Stricter mobile radiation norms

Come September 1, 2012, India will have stricter regulations to check electromagnetic radiation emission from mobile phones, a step that would address health concerns and also streamline the handset manufacturing industry.

Accepting the report an inter-ministerial committee, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will notify the new regulations in next few days.

The new regulations are mainly those being practised in the U.S. and European nations that mandate all mobile phone manufacturers to comply with a specific absorption rate (SAR is a measure of the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the human body while using a mobile phone) so that radiation does not affect human health. The company will also have to mention SAR value clearly on handsets to make customers aware of it. After concerns were raised following some international health studies, the DoT formed an inter-ministerial committee that recommended that mobile handsets should have SAR value of 1.6 Watts per kilogram averaged over a six-minute period and taken over a volume containing a mass of one gram of human tissue.

The committee also said that mobile handsets manufactured and sold in India or imported should be checked for compliance of SAR limit and no handsets of SAR value above the prescribed standard adopted in India should be manufactured or sold in the country.

Confirming that the new mobile handset radiation guidelines would be out soon, Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot told The Hindu that the government was serious on the entire issue and, therefore, was coming out with strict guidelines to ensure that only safe handsets were sold. “We cannot compromise with health issues…companies found flouting new regulations will be severely penalised. All there regulations are important to streamline the telecom sector that is growing at a fast pace.”

Keywords: mobile radiation, radiation emission

Stricter mobile radiation norms

Come September 1, 2012, India will have stricter regulations to check electromagnetic radiation emission from mobile phones, a step that would address health concerns and also streamline the handset manufacturing industry.

Accepting the report an inter-ministerial committee, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will notify the new regulations in next few days.

The new regulations are mainly those being practised in the U.S. and European nations that mandate all mobile phone manufacturers to comply with a specific absorption rate (SAR is a measure of the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the human body while using a mobile phone) so that radiation does not affect human health. The company will also have to mention SAR value clearly on handsets to make customers aware of it. After concerns were raised following some international health studies, the DoT formed an inter-ministerial committee that recommended that mobile handsets should have SAR value of 1.6 Watts per kilogram averaged over a six-minute period and taken over a volume containing a mass of one gram of human tissue.

The committee also said that mobile handsets manufactured and sold in India or imported should be checked for compliance of SAR limit and no handsets of SAR value above the prescribed standard adopted in India should be manufactured or sold in the country.

Confirming that the new mobile handset radiation guidelines would be out soon, Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot told The Hindu that the government was serious on the entire issue and, therefore, was coming out with strict guidelines to ensure that only safe handsets were sold. “We cannot compromise with health issues…companies found flouting new regulations will be severely penalised. All there regulations are important to streamline the telecom sector that is growing at a fast pace.”

Keywords: mobile radiation, radiation emission

Brain Adapts Quickly to a Broken Arm

Swiss researchers have come to a conclusion that the brain does not take long to determine that it needs to function differently after the incidence of a broken arm. According to the study, people with a broken limb such as an arm can quickly adjust to their new circumstance, at most in 2 weeks, and be more confident of using their other arm.

The research mapped brain activity of a person whose one arm was in a sling or a cast. Within two weeks, there was an increase in the area of the brain responsible for the mostly used limb such as the right arm, and increase in activity was noticed in areas responsible for the other limb such as the left hand. This happens while the limb that has been injured, i.e. the right hand in this example, heals. This is an important finding for people who need to rely on their lesser used limb, and also for people who have had a stroke and are trying to recuperate for regaining their motor skills.

According to Nicolas Langer, the University of Zurich neuropsychology researcher, these results are bound to be very beneficial for the rehabilitation therapy for people suffering from strokes and related problems. The scientist involved in the research scanned to know how well the researchers used their left hand after their dominant right hand was immobilised for 14 days. It was revealed that the brain’s left hemisphere that is associated with the use of right hand had decreased in size. The shift was considerable when compared with the same scans taken after 2 days of the injury.

The areas of the brain that are linked to use of the left hand were visibly increased in size, allowing the injured person better control of the uninjured arm. Stated simply, the brain had recognised that the dominant arm was in sling and needed to recuperate from damage, and so accordingly it had shifted the control to those areas of the brain that could enable better use of the left hand.

 It was visibly observed that as soon as the injured person started to use his left hand, for any activity from clicking a mouse to buttoning of shirt, the areas of the right hemisphere of the brain registered much more increased activity.  The researchers emphasised that it showed how well and quickly the brain can adapt to a situation.

Brain Adapts Quickly to a Broken Arm

Swiss researchers have come to a conclusion that the brain does not take long to determine that it needs to function differently after the incidence of a broken arm. According to the study, people with a broken limb such as an arm can quickly adjust to their new circumstance, at most in 2 weeks, and be more confident of using their other arm.

The research mapped brain activity of a person whose one arm was in a sling or a cast. Within two weeks, there was an increase in the area of the brain responsible for the mostly used limb such as the right arm, and increase in activity was noticed in areas responsible for the other limb such as the left hand. This happens while the limb that has been injured, i.e. the right hand in this example, heals. This is an important finding for people who need to rely on their lesser used limb, and also for people who have had a stroke and are trying to recuperate for regaining their motor skills.

According to Nicolas Langer, the University of Zurich neuropsychology researcher, these results are bound to be very beneficial for the rehabilitation therapy for people suffering from strokes and related problems. The scientist involved in the research scanned to know how well the researchers used their left hand after their dominant right hand was immobilised for 14 days. It was revealed that the brain’s left hemisphere that is associated with the use of right hand had decreased in size. The shift was considerable when compared with the same scans taken after 2 days of the injury.

The areas of the brain that are linked to use of the left hand were visibly increased in size, allowing the injured person better control of the uninjured arm. Stated simply, the brain had recognised that the dominant arm was in sling and needed to recuperate from damage, and so accordingly it had shifted the control to those areas of the brain that could enable better use of the left hand.

 It was visibly observed that as soon as the injured person started to use his left hand, for any activity from clicking a mouse to buttoning of shirt, the areas of the right hemisphere of the brain registered much more increased activity.  The researchers emphasised that it showed how well and quickly the brain can adapt to a situation.

Ex-Addil Commissioner of Income Tax sent to jail for 4 yrs

New Delhi, Feb 1, 2012, (PTI):

A former Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, arrested by CBI for demanding Rs one lakh as bribe for clearing a tax return matter, has been sentenced to four years in jail by a Delhi court.

Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh also imposed a fine of Rs four lakh on convict H A Siddiqui in the graft case registered against him in 2003 on a complaint by a chartered accountant M M Sachdeva.

"Prosecution (CBI) has been successful in proving that accused H A Siddiqui had demanded bribe of Rs one lakh from R P Katyal through his CA M M Sachdeva who is the complainant in this case.

"...The conversation recorded in office of the accused shows that demand of bribe was made by the accused in clear words and place of acceptance was to be fixed later on as he had taken the mobile phone number of Katyal," the court said.

According to CBI, Sachdeva had filed Katyal's income tax return for 2000-01 and it was selected for scrutiny assessment and a notice in this regard was received by Katyal on October 25, 2002.

Siddiqui started sending summons to them in this regard and called Katyal to pay Rs one lakh bribe, the agency said.

It said a trap team was constituted and it apprehended Siddiqui and one M C Gupta, who was a prosecution witness in the case, at the spot and money was recovered from the polybag carried by Gupta.

CBI had registered the FIR in the case on April 2, 2003, and had filed its chargesheet against Siddiqui in November that year.

During the trial, Siddiqui claimed innocence saying Sachdeva and Gupta, both chartered accountants, had tried to get undue advantage from him and when he refused to do so, they implicated him in a false case.

The court, however, said CBI has proved its case against Siddiqui beyond reasonable doubt.

The court also relied on reports regarding identification of voices saying that it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that the voice samples were of Siddiqui, Sachdeva and Katyal.

"Report regarding identification of voices in the questioned recording as well as the specimen recording are proved beyond reasonable doubt being of accused (Siddiqui), the complainant and Katyal," it said.

Ex-Addil Commissioner of Income Tax sent to jail for 4 yrs

New Delhi, Feb 1, 2012, (PTI):

A former Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, arrested by CBI for demanding Rs one lakh as bribe for clearing a tax return matter, has been sentenced to four years in jail by a Delhi court.

Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh also imposed a fine of Rs four lakh on convict H A Siddiqui in the graft case registered against him in 2003 on a complaint by a chartered accountant M M Sachdeva.

"Prosecution (CBI) has been successful in proving that accused H A Siddiqui had demanded bribe of Rs one lakh from R P Katyal through his CA M M Sachdeva who is the complainant in this case.

"...The conversation recorded in office of the accused shows that demand of bribe was made by the accused in clear words and place of acceptance was to be fixed later on as he had taken the mobile phone number of Katyal," the court said.

According to CBI, Sachdeva had filed Katyal's income tax return for 2000-01 and it was selected for scrutiny assessment and a notice in this regard was received by Katyal on October 25, 2002.

Siddiqui started sending summons to them in this regard and called Katyal to pay Rs one lakh bribe, the agency said.

It said a trap team was constituted and it apprehended Siddiqui and one M C Gupta, who was a prosecution witness in the case, at the spot and money was recovered from the polybag carried by Gupta.

CBI had registered the FIR in the case on April 2, 2003, and had filed its chargesheet against Siddiqui in November that year.

During the trial, Siddiqui claimed innocence saying Sachdeva and Gupta, both chartered accountants, had tried to get undue advantage from him and when he refused to do so, they implicated him in a false case.

The court, however, said CBI has proved its case against Siddiqui beyond reasonable doubt.

The court also relied on reports regarding identification of voices saying that it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that the voice samples were of Siddiqui, Sachdeva and Katyal.

"Report regarding identification of voices in the questioned recording as well as the specimen recording are proved beyond reasonable doubt being of accused (Siddiqui), the complainant and Katyal," it said.

HIV drug now available as oral powder for children

Posted on: 30 Jan 2012

New Delhi: The HIV drug Viread will now be available in powder form for HIV positive children after its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a bio-pharmaceutical company said Sunday. The move is expected to benefit millions of HIV positive children.

'There remains an unmet need for heat-stable, taste-neutral pediatric formulations that do not require cold storage, particularly in resource-limited settings, where mother-to-child transmission remains a significant challenge,' Norbert Bischofberger, executive vice president, research and development and chief scientific officer at Gilead Sciences, said in a statement.

'We are very pleased to provide an important new therapeutic option for younger HIV patients, and will work to make the pediatric formulations of Viread available as quickly as possible,' Bischofberger added.

The FDA also approved a New Drug Application (NDA) for an oral powder formulation of Viread for children ages 2-5. The active ingredient in Viread, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, is currently the most-prescribed molecule for adults receiving HIV therapy in the United States.

In pediatric patients, the use of either the lower-strength tablets or the oral powder formulation of Viread is based on the patient's age and weight. The safety and efficacy of Viread has not been established in children less than two years of age. For adults unable to swallow Viread tablets, the oral powder formulation equal to 300 mg may be used.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 2.5 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV worldwide, and more than 90 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa. 

HIV drug now available as oral powder for children

Posted on: 30 Jan 2012

New Delhi: The HIV drug Viread will now be available in powder form for HIV positive children after its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a bio-pharmaceutical company said Sunday. The move is expected to benefit millions of HIV positive children.

'There remains an unmet need for heat-stable, taste-neutral pediatric formulations that do not require cold storage, particularly in resource-limited settings, where mother-to-child transmission remains a significant challenge,' Norbert Bischofberger, executive vice president, research and development and chief scientific officer at Gilead Sciences, said in a statement.

'We are very pleased to provide an important new therapeutic option for younger HIV patients, and will work to make the pediatric formulations of Viread available as quickly as possible,' Bischofberger added.

The FDA also approved a New Drug Application (NDA) for an oral powder formulation of Viread for children ages 2-5. The active ingredient in Viread, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, is currently the most-prescribed molecule for adults receiving HIV therapy in the United States.

In pediatric patients, the use of either the lower-strength tablets or the oral powder formulation of Viread is based on the patient's age and weight. The safety and efficacy of Viread has not been established in children less than two years of age. For adults unable to swallow Viread tablets, the oral powder formulation equal to 300 mg may be used.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 2.5 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV worldwide, and more than 90 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Scientists establish fat as sixth human taste

 Story Dated: Monday, January 16, 2012 10:21 hrs IST 

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London: Scientists have stumbled on the sixth basic taste that our tongues can detect -- fat -- after sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury.

A team in the US has located a chemical receptor in the tongue's taste buds that recognises fat molecules, whose sensitivity varies between individuals.

The finding may help to explain why some people consume more fatty foods, as they are less aware of the taste as they eat.

The study found that those with half as much CD36 were eight times less sensitive to the presence of fat.

Researchers hope their discovery can be exploited to combat obesity by increasing people's sensitivity to fat in their food. Apart from the basic tastes, other aspects of food flavour actually come from the smell and are detected in the nose.

The research team, from the school of medicine at Washington University, St Louis, showed that people with more of CD36 were better at detecting the presence of fat in food.

They found that variations in a gene that produces CD36 makes people more or less sensitive to the presence of fat.

"The ultimate goal is to understand how our perception of fat in food might influence what foods we eat and the qualities of fat that we consume," said Nada Abumrad, professor at Washington, who led the research.

Up to 20 percent of people are believed to have a variant of the CD36 gene that is tied with producing lower levels of the receptor, which could mean they are less sensitive to the presence of fat in food. This may make them more prone to obesity.

Scientists establish fat as sixth human taste

 Story Dated: Monday, January 16, 2012 10:21 hrs IST 

Text Size

16Share

London: Scientists have stumbled on the sixth basic taste that our tongues can detect -- fat -- after sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury.

A team in the US has located a chemical receptor in the tongue's taste buds that recognises fat molecules, whose sensitivity varies between individuals.

The finding may help to explain why some people consume more fatty foods, as they are less aware of the taste as they eat.

The study found that those with half as much CD36 were eight times less sensitive to the presence of fat.

Researchers hope their discovery can be exploited to combat obesity by increasing people's sensitivity to fat in their food. Apart from the basic tastes, other aspects of food flavour actually come from the smell and are detected in the nose.

The research team, from the school of medicine at Washington University, St Louis, showed that people with more of CD36 were better at detecting the presence of fat in food.

They found that variations in a gene that produces CD36 makes people more or less sensitive to the presence of fat.

"The ultimate goal is to understand how our perception of fat in food might influence what foods we eat and the qualities of fat that we consume," said Nada Abumrad, professor at Washington, who led the research.

Up to 20 percent of people are believed to have a variant of the CD36 gene that is tied with producing lower levels of the receptor, which could mean they are less sensitive to the presence of fat in food. This may make them more prone to obesity.