Single mutation in gene likely linked to sudden heart attacks, say Bengaluru scientists
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
28 out of 33 districts in Telangana have higher concentration of fluoride in groundwater: Report
Over 36% of Indian districts or 263 out of the total 722 districts in the country now have groundwater concentration of fluoride that is higher than the permissible 1.5 mg/L. The number of districts with high concentration of fluoride in water (1.5 mg/L) has increased from 207 in 2017 to 263 in 2023. These are some of the findings of the National Ground Water report released recently. One of the findings in the report is about the surge in fluoride concentration in groundwater that is linked to overexploitation. The Bureau of Indian Standards recommends an upper desirable limit of 1.0 mg/L of fluoride in drinking water, which can be extended to 1.5 mg/L in case no alternative source of water is available. Higher concentration of fluoride in drinking water is linked to a host of debilitating diseases like waterborne fluorosis, dental and skeletal fluorosis. It can cause staining of tooth enamel, while higher concentrations (5.0 to 10 mg/L) can lead to pathological changes like stiffness of the spine and difficulty in natural movement. This significant increase in the percentage of locations has been mainly contributed by states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Telangana. 'The concentration of chemicals is increasing as we are digging deeper borewells across the country. There is increasing water stress and this is translating into higher extraction of groundwater. A spoonful of salt will be less salty in a full glass of water, it will be more salty as the quantity of water declines,' says K. Laxma, Director, Telangana Ground Water department explaining the rise in fluoride concentration in groundwater. 'Groundwater Over-Extraction (Anthropogenic Influence) is a significant factor exacerbating fluoride contamination, particularly in the southern and western States known for over-exploitation,' says the Annual Ground Water Report 2024 released by the Government of India. This is borne out by the fact that the post-monsoon sampling showed a drop in concentration of fluoride. 'The monsoon recharge appears to have had a dilution effect on the fluoride concentrations in groundwater across all the States, as reflected by the significant number of samples showing improvement in fluoride levels after recharge,' according to the report. Out of the 33 districts in Telangana, 28 have anomalous values of Fluoride (> 1.5 mg/L) in groundwater at one or more locations. Only Rajasthan has 31 districts with higher values of fluoride. The most severely affected States, with more than 10% of their water samples exceeding the permissible fluoride limit, include Rajasthan (43.17%), Haryana (23.66%), Karnataka (17.68%), Telangana (14.87%), Gujarat (13.92%), Punjab (13.77%) and Andhra Pradesh (11.31%). The monsoon season has a positive dilution effect on fluoride concentrations. In 2023, the percentage of samples exceeding 1.5 mg/L decreased from 9.14% in pre-monsoon to 7.74% in post-monsoon. In Telangana, out of the samples analysed in 2023, the percentage of locations exceeding 1.5 mg/L fluoride decreased from 20% in pre-monsoon to 15.49% in post-monsoon.
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Hans India
India's 1st animal stem cell biobank, lab to boost regenerative medicine & therapies for livestock
New Delhi: India on Saturday got the first animal stem cell biobank and animal stem cell laboratory that will focus on regenerative medicine and therapies for livestock. Inaugurated by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, the biobank and lab is situated at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad. The cutting-edge facility of Animal BioBank is spread over 9,300 sq ft and has been constructed at a cost of RS 1.85 crore. The laboratory is equipped with a stem cell culture unit, 3D bioprinter, bacterial culture lab, cryostorage, autoclave rooms, advanced air handling systems, and uninterrupted power backup. It will advance research in disease modelling, tissue engineering, and reproductive biotechnology. With support from the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) of DBT–BIRAC, the facility will be expanded to enable biobanking of animal stem cells and their derivatives. 'We had such facilities for human stem cells, but hardly any for animal cells. The best of NIAB, and the best of Indian biotechnology, is yet to come,' Singh said, adding that these facilities will contribute "to making India future-ready". 'We will not lag behind when the next industrial revolution—driven by biotechnology—takes over. The economy will shift from manufacturing to regenerative and genetic processes, and India has already initiated this transition,' he added. The Minister also laid the foundation stone of a new hostel block and Type-IV quarters at NIAB, approved by the Department of Biotechnology at a total cost of Rs 19.98 crore. The infrastructure will cater to the needs of research scholars, faculty, and staff, fostering a vibrant academic and innovation ecosystem. In addition, Singh launched innovative veterinary diagnostic tools designed to revolutionise animal health management and support the 'One Health' approach. These include a field-deployable, DIVA-capable diagnostic kit for early and accurate detection of Brucella species; a cost-effective on-site diagnostic assay for subclinical and clinical mastitis in dairy cattle; a portable antimicrobial sensitivity testing device providing results within two hours to promote responsible antibiotic use; a sensitive and specific test for Toxoplasma gondii infection in animals; an indigenously developed rapid strip for large-scale surveillance of Japanese Encephalitis in animals and humans. 'These innovations will boost agriculture-linked GDP, enhance livestock productivity, and pave the way for an 'Evergreen Revolution' in the animal husbandry sector,' the Minister emphasised. On the agricultural front, 'these releases mark a new phase of animal-based agricultural productivity -- an 'Evergreen Revolution'. With 18 per cent of GDP from agriculture and 60 per cent of our workforce depending on it, innovations in veterinary health will have a transformative impact,' he said. 'One rupee spent on agricultural research yields a return of Rs 13, and linking industry partners from day one ensures these technologies reach the ground,' Singh added.
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
How migration to urban areas is expanding waistlines in India
Migration is reshaping Indian bodies—not just metaphorically, but physically, and measurably so. As millions move from villages to cities, the contours of daily life shift: new jobs, new routines, new stresses and new diets. And gradually, their bodies change too. In a recent analysis of over 31,000 adults aged 45 and above, researchers Bittu Mandal and Kalandi Charan Prasad at the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore report a strong link between rural-to-urban migration and obesity. The longer someone lives in a city, the more likely they are to carry excess weight—especially around the waist, the fat most tied to chronic disease. Migration, they suggest, is not just demographic—it's metabolic. What the research looked at To trace how cities imprint themselves on the body, the researchers turned to one of the largest ageing surveys in the world—the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI). Conducted across every State and Union Territory in 2017–18, it captured the lives of over 70,000 adults aged 45 and above. From this national tapestry, the team pulled a focused thread—31,595 people whose past and present addresses told a story of movement. They zeroed in on those who had left villages for cities, classifying these rural-to-urban migrants by how long they'd lived in their new urban homes: under five years, five to ten, or more than a decade. Then came the crucial question: Had their bodies changed with time in the city? The researchers examined both body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference—because belly fat, more than weight alone, is often the clearer signal of looming chronic disease. Using multiple statistical models, they asked whether simply spending more time in a city made people more likely to become obese. What they found The analysis revealed a clear trend. The longer someone lives in a city, the higher their odds of obesity. Even within five years of migrating, rural-to-urban migrants were nearly twice as likely to be obese as rural non-migrants, with the risk rising further after 6–10 years and again after a decade. 'We did not observe a clear point where the risk stabilises,' said Bittu Mandal, one of the study's authors. This pattern held for both general (measured by BMI) and abdominal obesity. Among rural non-migrants, just 2.6% were obese, compared to 13.1% for long-term urban dwellers and migrants. This aligns with the Indian Migration Study, which found increased body fat in migrants within a decade, characterised by higher blood pressures, lipids, and fasting blood glucose—patterns consistent across gender, as noted in an earlier work by Varadharajan et al. and Ebrahim et al. The ICMR-INDIAB study further showed that migrants had the highest rates of abdominal obesity and diabetes, surpassing even long-term city dwellers. The data also highlighted group-level differences. Obesity was especially common among women, wealthier or more educated individuals, and adults aged 45–59, who often adopt sedentary urban jobs and calorie-dense diets more readily than older migrants. 'Many migrants shift from labour-intensive rural work to desk jobs,' Mr. Mandal explained. 'Cities also offer easy access to processed foods, driving abdominal weight gain.' This is not just a matter of availability but also time. 'Time pressures associated with urban employment lead to increased demand for time-saving in food preparation and consumption,' said Prabhu Pingali, director of the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition. 'Pre-packaged and processed foods are everywhere, often replacing fresh meals in urban diets, especially for the poor.' Anaka Aiyar, a developmental economist at University of Vermont cautions that even non-migrants aren't spared as urban influence spreads. 'As market access improves in rural and peri-urban areas, processed foods become increasingly available. This shifts diets toward obesogenic patterns, especially for lower-middle-income women in sedentary jobs.' Filling the gaps While the study is statistically robust, its cross-sectional design leaves one key question open: does city life cause weight gain—or are heavier people more likely to migrate? Other research in the area bridges this gap. Sibling-pair studies in India—where migrants are compared to their rural siblings—show a consistent pattern. The migrant sibling is typically heavier, less active, and eats less nutritiously. Both higher calorie intake and lower energy expenditure contribute equally to their greater body fat—driven mainly by fatty diets, sedentary habits, and limited physical activity. Oyebode and colleagues looked at pooled data of 40,000 individuals from China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa and found that occupational activity among migrants was lower and leisure activity higher. Together, these studies build a robust case—migration alters work, diet, and daily life in ways that foster weight gain. Policy implications As more Indians migrate to cities the health risks of that shift are becoming clearer. Yet internal migrants, particularly women and middle-aged adults, often fall through the cracks of public health programmes. 'They are often overlooked,' said Mr. Mandal. 'They face barriers such as lack of documentation, limited awareness, and care disruptions.' He suggests that national programmes - Ayushman Bharat and NPCDCS (National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke)- expand migrant outreach, offer portable benefits, and prioritise targeted screenings. But the challenge may run deeper than healthcare access. 'Food environments are changing rapidly, while nutrition policies lag behind,' said Prof. Aiyar. 'This disconnect risks leaving low-income and female migrants especially vulnerable.' Prof. Pingali argues that India's grain-heavy food policy has long limited access to fresh produce. 'Processed foods become default substitutes, especially for the urban poor,' he said. 'Combined with sedentary lifestyles and sugary drinks, this fuels adverse health outcomes.' He calls for a policy shift toward year-round access to fruits, vegetables, and dairy. From a different angle, economist Arup Mitra, professor at South Asian University and the former director-general of the National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development, notes that many low-income migrants face basic nutritional hardships in cities. 'Access to healthy livelihoods—whether via sanitation or food—is already limited,' he said. 'And rising living costs only make things worse.' As India's cities swell and its migrants age, the country must reshape its health response—before citizens start bearing the irreversible burden of neglect.
