Rs. 275/- ISSN 0970-6488 Science Service www.ptinews.com Vol 37 No. 13 (20 pages including cover) CONTENTS NATIONAL SCIENCE BRIEFS: * New book delves into India’s nuclear doctrine evolution * Symposium on rise in drug resistant bacteria held at IMTECH * Nadda launches National Health Resource Repositry * Yoga helps reduce severity of depressiona AIIIMS study * Expert panel will be set up yo use advanced technology to deal with air pollution Env Ministry * Satya Pal Singh asks IIT-G to also work on ancient tecnologies * Use of diesel generators increased pollution levels in Gurgaon residential socities: CSE * Govt sets up panels under task force for implementing drone tech * Most people aware of harmful effects of plastics but still use it :study . INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE BRIEFS: * World ‘s smalleast computer device created * Novel keyboard can be crumpled ,carried in pockets * Printed sensors may turn gummy bears into ingestible medical probes * New ‘e- skin’ brings sense of touch to prosthetic hands *NASA’s curiosity rover captures photos of Mars dust storm * Faster, cheaper way to synthesis DNA developed * Smart stents can better prevent heart attacks *New system lets you control robots with brain waves, hand gestures * China to set up varisty for nuclear power research * Evidence of rare black hole spotted * Space tourists may not be prepared for trip beyond earth:NASA astronaut * Last of universe, smissing ordinary matter found * NASA delays James webb Space Telescope launch to 2021 * Don’t be over the moon yet! Buying a piece of lunar landscape still a distant dream * Milky way full of ‘space grease’: Study * Organic molecules on saturn’s moon indicate possibility of life * Sweden, Finland developing technology to curb India’s pollution woes * Scientist develop ”deep learning” robots to empower autistic children * SpaceX launches AI robot, strong coffee for station crew. GLOBE SCAN, * World’s most powerful supercomputer unveiled * Astronomers spot supermassive blackhole destroying star * Living in mountains limits bone growth: Study * Robot bloodhound tracks odour on ground * Four cups of coffee daily may help protect your heart * Diabetes may be an early indicator of pancreatic cancer * Vitamin D may cut breast cancer risk * Plant -based diets may help diabetics manage health * Biodegradable plastic alternative synthesised * Compond that stops viruses from replicating identified. PTI Science Service1 July 1-15, 2018 Material reproduced should be credited to the PTI Science Service Registration No.39337/81 FOR SUBSCRIPTION Quality Publications from PTI Besides news and photo services, India's premier news agency offers a host of other services. The services are: PTI ECONOMIC SERVICE A fortnightly journal providing analytical reports on the state of Indian economy and trends in the corporate world Subscription: Rs 8,750 per annum DATA INDIA A reference weekly providing a digest on the happenings in India in a user-friendly alphabetical listing. A must for every library, educational institution and an excellent source of information for those who want to keep themselves uptodate on happenings in India. Subscription: * for libraries and educational institutions Rs 2,500 per annum * for others Rs 3,125 per annum PTI SCIENCE SERVICE A journal published fortnightly containing reports on developments in the fields of science and technology with particular reference to India. Subscription: * for educational and other charitable institutions Rs 2,000 per annum * Others Rs 6,750 per annum (for A class newspapers) * Others Rs 3,500 per annum (for B class newspapers) PTI FEATURES A package of four weekly feature articles on topical national, international and general events. Subscription: Rs 8,500 per annum ALL SUBSCRIPTION PAYABLE IN ADVANCE For further information on PTI services please contact, Marketing Officer, at: The Press Trust of India Ltd, PTI Building, 4, Parliament Street, New Delhi 110 001. e-mail: [email protected] 2 July 1-15, 2018 New book delves into India’s nuclear The symposium, titled ‘Antimicrobial Resistance doctrine evolution (AMR): Need for a United Front’ aims to develop new collaborative research networks for building India has come a long way from being a “nuclear multi-institutional projects with specific focus on the pariah” to a nuclear weapons state and it now needs discovery of novel anti-bacterials, exploring policy to maintain a “credible nuclear deterrent” while measures and developing tools to tackle issues of avoiding accidental and inadvertent escalation, an AMR in India. expert said. The conference was presided over by Punjab Yogesh Joshi, a MacArthur Nuclear Security Post- Governor and Chandigarh Administrator V P Singh Doctoral Fellow at the Center for International Badnore. Security and Cooperation, Stanford University, and The governor suggested that it was crucial that co-author of ‘India in Nuclear Asia: Evolution of the scientific community, along with other public Regional Forces, Perceptions, and Policies’, shared health stakeholders, work towards delivery of new his views after the launch of the book at Teen Murti solutions for bacterial drug resistance. Bhawan in New Delhi. The governor appreciated IMTECHs role in “India has come a long way from being a nuclear developing new drugs that can counter drug pariah to a de facto nuclear weapons state. The need resistance bacteria. now is to see that India maintains a credible nuclear He also stressed on the urgent need of Indian deterrent while avoiding dangers of accidental and research and development institutions to deliver new inadvertent escalation,” he said. solutions on the issues of AMR. Joshi has authored the book with American Eminent scientist N K Ganguly, former DG, scholar Frank O’Donnell. The books sheds light on ICMR, Delhi, advised steps India must take to tackle the evolution of India’s nuclear doctrine since 1999 the vital issue of AMR. and the challenges it faces. Speaking on the occasion IMTECH Director Anil India’s first nuclear doctrine was declared in 1999 Koul said, “We are witnessing an alarming rise in after the nuclear tests in 1998; it was revised in 2003. the levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria linked to “Twenty years after India became a nuclear misuse of antibiotics. weapons state, its nuclear capabilities have seen tremendous improvement. In the book, we have made Nadda launches National Health two broad suggestions - New Delhi, Beijing and Resource Repository Islamabad should hold dialogues on nuclear issues, and a public defence review must be done by India,” Union Health Minister J P Nadda today launched O’Donnell said. the National Health Resource Repository (NHRR) — the country’s first-ever national healthcare registry Symposium on rise in drug resistant of authentic, standardised and updated geo-spatial bacteria held at IMTECH data of all public and private healthcare establishments. The CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, a The vision of National Health Resource microbial institute under the Ministry of Science and Repository project is to strengthen evidence-based Technology, organised a one-day symposium on the decision making and develop a platform for citizen issue of the rise in drug resistant bacteria or super- and provider-centric services by creating a robust, bugs. PTI Science Service3 July 1-15, 2018 standardised and secured IT-enabled repository of It also slows the pace of aging by reducing levels India’s healthcare resources, Nadda said. of oxidative and psychological stress and aids in NHRR will be the ultimate platform for maintaining the length of telomere, Dada said. comprehensive information of both private and Telomere are DNA sequences which lie at public healthcare establishments including the ends of chromosomes and act as biological Railways, ESIC, Defence and Petroleum heath clock. establishments. “The study which was published in the The Central Bureau of Health Intelligence ‘Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience’ journal (CBHI) has actively engaged with key stakeholders in March found that meditation and yoga could including leading associations, allied ministries, and reduce severity of depression and lead to several private healthcare service providers to frame improvement in systemic biomarkers of the facility. neuroplasticity,” she said. “This resource repository shall enable advanced The study was conducted by the Laboratory for research towards ongoing and forthcoming healthcare Molecular Reproduction and Genetics in challenges arising from other determinants of collaboration with Department of Psychiatry. It health like - disease, environment etc,” Nadda studied the impact of yoga on depression after a 12- said. week yoga intervention on around 236 subjects. Approximately 4,000 trained professionals are working to approach every healthcare establishment Expert panel will be set up to use advanced for information collection. The Indian Space technology to deal with air pollution: Env Research Organisation (ISRO) is the project Ministry technology partner adhering to paramount data security. The Environment Ministry said today a committee of experts would be formed to look into Yoga helps reduce severity of depression: the technological advances, including application of AIIMS study satellite-based measurement, to improve air quality and reduce pollution. Yoga helps reduce the severity of depression by Every winter smog causes deterioration of air increasing levels of certain chemicals in the brain quality, raising the pollution to dangerous levels in that maintain