World Hepatitis Day was observed across the world
on 28 July 2013. The theme for the year 2013 is This is Hepatitis, Know it,
Confront it. The theme has been set with an aim of creating a global awareness
about the Hepatitis virus and to encourage its prevention, treatment and
diagnosis. Of the five types of viruses, B and C are considered to be
dangerous.
Food and Water Borne infections causes Hepatitis A
and E Virus because of which millions of cases of acute illness is reported
every year. Worldwide, infections with hepatitis B and C viruses cause an
estimated 57% of cases of liver cirrhosis and 78% of cases of primary liver
cancer. The availability of a vaccine that confers lifelong protection against
infection with the hepatitis B virus gives public health a rare opportunity to
prevent a leading cause of cancer, especially in low- and middle-income
countries.
A new respiratory virus related to SARS
(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) has killed 39 people in Saudi Arabia.
Scientists have named this respiratory virus as Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome (MERS). The new virus is related to the respiratory virus SARS that
killed more than 800 people across the world in 2003. It belongs to a family of
viruses that most often cause the common cold. SARS emerged in China.
Four Indian-American Professors Kannan
Soundararajan, Rajeev Alur, Salil P Vadhan and Senthil Todadri in fourth week
of July 2013 won Simons Investigators Awards 2013. Apart from these, 9 other
mathematicians, theoretical physicists and theoretical computer scientists were
also selected for the Simons Investigators Awards for their cutting edge
research.
The Union Government of India on 27 July 2013
announced that it would set-up a Marine Training Academy at Tuticorin. The
academy would be set-up through the Shipping Corporation of India in
colloboration with the VO Chidambaram Port Trust.
The announcement was made by Shipping Minister, GK
Vasan at Chennai that the Ministry has already allocated 15 crore rupees for
the development of the infrastructure for the academy. The first batch of the
academy would commence from September or October 2013, with a batch of 40
students.
Two Ghazals in Urdu written by freedom
fighter, Veer Savarkar during the days of his 11-year imprisonment, in the
Andaman Cellular Jail has been discovered by a Dadar based Institute. The
ghazals are a part of the notebook kept by Savarkar in the prison and are patriotic
in nature. The Ghazals are written in the sublime form of the Urdu Poetry and
are written in fluent Urdu. The notebook was discovered by Manjiri Marathe,
from the collection of books handed over to her by late S P Gokhale, an
associate of Savarkar. Manjiti is a trustee of the Swatantryaveer Savarkar
Rashtriya Smarak and daughter of S P Gokhale.
Dr. Gareth Fraser a scientist from Sheffield
University in the first week of July 2013 claimed that humans may develop beaks
in future. The evolution period may take millions of year. Frasher explained
that the due process of change would see teeth fused together to form a beak.
The beak that will develop in the human will be
more robust and practical and will be safe from wear and tear. As per the
Scientists, the modern diets limitations in the number of teeth hampers humans
as a species as the current structure of human teeth cannot suffice the
requirements of new eating habits.
Noted biologist, Prof. Obaid Siddiqi
died on 26 July 2013 due to injuries that he sustained after meeting an
accident. He was 81. He was known for his pioneer work of identifying the
process that how taste and smell are detected and coded in Brain. He is now
survived by his wife Asiya, two sons Imran and Kalim and two daughters Yumna
and Diba.
good work sir
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