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BIG & Little ScienceG & Little Science |
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Not many people believed when traditional advice of using sugar for healing wounds was given by the elders. Now, that the scientists have proved, the skeptics might pay more respect or at least be more curious about people’s knowledge system. We are introducing this column essentially to show how the big science is taking note of the little science and engaging with local unmet needs |
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Plants Can SMS Farmers for Replenishing Water
Two Israeli scientists, plant biologist Dr. Eran Raveh, and Dr. Aryeh Nadler, a ground science expert, have created a new sensor device through which plants can transmit an ‘SOS’ to farmers’ cell phones or computers by an SMS when moisture level needs to be restored. It is a hammer-shaped device, embedded in tree trunks or plant roots. The researchers are working to develop an affordable version of the technology to make it suitable for domestic as well as commercial uses. Farmers from California too have shown interest to adopt the applications of the new technology to banana, mango, citrus groves and vineyards. The researchers say that the device may reduce irrigation costs by 50 percent, which is a boon for wherever drought-like condition is a perennial circumstance.
Source: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/130399, downloaded on 4th November, 2009.
Cell Phone Microscopy System to Diagnose Diseases
Going by the estimate of a United Nations report, 60 percent of the world’s population uses cell phones now. A University of California (San Francisco) scientist Daniel Fletcher and his team have developed a portable microscope which when strapped to a camera phone can be used to diagnose virulent diseases in blood and sputum samples. The digital images of the samples thus generated can be sent via internet to any healthcare centre for further analysis. The extensive Mobile Service Provider networks can facilitate the cheapest and the fastest transmission of such medical data to healthcare units. Fletcher’s team went a step further by developing an integrated cell phone microscopy system in a Nokia N73 camera phone. The microscope can pick out objects just 1.2 micrometres across —the human red blood cells are typically six to eight micrometres across. A battery-powered LED lamp and a series of filters have also been added to allow the device to function as a fluorescent microscope. The team tested the device with many common diseases and reported the digital images of malaria-infected blood to be clear enough to facilitate the diagnosis. Researchers have also experimented cell-counting and some other functions with the cell phone are computing power. Experts who have graded the technology say that it is a simple and elegant solution and have voted for it to be made more accessible.
Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17496-could-u-txt-me-ur-blood-sample.html, downloaded on 4th November, 2009.
Sugar has the Power to Heal
Moses Murandu, Senior Lecturer at University of Wolverhampton always saw his father using granulated sugar to heal wounds and reduce pain when he was child back in Zimbabwe. But when he went to UK, he did not see sugar being used for the same purpose there. Moses carried out a research on the effect of sugar on patients’ wounds on the vascular ward at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham and has now been awarded the prestigious Foundation Le Lous Scientific Research Innovation Award and 25000 GBP to enable him to continue his innovative work. Sugar can be used on bed sores, leg ulcers and even amputations. Bacteria need water to grow and applying sugar to a wound draws the water away and starves the bacteria thus preventing them from multiplying. Moses found that a 25 percent sugar concentration ensures that the micro-organisms do not survive. Also, while salt on wounds is painful, sugar is not and in fact it reduces pain effectively. The patients on whom the method has been tried said that they did not know that such a simple method could make a difference to their quality of life. Jacqui Fletcher, Herve Le Lous board member, said that Moses was awarded not just for the excellence of his proposal but also because he challenged the notion of the UK populace that such practices are used by countries which lack medical infrastructure. Moses will also receive support from board member Carol Dealey, who is a research fellow at the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham.
Source: http://www.medicalnews today.com/articles/158432.php, downloaded on 4th November, 2009.
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| Volume No. |
Honey bee 20 (3), 25, 2009 |
