CATEGORIES

Using big data on livestock farms could improve antimicrobial resistance surveillance

A new study suggests that using big data and machine learning in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in livestock production methods could help inform interventions and offer protections against germs that are becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Pig kidney xenotransplantation performing optimally after 32 days in human body

Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have transplanted a genetically engineered pig kidney that continues to function well after 32 days in a man declared dead by neurologic criteria and maintained with a beating heart on ventilator support.

Researchers discovered that various species share a similar mechanism of molecular response to nanoparticles

Researchers at FHAIVE FHAIVE (Finnish Hub for Development and Validation of Integrated Approaches), Tampere University, have discovered a new response mechanism specific to exposure to nanoparticles that is common to multiple species.

Climate Change Behind July Heat

ANTHROPOGENIC EMISSIONS made the heatwaves seen in North America and Europe 1,000 times more likely, according to latest analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA).

Forests up for grabs?

The amended Forest Conservation Act opens up large swathes of forestland for different non-forest activities

On the precipice

A collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation may put other climate systems at risk

17 MILLION MISSING

India has missed as many as 16.84 million artificial inseminations of cattle and buffaloes during the two years of COVID-19 pandemic, shows an analysis by Down To Earth. This is likely to have a long-lasting impact on the country's milk production. An analysis by SHAGUN

Plastic solutions

India needs robust data, along with recycling infrastructure to curb plastic pollution in rural India

Silent saviour

A single-handed mission to ensure that Kashmir's majestic chinar trees do not disappear from its landscape

HOW ROBUST IS INDIA'S TIGER CENSUS

During the 50th anniversary celebrations of Project Tiger on April 9 this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the animal's population in India had increased to 3,167. Less than four months later, on July 29, a new set of numbers were released that pegged the population at 3,682 tigers; over 500 more than the April estimate. This has sparked debates over the accuracy of tiger census. RAJAT GHAI speaks to government officials and independent experts to decode the riddle of tiger estimation:

Frittering away Nehru's momentous legacy

India initiated production of critical drugs in 1951 with the aid of UN bodies to keep out patent blocks-a model we have forgotten

World of the gazer

For editor, author and bibliographer Aasheesh Pittie, birdwatching is a lifelong philosophical pursuit rather than a pastime. His latest book, The living air: The pleasures of birds and birdwatching, is a set of essays on his birding journey, written over 30 years. Excerpts:

BOOKS

Book Review

SAPLING SOLIDARITY

Punjab and Haryana are witnessing a first-of-its-kind farmer solidarity movement. Cultivators in flood-hit villages of the states have received free supply of paddy saplings from their counterparts in safer areas to tide over the losses and avoid a crop-less rice season. RAJU SAJWAN travels to the two states to document the help initiative.

Waterborne monster

A lethal marine bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, could become a major threat to coastal populations, with warmer oceans and high rainfall creating ideal condition for its proliferation

ROAD TO CITY COOL

Urban India is a heat trap, but road orientation, building materials and zone-specific master plans can drastically enhance thermal comfort

'So many problems with the Anthropocene definition'

The world recently got closer to accepting that it is in the Anthropocene-the age of humans. On July 28, the Anthropocene Working Group, set up in 2009 by a UNESCO subcommission to assess geological \"reality\" and the most suitable timing of the epoch's beginning, announced 1950 to be the starting year. The group's study on a dozen sites found the presence of radionuclides, especially plutonium, in geological materials of early 1950s, showing the impact of nuclear tests by nations in the period, and indicating a date to mark the transformative effect humanity has had on Earth's ecology and climate. While the final acceptance of the Anthropocene Epoch is subject to its ratification at the International Geological Congress in South Korea next year, author AMITAV GHOSH is conflicted about the development. At the launch of his book, Smoke and Ashes: A Writer's Journey Through Opium's Hidden Histories, in Delhi, Ghosh talks to RAJAT GHAI about the problems in the framing of the issue, the narrowness of the definition, the missing voices and histories in the narrative, and his latest book. Excerpts:

CEMENTING POSSIBILITIES

After water, cement is the most widely used material on the planet. It is also the second largest industrial emitter of carbon dioxide. Little wonder the sector is a priority target for decarbonisation to meet India' climate commitments. But the very nature of cement production makes elimination of carbon emissions a difficult, if not impossible, task. Here is a step-by-step strategy to turn this carbon-intensive industry into a carbon-lean one.

DON'T SHIFT THE CONFLICT

Translocating elephants from their home range does not end the human-animal conflict, but intensifies it

When a drug giant ties up with a non-profit

J&J's pact with Stop TB Partnership to supply generic versions of bedaquiline promises hope, but falls short in many ways

Futile deadlines

An afforestation drive in five states along the banks of the Ganga is over with just 22 per cent of the target being met

Moon-bound

The moon is more than Earth's natural satellite, having impacted its every aspect, from origin of life to climate change

A NEW ERA FOR INDIAN RESEARCH?

The Union Cabinet on June 28 approved introduction of the National Research Foundation Bill, 2023, in the Parliament. The Bill aims to facilitate setting up of the National Research Foundation (NRF), as recommended by the National Education Policy 2020, to foster better research and innovation in the country. NRF will be governed by a board presided by the prime minister, while its functions will be overseen by an executive council chaired by the country's principal scientific advisor. The government has announced a budget of ₹50,000 crore for NRF over the next five years, more than half of which it plans to raise from public sector enterprises, industries and international research organisations. What do these proposals mean for the future of research and development in India, where investment and engagement of human capital in the sector is among the lowest in the world? ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY speaks to scientists and academics about their expectations from the NRF Bill as well as about their concerns.

SAVAGE MODE

In a warmer and wetter world, pests are multiplying at a faster rate, expanding territories and damaging crops more severely

Onsite Labs vs. Offsite Labs: Which is Best for My Lube Program?

With facilities running on leaner staff, increased run times and the expectation of fewer failures, quality data from lubricant analysis has only grown in importance. By looking at the data contained within an oil or a grease sample, we can determine if the lubricant and the machine are still healthy and ultimately make maintenance decisions that impact one or both.

Environmental Training: How to Get Your Team Onboard

Most of the facilities we enter as consultants have pretty strict environmental standards that the facility must uphold. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does NOT play around when it comes to industrial plants.

ONSITE OIL ANALYSIS DRIVES DOWN MAINTENANCE COSTS

In a recent plant reliability survey, 60% to 70% of industrial facilities consider oil analysis an important part of their reliability programs. Oil analysis gives a snapshot of machinery health, preventing unnecessary oil changes and assisting in predicting equipment failures. This article will take a detailed look into using data to decrease maintenance costs and increase the bottom line.

Oil Cleanliness: On-line Condition Monitoring

Technology innovations and success stories

Shell India signs actor Shahid Kapoor as brand ambassador

Shell India has onboarded Bollywood versatile actor Shahid Kapoor as the brand ambassador for its Lubricants business in India. Shell is looking to expand its customer base and will bank on Kapoor's pan-India popularity and youthful energy across all age groups.

LUBE-TIPS

The \"Lube-Tips\" section of Machinery Lubrication magazine features innovative ideas submitted by our readers.