Archive for July 2011
Clam shells on Caranzalem seashore
29 July 2011
CARANZALEM: For a change, the beach was not tarred black, but a tawny brown shade.
Instead of oily streaks of tar balls, almost half-a-km-long stretch of the beach was carpeted by empty shells of bivalves, raising speculation over whether it was a case of mass mortality.
“The life span of clams is short, and they may have been washed ashore after the completion of their life span and natural mortality,” NIO scientist Baban Ingole said. Most of the shells appear to be estuarine species of edible clams.
“The scene of the litter may have to be examined closely,” Ingole added….
2 NCL scientists recognised by Indian Academy of Sciences
27 July 2011
MUMBAI:Two National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) scientists, Amol Arvindrao Kulkarni and Dattatraya H Dethe, have been selected as young associates of the Indian Academy of Sciences for 2011-14.
This programme, introduced in 1983, identifies and encourages promising young scientists. The associateship is tenable for a maximum period of five years until the age of 35, or a minimum period of three years….
Research sweetens deal for saltpan workers
26 July 2011
GANDHINAGAR:Research by Bhavnagar-based Central Salt & Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI) for salt quality improvement in Rajula taluka of Amreli district could change the economics for salt workers now.
Scientists and farmers who participated in an experiment shared the findings at the annual general meeting of the Gujarat Agariya Hit Rakshak Sangh on Sunday, detailing how quality checks could help them retain what they threw away as waste and also enable them to fetch a much higher price for their produce.
A group of 15 Agariyas and scientists of CSMCRI worked on creating model salt farms (Agar) with regular scientific quality checks and other inputs and they realised they could get five to six times of the prices they presently get for their salt produce…..
Read more: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/research-sweetens-deal-for-saltpan-workers/822350/
Chemical Additive Protects Plastics From Rats
25 July 2011
o you need to protect products from rats? If so, there is an important new tool to add to your specifications arsenal.
PolyOne, a plastics compounder based in Avon Lake, Ohio, is offering a product called OnCap, an anti-termite/anti-rodent additive concentrate. It provides an alternative to metallic armor, glass roving, or special engineering polymers such as polyamide 12, which are often adopted to protect cables from hostile animal or insect environments.
C-Tech, an Indian company that developed the additive technology, says its material is non-toxic. C-Tech will not disclose the active ingredients, however. The most officials will say is that they are based on essential oils.
…..Field testing to determine the effectiveness of the chemicals was conducted at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India. Scientists there set up a large enclosure with at least five rodents for 30 days. Cables with and without the additive were buried in the enclosure. The average weight loss for the sample without the additive was extremely high compared to the average weight loss for the samples containing the additive…..
Read more: http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=231442&f_src=designnews_gnews
CSIR keen to revive sick Bengal PSU pharma cos
24 July 2011
KOLKATA:The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in a bid to expand the role of public sector in low cost healthcare has expressed interest in reviving at least some of the State-owned healthcare companies in West Bengal.
“Yes, we are interested in participating in the revival of PSU sick pharma and healthcare companies in West Bengal,” CSIR director-general Mr Samir K Brahmachari told PTI.
He said the CSIR could contribute in technological upgradation and equity stake or both. There are a few old well known pharma companies in the state like Bengal Immunity (now closed) and Bengal Chemicals & Pharamceuticals Ltd (a sick company)….
Read more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/article2290187.ece
Training for sericulture farmers
24 July 2011
JORHAT:Sericulture farmers in Sivasagar district can get updated on the latest technologies in use at a three-day training programme, starting tomorrow.
The programme, being organised by the North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Jorhat, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, will also provide the knowhow on extraction of nutritious edible oil from desilked pupae of silkworms.
B.G. Unni, a NEIST scientist who is in charge of the programme, said while the training would be totally on eco-friendly products, a group of farmers could together avail the technology discovered by IICT Hyderabad in edible oil extraction to supplement their income….
Read more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110725/jsp/northeast/story_14274319.jsp
Long dry spells add to monsoon blues
25 July 2011
MUMBAI: The brief lull in the rain is a respite for Mumbaikars who dread that their city will come to a standstill with the slightest shower , but farmers are hoping the break isn’t a long one . Research shows that in the last 50 years , there have been longer and more breaks in the monsoon over the Indian landmass-some intense enough to have caused droughts in the interiors .
According to a paper collectively published by the National Institute of Oceanography , Goa , Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune , there has been an increase in “monsoon-breaks ” over the Indian subcontinent . What’s more , both the duration and frequency of breaks have increased….
CSIR to introduce electric rickshaws in Kolkata
23 July 20111
KOLKATA:The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Saturday said it would introduce electric rickshaws in the city.
“We will initially launch 50 electric rickshaws on trial basis that can be powered by storage batteries,” CSIR DG Samir K. Brahmachari said here.
These battery powered rickshaws have been running successfully in north India and now the CSIR wants to introduce them in West Bengal.
“We are planning to launch them on October 2 as seed project before a business model is rolled out. I also had a word with the Finance Minister Amit Mitra to look into how the state can help creating a model,” Mr. Brahmachari said…..
Read more: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/article2287930.ece
Indigenous cholera vaccine close to trial
18 July 2011
KOLKATA: Researching for close to a decade, scientists are prearing to hold the large-scale human trials of the indigenously developed cholera vaccine and hope that the government would introduce it at least in the risk zones.
They have also proposed to map eight risk zones to accurately monitor prevalence of cholera, which would prepare the vaccine’s introduction and would save thousands falling victims to the disease.
“We are planning for the phase-II clinical trial on 500 volunteers. The field is being prepared. We hope to complete the trial in the next six months,” GB Nair, director of National Institute of Cholera and Enetric Diseases here told Deccan Herald.
A team made of researchers from NICED, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata and Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh developed the oral cholera vaccine using a live-but-weakened strain of cholera-causing bug, Vibrio cholerae. …
Read more: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/177390/indigenous-cholera-vaccine-close-trial.html
Award for 3 from National Chemical Laboratory
22 July 2011
PUNE: Three scientists, Dr Amol Arvindrao Kulkarni, Dr Dattatraya H Dethe and Dr Rahul Banerjee were on Thursday selected for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Young Scientist Award 2011. While Kulkarni has been selected for the ‘CSIR Young Scientist Award’ for the year 2011 in engineering sciences, Dr Dethe and Dr Banerjee have been selected for the same in the chemical sciences category….
Read more: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/award-for-3-from-national-chemical-laboratory/820770/
CSIR in the news.. 