SPECTRUM New Dust Suction Tool can Help Prevent Silicosis ILICOSIS is a major occupational health problem among people engaged in stone work. The lung Sdisease occurs due to exposure to stone dust like silica among workers who do not use any protective gear. Silica is a tiny crystal found in sand, rock and mineral ores like quartz. Now researchers from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), Pilani, have developed a stone dust precipitator system that can help stone workers breathe easy. Researchers have developed two variants of dust precipitator system — one for single artisan and another that can be used by four persons simultaneously. The precipitator from time to time. The stone dust can then be reused. The for single artisan collects tiny dust particles with its high system for four workers has some modifications as it has four suction power. This suction is about 10 times more than that suction branches around the system chamber. Each branch of the inhaling power of human beings, it separates all the has an individual control unit. dust particles from the air and finally dissolves it in water. According to Dr P.C. Panchariya, researcher The sediment of this stone dust is drained through drain pot from CSIR-CEERI, the precipitator can suck maximum dust particles and prevents pollution and exposure. “It has self-filter cleaning technique making it suitable for non-technical persons also and it is based on power-saving technique,” said Mahendra Singh, another member of the research team. During stone carving, the production of PM 2.5 and PM 10 is very high. The PM 2.5 is mainly responsible for silicosis. “When the dust precipitator system is used, all the dust particles produced at the time of stone carving are sucked out by the system and cannot reach the mouth of the stone artisans,” said Dr Panchariya. In India, the prevalence of silicosis ranges widely from 3.5% in ordnance factories to 54.6% in the slate-pencil industry. This variation in prevalence is due to the silica concentrations in different work environments, the job demands and duration of exposure. It is prevalent in Orissa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Pondicherry, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal among the construction and mining workers. Silicosis is an incurable condition with its potential to cause permanent physical disability. As there is no effective specific treatment for silicosis the only way to protect workers’ health is control of exposure to silica-containing dust. “Smart stone dust precipitator system would be a good tool to save people from this disease,” said Dr Panchariya. Jyoti Singh, India Science Wire 10 | Science Reporter | February 2020 Race 4 is further categorised into two groups — An Existential Crisis for Subtropical Race Four (STR4) and Tropical Race Four (TR4). STR 4 works in the presence of predisposing factors like Banana low temoperature, high moisture, etc. whereas TR4 infects without any predisposing factors. Therefore, if unchecked, Fusarium caused by TR4 group can wipe out the entire HE banana, most favourite morning breakfast for banana plantation. many, is facing an existential crisis. A deadly plant Tfungus has begun to infect banana crops throughout Fusarium oxysporum spores can lie dormant in the soil the world threatening the very existence of this cheap and for more than 30 years. However when banana is planted in easily available fruit. the nearby areas the spores enter the plant through their roots Panama disease or Fusarium wilt of banana caused and colonize in the xylem vessels, thereby blocking the flow by a soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum, was the first of water and nutrients. This leads to weakening of vascular disease in the banana that spread globally in the first half tissues, stem discolouration, etc. Till date, no fungicide has of the 20th century. Since the 1950s, ‘Gros Michel’ banana been found effective against it. It cannot be eliminated from was gradually replaced by ‘Cavendish’ banana which was the soil by any chemical treatment. resistant to Fusarium and is presently dominating the global The disease initially surfaced in the Katihar and Purnea market. Now, a new variety of Fusarium is posing a threat districts of Bihar in 2015 but was not officially confirmed. to Cavendish as well as other varieties of banana. Later in June 2017, Furasium symptomatic plants were isolated from Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh and further surveys confirmed the presence of one of the fungal strains — TR4 (Tropical Race Four) – in the districts of Kushi Nagar and Ambedkar Nagar. Gradually the strain was also reported in the States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. India is the world’s highest banana producing country followed by China but most of the farmers are not aware of the serious effects of TR4. Due to this ignorance, the incidence of Fusarium may increase in the years to come. Scientists are trying to develop genetically modified Cavendish variety which can resist this fungus. James Dale of the Queensland University of Technology in Australia has developed a genetically modified disease-resistant Cavendish banana So far nearly 35 strains of Fusarium are reported variety, but public acceptance of GMOs is not easy. by the researchers. However, based on their vegetative compatibility they are grouped into four main race. Race 4 can infect almost all varieties of banana but is known Contributed by Mr Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, District Science Officer, predominantly for attacking Cavendish which is at present District Science Centre, North Lake Road, P.O. District Purulia-723101, the most widely cultivated variety in the world. West Bengal. Email: [email protected] February 2020 | Science Reporter | 11 “Polio-like Illness” OLIOMYELITIS is a contagious viral infectious disease that leads to permanent paralysis of skeletal Pmuscles. A similar nerve dysfunction with severe muscle weakness and paralysis in healthy children in United States was reported in 2010. Similar cases have shown up in 2014 also. There has been a spike every alternate year with its largest number being recorded in 2018. The disease though rare is a kind of serious illness called Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) showing inflammation in spinal cord particularly the part of the nervous system carrying messages to and from the brain. Although the disease can affect at any age, children below the age of 5 years are most affected. AFM patients suffer from sudden and severe muscle weakness in arms and legs, followed by loss of muscle tone and reflexes. AFM symptoms could also include difficulty in swallowing food, breathing, speaking difficulty along with drooping eyelids, accompanied by facial weakness if the nerves of the head and neck are affected. Muscle paralysis shares a common feature with popular poliomyelitis however the stool samples of AFM Child affected from AFM showing severe patients never show the presence of poliovirus. A clear muscular atrophy confirmed pathogen is still not known so far. Although some enteroviruses could be behind it because most AFM patients suffered from either respiratory illness or fever onset of physical symptoms). However, the repeated scan due to viral infection before being affected by AFM. was found to be helpful. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Because the causative agent is still not known a in the US has tested numerous test samples from AFM specific treatment for AFM has not been established. patients of which only 4 cases have shown the presence of Doctors recommend physical and occupational therapy in EV-D68, EV-A71 and coxsackievirus A16 in spinal fluid. healing muscle weakness. For other patients, no pathogen was detected in spinal Clinicians recommend strict hygienic habits for fluid. Starting with 2014, when the CDC started recording children as a preventive measure. The susceptibility the number of cases, 570 cases have been confirmed with probability and risk factors are yet to be established. Hence AFM. till the disease is completely understood staying careful AFM is diagnosed physically by symptoms like muscle from the pathogens is the best preventive measure anyone and limb weakness and loss in muscle tone. Patients are can adopt. confirmed with AFM after conducting an MRI scan. Contributed by I.V.S.N. Prathyusha. Address: D. No: 24- Observation of lesions in the grey matter of spinal cord 56-3, MIG-II/B-72, Vinayaka Nagar, VUDA Colony, is a confirmatory point in AFM cases. Few patients may Gajuwaka, Visakhpatnam-530044, Andhra Pradesh. not show any lesions on early MRI (immediately after the Email: [email protected] globally on 19 December 2019 in Shifa Care New Delhi. It will provide round-the- clock healthcare services to patients App — Unique at their places. Online App Using the app, patients can find a pre-registered and online available so that only the registered patients for Advanced doctor nearby within 5 seconds in case and their authorised family members of any emergency. Patients may get a can access it. Healthcare consultation from the doctor through With this app, a patient can also video-calling. The doctor can give have a conversation with multiple HIFA Care, an online advanced a prescription online which will be doctors and a few family members Shealthcare platform, was launched saved on the cloud and encrypted also at the same time. The app is multi- 12 | Science Reporter | February 2020 provides moisture to the plants below. awareness in the region. The studies Environment- The gardens are planted all along the conducted in Uttara Kannada district hill slope till the stream flowing at the in 1999 showed that the traditional Friendly Spice bottom of the valley. ways of cultivating areca gardens were Gardens of “Garland of Gardens”, the spice extraordinarily eco-friendly and the gardens sometimes extend up to three lifestyle of the people in the region was Western Ghats kilometres.