HEALTH

Targeting cancerous growth with particle physics
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
Effective treatment of cancer is one of the most phenomenal contributions that particle physics research has made to the world of medical instrumentation. The discipline has helped overcome some inherent weaknesses of radiation which is most commonly used for cancer treatment across the globe.

In Chandigarh today on invitation from Alliance Francaise and the French Embassy, Dr Henri Videau, senior scientist with the Centre for Scientific Research, France talked about particle physics research with a certain degree of passion. Although involved in theoretical and experimental developments that seek to understand origins of mass, he largely focused on the contribution of particle physics in cancer treatment.

Thanks to this discipline, cancerous growths in the body can now be targeted accurately, avoiding loss of other cells which invariably get destroyed when radiation is used for treatment. “Except in few places, radiation and chemistry are the basic tools being used for cancer treatment. Radiation uses X-rays which have high energy photons that destroy not only cancerous tumours but also cells in the front and back of the body. Through particle physics research we have found a way where destruction happens only in the right places. One property of a charged particle is that it slows down when passing through matter and deposits energy in the last few mm of its journey through matter. The damage is thus well directed towards a point where disease lies.”

Particle physics has made cancer treatment possible through the use of photons and carbon ions, which restrict the damage caused during radiation treatment. Dr Videau also spoke about experiments being undertaken in the field of cosmology — the science that deals with origins of the universe, its present and future state. “A new generation accelerator is being built in Geneva to produce particles that might be responsible for the mass of other particles. We are yet to unravel the mystery behind the origin of mass. The new accelerator will be the only machine of its kind with phenomenal power to make protons collide against protons and produce new particles,” he said.

Another international project is the designing of a linear accelerator which will help gain better precision in the field of medical instrumentation. “The new technology will primarily help scientists address the basic questions related to space, time and matter. Particle physics thus has two objectives — to unravel mysteries of the Big Bang theory on the one hand while on the other to impact new tools of medical instrumentation through its own experimental developments,” said Dr Videau whose major field of activity is experimental particle physics.

He is himself involved in the design of a new generation electron accelerator and the associated detector. Additionally, he is managing the French contribution to a satellite detector to measure the flux of high energy photons from cosmic origin.

No honey for newborn on day one
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
If you are thinking that a drop of honey or jaggery water is going to act as an elixir for a newborn baby, then think again. The researchers in the USA have found out that these practices widely prevalent in Indian households, can infact prove detrimental to the newborn. These sweetners can cause the release of toxin “potulism” in the child and make him vulnerable to infections.

“The best initial diet for any newborn baby is the milk of the mother. Anything other than that is just not required,’’ said Dr Rohit Kumar Vasa, the director of the Neonatal Care Department in Mercy Hospital, Chicago, while talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of the 24th Annual Convention of the National Neonatalogy Forum at the PGI here today.

The doctors suggest that the child should only be given the breast feed exclusively for the first four months. The supplementary diet, along with the mother’s milk should be introduced only after four months. “The family members should avoid offering the child honey, sugar or jaggery on the first day. The drop of mother’s milk should suffice,” added, Dr Ashish Mehta, consultant of neonatology from Ahmedabad.

Sharing the concern of the large number of premature babies born in India, the doctors say that the number of premature and low weight babies is much more than that in the other developed countries. “Around 25 to 30 per cent of the babies born in India are premature and around 35 per cent weigh less than 2.28 kgs. This is probably because the nutrition and the care of expectant mother is not adequate. The percentage of premature births in the USA is 10 to 11 per cent,” added Dr Vasa. Another cause of worry remained the lesser number of institutionalised deliveries in the country. As many as 40 per cent of the total deliveries still take place outside the hospitals.

Commenting on the changing life styles of the mothers and their effects on the children, Dr Mehta said, “Pregnant women must refrain from smoking and drinking which can cause harm to the child. In fact, alcohol can cause fetal alcohol syndrome in children which results in long term mental retardation of the child”.

How to wear contact lens
Tribune News Service

Governor opens neonatology meet
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
The annual convention of the National Neonatology Forum was inaugurated by the Governor of Haryana, Dr A.R. Kidwai, at the PGI today. Dr Kidwai, said there was an urgent need to improve newborn health care facilities all over the country, especially when the infant mortality rate in the country was 4.5 per cent.

He talked on the newer health programmes of the government.

Several books written by newborn specialists were released on the occasion along with a compact disc of abstracts. Director, PGI, K.K. Talwar, launched a new website, Kangaroo Mother Care India Network, www.kmcindia.org, which is a collaborative effort of five medical institutions in the country, including the PGI and AIIMS.

Earlier, three concurrent continued medical education (CME) symposia were held on basic neonatology advanced neonatology and on neonatal nursing.

SPORTS

Pak badminton team in city
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, October 29
Badminton is coming up well in Pakistan and in times to come our players will certainly do well on the international circuit. These were the views of Syed Naqi Mohsin, senior vice-president of the Pakistan Badminton Federation, who is accompanying the Pakistan badminton team as its manager for a friendly test match for Goel Autolines Challenge Trophy.

Syed former national badminton player of Pakistan, said all current Pakistan national team players have been adopted by the Water Power Development Authority (WAPDA), their employer.

He said in the junior section Pakistan has begun hosting tournaments, though cricket and hockey still get importance. But people have started realising the fascination of this sport too.

Syed was happy that India, though having better players in this sport, is giving full support to the neighbouring countries like Pakistan. He said they were also thinking of hiring Indian coaches to further train Pakistan players. He felt in Pakistan schools the game was not very popular and due to poor infrastructure children got les chance of playing it. He said the Prakash Padukone academy in Bangalore was nurturing good players. He added that the BAI was reported to be receiving a fabulous grant-in-aid of Rs 10 crore per year. In Pakistan the grant was very less. However, things had now started shaping up well.

Wajid Ali, (24) national badminton champion of Pakistan since 1999, said now a lot of junior players were showing interest in this sport. He said they were taking part in many international competitions like all-England and other world meets. He was happy with the kind of hospitality provided by the Chandigarh Badminton Association. He said they never expected such a fantastic welcome for badminton players which they got in India.

Earlier the Pakistan players were thrilled when they were warmly received at Hotel GK International, Sector 35.

Sachin Ratti, of Jalandhar, who is son of a renowned badminton coach Ustad Chaman Lal, said this kind of series between the two nations would prove good for badminton. Sachin is employed by the Railways. He lost to former all-England champion Pullela Gopichand in the quarterfinals in Asian Satellite. He also suggested setting up of a national badminton center where the players should practice throughout the year.

He praised the SAI centre being run in Bangalore where Indonesian coach Hardy was providing training to doubles players for the past six to seven months.

The Paksitan players also had a brief practice session at the Sector 42 badminton hall. Later, in the evening, both teams at Pallavi Hotel, Panchkula. The matches would commence tomorrow from 3 pm.

Puja wins bronze in judo
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, October 29
Puja Jalan of IS Dev Samaj Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 21, clinched the bronze medal in the under-19 (48 kg) section on the second day of the CBSE National Judo Championship The meet is being held at the Gian Jyoti Public School, Mohali.

Results:under-14 boys (+50 kg): Ram Rattan New Yashoda Public School, Hisar; 1, Gagandeep Haryana Police Public School, Madhuban, 2 and Sandeep Nain Shah Satnam Ji Boys School, Sirsa, and Anurag Singh Columbia Convent, Indoor (MP), 3.

Under-19 boys (45 kg): Naveen, Police D.A.V Public School, Jalandhar; Shivam Police D.A.V. Public School, Amritsar; 2 and Sachin Shah Satnam Ji Boys School, Sirsa, and Kushal Pal Singh S.V.M., Agra, 3.

Under-19 boys (73 kg): Subash Chander Shah Satnam Ji boys School, Sirsa, 1, Sumit Soloni D.A.V Pushpanjali, Delhi, 2nd Russel Singh Samvida Vidya Peeth, Andhra Pradesh and Nakul Arora D.A.V, Amritsar, 3.

Under-14 Girls (27 kg) : Amita Shah Satnam Ji Girls School, Sirsa, 1, Priya Police D.A.V Public School, Amritsar, 2and Priyanka Bishnoi Maharaja Agarsen Girls Senior Secondary School, Sirsa and Pallavi Thakral Sacred Heart Convent, Rajasthan , 3.

Under-19 boys (50 kg): Gurnam Shah Satnam Ji Boys School, Sirsa 1, Vijay Chauhan Sanjay Public School, Chandigarh, 2nd Ravi Panday, Maharishi Patanjali Vidya Mandir, Allahabad , and Sahil Narula D.A.V Pushpanjali, Delhi, 3.

Under-19 girls (48 kg): Payal MAG. Senior Secondary School, Sirsa, 1, Kamakshi Madhok, Indore Public School, Madhya Pradesh, 2 and Puja Jalan, I.S.Dev Samaj, Chandigarh, and Afreen Khan, Nava Yuga Radiance Senior Secondary School, Lucknow, 3.

New Public School win basketball match
Our Sports reporter

Chandigarh, October 29
New Public School, Sector 18, and DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, won their respective matches in the boys section of the CBSE North Zone Basketball Tournament played at Sector 18, here today.

Other winners in the boys section are Montfort School, New Delhi, Sachdeva Public School, New Delhi, and Shivalik School, Sector 41, Chandigarh.

In the girls section, IS Dev Samaj School, Sector 21, Carmel Convent and New Public School advanced to next round of the meet.

Manav Mangal win

Manav Mangal School, Sector 21, Chandigarh, and Hansraj Public School, Panchkula outplayed their respective rivals Mount Carmel School, Sector 47, Chandigarh, and Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula, by 10 and 26, runs respectively, in the Blessed Edmund Rice Cricket Tournament played here today at St John’s School, Sector 26.

TT champ

Prateek Gupta, a class XI student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, Chandigarh, brought laurels to its school when he won the under-17 boys title in the Haryana State Table Tennis Championship held at Rohtak.

Prateek is guided by, Mr Nalin Somani, a table tennis coach at Manav Mangal School, Sector 11, Panchkula. Earlier Prateek had won various titles for its state and taken part in the nationals.