Science Wire China and India – two economic powerhouses of Asia – are contributing significantly to the greening of the planet, a new global study released on Monday has found. The world now has about 5.5 million square kilometers of extra green leaf area round the year compared to 2000. A bulk of this increase is due to greening in China and India. China has contributed 25 percent to this increase, while India added 6.8 percent of the total global net increase in leaf area between 2000 and 2017. The…

India Science Wire Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar have synthesized a new compound that may help treat stomach infections caused by common bacteria, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The inhibitor is based on an aromatic chemical compound, indole, and may help in treating H. pylori infection, which is a cause for gastritis, peptic ulcers and stomach cancers, according to researchers. The new inhibitor synthesized by researchers targets a gene known as Inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) involved in the nucleotide synthesis of H. pylori. In initial studies, the inhibitor has…

India Science Wire Scientists have found that nanoparticles of selenium, an essential micronutrient, can be used as an antibacterial agent. Selenium is found naturally in wheat, eggs, cheese, nuts and sea food. It is an antioxidant and immunity booster. Scientists found that selenium nanoparticles, owing to their unique structure and properties, may be more effective than antibiotics as they have a larger surface area and therefore can be more in contact with the external environment. The antibacterial effect may be due to the fact that at a particular concentration nano-selenium…

India Science Wire India used to be dubbed as a country of snake charmers in jest decades ago, but few would know about the darker side of snakes – snakebites. An estimated 28 lakh cases of snakebites occur in India and about 50,000 Indians die due to snakebites every year. Yet, it remains a neglected public health problem. Many of the deaths and disabilities due to snakebites can be averted if health authorities take steps to prevent snakebites as well as improve facilities for treating those bitten by venomous snakebites….

India Science Wire The apple line, which refers to the traditional apple growing areas in the Indian Himalayan Region, has been shifting to higher altitudes as temperature rises. Now, it seems the apple line is also coming down with farmers at lower altitudes beginning to grow varieties of apple that do not require much chilling. The changing pattern of rainfall and increase in average maximum and minimum temperature has caused significant fluctuation in crop production with traditional temperate fruit belt moving upwards. Adverse climatic factors during winters such as winter…