Monthly Archives: October 2022

Mother’s ultra-processed food intake linked to obesity risk in children; Unlikely during peripregnancy

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A mother’s consumption of ultra-processed foods appears to be linked to an increased risk of overweight or obesity in her offspring, irrespective of other lifestyle risk factors, suggests a US study.

Researchers suggest that mothers might benefit from limiting their intake of ultra-processed foods, and that dietary guidelines should be refined and financial and social barriers removed to improve nutrition for women of child bearing age and reduce childhood obesity.

According to the World Health Organization, 39 million children were overweight or obese in 2020, leading to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and early death.

Ultra-processed foods, such as packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks and sugary cereals, are commonly found in modern Western style diets and are associated with weight gain in adults. But it’s unclear whether there’s a link between a mother’s consumption of ultra-processed foods and her offspring’s body weight.

To explore this further, the researchers drew on data for 19,958 children born to 14,553 mothers (45% boys, aged 7-17 years at study enrollment) from the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS II) and the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS I and II) in the United States.

pregnant lady/Commons.wikimedia.org

The NHS II is an ongoing study tracking the health and lifestyles of 116,429 US female registered nurses aged 25-42 in 1989. From 1991, participants reported what they ate and drank, using validated food frequency questionnaires every four years.

The GUTS I study began in 1996 when 16,882 children (aged 8-15 years) of NHS II participants completed an initial health and lifestyle questionnaire and were monitored every year between 1997 and 2001, and every two years thereafter.

In 2004, 10,918 children (aged 7-17 years) of NHS II participants joined the extended GUTS II study and were followed up in 2006, 2008, and 2011, and every two years thereafter.

A range of other potentially influential factors, known to be strongly correlated with childhood obesity, were also taken into account. These included mother’s weight (BMI), physical activity, smoking, living status (with partner or not), and partner’s education, as well as children’s ultra-processed food consumption, physical activity, and sedentary time.

Overall, 2471 (12%) children developed overweight or obesity during an average follow-up period of 4 years.

The results show that a mother’s ultra-processed food consumption was associated with an increased risk of overweight or obesity in her offspring. For example, a 26% higher risk was seen in the group with the highest maternal ultra-processed food consumption (12.1 servings/day) versus the lowest consumption group (3.4 servings/day).

In a separate analysis of 2790 mothers and 2925 children with information on diet from 3 months pre-conception to delivery (peripregnancy), the researchers found that peripregnancy ultra-processed food intake was not significantly associated with an increased risk of offspring overweight or obesity.

This is an observational study, so can’t establish cause and the researchers acknowledge that some of the observed risk may be due to other unmeasured factors, and that self-reported diet and weight measures might be subject to misreporting.

Other important limitations include the fact that some offspring participants were lost to follow-up, which resulted in a few of the analyses being underpowered, particularly those related to peripregnancy intake, and that mothers were predominantly white and from similar social and economic backgrounds, so the results may not apply to other groups.

Nevertheless, the study used data from several large ongoing studies with detailed dietary assessments over a relatively long period, and further analysis produced consistent associations, suggesting that the results are robust.

The researchers suggest no clear mechanism underlying these associations and say the area warrants further investigation.

Nevertheless, these data “support the importance of refining dietary recommendations and the development of programs to improve nutrition for women of reproductive age to promote offspring health,” they conclude.

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These Mouthwashes may suppress SARS-CoV-2

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SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is an airborne disease transmitted via aerosols, which are spread from the oral and nasal cavities—the mouth and the nose. In addition to the well-known division and spread of the virus in the cells of the respiratory tract, SARS-CoV-2 is also known to infect the cells of the lining of the mouth and the salivary glands.

A team of researchers led by Professor Kyoko Hida at Hokkaido University have shown that low concentrations of the chemical cetylpyridinium chloride, a component of some mouthwashes, has an antiviral effect on SARS-CoV-2. Their findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Commercially available mouthwashes contain a number of antibiotic and antiviral components that act against microorganisms in the mouth. One of these, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), has been shown to reduce the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in the mouth, primarily by disrupting the lipid membrane surrounding the virus. While there are other chemicals with similar effects, CPC has the advantage of being tasteless and odorless.

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), the chemical tested in the study (Photo: Ryo Takeda)/CREDIT:Ryo Takeda

The researchers were interested in studying the effects of CPC in Japanese mouthwashes. Mouthwashes in Japan typically contain a fraction of the CPC compared to previously tested mouthwashes. They tested the effects of CPC on cell cultures that express trans-membrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), which is required for SARS-CoV-2 entry into the cell.

They found that, within 10 minutes of application, 30–50 µg/mL of CPC inhibited the infectivity and capability for cell entry of SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, commercially available mouthwashes that contain CPC performed better than CPC alone. They also showed that saliva did not alter the effects of CPC. Most significantly, they tested four variants of SARS-CoV-2—the original, alpha, beta and gamma variants—and showed that the effects of CPC were similar across all strains.

Covid/commons.wikimedia.org

This study shows that low concentrations of CPC in commercial mouthwash suppress the infectivity of four variants of SARS-CoV-2. The authors have already begun assessing the effect on CPC-containing mouthwashes on viral loads in saliva of COVID-19 patients. Future work will also focus on fully understanding the mechanism of effect, as lower concentrations of CPC do not disrupt lipid membranes.

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Sound reveals ‘Ocean giants’ dance with wind to find food

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A study by MBARI researchers and their collaborators published today in Ecology Letters sheds new light on the movements of mysterious, endangered blue whales. The research team used a directional hydrophone on MBARI’s underwater observatory, integrated with other advanced technologies, to listen for the booming vocalizations of blue whales. They used these sounds to track the movements of blue whales and learned that these ocean giants respond to changes in the wind.

Along California’s Central Coast, spring and summer bring coastal upwelling. From March through July, seasonal winds push the top layer of water out to sea, allowing the cold water below to rise to the surface. The cooler, nutrient-rich water fuels blooms of tiny phytoplankton, jumpstarting the food web in Monterey Bay, from small shrimp-like krill all the way to giant whales. When the winds create an upwelling event, blue whales seek out the plumes of cooler water, where krill are most abundant. When upwelling stops, the whales move offshore into habitat that is transected by shipping lanes.

“This research and its underlying technologies are opening new windows into the complex, and beautiful, ecology of these endangered whales,” said John Ryan, a biological oceanographer at MBARI and lead author of this study. “These findings demonstrate a new resource for managers seeking ways to better protect blue whales and other species.”

CREDIT:Image: Goldbogen Lab/Duke Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab (NMFS Permit 16111)

The directional hydrophone is a specialized underwater microphone that records sounds and identifies the direction from which they originate. To use this technology to study blue whale movements, researchers needed to confirm that the hydrophone reliably tracked whales. This meant matching the acoustic bearings to a calling whale that was being tracked by GPS. With confidence in the acoustic methods established, the research team examined two years of acoustic tracking of the regional blue whale population.

This study built upon previous research led by MBARI Senior Scientist Kelly Benoit-Bird, which revealed that swarms of forage species—anchovies and krill—reacted to coastal upwelling. This time, researchers combined satellite and mooring data of upwelling conditions and echosounder data on krill aggregations with the acoustic tracks of foraging blue whales logged by the directional hydrophone.

“Previous work by the MBARI team found that when coastal upwelling was strongest, anchovies and krill formed dense swarms within upwelling plumes. Now, we’ve learned that blue whales track these dynamic plumes, where abundant food resources are available,” explained Ryan.

Blue whales recognize when the wind is changing their habitat and identify places where upwelling aggregates their essential food—krill. For a massive animal weighing up to 150 tonnes (165 tons), finding these dense aggregations is a matter of survival.

While scientists have long recognized that blue whales seasonally occupy Monterey Bay during the upwelling season, this research has revealed that the whales closely track the upwelling process on a very fine scale of both space (kilometers) and time (days to weeks).

“Tracking many individual wild animals simultaneously is challenging in any ecosystem. This is especially difficult in the open ocean, which is often opaque to us as human observers,” said William Oestreich, previously a graduate student at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station and now a postdoctoral fellow at MBARI. “Integration of technologies to measure these whales’ sounds enabled this important discovery about how groups of predators find food in a dynamic ocean. We’re excited about the future discoveries we can make by eavesdropping on blue whales and other noisy ocean animals.”

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b-type procyanidin-rich foods consumed in right amounts have multiple health benefits

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B-type procyanidins, made of catechin oligomers, are a class of polyphenols found abundantly in foods like cocoa, apples, grape seeds, and red wine. Several studies have established the benefits of these micronutrients in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes. B-type procyanidins are also successful in controlling hypertension, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance. Studies attest to the physiological benefits of their intake on the central nervous system (CNS), namely an improvement in cognitive functions. These physiological changes follow a pattern of hormesis—a phenomenon in which peak benefits of a substance are achieved at mid-range doses, becoming progressively lesser at lower and higher doses.

The dose-response relationship of most bioactive compounds follows a monotonic pattern, in which a higher dose shows a greater response. However, in some exceptional cases, a U-shaped dose-response curve is seen. This U-shaped curve signifies hormesis—an adaptive response, in which a low dose of usually a harmful compound induces resistance in the body to its higher doses. This means that exposure to low levels of a harmful trigger can induce the activation of stress-resistant pathways, leading to greater repair and regeneration capabilities. In case of B-type procyanidins, several in vitro studies support their hormetic effects, but these results have not been demonstrated in vivo.

To address this knowledge gap, researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), Japan, led by Professor Naomi Osakabe from the Department of Bioscience and Engineering, reviewed the data from intervention trials supporting hormetic responses of B-type procyanidin ingestion. The team, comprising Taiki Fushimi and Yasuyuki Fujii from the Graduate School of Engineering and Science (SIT), also conducted in vivo experiments to understand possible connections between B-type procyanidin hormetic responses and CNS neurotransmitter receptor activation. Their article was made available online on June 15, 2022 and has been published in volume 9 of Frontiers of Nutrition on September 7, 2022.

Researchers from SIT, Japan investigated the dose-response effects of B-type procyanidins on the hormetic response system./CREDIT:Reprinted with permission from, Osakabe N, Fushimi T and Fujii Y (2022) Hormetic response to B-type procyanidin ingestion involves stress-related neuromodulation via the gut-brain axis: Preclinical and clinical observations. Front. Nutr. 9:969823. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.969823. Copyright © 2022 Osakabe, Fushimi and Fujii.

The researchers noted that a single oral administration of an optimal dose of cocoa flavanol temporarily increased the blood pressure and heart rate in rats. But the hemodynamics did not change when the dose was increased or decreased. Administration of B-type procyanidin monomer and various oligomers produced similar results. According to Professor Osakabe, “These results are consistent with those of intervention studies following a single intake of food rich in B-type procyanidin, and support the U-shaped dose-response theory, or hormesis, of polyphenols.”

To observe whether the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is involved in the hemodynamic changes induced by B-type procyanidins, the team administered adrenaline blockers in test rats. This successfully decreased the temporary increase in heart rate induced by the optimal dose of cocoa flavanol. A different kind of blocker—a1 blocker—inhibited the transient rise in blood pressure. This suggested that the SNS, which controls the action of adrenaline blockers, is responsible for the hemodynamic and metabolic changes induced by a single oral dose of B-type procyanidin.

The researchers next ascertained why optimal doses, and not high doses, are responsible for the thermogenic and metabolic responses. They co-administered a high dose of cocoa flavanol and yohimbine (an α2 blocker) and noted a temporary but distinct increase in blood pressure in test animals. Similar observations were made with the use of B-type procyanidin oligomer and yohimbine. Professor Osakabe surmises, “Since α2 blockers are associated with the down-regulation of the SNS, the reduced metabolic and thermogenic outputs at a high dose of B-type procyanidins seen in our study may have induced α2 auto-receptor activation. Thus, SNS deactivation may be induced by a high dose of B-type procyanidins.”

Previous studies have proven the role of the gut-brain axis in controlling hormetic stress-related responses. The activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by optimal stress has a strong influence on memory, cognition, and stress tolerance. This article highlights how HPA activation occurs after a single dose of B-type procyanidin, suggesting that stimulation with an oral dose of B-type procyanidin might be a stressor for mammals and cause SNS activation.

Hormesis and its triggering biochemical pathways deliver protection against various pathological and aging processes, enhancing our general health and making us resilient to future stress. Though the exact relation between B-type procyanidins and the CNS needs more research, the health benefits of B-type procyanidin-rich foods remains undisputed.

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2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Former Berkeley Lab scientist Carolyn Bertozzi wins

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The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless “for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.”

Bertozzi, a professor of chemistry at Stanford University, is the eighth woman to be awarded the prize. From 1996 to 2015, before joining Stanford, she was a faculty scientist at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a UC Berkeley professor. She also served as the director of the Molecular Foundry, a DOE Office of Science nanoscience user facility located at Berkeley Lab, from 2006 to 2010.

The award to Bertozzi brings the number of Nobel Prizes associated with Berkeley Lab scientists to sixteen. (Earlier this week, on Tuesday, Oct. 4, former Lab postdoc John Clauser’s 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics brought the Lab’s tally to fifteen.)

According to today’s Nobel Prize announcement, “The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 is about making difficult processes easier. Barry Sharpless and Morten Meldal have laid the foundation for a functional form of chemistry – click chemistry – in which molecular building blocks snap together quickly and efficiently. Carolyn Bertozzi has taken click chemistry to a new dimension and started utilising it in living organisms.”

Carolyn Bertozzi/CREDIT:Jenny Nuss/Berkeley Lab

“Carolyn Bertozzi had a profound impact at Berkeley Lab, not only through her brilliant science, but as someone who created new institutions that encouraged team science,” said Berkeley Lab Director Mike Witherell.

By pioneering a method for mapping biomolecules on the surface of cells, Bertozzi helped create a suite of techniques comprising “bioorthogonal chemistry,” a term Bertozzi coined, which means “not interacting with biology.” The method describes chemical reactions that allow scientists to explore cells and track biological processes without disrupting the normal chemistry of the cell.

Bertozzi’s lab first developed the method in the late 1990s and early 2000s. During that time, she was one of the six scientists who helped establish the Molecular Foundry, a nanoscience research facility that provides scientists from around the world access to cutting-edge expertise and instrumentation. She served as the Molecular Foundry’s director when the facility first opened its doors to the research community in 2006, and she founded the Foundry’s Biological Nanostructures Facility, where scientists study the synthesis, analysis and mimicry of biological nanostructures.

“Carolyn Bertozzi’s impact on nanoscience is huge,” said Jeff Neaton, associate laboratory director of Berkeley Lab’s Energy Sciences Area. “The chemistry she developed paved the way for the science and engineering of living-nonliving interfaces, a frontier of nanoscience which also became a major theme of the Foundry.”

Under Bertozzi’s leadership, the Foundry grew immensely, bringing in scientists from across the disciplines. This multidisciplinary approach inspired collaborations with visiting scientists, including longtime Foundry user K. Barry Sharpless, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Bertozzi and Morten Meldal.

“Carolyn put the Foundry on the map,” said Bruce Cohen, a staff scientist in the Foundry’s Biological Nanostructures facility since 2006. “She oversaw the opening of the facility, which is a major administrative and scientific feat.”  He added that Bertozzi’s “science is so creative and original, as well as technically on point, and it’s opened up entire new areas of study. This is a well-deserved Nobel Prize. I couldn’t be happier for her.”

Cohen said that Bertozzi is also “a great mentor to all of the scientists around her, and has always been an inspirational role model for both women and LGBTQ people in science.”

Bertozzi and others have used her methods to answer fundamental questions about the role of sugars in biology, to study how cells build proteins and other molecules, to develop new cancer medicines, and to produce new materials for energy storage, among many other applications.

The Nobel committee said in a statement that “click chemistry and bio-orthogonal reactions have taken chemistry into the era of functionalism,” adding that “this is bringing the greatest benefit to humankind.”

Among her many awards, Bertozzi is a recipient of the 2014 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award, the Department of Energy’s highest scientific honor. She was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1999. She won the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2022.

Bertozzi completed her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Harvard University and her Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. She has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 2000. She joined Stanford in 2015.

 

World Food Programme gets 2020 Nobel Prize for Peace

India emerges as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar and world’s 2nd largest exporter of sugar

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  • India emerges as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar and world’s 2nd largest exporter of sugar.
  • Records over 5000 LMT sugarcane produced in sugar season 2021-22; 35 LMT sugar used to ethanol production and 359 LMT sugar produced by sugar mills in the season.
  • Records highest sugar exports of 109.8 LMT.
  • Sugar mills/distilleries generate ₹ 18,000 crore from sale of ethanol.
  • 95% of all cane dues cleared by the millers by end of the season; for Sugar Season 2020-21, more than 99.9% cane dues have been cleared.

In Sugar Season (Oct-Sep) 2021-22, a record of more than 5000 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT) sugarcane was produced in the country out of which about 3574 LMT of sugarcane was crushed by sugar mills to produce about 394 LMT of sugar (Sucrose). Out of this, 35 LMT sugar was diverted to ethanol production and 359 LMT sugar was produced by sugar mills. With this, India has emerged as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar as well as the world’s 2nd largest exporter of sugar.

The season has proven to be a watershed season for Indian Sugar Sector. All records of sugarcane production, sugar production, sugar exports, cane procured, cane dues paid and ethanol production were made during the season.

Another shining highlight of the season is the highest exports of about 109.8 LMT that too with no financial assistance which was being extended upto 2020-21. Supportive international prices and Indian Government Policy led to this feat of Indian Sugar Industry. These exports earned foreign currency of about Rs. 40,000 crores for the country.

 

The success story of sugar industry is the outcome of synchronous and collaborative efforts of Central and State Governments, farmers, sugar mills, ethanol distilleries with very supportive overall ecosystem for business in the country. Timely Government interventions since last 5 years have been crucial in building the sugar sector step by step from taking them out of financial distress in 2018-19 to the stage of self-sufficiency in 2021-22.

During SS 2021-22, sugar mills procured sugarcane worth more than 1.18 lakh crore and released payment of more than 1.12 lakh crore with no financial assistance (subsidy) from Government of India. Thus, cane dues at the end of sugar season are less than ₹ 6,000 crore indicating that 95% of cane dues have already been cleared. It is also noteworthy that for SS 2020-21, more than 99.9% cane dues are cleared.

 

Government has been encouraging sugar mills to divert sugar to ethanol and also to export surplus sugar so that sugar mills may make payment of cane dues to farmers in time and also mills may have better financial conditions to continue their operations.

 

 

Growth of ethanol as biofuel sector in last 5 years has amply supported the sugar sector as use of sugar to ethanol has led to better financial positions of sugar mills due to faster payments, reduced working capital requirements and less blockage of funds due to less surplus sugar with mills. During 2021-22, revenue of about ₹ 18,000 crore has been made by sugar mills/distilleries from sale of ethanol which has also played its role in early clearance of cane dues of farmers. Ethanol production capacity of molasses/sugar-based distilleries has increased to 605 crore litres per annum and the progress is still continuing to meet targets of 20% blending by 2025 under Ethanol Blending with Petrol (EBP) Programme. In new season, the diversion of sugar to ethanol is expected to increase from 35 LMT to 50 LMT which would generate revenue for sugar mills amounting to about ₹ 25,000 crores.

There is an optimum closing balance of 60 LMT of sugar which is essential to meet domestic requirements for 2.5 months. The diversion of sugar to ethanol and exports led to unlocking of value chain of the whole industry as well as improved financial conditions of sugar mills leading to more optional mills in ensuing season.

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Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seizes gold valued at Rs 11.65 crore being smuggled through North-East Borders, 4 held

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11 cases of gold seizures of 121 kg in September 2022by DRI in the North East Corridor.

The recent gold seizures in the North East by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) indicate a spurt in smuggling of gold through NE borders of Bangladesh and Myanmar. While the porous borders have been used for smuggling in the past, 11 cases of gold seizures of 121 kg in September 2022alone show that the NE corridor is still extensively being used by smugglers deploying ingenious ways of concealment.

Acting on specific intelligence and in three coordinated interceptions at Patna, Delhi and Mumbai, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized65.46 kg of foreign origin gold worth Rs 33.40 crore. The gold was consigned from Aizwal to Mumbai in domestic courier consignment. The gold was concealed in gunny bags declared as clothes.

                                                 Pictures exhibiting concealment of foreign origin gold in vehicles

In yet another case of smuggling through the same route, the DRI seized another big haul of smuggled foreign origin gold weighing approximately 23.23 kg and valued at Rs.11.65 crore (approx.) which was being smuggled from Myanmar.Specific intelligence indicated that substantial quantity of foreign origin gold will be attempted to be smuggled from Champhai-Aizawl, Mizoram to Kolkata, West Bengal by carrying/concealing them in vehicle. To interdict the contraband, coordinated action was undertaken on 28th – 29th September 2022.The DRI officers mounted surveillance on the highway connecting Siliguri – Guwahati. Four passengers travelling in 2 suspect vehicles were identified and intercepted. After thorough rummaging of the two vehicles over a period of 2 days, 23.23 Kg gold concealed in the vehicle body in the form of 21 cylindrical pieces, was recovered. The gold in this case was cast in order to fit in the specifically made cavity inside the cross-member metal pipe connecting the right and left rails of chassis behind the rear wheels and suspension in both the vehicles. The recovered gold had been smuggled into India from Myanmar through Zokhawthar border in Mizoram. Four persons have been arrested in the instant case so far.

In another 9 cases in the month, DRI recovered and seized 27 kg smuggled gold form various carriers coming from North-Eastern part of the country to the rest of the country. These series of detections have helped unearth novel modus operandi of smuggling foreign origin gold into India from the North-Eastern part of the country.

Further investigation is in progress.

 

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence foils attempts of gold smuggling, seizes 65.46 kg of gold at Mumbai, Patna, Delhi

PM Narendra Modi greets everyone on Vijaya Dashami

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The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has greeted everyone on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami. Shri Modi also wished that may this auspicious occasion brings courage, restraint and positive energy in everyone’s life.
The Prime Minister tweeted;
“सभी देशवासियों को विजय के प्रतीक-पर्व विजयादशमी की बहुत-बहुत बधाई। मेरी कामना है कि यह पावन अवसर हर किसी के जीवन में साहस, संयम और सकारात्मक ऊर्जा लेकर आए।”

PM greets everyone on Vijaya Dashami

PM Narendra Modi to interact with winners of National Awards to Teachers on 5th Sep 2022

Health: Which grains you eat can impact your risk of getting heart disease earlier

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In one of the first studies to examine the relationship between different types of grain intake and premature coronary artery disease in the Middle East, researchers found a higher intake of refined grain was associated with an increased risk of premature coronary artery disease in an Iranian population, while eating whole grains was associated with reduced risk.

According to the researchers, previous epidemiological studies have reported an association between different types of grain intake with the risk of coronary artery disease. The current study evaluated the association between refined and whole grains consumption and risk of PCAD in an Iranian population.

Premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) refers to atherosclerotic narrowing of coronary arteries in males under 55 years old or in females under 65 years old. It is often asymptomatic early in the course of the disease but may lead to chest pain (angina) and/or heart attack with progressive development of narrowing (stenosis) or plaque rupture of the arterial wall. Risk factors for PCAD include smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Millets-Grains

“There are many factors involved in why people may be consuming more refined grains as opposed to whole grains and these cases differ between people, but some of the most important factors to consider include the economy and income, job, education, culture, age and other similar factors,” said Mohammad Amin Khajavi Gaskarei, MD, of the Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center and Cardiovascular Research Institute at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Isfahan, Iran, and the study’s lead author. “A diet that includes consuming a high amount of unhealthy and refined grains can be considered similar to consuming a diet containing a lot of unhealthy sugars and oils.”

Whole grains are defined as containing the entire grain, while refined grains have been milled—ground into flour or meal—to improve shelf life but they lose important nutrients in the process. The 2019 ACC/American Heart Association Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease recommends a diet that emphasizes the intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains and fish to decrease heart disease risk factors.

The study recruited 2099 individuals with PCAD from hospitals. Participants were given a food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessments to evaluate dietary behaviors and evaluate the association between whole grain and refined grain intake and the risk of PCAD in individuals without a prior diagnoses of heart disease. After adjusting for confounders, a higher intake of refined grains was associated with an increased risk of PCAD, while whole grain intake was inversely related to reduced risk of PCAD.

“As more studies demonstrate an increase in refined grains consumption globally, as well as the impact on overall health, it is important that we find ways to encourage and educate people on the benefits of whole grain consumption,” Khajavi Gaskarei said. “Tactics to consider include teaching improved dietary choices in schools and other public places in simple language the general population can understand, as well as on television programs and by continuing to do high level research that is presented at medical conferences and published in medical journals. Clinicians must also be having these conversations with each other and their patients.”

Meal timing may influence mood vulnerability; Daytime eating benefits mental health

 

Human ‘blastoids’ offer medical hope but also deep ethical challenges

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The study of blastoids, a research model of an early embryo derived from stem cells rather than from a father’s sperm or a mother’s egg, offers great hope for researchers investigating why pregnancies are lost at an early stage, what causes birth defects, and other topics related to early human development. Their use potentially avoids the challenges of scarcity and potential ethical problems of using actual embryos for the same sort of research.

But a group of ethicists and a cellular biologist have warned that blastoids are not without their own set of ethical considerations. While mammalian blastoid research has advanced rapidly in recent years, often using mouse blastoids, there has been insufficient consideration of how to regulate the creation and research use of human blastoids—feasible only since 2021.

Blastoids, sometimes called embryoids, resemble the cells, structure (morphology) and genetics of the very earliest form an embryo takes. Such an early embryo is called a blastocyst. Blastoids mimic early embryonic development up to and potentially just beyond the blastocyst stage five to six days after the first cell division. A major step forward in recent years has been the ability to grow blastocyst-like structures from pluripotent stem cells (cells that are able to take on many different cell types or tissue forms).

“But whereupon implantation into the uterus, blastocysts ultimately develop into a fetus, blastoids do not, and so are considered a model of an embryo rather than an actual embryo,” said bioethicist and Associate Professor Tsutomu Sawai of the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hiroshima University, a co-author of the paper. “Or, more precisely, there is so far no evidence that they can develop into a fetus, which is the crux of the ethical conundrum.”

The scholars in their paper did not set out to make an argument for or against different regulatory or ethical attitudes toward human blastoid research, but instead wanted to explore what problems might arise around regulation of them to inform political, scientific and societal conversation about this research.

A team of bioethicists and a cellular biologist in Japan discuss the ethical challenges in human blastoid research./CREDIT:Kanon Tanaka (https://www.kanontanaka-illustration-webdesign-science.com/index.html)

What makes the issue ethically fraught is that just as people have different views as to the moral status of embryos, especially in the context of research, they are likely to have different views on the moral status of blastoids. Some feel that the key question is whether embryos or blastoids have properties such as sentience—the ability to feel pain or experience consciousness, while others feel that the key question is whether they have the potential to do so.

Some scientists have argued that blastoids and blastocysts are not functionally equivalent, and would therefore not require the same level of oversight and regulation as human embryos.

An opposing camp however has argued that blastoids will become functionally closer to blastocysts sooner or later if they are morphologically and genetically similar to normal blastocysts. As a result, this camp feels that blastoids and blastocysts should be treated the same by regulators as they may become functionally equivalent in the future.

There have been no reports yet of mouse blastoids developing to the fetal stage, and so it is believed that mouse blastoids do not possess the ability to do so. In turn, it is assumed that human blastoids are similarly incapable.

However, while mice are useful models, they are not the same as humans. Yet it would not be socially and legally permissible to implant a blastoid into the uterus of a woman to find out whether human blastoids can develop further than mouse ones do.

In addition, it may be the case that the failure of a mouse blastoid to develop into a fetus is the result of the ‘culture technique’, or method of growing the blastoid in a lab, which necessarily will be different from the environment of a uterus. Theoretically then, whether mouse or human, blastoids might indeed be able to develop further if culture techniques became available that perfectly mimic in utero development.

“The feasibility of lab techniques perfectly mimicking in utero however remains speculative, and policy-makers, researchers and wider society need to assess what to do right now, not wait until such technological advances occur,” added Professor Sawai.

Taking these arguments into account, there are two options for regulating blastoid research. One is to differentiate between blastoids and blastocysts since there is currently no convincing evidence to demonstrate that blastoids and blastocysts are functionally equivalent or are likely to become functionally equivalent in the near future. The other possibility is to regulate them in the same way, regardless of whether they are functionally equivalent or not by emphasizing the genetic and structural similarities between the two.

For example, Japan, the UK and US have taken a regulatory approach that embraces the first option, while Australia has chosen a path that embraces the latter option.

The scholars also note that such research regulation can be affected by whether human blastoids are derived from stem cells that come from embryos (ESC) or from what are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). This latter type comes from skin or blood cells that have been reprogrammed back into a pluripotent state akin to that of embryo stem cells. The ethical issues related to iPSC research are usually considered less severe than those for ESC research, as the latter involves the destruction of embryos.

But if regulators opt for a preference for iPSC-derived blastoids over ESC blastoids, thinking that they have avoided an ethical minefield, they may find that they are in one nevertheless.

This is because iPSCs have the same genetic information as the donor, and so it may be reasonable to consider iPSC-derived blastoids as falling within the regulatory framework of cloned embryos. In the public consciousness, human cloning for research purposes has proven to be just as if not more ethically fraught than creating human embryos for research purposes.

The very recent advent of the capacity to make human blastoids has meant that the debate over human blastoids has so far yet to leap much beyond the lab bench or regulatory office and pierce the public’s consciousness in the way that the moral status of human embryos in scientific research has. But this situation is unlikely to remain the case for long, and the scholars feel this is a good thing.

“The rules for early developmental research, whether on blastoids or embryos, should not be decided by scientists or bioethicists alone,” concluded Professor Sawai. “Instead, a wider societal discussion must take the lead.”

Study in mice may reveal insights into causes of miscarriages for some women

Last date to submit application for National Means cum Merit Scholarship scheme extended till 15th October, 2022

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The last date for submission of application for ‘NMCMSS for the year 2022-23 extended till 15th October, 2022’ Under the ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme’ scholarships are awarded to meritorious students of economically weaker sections to arrest their drop out at class VIII and encourage them to continue their education at secondary stage. One lakh fresh scholarships are awarded to selected students from class IX every year and their continuation / renewal in classes X to XII for students studying in State Government, Government-aided and local body schools. The amount of scholarship is Rs. 12000/- per annum.

The National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) is boarded on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – a one stop platform for scholarship schemes given to students. NMMSS scholarships are disbursed directly into the bank accounts of selected students by electronic transfer through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) following DBT mode. This is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme.

Students whose parental income from all sources is not more than Rs. 3,50,000/- per annum are eligible to avail the scholarships. The students must have minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in Class VII examination for appearing in the selection test for award of scholarship (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students).

The last date of INO level (L1) verification is 31st October, 2022 and of DNO level (L2) verification is 15th November, 2022

National Scholarship Portal: Home

 

 

Schedule for Assembly Bye-election in Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh,Odisha

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The Commission has decided to hold the bye-election to fill vacancies in the following Assembly Constituencies of Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha: –

Sl. No. Name of State Assembly Constituency No. & Name
Maharashtra 166-Andheri East
Bihar 178-Mokama
Bihar 101-Gopalganj
Haryana 47-Adampur
Telangana 93-Munugode
Uttar Pradesh 139-Gola Gokrannath
Odisha 46-Dhamnagar(SC)

Schedule for the bye election is as follows:

Schedule for Bye-election for Assembly Constituencies
Poll Events  Schedule

 
Date of Issue of Gazette Notification 7th October, 2022

(Friday)
Last Date of Nominations 14th October, 2022

(Friday)
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations 15th October, 2022

(Saturday)
Last Date for Withdrawal of candidatures 17th October, 2022

(Monday)
Date of Poll 3rd November, 2022

(Thursday)
Date of Counting 6th November, 2022

(Sunday)
Date before which election shall be completed 8th November, 2022

(Tuesday)

 

  1. ELECTORAL ROLLS

The Electoral Rolls for the aforesaid Assembly Constituencies w.r.t 01.01.2022 will be used for these elections.

  1.  ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES(EVMs) & VVPATs

The Comission has decided to use EVMs and VVPATs in the bye-elections in all the polling stations. Adequate numbers of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the polls are conducted smoothly with the help of these machines.

  1. IDENTIFICATION OF VOTERS

Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) shall be the main document of identification of a voter. However, any of the below mentioned identification documents can also be shown at the polling station:

  1. Aadhar Card,
  2. MNREGA Job Card,
  3. Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office,
  4. Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour,
  5. Driving License,
  6. PAN Card,
  7. Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR,
  8. Indian Passport,
  9. Pension document with photograph,
  10. Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies, and
  11. Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs.
  12. Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card, M/o Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India

 

  1. MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT

The Model Code of Conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the district(s) in which the whole or any part of the Parliamentary / Assembly constituency going for election is included, subject to partial modification as issued vide Commission’s instruction No. 437/6/1NST/2016-CCS, dated 29thJune, 2017 (available on the commission’s website).

  1. INFORMATION REGARDING CRIMINAL ANTECEDENTS

Candidates with criminal antecedents are required to publish information in this regard in newspapers and through Television channels on three occasions during the campaign period. A political party that sets up candidates with criminal antecedents is also required to publish information about criminal background of its candidates, both on its website and also in newspapers and Television channels on three occasions.

Commission vide its letter No. 3/4/2019/SDR/Vol. IV dated 16th September, 2020 has directed that the period specified will be decided with three blocks in the following manner, so that electors have sufficient time to know about the background of such candidates:

  1. Within first 4 days of withdrawal.
  2.   Between next 5th– 8thdays.
  3.   From 9th day till the last day of campaign (the second day prior to date of poll)

 (Illustration: If the last date for withdrawal is 10th of the month and poll is on 24th of the Month, the first block for publishing of declaration shall be done between 11th and 14th of the Month, second and third blocks shall be between 15th and 18th and 19th and 22nd of that Month, respectively.)

This requirement is in pursuance of the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Writ Petition(C) No. 784 of 2015 (Lok Prahari Vs. Union of India & Others) and Writ Petition(Civil) No. 536 of 2011 (Public Interest Foundation & Ors. Vs. Union of India & Anr.).

This information will also be available on an App titled, ‘know your candidates’.

  1. COVID RELATED ARRANGEMENT DURING BYE-ELECTION-

In view of overall improvement in the situation of COVID country wide and in view of withdrawal of restrictive measure under D M Act by NDMA/SDMA, it has been decided to follow the advisories issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India from time to time.  During the process of bye election, there should be continued focus on the five-fold strategy, i.e. Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence to COVID Appropriate Behaviour.  The District machinery should effectively monitor COVID situation and enforce the norms of COVID Appropriate Behaviour by prescribing requisite legal/administrative norms.

 

Bathukamma festival: Colourful flower show illuminates India Gate in Delhi [Photos]

Swatting? FBI warns residents of Las Vegas over the dangers

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The FBI Las Vegas Field Office wants to educate the public about the dangers of swatting. Swatting is a form of harassment to deceive an emergency service provider into sending a police and emergency service response team to another person’s address due to the false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency. The individuals who engage in this activity use technology, such as caller ID spoofing, social engineering, TTY, and prank calls to make it appear that the emergency call is coming from the victim’s phone. Traditionally, law enforcement has seen swatters directing their actions toward individuals and residences. Increasingly, the FBI sees swatters targeting public places such as airports, schools, and businesses. Another recent trend is so-called celebrity swatting, where the targeted victims are well-known personalities.

swatting

These calls are dangerous to first responders and to the victims. The callers often tell tales of hostages about to be executed or bombs about to go off. The community is placed in danger as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies, and the officers are placed in danger as unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves. If you receive a swatting threat or information that an individual is planning to engage in swatting, report it to local law enforcement and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI immediately.

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‘Love hormone’ revealed to have heart healing properties in Humans like EpiPCs regenerate organs in zebrafish

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The neurohormone oxytocin is well-known for promoting social bonds including trust, empathy, positive memories, processing of bonding cues, and positive communication and generating pleasurable feelings, for example from art, exercise, or intimacy.

Now, researchers from Michigan State University show that in zebrafish and human cell cultures, oxytocin has yet another, unsuspected, function: it stimulates stem cells derived from the heart’s outer layer (epicardium) to migrate into its middle layer (myocardium) and there develop into cardiomyocytes, muscle cells that generate heart contractions. This discovery could one day be used to promote the regeneration of the human heart after a heart attack.

“Here we show that oxytocin, a neuropeptide also known as the love hormone, is capable of activating heart repair mechanisms in injured hearts in zebrafish and human cell cultures, opening the door to potential new therapies for heart regeneration in humans,” said Dr Aitor Aguirre, an assistant professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Michigan State University, and the study’s senior author.

Stem-like cells can replenish cardiomyocytes

Cardiomyocetes typically die off in great numbers after a heart attack. Because they are highly specialized cells, they can’t replenish themselves. But previous studies have shown that a subset of cells in the epicardium can undergo reprogramming to become stem-like cells, called Epicardium-derived Progenitor Cells (EpiPCs), which can regenerate not only cardiomyocytes, but also other types of heart cells.

“Think of the EpiPCs as the stonemasons that repaired cathedrals in Europe in the Middle Ages,” explained Aguirre.

Unfortunately for us, the production of EpiPCs is inefficient for heart regeneration in humans under natural conditions.

Zebrafish could teach us how to regenerate hearts more efficiently

Enter the zebrafish: famous for their extraordinary capacity for regenerating organs, including the brain, retina, internal organs, bone, and skin. They don’t suffer heart attacks, but its many predators are happy to take a bite out of any organ, including the heart – so zebrafish can regrow their heart when as much as a quarter of it has been lost. This is done partly by proliferation of cardiomyocytes, but also by EpiPCs. But how do the EpiPCs of zebrafish repair the heart so efficiently? And can we find a ‘magic bullet’ in zebrafish that could artificially boost the production of EpiPCs in humans?

Yes, and this ‘magic bullet’ appears to be oxytocin, argue the authors.

To reach this conclusion, the authors found that in zebrafish, within three days after cryoinjury – injury due to freezing – to the heart, the expression of the messenger RNA for oxytocin increases up to 20-fold in the brain. They further showed that this oxytocin then travels to the zebrafish epicardium and binds to the oxytocin receptor, triggering a molecular cascade that stimulates local cells to expand and develop into EpiPCs. These new EpiPCs then migrate to the zebrafish myocardium to develop into cardiomyocytes, blood vessels, and other important heart cells, to replace those which had been lost.

zebrafish/wikipedia

Similar effect on human tissue cultures

Crucially, the authors showed that oxytocin has a similar effect on human tissue in vitro. Oxytocin – but none of 14 other neurohormones tested here – stimulates cultures of human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hIPSCs) to become EpiPCs, at up to twice the basal rate: a much stronger effect than other molecules previously shown to stimulate EpiPC production in mice. Conversely, genetic knock-down of the oxytocin receptor prevented the the regenerative activation of human EpiPCs in culture. The authors also showed that the link between oxytocin and the stimulation of EpiPCs is the important ‘TGF-β signaling pathway’, known to regulate the growth, differentiation, and migration of cells.

Aguirre said: “These results show that it is likely that the stimulation by oxytocin of EpiPC production is evolutionary conserved in humans to a significant extent. Oxytocin is widely used in the clinic for other reasons, so repurposing for patients after heart damage is not a long stretch of the imagination. Even if heart regeneration is only partial, the benefits for patients could be enormous.”

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Mind your language when diagnosing women with polycystic ovary syndrome

 

 

VMC is biomarker of ageing for nematode; what is its role in Humans?

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We all grow old and die, but we still don’t know why. Diet, exercise and stress all effect our lifespan, but the underlying processes that drive ageing remain a mystery. Often, we measure age by counting our years since birth and yet our cells know nothing of chronological time—our organs and tissues may age more rapidly or slowly regardless of what we’d expect from counting the number of orbits we tale around the sun.

For this reason, many scientists search to develop methods to measure the “biological age” of our cells -– which can be different from our chronological age.  In theory, such biomarkers of ageing could provide a measure of health that could revolutionize how we practice medicine. Individuals could use a biomarker of ageing to track their biological age over time and measure the effect of diet, exercise, and drugs and predict their effects to extend lifespan or improve quality of life. Medicines could be designed and identified based on their effect on biological age. In other words, we could start to treat ageing itself.

However, no accurate and highly predictive test for biological age has been validated to date. In part, this is because we still don’t know what causes ageing and so can’t measure it. Definitive progress in the field will require validating biomarkers throughout a patient’s lifetime, an impractical feat given human life expectancy.

To understand the irreducible components of ageing, and how these can be measured and tested, researchers turn to laboratory animals. Unlike humans, the nematode C. elegans lives for an average of two weeks, making it easier to collect behavioural and lifespan data that would otherwise require centuries.

The nematode C. elegans begin adulthood vigorously exploring their environment. Over time, they slow and stop crawling, a behavioural stage known as vigorous movement cessation (VMC). VMC is a biomarker of ageing and a proxy for nematode health. Studies of genetically identical nematodes have shown it is a powerful predictor of a worm’s lifespan, but at the same time, interventions designed to alter ageing can disproportionately affect VMC in comparison to lifespan and vice versa. Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona seek to understand why this happens and what this means for the ageing process in humans.

A team lead by Dr. Nicholas Stroustrup, Group Leader at the CRG’s Systems Biology research programme, has developed the ‘Lifespan Machine’, a device that can follow the life and death of tens of thousands of nematodes at once. The worms live in a petri dish under the watchful eye of a scanner that monitors their entire lives. By imaging the nematodes once per hour for months, the device gathers data at unprecedented statistical resolution and scale.

The research team found that nematodes have at least two partially independent ageing processes taking place at the same time – one that determines VMC and the other determines time of death. While both processes follow different trajectories, their rates are correlated to each other, in other words, in individuals for whom VMC occurred at an accelerated rate, so did time of death, and vice versa. In other words, the study revealed that each individual nematode has at least two distinct biological ages.

The researchers made the finding by building a genetic tool that lets them control the nematodes’ rate of ageing – effectively choosing an average lifespan for the population that can range from between two weeks and a few days. The tool works by tagging RNA polymerase II – the enzyme that makes mRNA – with a small molecule. Worms were fed different amounts of the hormone auxin, which finely controls the activity of RNA polymerase II, which in turn changes their lifespan.

Each individual C. elegans worm lives in a petri dish under the watchful eye of the Lifespan Macine’s scanner, which monitors their entire lives. By imaging the nematodes once per hour for months, the device gathers data at unprecedented statistical resolution and scale./CREDIT:Nicholas Stroustrup/CRG

Humans are larger and, in many ways, more complex than nematodes, and so are likely to have an even higher number of distinct biological ages than nematodes. Altogether, the study demonstrates how multiple, mostly independent ageing processes can work in tandem to cause different parts of the animal to age at different rates. The findings challenge the concept that animals have a single, unitary measure of biological age that can be indicative of an individual’s overall health.

The researchers also found that no matter which lifespan-altering mutations and interventions they gave the nematodes, the statistical correlation between the distinct biological ages remained constant. This suggests the existence of an invisible chain of command – or hierarchical structure – that regulates the worm’s ageing processes, the mechanisms of which are yet to be discovered. This means that, while ageing processes can be independent, it is also true that some individuals are ‘fast agers’ and others ‘slow agers’, in that many of their ageing processes move similarly faster or slower than their peers.

The study calls into question a crucial assumption of ageing biomarkers, that when interventions such as exercise or diet “rejuvenate” a biomarker, it’s a good sign that the underlying biology of ageing has similarly changed. “Our model shows that biomarkers can be trivially decoupled from outcomes because they measure an ageing process that is not directly involved in the outcome but simply correlates with it in a system of hierarchical processes,” explains Dr. Stroustrup. “In simple terms, just because two parts of an individual tend to correlate in their biological age across individuals, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other, or that they are likely to involve shared ageing mechanisms.”

The findings have implications for consumers being offered commercial products that assess their biological age. Biological age tests use panels of biomarkers that are purported as being meaningfully diverse. These can measure a thousand different parts of an individual, but those parts might all be confounded in an identical way.

According to Dr. Stroustrup, the solution lies in finding biomarkers that measure distinct, interacting ageing processes that also minimally correlate with each other. “Biomarkers used to assess biological age can be changed without actually turning a ‘fast ager’ into ‘slow ager’. Researchers should focus on measuring the effect of interventions on functional outcomes rather than assuming that changes in biomarkers will predict outcomes in a straightforward way,” he concludes.

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President Murmu Announces Results of Swachh Survekshan 2022; Indore is India’s Cleanest City for 6th consecutive year

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  • Indore is India’s Cleanest City for the Sixth consecutive year, and India’s first 7-Star Garbage Free city.
  • Madhya Pradesh Cleanest State in >100 Urban Local Bodies(ULB) Category, Tripura Cleanest State in <100 ULB Category.India celebrated 8 years of Swachh Bharat Mission and the first anniversary of SBM-Urban 2.0 in grand style as President Droupadi Murmu  today felicitated the awardees of the cleanest States and cities at the award ceremony of Azadi@75 Swachh Survekshan 2022, hosted as part of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. The award ceremony, organized to recognize the good work done for Swachhata by towns/ cities, States and Union Territories under Swachh Survekshan 2022 and certifications for Garbage Free Star rating for cities – saw more than 160 awards under various categories being given away through the day.The President formally released the Swachh Survekshan 2022 dashboard and gave away the top 12 awards. In an impressive display of sustainability and good governance,
  • Indore, the city of lakes and palaces, walked away with the Cleanest City title for the sixth consecutive year, in the ‘more than 1 lakh population’ category,
  • Surat was adjudged the second cleanest city, for the second time in a row.
  • Navi Mumbai bagged the third spot.
  • In the population category of ‘less than 1 lakh’, Panchgani and Karad  from Maharashtra bagged the first and third positions respectively, while Patan from Chhattisgarh bagged the second position.
  • Tirupati received the best city award in Safai Mitra Suraksha while Haridwar in Uttarakhand received the award for the best Ganga town in more than one lakh population cities. Shivamogga in Karnataka received the fast mover city award.Indore further cemented its position by emerging as India’s first 7-star Garbage Free city, while Surat, Bhopal, Mysuru, Navi Mumbai, Vishakhapatnam, and Tirupati earned 5-star Garbage Free certifications.

    The State awards saw a few surprises. Madhya Pradesh emerged as the ‘Cleanest State’ in the category of “more than 100 Urban Local Bodies”, relegating Chhattisgarh, the Cleanest State of the previous 3 years, to second place. Maharashtra emerged as third cleanest State.  Similarly, Tripura emerged as the Cleanest State award in the “less than 100 ULBs category”, dislodging Jharkhand, which had won in the last 2 consecutive years. Jharkhand and Uttarakhand received the second and third spots respectively.

    Over the years, Swachh Survekshan (SS) has emerged as an effective tool for transforming the urban landscape. This year’s Survekshan participated by 4,355 cities, also saw an unprecedented number of citizens’ feedback – over 9 crores, compared to 5 cores last year. In all, 22 States and 5 UTs received awards, of whom 8 States received more than 10 awards each. 8 States and 5 UTs have shown improvements ranging between 5 – 25% in their overall ground level performance over last year. Of them, 4 out the 8 North Eastern states have shown significant improvement in the overall performance over the last year. Moreover, 10 Cantonment Boards (against 7 CBs last year) and 2 Ganga towns received awards. A heartening feature of the awards was that smaller cities with population of less than 25,000 have performed admirably in the survey, with 40 of them receiving awards today.

    The vision of a Garbage Free India under SBM-U 2.0 was given further impetus by announcing the results of 7-star and 5-star rated cities under the Star Rating Protocol of Garbage Free Cities. The revised Star Rating Protocol of Garbage Free Cities was launched in 2021 to holistically evaluate cities across solid waste management parameters. This year, the number has gone up manifold with 3,600 cities applying for the assessment against 2,238 last year, and number of Star rated cities has gone up to 412 (with 11 five-star cities, 182 three-star cities, and 218 one-star cities), thus signifying how cities’ aspirations towards becoming Garbage Free is getting enhanced.

     

     

     

    Speaking at the event, the President said, “I congratulate all the awardee cities for their commitment to the cause of Swachhata”. The President had special words of praise for Indore who she said should become a role model for other cities . The President exhorted the citizens to join in the three-week long source segregation campaign scheduled to begin from 2nd Oct 2022 and expressed the hope that by 2026 India’s urban areas will become Garbage Free . The President complimented the citizens of the country and concluded with a wish for a ‘swasth’ ‘ sasakth’ and ‘swachh’ India.

    Hardeep S Puri, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Kaushal Kishore, Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs also felicitated the awardee cities and States.  Congratulating the cities for their efforts, the Union Minister said, “achievements under SBM-U have been the result of the collective efforts of the citizens of urban India. Today, the Mission has taken the shape of a people’s movement, a true ‘Jan Andolan’. The Minister concluded his address by appealing to all citizens to begin a 3-week focused campaign of source segregation from 2nd Oct, on the occasion of Swachhata Divas, so that India’s journey towards Garbage Free status is accelerated manifold. The event was attended by over 1,500 guests comprising Mayors and other political representatives, diplomats, state and city administrators and senior officials, sector partners and brand ambassadors, academic institutions, industry associations, startups, NGOs and CSOs,  while citizens from across India joined virtually to witness this occasion. Cities had also put up screens in prominent places to enable their citizens to view the live ceremony.

    The spirit of celebration was further enhanced through the release of an audio-visual song and documentary, by the President, capturing the journey of SBM till date and the road ahead. The theme of the audio-visual song was ‘Garv‘, reiterating the pride in the goals attained so far and pride in finishing the unfinished too, and featured various celebrity ambassadors of the Mission such as P V Sindhu and Mithali Raj. The song is an effort to reinvigorate people to carry forward the SBM-U 2.0 journey in the days ahead.

    The Award ceremony was a platform for reaffirmation of commitment from cities and citizens to move forward with renewed vigour towards the vision of Garbage Free cities.

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Scientists sequence world’s largest pangenome to help unlock genetic mysteries behind finer silk

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BGI Genomics, in collaboration with Southwest University, the State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, and other partners, has constructed a high-resolution pangenome dataset representing almost the entire genomic content in a silkworm.

Previously, due to the scarcity of wild silkworms and technical limitations of former studies, many trait-associated sites were missing. This is the first research ever to digitize silkworm gene pool and create a “digital silkworm”, greatly facilitating functional genomic research, promoting precise breeding, and thus enabling additional silk use cases.

The team deeply re-sequence 1,078 silkworms (B. mori, including 205 local strains, 194 improved varieties, and 632 genetic stocks and 47 wild silkworms, B. mandarina) and assemble long-read genomes on 545 of these samples, generating 55.57 T of genomic data.

This pangenome dataset contains the most comprehensive information on the genomes of domestic and wild silkworm, and is the largest long-read pangenome in the world for plants and animals to date. At the same time, in-depth studies on various genetic variation, population structure, artificial selection and ecological adaptations and economic traits of silkworm have been carried out, yielding fruitful results.

Phenotypic diversity in silkworms/CREDIT:BGI Genomics

The origins of the domestic silkworm:

The domestic silkworm, B. mori, domesticated from the wild mulberry silkworm, B. mandarina. It has an history of over 5,000 years, but its domestication origin location has long been an open question, due to a lack of strong biological evidence.

The study found out that endemic species from China’s lower and middle Yellow River region are distributed at the base of the domestic silkworm branch on the evolutionary tree, thus suggesting that the domestic silkworm originated in this region. The available archaeological evidence, including a half cocoon excavated in 1926 at Xiyin Village, Xia County, Shanxi Province, and a stone-carved silkworm pupa excavated in 2019 at Shicun in the same county, provide important support to this conclusion.

Breaking the bottleneck in silkworm breeding:

The traditional breeding of silkworms has a long and unique history, but since the 1990s remained stuck in a bottleneck. Systematic analysis of the genetic basis of domestication and improvement selection is essential to solve the unresolved issues in silkworm breeding. The team has identified 468 domestication-associated genes and 198 improvement-associated genes, of which respectively 264 and 185 are newly identified. These genes will be important candidate targets for molecular improvement of silkworm.

At the same time, it was found out that the Chinese and Japanese utility species share less than 3% of the improvement loci. This not only reveals the relatively independent breeding histories of Chinese and Japanese silkworm, but also explains why this shared genetic basis provides such hybrid advantages for both species. This result sheds new insights for future breeding of the silkworm.

Economic traits of silkworm breeding:

Yield and quality of silk have long been targeted as the main economic criteria for artificial selection of silkworm. However, up to this date, little is known about how genes and loci control these quantitative traits. The pangenome is arguably the ‘nearest bridge’ between phenotypes, especially complex traits.

A case in point is the regulation of silk production by the cell cycle-related transcription factor BmE2F1, which was revealed through selection signalling and structural variation. CRISPR-cas9 mediated knockout of BmE2F1 reduces the number of silk gland cells by 7.68% and silk yield by 22%. Conversely, the transgenic overexpression of BmE2F1 increases the number of silk gland cells by 23% and silk yield by 16%.

Fine silk has unique applications and higher economic value, but the genetic basis of fiber fineness remained previously unknown. Analysis of rare variants in the genomes of slender varieties led to the identification of BmChit β-GlcNAcase, a gene controlling silk fineness that can significantly be detected in fine varieties, and CRISPR-cas9 mediated knockout, resulting in coarser silk fineness produced by domestic silkworms. This suggests this gene plays a key role in determining silk fineness.

Adaptive traits of silkworm breeding:

Diapause is a common ecological adaptive trait in insects that ensures that insects can survive despite unfavorable environmental conditions. Although the diapause hormone was first identified in the silkworm in 1957, little information is available on the embryonic dipause gene. In this study, based on the analysis of the pnd strain and genomic structural variation in the silkworm, and functional validation by gene editing, the BmTret1-like gene revealed itself to be an important determinant of post-embryonic stalling. This is the first time that a post-embryonic determinant gene has been identified in an insect.

This study reveals the complete pan-genome of the silkworm to unlock artificial selection and ecological adaptation insights. Shuaishuai Tai, co-author and BGI Genomics senior researcher commented, “With comprehensive sampling and dataset combined with a variety of experiments to identify genes for future potential study, we hope to accelerate the process of silkworm molecular design breeding.”

Soon new material to replace rogue plastic; It biodegrades in ocean water within 4 weeks

‘Mystery gene’ matures the skeleton of the cell

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“I’m a professional pin-in-a-haystack seeker,” geneticist Thijn Brummelkamp responds when asked why he excels at tracking down proteins and genes that other people did not find, despite the fact that some have managed to remain elusive for as long as forty years. His research group at the Netherlands Cancer Institute has once again managed to track down one of these “mystery genes” – the gene that ensures that the final form of the protein actin is created, a main component of our cell skeleton.

Cell biologists are very interested in actin, because actin – a protein of which we produce more than 100 kilograms in our lifetime – is a main component of the cell skeleton and one of the most abundant molecules in a cell. Large quantities can be found in every cell type and it has many purposes: it gives shape to the cell and makes it firmer, it plays an important role in cell division, it can propel cells forward, and provides strength to our muscles. People with faulty actin proteins often suffer from muscle disease. Much is known about the function of actin, but how the final form of this important protein is made and which gene is behind it? “We didn’t know,” says Brummelkamp, whose mission is to find out the function of our genes.

Multi-purpose method for genetics in human cells
Together with other researchers, Brummelkamp uses this multi-purpose method to find the genetic causes of particular conditions. He has already shown how the Ebola virus and a number of other viruses, as well as certain forms of chemotherapy, manage to enter a cell. He also investigated why cancer cells are resistant to certain types of therapy and discovered a protein found in cancer cells that acts as a brake on the immune system. This time he went looking for a gene that matures actin – and as a result, the skeleton of the cell.

Microscopy image of actine. (Actine is yellow, cell core is blue)/CREDIT:Peter Haarh, Netherlands Cancer Institute

In search of scissors
Before a protein is completely “finished” – or mature, as the researchers describe it in Science – and can fully perform its function in the cell, it usually has to be stripped of a specific amino acid first. This amino acid is then cut from a protein by a pair of molecular scissors. This is also what occurs with  actin. It was known on which side of the actin the relevant amino acid is cut off. However, no one managed to find the enzyme that acts as scissors in this process.

Peter Haahr, postdoc in Brummelkamp’s group, worked on the following experiment: first he caused random mutations (mistakes) in random haploid cells. Then he selected the cells containing the immature actin by adding a fluorescently labeled antibody to his cells that fit in the exact spot where the amino acid is cut off. As a third and final step, he investigated which gene mutated after this process.

They called it ‘ACTMAP’
Then came the “eureka”-moment: Haahr had traced down the molecular scissors that cut the essential amino acid from actin. Those scissors turned out to be controlled by a gene with a previously unknown function; one no researcher had ever worked with. This means that the researchers were able to name the gene themselves, and they settled on ACTMAP (ACTin MAturation Protease).

More scissors found in the skeleton of the cell
ACTMAP is not the first mystery gene discovered by Brummelkamp that plays a role in our cell skeleton function. Using the same method, his group has been able to detect three unknown molecular scissors over recent years that cut an amino acid from tubulin, the other main component of the cell skeleton. These scissors allow tubulin to perform its dynamic functions properly inside the cell. The last scissors (MATCAP) were discovered and described in Science this year. Through this earlier work on the cell skeleton, Brummelkamp managed to arrive at actin.

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Most Twitter users don’t follow political elites, but film stars: Researchers suggest

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While social media platforms are the primary source of political information for a growing number of people, a majority of Twitter users do not follow either members of Congress, their president or news media, a new study suggests.

They are much more likely to follow Tom Hanks or Katie Perry than an elected official.

“Those users who do follow political accounts on Twitter, however, stick to insular online communities and mostly follow and share information from their political in-group,” said Magdalena Wojcieszak, lead author and professor of communication at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Amsterdam.

In other words, speaking to ongoing debates about so-called “echo chambers” on social media platforms, the small group of users who do follow political elites display clear political biases and engage with these elites in a very one-sided way.

The findings come after researchers from UC Davis and New York University analyzed four years’ worth of data from a sampling of 1.5 million Twitter users.

Twitter

Researchers concluded that even though the group of social media users who display political biases in their online behaviors is small, it is nevertheless consequential. These users are much more vocal, participatory and active online, thus amplifying the general perception of unprecedented polarization.

“In this project, we focus on national political elites due to their visibility and national-level influence on public opinion and the political process,” Wojcieszak said. Yet, despite the prominence and impact of presidents, congressmen, journalists, pundits and the news media, researchers found that only 40% of Twitter users follow one or more political “elites.” The remaining 60% follow no political actors at all.

“Given that we analyzed over 2,500 American political elite accounts including Donald Trump, Joe Biden, prominent pundits including Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity, and the most popular media outlets such as MSNBC and Fox News, the fact that only 23% of the representative sample of over 1.5 million users follow three of more of such elite accounts is revealing,” Wojcieszak said.

The authors found that those users who do follow politicians, pundits and news media follow their political in-group at much higher rates than out-group elites (around 90% vs. 10%) and share tweets from in-group elites overwhelmingly more frequently than out-group tweets (at about a 13:1 ratio). And when users share out-group tweets, they tend to add negative comments to these reshares, further reinforcing ideological biases online.

The research also reveals important ideological asymmetries: conservative users are roughly twice as likely as liberals to share in-group versus out-group content, as well as to add negative commentary to out-group shares.

Social Media/Photo:indiainternationaltimes

Surprising findings

“Overall, the majority of American Twitter users are not sufficiently interested in politics to follow even a single political or media elite from our list,” Wojcieszak said. Researchers wrote that they found this surprising, since it is generally believed that Twitter users are more politically engaged than the general population.

Given a growing radicalization in America, decreasing support for democratic norms, and rising support for political violence, concerns about political biases on social media platforms are valid, no matter how small the groups displaying those biases may be.

“At the same time,” Wojcieszak said, “we have to remember that these political biases are far removed from the everyday online behaviors of most politically disinterested Americans, who simply don’t care and prefer to immerse themselves in entertainment or sports. Our findings should help us all keep in perspective the concerns about the so-called ‘echo chambers’ online.”