structure of Polanium RESINS-PRECURSORS OF PLASTICS

Prof. S.K. Mohapatra

Resin comes from the Latin word "Resina" and from the French word "Resine". It broadly refers to a thick, viscous, sticky, inflammable, chemically homogeneous and organic substance. Again any component of a Number of Energy Level : 6 liquid that will set into a hard lacquer or First Energy Level : 2 enamel like finishis also called as resins. They Second Energy Level : 8 can be classified as natural or synthetic. Third Energy Level : 18 Natural Resins Fourth Energy Level : 32 Most natural resins are transparent or Fifth Energy Level : 18 translucent yellowish brown secretions of Sixth Energy Level : 6 coniferous plants such as pine and fir. Different isotopes of Polanium Secretions are made when the barks of such plants are injured. The natural resins are Isotope Half Life mainly bi and tri-cyclic terpene hydrocarbons Po-206 8.8 days with small amounts of volatile phenolic Po-207 5.8 hours compounds different from plant sap and latex Po-208 2.89 years in their chemical composition. They dry up Po-209 102.0 years into solid granules during which the volatile Po-210 138.38 days components are removed. Apparently they do Po-211 0.51 seconds not play any role in the primary physiology of Po-212 0.29 microseconds the plants. Many scientists believe that they Po-213 4.0 microseconds are waste products and probably protect the Po-214 163.7 microseconds plants from insects other and pathogenic Po-215 1.78 milliseconds attack by their toxic nature. Po-216 0.14 seconds  Natural resins are classified as spirit Retired Professor of Chemistry, Orissa University of Agriculture Technology soluble and oil soluble resins. The spirit Usha Nivas, 124/2445, Khandagiri Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751030 Emial : [email protected] soluble ones are shellac, mastic, damar,

30 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 sandrac, kauri and amber. These find extensive one of the monomers has to be considered as use in preparation of varnish and lacquers.The resin and the other monomer as a hardener oil soluble resins include Rosins and their (exa- epoxy resindescribed later). However, derivatives and are used in soap making and these are named as resins because they solidify copals in varnish making. Resins containing in the same way as seen in some plant resins. benzoic acid and cinnamic acid are called Uses of Resins "balsams"which are popular as healingagents. Urea formaldehyde and melamine Natural resinsparticularly "frankincense" formaldehyde resins are used as adhesives for and "myrrh" have a long well documented the bonding of ply wood, decorative paneling history by Pliny. In ancient times Italians and and other structural and wood products. They Greeks used to seal their boats, food could be strengthened and tinted by pigments containers and preserve mummies with the to make light,thin, hard, strong colourful help of natural resins. They were highly prized translucent articles for home and kitchen uses. substances as incense in religious rites and The electrical resistance of these items makes the fossilized ones as amber in jewellery. them desirable for products such as switch Synthetic Resins plates. Presently, Melamine formaldehyde resins have almost replaced theurea Synthetic resins are chemically different formaldehyde resins, because the former are from the natural resins secreted by the plants. clear,hard and chemical and moisture resistant They have only some of the physical and find extensive use as laminated table tops, properties of interest similar to natural resins. dish ware, table ware and automotive surface Synthetic resins are prepared by the addition coatings for automobile tops and finishes of of unsaturated hydrocarbons or condensation appliances and metal furnitures. of urea, melamine with phenols, glycols to produce resins, which are then allowed to Phenol formaldehyde with excess polymerise, leading to the formation of formaldehyde produces a low molecular plastics. In general the products of prepolymer "resole" which inliquid form or condensation as well as the products of in solution is used in sandwiching layers of addition are thermosetting resins. wood veneer to form ply boards. On the Thermosetting plastics such as poly methyl otherhand the resin with excess of phenol methacrylate, are often loosely identified as forms the prepolymer "novolac", used to make resins. In case of such plastics the true resin heat resistant and insulating objects such as is the liquid monomer methyl methacrylate brake lining, and appliance handles because before polymerisation. In case of copolymers of its good moisture resistance.

Science Horizon 31 FEBRUARY, 2016 Allcondensation products are oil soluble Modern Resins and are used for making varnish, enamels, Epoxy resins, obtained from lamination and adhesives, impregnating epinchlorohydrin and bis-phenol or glycerol electric coils for insulation and as binders. having a terminal glycydyl leather structure Layers of canvas, fabrics, paper coated with have many hydroxyl groups and cures readily resin varnish, laid one over anotherproduce with amines are used as surface coatings for laminations, strongboards with water resistant tanks, pipes, aircraft parts, as adhesives and and superior insulating properties which are lamination. Poly- urethane or isocyanate used forpanels and plates. resins obtained from toluene di-isocyanate Poly propylene resins as fibers are used with diols are characterized by toughness and as major constituent in fabrics for home resistance to chemical action. Therefore, they furnishings such as upholstery and carpets, areused as adhesives, and waterproof ropes, diapers. Foamed polystyrene is used for composites and in industrial flooring and making food containers such as beverage interior colouring. Poly carbonate resins are cups, egg cartoons and disposable plates and used in moulded products such as dentures trays. Cellulose based resins are transparent and ball bearings. Tetra flouro ethyleneresins and are used for wrapping objects and sealing in the form of fibres are used for packing, caps. Chlorinated chloro- sulphonated poly electrical insulation. Rosin (solidified resin ethylene'sare resistant to oxidation and attack from which volatile terpenes have been by ozone and are, therefore, used for making removed and dissolved in alcohols, essential hoses, belts, and heat resistant seals. oils) are used to the bows of musical Ion-Exchange resins instruments to increase sound quality by adding friction. Styrene divenyl benzene copolymer carrying carboxylic or sulphonic acid or Resin C is a neutral coal tar resin of high quarternary ammoniumgroup are porous solid styrene content used to impart grease and beadsor granules, used for removal of calcium, alkali resistance to floor tiles. Pyro-xylene magnesium, iron and manganese ions from (cellulose tetranitrate) is used as an adhesive water (softening) like zeolites, purification and making collodion in ether or alcohol for of sugar and concentrate valuable elements cementing, coating wounds and abrasives, such as gold, silver and titaniumfrom mineral solvent for drugs, corn removers, and ores, catalysis of organic reactions. Certain artificial pearls. ion exchange resins are also used  URMI, 1595/96, Bhoi Nagar, Unit-IX, Bhubaneswar pharmaceutically as bile acidsequestrantsand Mobile No. 8984592003 hypolipidemic agents.

32 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 MRI PIONEERS is used in MRI". Rabi had discovered NMR Sri Bibhuprasad Mohapatra in 1937. He developed the cavity magnetron, which is used in microwave radar and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is microwave ovens. a safe medical technique used in radiology to He was born into an orthodox Jewish investigate the anatomy and physiology of the family in Rymanow, Galicia, then belonged human body in both healthy and diseased to Austria-Hungary. He came to the US with state. There are about 25,000 scanners in use his father, David Rabi and raised in Lower worldwide and scanners use powerful East Side, New York. In 1916, he entered magnetic fields and radio waves to form as an electrical engineering student in images of the body. The technique has a wide Cornell University, but became interested range of applications in medical diagnosis in physics. He was awarded his B.Sc in June without exposingto ionizingradiation. Hence 1919, but he did not get job. For few days, it may be preferable to alternative options like he worked as a book keeper like Faraday computed tomography (CT). It can be used (1791-1867). James Clerk Maxwell's "A over any part of the human body, including Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism" the brain. inspired him a lot. He earned his Ph.D. for Everyone agrees that MRI is a a thesis on the magnetic susceptibility of revolutionary method and brilliant invention certain crystals called Tutton's salts in but none agrees on who invented it. The Columbia Varsity. He married Helen the physical effect that MRIs rely on NMR earns next day. The paper attracted K S Krishnan various scientists Nobel prizes for Physics in (1898-1961), co-discoverer of Raman 1944 and 1952. Many believe that Damadian scattering, who used the method in his own established the machine's medical merit in investigations of crystals. 1973, when he first used it to discern healthy In 1929, Columbia University offered tissue from cancer. In 2003, the Nobel Prize him a faculty position. With American for Physiology or Medicine goes to Peter physicist Gregory Breit (1899-1981), he Lauterbur and Mansfield for their "Seminal developed the Breit-Rabi equation and Discoveries" on MRI scan. predicted that the Stern-Gerlach experiment 1) Isidor Isaac Rabi (1898-1988) was a could be modified to confirm the properties Polish-born American physicist and Nobel of the atomic nucleus. He developed laureate (1944) got prize for "his discovery techniques for using NMR to discern the of Resonance method for recording the magnetic moment and nuclear spin of atoms. magnetic properties of atomic nuclei which NMR became an important tool for nuclear

Science Horizon 33 FEBRUARY, 2016 physics and chemistry. During World War II on magnetic resonance. "I saw myself in that (1939-1945) he worked on the Manhattan machine. I never thought my work would Project. Rabi chaired Columbia's physics come to this."-he remarked. He died of cancer department (1945-49), during which time it at his home in Riverside Drive. Despite this was home to 2 Nobel laureates (Rabi and he was an underwhelming teacher. Famous Fermi) and 11 future laureates, including 7 chemist IrvingKaplan (1913-1997) rated Rabi faculty (Polykarp Kusch, Willis Lamb, Maria as "the worst teacher I ever had". Goeppert-Mayer, James Rainwater, Norman He was once asked, ''Why did you Ramsey, Charles Townes and Hideki become a scientist, rather than a doctor or Yukawa), a research scientist (Aage Bohr), a lawyer or businessman, like the other visiting professor (Hans Bethe), a doctoral immigrant kids in your neighborhood?''. He student (Leon Lederman) and an told on asking good questions- "My mother undergraduate (Leon Cooper). made me a scientist without ever intending He served on the 9-man General to. Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy would ask her child after school: So? Did you Commission, and was chairman (1952-1956). learn anythingtoday?" Butnot mymother. She He joined Fermi in opposing the hydrogen always asked me a different question-'Izzy, did bomb on moral as well as technical grounds. you ask a good question today?' That But, 33rd President Harry S. Truman (1884- difference, 'asking good questions' made me 1972) overruled the GAC's advice, and become a scientist!''His answer has served as ordered to proceed. Rabi told: 'He simply did an inspiration for all of us. not understand what it was about'. He also 2) Herman Y. Carr (1924-2008) was an served on the Science Advisory Committee Ohio born American physicist and pioneer of of the Office of Defense Mobilization, and MRI. In early age, he served as a Sergeant in was ScienceAdvisor to 34th President Dwight the 12th Weather Squadron Air Corps during D. Eisenhower (1890-1969). He pioneered to World War II in Italy. Then he received a establish the Brookhaven National Laboratory Harvard National Scholarship from Harvard (1946), and later, as US delegate to UNESCO, University and graduated summa cum laude with the creation of European Organization in 1948 and also earned his master's degree for Nuclear Research (CERN) in 1952. in 1949 and a Ph.D. in physics in 1953 from In the last stage, when doctors examined Harvard University. His doctorate thesis, him using MRI, a technology that had been published in 1952, described the first developed from his ground-breaking research techniques for using magnetic gradients for

34 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 spatial localization and is the first example of he was a student and researcher at both the MRI. He later moved to Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh and the Mellon where he was professor. Institute of Industrial Research. There was some controversy when he The Physics Nobel in 1952 awarded to was notawarded the prize jointly withLauterbur Felix Bloch and Edward Mills Purcell, for and Mansfield in 2003. He co-authored the the development of new methods for Nuclear introductory textbook 'Physics from the magnetic precision measurements and Ground Up' (1971). Dr. Carrbecame Professor discoveries in connection therewith related Emeritus in 1987 and was actively involved to NMR, the scientific principle behind MRI. in the area of MRI studies up to his death. He Magnetic resonance was used mainly for died peacefully on April 9, 2008 at his home studying the chemical structure of in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. substances. He used the idea of Robert 3) Paul Christian Lauterbur (1929-2007) Gabillard of introducing gradients in the was anAmerican chemistwho shared the 2003 magnetic field which allows for determining Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Peter the origin of the radio waves emitted from with Mansfield. He was of Luxembourgish the nuclei of the object of study. This spatial ancestry but born and raised in Sidney, Ohio. information allows 2 Dimensional pictures As a teenager, he himself built laboratory in to be produced. the basement of his parents' house. He In 1985 he became a professor along received a B.S. in chemistry from the Case with his wife Joan at the University of Illinois Institute of Technology and graduated from until his death. He died on 27th March 2007 Sidney High School. His chemistry teacher at of kidney disease at his home in Urbana, school understood his eagerness, so the Illinois. Illinois University Chancellor teacher allowed him to do his own Richard Herman said, "His influence is felt experiments at the back of class. around the world every day, every time an He earned PhD in 1962 and then he MRI saves the life of a daughter or a son, a mother or a father." became an associate professor at the State University of New York from 1963 to 1985 4) Peter Mansfield, FRS was born in where he conducted his research for the Lambeth (9th October 1933) to a gas fitter development of the MRI. He credits the idea (Sidney George). He is a Nottingham of the MRI to a brainstorm one day at a University professor and English physicist but suburban Pittsburgh Big Boy, with the MRI's co-awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in first model scribbled on a table napkin while Physiology or Medicine with Paul Lauterbur,

Science Horizon 35 FEBRUARY, 2016 for discoveries concerning MRI. At the age 5) Raymond Vahan Damadian (born of 15 he was told by a teacher that science March 16, 1936) is an American medical wasn't for him. He left school shortly practitioner, and inventor of the first MR afterwards to work as a printer's assistant. Scanning Machine. His research into sodium At the tender age of 18, he took up a and potassium in living cells led him to his job with the Rocket Propulsion Department first experiments with NMR which caused of the Ministry of Supply in Westcott, him to first propose the MR body scanner in Buckinghamshire. 18 months later he was 1969. In 1971, he discovered that tumors and called up for National Service. After serving normal tissue can be distinguished in vivo by in the army for 2 years, he returned to NMR because of their relaxation times, both Westcott and started studying for A-levels at T1 (spin-lattice relaxation) or T2 (spin-spin night school. Two years later he gained relaxation).Along with Dr. Larry Minkoff and entrance to study physics at Queen Mary Dr. Michael Goldsmith, he labored tirelessly College, London. for 7 long years and made a machine He graduated from Queen Mary's in "Indomitable". He was the first to perform a full body scan of a human being on 3rd July 1959 and earned his PhD in 1962. His thesis was about Proton magnetic resonance 1977 to diagnose cancer. He invented an relaxation in solids by transient methods. His apparatus and method to use NMR safely and team developed the MRI equipment which accurately to scan the human body, a method was not developed until the 1970s. With now well known as MRI. Lauterbur's and Mansfield's developments He earned his bachelor's in mathematics that NMR could be used to produce images from the University of Wisconsin in 1956, and of the body. He is credited for mathematical an M.D. from the Albert Einstein College of analysis of the radio signals from MRI and Medicine in New YorkCity in 1960. His early interpretation of the signals into a useful work on NMR concerned investigating image. He is also known for discovering how potassium ions inside cells. He found that the fast imaging could be possible by developing potassium relaxation times were much shorter the MRI protocol called echo-planar compared with aqueous solutions of imaging. Echo-planar imaging allows T2* potassium ions. This suggested that potassium weighted images to be collected many times was not free but complexed to 'fixed-charge' faster than previously possible and made counter-ions, as he had previously determined. functional magnetic resonance imaging He predicted that cancerous cells would have (FMRI) feasible. longer relaxation times, both because of the

36 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 disordering of malignant cells and because of Times and The Washington Post entitled "The their elevated potassium levels, since the Shameful Wrong That Must Be Righted", potassium ions would be 'structure-breaking' demanding that he be awarded at least a share to the ordered water fraction. of the Nobel Prize.

40th President Ronald Reagan (1911- There is an interesting book on MRI 2004) awarded the nation's highest honor in history, 'Damadian and Lauterbur'. The book technology, the national Medal of Technology, pointed out the contribution of both the men: jointly to Dr Damadian and Dr Lauterbur for "Because of the contributions of Dr Raymond the development of MRI. In award giving Damadian and Dr Paul Lauterbur, magnetic ceremony on July 15, 1988, Ronald cited both resonance imaging has become the most scientists 'for their independent contributions powerful and reliable diagnostic tool in in conceiving and developing the application medicine. Millions of people the world over of magnetic resonance technology for medical enjoy a higher quality of life and many lives uses including whole-body scanning and have been saved, thanks to the contributions diagnostic imaging". Damadian said that of Damadian and Lauterbur. credit should go to "me, and then Lauterbur," Melbourne born Gold Medal recipient and Lauterbur felt that only he should get Paul Bottomley (born 1954) pioneered credit. Damadian said in 2002, "If I had not research in MRI and did the first localized been born, would MRI have existed? I don't Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in human think so. If Lauterbur had not been born? I heart and brain. Now, he is the Director of the would have gotten there. eventually." Division of MR Research at Johns Hopkins Nobel Controversy University. Soviet physicist Vladislav Ivanov Reflecting the fundamental importance filed a document in 1960 with the USSR State and applicability of MRI in medicine, Nobel Committee for Inventions and Discovery for prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2003 was a MRI device, but this was not approved until awarded to Lauterbur and Mansfield for their the 1970s. Medical Physics Professor John "discoveries concerning MRI". The award Mallard is known for his work in the was vigorously protested by Damadian, development of MRI.  founder of FONAR Corporation, who claimed Rayagada Head Post Office, Rayagada-765001, Odisha Mob-08270083653 that he invented the MRI and that both had [email protected] merely refined the technology. A group took out full-page advertisements in the New York

Science Horizon 37 FEBRUARY, 2016 ICEBERGS - MOVING broke off from the parent glacier body in WONDERS ocean in the form of an ice shelf. These ice sheets on reaching the ocean are subjected to OF POLAR REGION a combination of various factors that causes Sri Ashit Kumar Swain disintegration of the glacial ice releasing icebergs of different varieties and hence the I remember while watching one of the waters encircling the Antarctic continent are popular English movie "Titanic" few years replete with icebergs and so is the case of the before, one of my friends got surprised to see water in Arctic region.In the Polar Regions, the size of the iceberg and what it did to the especially in Antarctica, the ice sheet ship RMS Titanic, which ultimately led that continuously flows down from southern high one to sink to the ocean bottom. I think once altitudes towards sea level in a radial fashion again that movie "Titanic" has brought the under the gravitational forces and internal icebergs into limelight of global audience and dynamics of ice. In the Arctic region however, particularly for those who do not live in the most icebergs that reach the North Atlantic peripheral zones of the Polar Regions. For Ocean come from the major glaciers of West many persons, it was simply difficult to Greenland. Around 10000 to 15000 icebergs believe that a chunk of ice (irrespective of calved each year in Arctic regions are size) can destroy a huge shiplike RMSTitanic. primarily from the range between the This creates a necessity for us to know what Humboldt and Jacobshavn glaciers. an iceberg is and what its different types are All the ice mass that break off the ice and how it is formed. shelf do not qualify to be classified as icebergs. To be classified as an iceberg, the The word "Iceberg" is derived from the thickness should be 30 to 50 meters and the words'Ice' meaning the water frozen into a height of the ice should be more than 5 solid form and 'Berg' meaning Mountain meters above sea level covering at least 500 which in Dutch language can be literally square meters. translated as Ice Mountain. Types Definition Icebergs are classified into different An iceberg is defined as a large piece of categories based on the shape and size.Awide ice that broke off from ice sheet or glaciers or range and variety of shapes are produced due ice shelf and is now floating freely in open to the formation and deterioration processes water. The iceberg comes essentially from the of icebergs. Allicebergs disintegrate over time ice sheet or glaciers that are formed on land as they float through the (relatively) warmer by the accumulation, consolidation and water. The largest icebergs can exist for many metamorphism of snow and subsequently years. As a function of time spent in the

38 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 ocean, the icebergs become progressively due to wave and wind action. The irregular in shape and show various stages different shapes of non-tabular icebergs of disintegration. are given as below: Most common form of classifying the i. Dome: These are the icebergs with a iceberg is their shape, whether these are rounded top. tabular or non-tabular. ii. Blocky: These icebergs are flat-topped, Shape block-shaped with a steep vertical side. a. Tabular icebergs : iii. Wedge: These icebergs have steep Tabular icebergs have steep sides and a edge on one side and a slope on the flat top. These are very solid and often opposite side. The top narrows to a formed by the break away product from pyramid-like point. ice sheets or ice shelves. Many of these iv. Drydock: These icebergs are the ones icebergs retain the horizontal banding which are eroded to form a little from the layers of ice that built up as U-shaped harbor-like slot or channel as the Polar ice sheet is formed initially. seen in a drydock. These are usually encountered in the v. Pinnacle: These are the icebergs with proximity of ice shelf. These icebergs one or more spires. are white in colour and show a characteristic luster due to large content of entrapped air and occasionally show development of caves. b. Non-tabular icebergs: The variation in the iceberg shapes are a result of continuous action of various processes as wave and aeolian erosion, Fig 1. Tabular Iceberg water saturation, biogenic activity, etc. Weathered icebergs show pronounced effect to erosional agents resulting in serrated surface. The colour also changes to yellow, dirty yellow to greenish depending on the packing of ice. Grounded icebergs (icebergs trapped in fast ice) occur near the coast. Large icebergs may be tilted and overturned Fig 2.Wedge shaped iceberg

Science Horizon 39 FEBRUARY, 2016 their origin from the main parent glacier or ice shelf or may got disintegrated from a large iceberg that has broken up. A bergy bit is a medium to large chunk of ice having a height between 1 to 5 mts above sea level with an area about 100 to 300 square meters. Growlers are smaller chunk of ice and are roughly less than 1 meter above the sea level occupying Fig 3. Blocky iceberg around 20 square meter area. Between one-quarter and one-seventh of an iceberg's mass appears above the surface. The rest is below the water and this is the part of the iceberg that is most dangerous to passing ships. Icebergs are classified as per the visual estimates of their longest dimension into the following;

Fig 4. Domed iceberg Class Dimension I 10m - 50m II 50m - 200m III 200m - 500m IV 500m - 1000m V > 1000m A case study done during 2004 showed that Class-I icebergs constitute about 25% of Fig 5.Pinnacled iceberg the total icebergs sighted and were generally In addition to shape, icebergs are also localized in the northernmost zone.The Class- classified with respect to size: II icebergs were more frequent between latitude 550 and 660 S and constituted about Size 35%. The Class-III type icebergs were noted The smaller pieces of ice disintegrated between latitude 550 and 600 S and from the parent glacier body are known as constituted about 31% while Class-IV and V 'bergy bits' and 'growlers'. These may have types of icebergs constituted about 8% and

40 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 less than 1 percent respectively. The Class-V the expression "tip of the iceberg", for a icebergs (largest ones) are frequent in the problem or difficulty that is only a small vicinity of the Antarctic Shelf. It has been manifestation of a larger problem. observed that the icebergs generally do not Monitoring survive beyond latitudes lower than 440 S. Icebergs pose a danger to ships Though the icebergs in due course of traversing the North Atlantic and the waters time disintegrate and lose mass completely aroundAntarctica. After the RMSTitanic sank depending upon various factors, at present near Newfoundland in 1912, the United States there are many very large icebergs that move ofAmerica and twelve other countries formed in Polar Regions. As per the recent updates the International Ice Patrol to warn ships of on the icebergs, the sizes of some of the recent icebergs in the North Atlantic. The large icebergs are as given below: International Ice Patrol uses airplanes and 1. Iceberg B-15: 11,000 square kilometer. radars to track icebergs that float into major 2. Iceberg A-38: ~6,900 square kilometer. shipping lanes. 3. Iceberg B-15A: 3,100 square kilometer. It would be pertinent to mention here that an iceberg with 50 - 60m length and 10- 4. Iceberg C-19: 5,500 square kilometer. 15 m height above the water level may weigh 5. Iceberg B-9: 5,390 square kilometer. up to 1 megaton and drifting of such a huge 6. Iceberg B-31: 615 square kilometer. ice mass in the circumpolar Antarctic waters requires meticulous monitoring. Besides 7. Iceberg D-16: 310 square kilometer. navigational significance, the data on the 8. Off Petermann Glacier in northern frequency, size and shape of icebergs can Greenland: 260 square kilometer. provide significant insights in inferring the 9. Iceberg B-17B: 140 square kilometer. long-term and short term changes in Southern Formation Ocean environment. All these studies were used to be carried out during each voyage by Because the density of pure ice is geoscientists from Geological Survey of India about 920 kg/m3, and that of sea water (GSI) by following the guidelines by about 1025 kg/m³, the ice floats above the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) till the ship sea water and typically only one-tenth of enters into polynya. the volume of an iceberg is visible above With the improvement of technology, water. The shape of the underwater portion now the icebergs are monitoredworldwide by can be difficult to judge by looking at the the U. S. National Ice Center (NIC), portion above the surface. This has led to established in 1995, which produces analyses Science Horizon 41 FEBRUARY, 2016 and forecasts of Arctic, Antarctica, Great breakup, and tomodel how ice shelves will Lakes and Chesapeake Bay ice conditions. respond to a warming climate. However, it only tracks icebergs larger than Oceanographers focus their study on 500 square meters. More than 95% of the icebergs because the cold freshwater they data used in its sea ice analyses are derived contribute to the sea can influence ocean from the remote sensors on polar-orbiting currents which may affect the ocean satellites that survey these remote regions of circulation far away from their source. the Earth. Biologists study icebergs to find out the The NIC assigns each iceberglarger than manner how they influence ocean life. As 10 nautical miles (19 km) along at least one icebergs melt in due course of time owing to axis a name composed of a letter indicating many physico-meteorological factors, they its point of origin and a running number. The leak nutrients into the ocean around them. letters used are as follows: Recent studies have shown that the water A-longitude0° to 90° W (Bellingshausen Sea, surrounding icebergs teems with plankton, Weddell Sea) fish, and other sea life. B - longitude 90° W to 180° (Amundsen Sea, The importance of icebergs as bulk Eastern Ross Sea) carriersof fresh water is known for quite some time. There have been proposals for towing C - longitude 90° E to 180° (Western Ross the icebergs from respective ice shelves of Sea, Wilkes Land) Antarctica to different destinations to address D - longitude 0° to 90° E (Amery Ice Shelf, the water scarcity problem. Hence these Eastern Weddell Sea) moving wonders of Polar Regions play a Conclusion major role in scientific as well as navigational importance in open waters. Climate scientists study icebergs to find a linkbetween their break up and the processes References that cause ice shelf collapse. Scientists have 1. Shrivastava,P.K.,Asthana, R., Beg, M.J., Nath,A.K., Dharwadkar, A., Swain,A.K., Roy,S.K. andMandal, observed that the manner icebergs break up A.K. (2012). Latitudinal shift in iceberg distribution as observed along the voyage route of Indian when they reach warmer waters is similar to Antarctic Expeditions. Indian Journal of the disintegration of Antarctic ice shelves. By Geosciences, V.66, No. 2&3, pp. 149-158. studying the factors that cause icebergs to 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icebergretrieved on 21.05.2015. break up, researchers are focusing their  Geological Survey of India, Polar Studies Division attention to have a better understanding of the NH-5P, NIT, Faridabad - 121001, Haryana, India causes that influence and lead to ice shelf Phone: +91-9953798826 E-mail: [email protected]

42 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 HORSESHOE CRAB - A PRICELESS Gradually, the first four pairs started MARINE ARTHROPOD developing pinching claws, whereas, the last *Siddhartha Pati & ** Dr. B.P Dash pair terminated in primitive spines. In modern horseshoe crabs, these five pairs are highly The horseshoe crab (plate-1), a specialized appendages with broad, flat and chelicerate arthropod, is one of the amazing overlapping plates. The external gills of the creatures and considered to be the oldest horseshoe crab were partly developed from 'livingfossil' in the world. The horseshoe crab these appendages. has descended from mud dwelling primitive Adults males are about two-thirds of the arthropods, named trilobites, which lived in size of the females and have a modified front the Precambrian seas, nearly 600 million years pincher to attach to the female body during ago. After 150 million years or so, the mating. The body is sometimes two feet long. horseshoe crab evolved into its present shape and, surprisingly, the archeal animal body has Living specimens are brownish-green in not shown any phenotypic change, even after color, but after death, the adult colour a span of 350 million years. While so many becomes dark brown. They breathe by means animals, including dinosaurs and many other of gills, attached to the underside of the last latecomers to the Mesozoic era, have become pair of abdominal legs. The mouth of completely extinct, it is a wonder how the Horseshoe Crab is located on the under humble horseshoe crab has survived for such surface of the body and surrounded by its a long period. It seems that this animal can legs (Plate-1b). These are harmless creatures, overcome all kinds of adverse situations in but it is always advisable to handle these its estuarine and coastal shallow habitat. It can animals with care. The Crabs burrow for also tolerate wide ranges of temperature, worms and mollusks and feed mostly at salinity, desiccation and submergence. night. However, they can also feed at any The ancestors of the horseshoe crab are time. Horseshoe Crabs have 2 compound believed to have inhabited brackish or eyes on the top of their shell with a visual freshwater environments. Fossil records show range of about 3 feet. By recording electrical that the oldest horseshoe crabs were similar impulses from the optic nerve of the crab to the aglaspids, with less abdominal segments many underlying principles related to the but without well defined appendages. The five functioning of the visual systems were pairs of walking legs, discontinuing at the discovered and that gave Dr H. Keffer Hartline abdomen, were present in the primitive forms. a shared part of the 1967 Nobel Prize.

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animal is not yet known, it is generally believed that the animal inhabits the deeper zone of the sea for most parts of its life. The fluctuating habitats encountered by the horseshoe crab during their different stages of life reflect their amazing ability to tolerate and adapt to different envi ronmental Plate-1a Plate-1b conditions. These crabs have a patchy distribution pattern. They have highly specific methods in selecting their habitat for reproduction and dispersal. These methods ensure the animals their safe arrival to the respective destinations and reduce the chance of mortality during the period of their migration. Such characteristics could Plate-2 Plate-3 possibly contribute to the evolutionary The Horseshoe Crab's tail is brightening advantage of the horseshoe crab for their very but that is not a weapon. The tail is used to long survival. plaugh the crab through the sand and muck, In contrast, uniformly distributed to act as a rudder and to rightthe crab up when animals are subject to more competition for it accidentally tips over. If they cannot get their biological needs and have fewer turned back over, they will die. opportunities to survive. The horseshoe crab Horseshoe Crab Habitat has a difficult distribution pattern because the The horseshoe crab belongs to the animal is totally dependent on two important benthic community. They prefer calm seas or physical stimuli - the lunar periodicities and estuaries with muddy sandy bottom for their the tide. The diversified Paleozoic group is biogenic activities. They migrate to the shore represented by only four species worldwide. from the deeper water specifically for It is interesting to note that among these four breeding purposes. During this shoreward species, Tachypleus tridentatus and Limulus migration the animal is subjected to a wide polyphemus occur in a north-south-north range of environmental conditions including direction, whereas, Carcinoscorpius salinity and temperature. Although detailed rotundicauda and Tachypleus gigas occur in knowledge of the complete life cycle of the an east-west-east direction, Thisincludes india

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.It is an interesting phenomenon to have an eggs and larvae in the nesting beaches. The abundance of two species of the horseshoe other predators causing considerable damage crab, namely Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, to the horseshoe crab population are tiger Tachypleus gigas in Orissa coast, India . sharks, leopard sharks, loggerhead turtles, rays Use of horseshoe crab and sword fish. The horseshoe crab also has a great fear of mosquitoes and will die if bitten  Biomedical companies catch and bleed by a mosquito. In most of theAsian countries, horseshoe crabs to produce a chemical including India, the local fishermen are not (LAL, TAL) used to detect the presence fully aware of the economic importance of the of bacteria in injectable drugs. horseshoe crab and usually discard them. This  The chitin from horseshoe crabs is used is because these crabs damage their fishing in the manufacturing of chitin-coated nets when they are trapped. Fishermen usually filament for suturing and chitin-coated catch these crabs and throw them on the shore, wound dressing for burn victims. leading to a higher rate of mortality of these  Fishermen catch horseshoe crabs for use animals (plate-2). In the USA itself, about as bait in the lucrative eel and conch 50,000 brooder crabs are sacrificed every year fishery. for the preparation of LimulusAmoebocytes. This activity has resulted in the considerable  Role of peri-vitelline fluid (PVF) of the fertilized eggs of horseshoe crab as seen depletion of the horseshoe crab population in the culture media and growth factor. along the coast of the USA. Japan was the first country to realize the declining  PVF is also used in the Treatment of population of the horseshoe crab ischemic and vascular diseases (T. tridentatus) and subsequently implemented Threat of Extinction conservative measures by dedicating a coast The eggs of the horseshoe crabs are as a national monument for horseshoe crabs. reported to be eaten by a number of fishes, The decrease in the population of the including striped bais, striped killi fish, silver horseshoe crab in several places is also due perch, northern king fish, Atlantic silverside to the degradation and destruction of their and flounders. The appendages and gill hooks habitat, especially their breeding ground. of the young limuli are sought after by the Several anthropogenic activities, mainly puffer and cat fishes. Some birds like Plovers, related to fisheries and construction works sand pipers and gulls are also considered to along the coastline, are posing serious threats be the regular predators of the horseshoe crab by destroying the natural breeding beaches.

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This restricts the migratingpairs from finding conservation program through community a suitable nesting site for spawning. Unlike participation. The department is planning to their American counterpart horseshoe crabs implement some of the aquaculture in India are not subjected to commercial technique for restoration of horseshoe crab exploitation for biomedical, fertilizer, and bait population under confined environmental purposes. The real threat comes from the conditions as these animals are hardy and can human population, which plays an important tolerate limited changes in temperature, role in the coastal ecology. In addition, natural salinity and other environmental calamities such as super cyclones and tsunami conditions. During breeding season the cause serious damage by shifting the sand horseshoe crabs regularly migrate towards from the beaches. the shore for breeding purposes (plate-3). In India, research on the biotechnological Therefore necessary efforts should be potential of the horseshoe crabs has been made to protect their breeding ground from minimal. Some researchers in India, destruction and environmental degradation. particularly from CSIR-NIO, Goa have Environmentalists should ensure regular studied the characterization of blue blood, plantation of trees along the coasts to control reproductive biology and mass production of beach erosion, protecting sand dune horseshoe crabs long years back. Studies on vegetation on the beaches, ban on the T. gigas were limited to its morphology and deforestation of mangroves including the the developmental stages of the embryo. There removal of sand gravel for construction is an urgent need to carry out comprehensive purposes from the breeding beaches, and biotechnological studies on the two species ensure the technique of removal of blood of horseshoe crabs found along the coasts of without sacrificing and disturbing the normal Orissa, India. life cycle of the horseshoe crab. Proper implementation of these measures will protect Horseshoe Crabs Conservation this valuable creature from becoming extinct. As the horseshoe crab has become Such a project would require a dedicated and significant in biomedical research, it is competent team, as well as the policy makers essential to protect this valuable creature from to ensure implementation. The team should extinction. Some of the researchers from comprise of economists, urban specialists, Horseshoe crab research unit, Department of architects, medical specialists, biologists, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Fakir Mohan marketing survey specialists, as well as University are actively carrying out the research administrators.

46 Science Horizon FEBRUARY, 2016 A constructive approach is needed to QUIZ : protect the intact, undisturbed breeding zones FISHERY SCIENCE in India to help honeymooninghorseshoe crab Sri Titaram Nanda Brahmachari couples to come ashore and lay eggs. As it is evident from the present status of breeding 1. What is MPEDA ? beaches in Orissa, India, it is a matter of grave a) Marine Pisciculture Export Dev.Authority concern that the day is not far off when we b) Marine Product Export Dev. Authority will not be able to encounter breeding pairs c) Marine Prawn Experiment Dev. Agency horseshoe crabs on the coast of our state. d) Marine Pisciculture Export Dev.Authority Efforts should be made by creating public 2. Whoisknown asFatherofFisheryScience ? awareness, educating fisher folks, providing a) Aristotle b) M.E. Bloch alternative sites for boat building and c) Koshland d) Von Mayor repairing, and if required, enacting laws to 3. Penaied Prawn is protect these precious guests from the brink a) Male b) Female of extinction from our coast. The active and c) Hermaphrodite d) None sincere support from the local authorities 4. Which of the following is known as the Indian Major Carp (IMC) will play a vital role in implementing such a) Rohu b) Catla an important program to protect this c) Jayanti Rohu d) Catla,Rohu, Mrigal precious organism. 5. How many larval stage are present in References: Macrobrachium (Fresh Water Prawn) ? 1. Chatterji, A., 2013. Horseshoe crab - A living a) 6 b) 3 fossil, seriously endangered, callously c) 9 d) 11 neglected. Science Reporter 50: p.19-22. 6. Which of the following is known as 2. Chatterji, A., 1994. The Horseshoe Crab - A Living Fossil, A Project Swarajya Publication, enclosure Fishery ? p. 135. a) Jano b) Nano 3. Berkson, J., Shuster, C.N.Jr., 1999. The c) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’ d) None above horseshoe crab: the battle for a true multiple- 7. Which Synthetic hormone is/are used in use resource. Fisheries 24:p. 6-10. artificial fish breeding ?  * Research Scholar & ** Reader a) Ova Prim b) Ova tide Horseshoe Crab Research Unit, c) Ova F.H. d) All the above Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology , Fakir Mohan University, Odisha, India 8. Bleaching Powder used in Fish Pond is Mobile No. 918895577750, Email - [email protected] working as a) Disinfectant b) Sterelent c) Snail Controler d) Parasticide

Science Horizon 47 FEBRUARY, 2016 9. What are LBD, LSs and WSD ? 16. Which one is correct regarding Nursery a) Luminescent Bacterial Disease Pond ? b) Loose Shell Syndrome a) Nurserypondissmall,swallowandseasonal c) White Spot Disease d) All the above b) Rearing Spawn to Fry 10. Which statement is correct ? c) Size varies from 0.04-0.2 hacter a) The size of Spawn is 4-6 mm d) All the above b) The size of Fry is 21-40 mm c) The size of Fingerling is 61-80 mm 17. In which stage of eye stalk is seen ? d) All the above a) I b) II 11. How the Indian Major Corps can be c) III d) IV identified ? 18. Scientific name of mud crab is a) If mouth is slightly upward and head a) Charybdis cruciata reddish in colour. Then it is Catla. b) Portunus pelagicus b) If mouth is downward and edge of lip is c) Scylla serrata folded. Then it is Rohu d) Chelonia mydas c) A black diamond spot found near Caudal 19. Catlefish is neither a cattle nor a fish, it Pedunde in Mrigal. is a d) Use of all the three characters. a) Mollouscs b) Insect 12. Which one is Shell fish ? c) Reptile d) Cyclostone a) Catla b) Rohu 20. What is a fishing gear ? c) Shrimp d) Prawn a) Mororised boats 13. What is EUS ? a) Red Spot Disease (RSD) b) Wooden boats b) Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome c) Devices used to catch prawns and lobsters c) Botha ‘a’ and ‘b’ such as nets, traps, hooks and even hands. d) None of the above d) None of the above. 14. Whichmethod isusedinFishPreservation ? ANSWER a) Curing b) Canning 1. (b) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (d) 5. (d) c) Self brine d) All the above 6. (a) 7. (d) 8. (a) 9. (d) 10. (d) 11. (d) 12. (d) 13. (c) 14. (d) 15. (d) 15. Which of the followingfishery byproduct 16. (d) 17. (b) 18. (c) 19. (a) 20. (c) is used in perfume preparation ?  At - Gadasahi, P.O.- Baliapal, Via - Singla, Balasore-756023 a) Ensilage b) Fish maws E-mail - [email protected] c) Pearl Essence d) Ambergris

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