India

London, Sep 10 (IANS) Scientists have discovered a new mechanism through which very small pollutant particles in the air may trigger lung cancer in people who have never smoked,

Particles linked to climate change also promote cancerous changes in airway cells, they found, paving the way to new approaches for lung cancer prevention and treatment.

Scientists of the Francis Crick Institute and University College London, funded by Cancer Research UK, presented the data at the 'ESMO Congress 2022'.

According to them, the particles which are typically found in vehicle exhaust and smoke from fossil fuels, are associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) risk, accounting for over 250,000 lung cancer deaths globally per year.

"The same particles in the air that derive from the combustion of fossil fuels, exacerbating climate change, are directly impacting human health via an important and previously overlooked cancer-causing mechanism in lung cells," they informed.

The risk of lung cancer from air pollution is lower than from smoking, "but we have no control over what we all breathe".

"Globally, more people are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution than to toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, and these new data link the importance of addressing climate health to improving human health," said Charles Swanton from the Francis Crick Institute.

The new findings are based on human and laboratory research on mutations in a gene called EGFR which are seen in about half of people with lung cancer who have never smoked.

In a study of nearly half a million people living in England, South Korea and Taiwan, exposure to increasing concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM) 2.5 micrometres (Im) in diameter was linked to increased risk of NSCLC with EGFR mutations.

In the laboratory studies, scientists showed that the same pollutant particles (PM2.5) promoted rapid changes in airway cells which had mutations in EGFR and in another gene linked to lung cancer called KRAS, driving them towards a cancer stem cell like state.

"We found that driver mutations in EGFR and KRAS genes, commonly found in lung cancers, are actually present in normal lung tissue and are a likely consequence of ageing," said Swanton.

However, when lung cells with these mutations were exposed to air pollutants, "we saw more cancers and these occurred more quickly than when lung cells with these mutations were not exposed to pollutants", suggesting that air pollution promotes the initiation of lung cancer in cells harbouring driver gene mutations.

"The next step is to discover why some lung cells with mutations become cancerous when exposed to pollutants while others don't," said Swanton.

Tony Mok from Chinese University of Hong Kong, who was not involved in the study, said that the research is intriguing and exciting.

"It means that we can ask whether, in the future, it will be possible to use lung scans to look for pre-cancerous lesions in the lungs and try to reverse them with medicines such as interleukin-1I inhibitors," said Mok.

"We don't yet know whether it will be possible to use highly sensitive EGFR profiling on blood or other samples to find non-smokers who are predisposed to lung cancer and may benefit from lung scanning, so discussions are still very speculative," he added.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) Prime Minister on Saturday said that science is not only the basis of solutions, evolution and innovation, but also the inspiration with which today's new India is moving forward with Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan as well as Jai Anusandhan.

Prime Minister Modi made the observation while inaugurating 'Centre-State Science Conclave' in Ahmedabad via video-conferencing.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted that the organisation of this conclave is a clear example of Sabka Prayas. "Science is like that energy in the development of 21st century India, which has the power to accelerate the development of every region and the development of every state. Today, when India is moving towards leading the fourth industrial revolution, the role of India's science and people related to this field is very important. In such a situation, the responsibility of people in administration and policy making increases significantly."

On the lessons from history that will help both the Centre and the states, he said during the early decades of the last century, the world was going through a period of devastation and tragedy. But even in that era, whether it was about the East or the West, scientists everywhere were engaged in their great discovery.

In the West, scientists like Einstein, Fermi, Max Planck, Niels Bohr, and Tesla were dazzling the world with their experiments. In the same period, many scientists, including C.V. Raman, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Satyendranath Bose, Meghnad Saha, and S. Chandrashekhar were bringing their new discoveries to the fore. He also underlined the fact that due recognition was due to the "work of our scientists".

The Prime Minister reiterated that the government is working with the thinking of Science-Based Development. "Since 2014, there has been a substantial increase in investment in the field of science and technology. Due to the efforts of the government, today India is ranked 46th in the Global Innovation Index, whereas in 2015, India was at number 81", the Prime Minister added. He acknowledged the record number of patents being registered in the country.

He highlighted that in order to make India a global centre of research and innovation in this Amrit Kaal, one will have to work on many fronts simultaneously.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed the belief that the 'State-Centre Science Conclave' will add a new dimension and resolve toward the progress of Science in the country.

The Prime Minister also urged everyone to not let any opportunity slip in the field of science and technology. "The coming 25 years are the most important years for India as it will determine the new identity and strength of India to come", the Prime Minister said.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) The Central Vista project in New Delhi, Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, Sabarmati Riverfront Development in Ahmedabad or the master planning of Jagannath temple in Puri -- all these symbols of India's cultural and urban landscape might be situated at different corners of the country, but one name common with these landmarks is Bimal Patel, the main architect behind all these projects.

Patel is an architect, urbanist and academician who has traversed disciplinary, professional and institutional boundaries to explore the ways in which architecture, urban design and urban planning can enrich the lives of people in India's cities.

He is President of CEPT University in Ahmedabad and leads HCP Design Planning and Management Private Limited, an architecture, planning and project management firm.

Apart from these landmark projects, the work profile of HCP Design says that many of the recent big urban projects in cities of Gujarat involve the services of Patel and his company.

Whether it is Central Vista of Gandhinagar, multiple riverfront parks in Ahmedabad, walled city revitalisation plan in Ahmedabad, transit oriented zone of Ahmedabad or Centre for Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, Patel's company is involved with all these projects.

Similarly, Aga Khan Academy of Hyderabad, Amul Dairy of Mumbai, Container Terminal of Chennai, architectural design of IIT Jodhpur and many other such urban structures landscaped in parts of the country have some architectural contributions of Patel and his company.

Bimal received a Diploma in Architecture from the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad, in 1984.

He received a Master's degree in Architecture and City Planning in 1988 and a PhD in City and Regional Planning in 1995 from the University of California, Berkeley.

In 1996, he founded Environmental Planning Collaborative, a not-for-profit consultancy and policy-research and advocacy organisation.

Since 2012, he has also been heading CEPT University as its President.

His work has won numerous awards, including the Padma Shri in 2019, which is among the highest civilian honour conferred by the President.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 10 (IANS) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, stressed on the importance of passengers in the rear seat wearing seatbelt while travelling in four-wheelers.

Referring to the tragic death of industrialist Cyrus Mistry, who died in a road accident near Mumbai on Sunday, Gadkari said, "I have made legal provisions in this regard."

Mistry, former Tata Sons Chairman, was sitting in the back seat and was not wearing a seatbelt when his speeding Mercedes crashed into a divider in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference here, Gadkari said that provisions are being be made to introduce a seat belt alarm system for rear seats, just like the driver's seat.

"Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has called me three times from London to start a campaign in the backdrop of the death of Cyrus Mistry," Gadkari said.

"Though wearing seatbelt is mandatory for those sitting in the rear seat of a car, it is not followed. Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar along with many cricketers have agreed to campaign for this free of cost," Gadkari said.

--IANS
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Patna, Sep 9 (IANS) As Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned home from a three-day-long visit to Delhi, his Janata Dal-United welcomed appreciation by a large section of opposition leaders, including his West Bengal counterpart, for seeking to augment unity.

Banerjee, appreciating his initiative, said: "If we have to defeat the BJP in 2024, the opposition parties have to put smaller issues aside and become united." She said "Nitish ji is in Bihar, Akhilesh Yadav is in Uttar Pradesh, Hemant Soren is in Jharkhand, she herself in West Bengal and other leaders of similar ideology become united now, 275 to 280 seats are not far away from them".

Reacting to her statement, Bihar Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary claimed that the visit of his leader Nitish Kumar has a positive impact in all sections.

"His efforts were appreciated everywhere in the country, especially the statement of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was very important. If opposition parties will leave the smaller political compulsions aside, defeating BJP is not a big issue for them," he said.

"The opposition leaders who had meetings with Nitish Kumar during the recent Delhi visit, have shown positive intent. It encourages us. Our leader has already announced that his efforts will continue in future to defeat the BJP," Chaudhary added.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) To celebrate eight years of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has officially announced the commencement of 'Swachh Amrit Mahotsav', a fortnight of activities to galvanise action around 'Swachhata' from September 17, Seva Diwas, till October 2, Swachhata Diwas.

The fortnight will focus on mobilising citizen action and commitment towards the vision of building 'Garbage Free Cities'.

The Union Minister has announced the opening of the first ever Indian Swachhata League (ISL), an inter-city competition to take place between the youth of the cities on the September 17.

For the maiden edition of ISL, more than 1,850 city teams from across the country have officially registered to compete. Each team will compete in the League by creating their own unique sanitation initiatives to focus on creating garbage free beaches, hills, and tourist places.

The ISL has attracted a diverse set of Indian cities to take part in the first of its kind League. Cities from diverse geographies and with iconic tourist locations across the length and breadth of the country -- such as Leh, Kanyakumari, Kohima, Dwarka, Konark, Port Blair, Rameswaram, Gaya, Poanta Sahib, Karta, Ujjain, Nashik, Varanasi, Pahalgam -- have registered their teams and appointed team captains for the competition.

As a next step, citizens are invited to join their respective city teams on the official MyGov portal from September 11 onwards.

--IANS
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Bhubaneswar, Sep 9 (IANS) A video of Lord Jagannath's idol being ferried in a pick-up van in a disrespectful manner along with a bunch of bamboo and wood on a national highway in Odisha's Balasore district has gone viral on social media, drawing strong condemnation from the netizens.

A youth named Binay Pradhan, who was travelling on the Bhubaneswar-Jaleswar highway on Thursday, had noticed the idol tied to a rope hanging from the van and filmed the moment, which later went viral.

As the video went viral, netizens strongly condemned the careless manner in which the idol was being carried and demanded an apology from the persons responsible for it.

Later, the tent house owner and his staff visited a Jagannath temple in Jaleswar and begged for forgiveness for their mistake.

The tent owner said the idol was installed in a Ganesh puja pandal in Balasore and after immersion of the Ganesh idol, the Jagannath idol along with other materials were being transported to his hometown Jaleswar.

"I was out of station on that day. As my workers are non-Odia people, they sisn't know about our sentiments with Lord Jagganth. Whatever my workers have done is really disgraceful. I would like to apologise for hurting the sentiments of Jagannath devotees. I will never commit such mistake in future," the tent house owner said.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, jailed in Uttar Pradesh for nearly two years, saying "every person has freedom of expression".

Kappan along with others were arrested on October 5, 2020 by the Uttar Pradesh Police under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), while on their way to Hathras, to report on a 19-year-old's gang-rape and murder.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice U.U. Lalit, noted that Kappan has been in custody for two years.

Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted that an ID card was found on him, allegedly associating Kappan with PFI and also certain literature, which was alleged to be provocative and also potentially dangerous. He referred to it as a toolkit for riots, and added the whole purpose of going there was to incite violence.

The bench queried how the literature was provocative and did the accused make any attempt to use this literature.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Kappan, said there were pamphlets titled "Justice for Hathras girl". He pointed out that after his apprehension in the present matter, the proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 have also been initiated against the appellant, in connection of which the appellant may be required to attend the proceedings or to apply for bail.

The bench told Jethmalani: "See, every person has the right to free expression and therefore he is trying to propagate an idea that there is this victim who requires justice."

"Is that something like a crime in the eyes of law?"

The bench, also comprising Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and P.S. Narasimha, added that there were protests at India Gate in 2011 and indicated Nirbhaya's case.

"Sometimes protests are needed to bring a change. You know after that there was a change in laws....".

Jethmalani argued that Kappan was paid to incite riots and that he is not even an accredited journalist and he belonged to the PFI.

Questioning the evidence against Kappan and that no explosives were found, and that material was not found with him but in the car, the bench queried: "What material was dangerous... Is there any literature which shows anything damaging".

Sibal then asked the state government counsel to read out the literature found on his client.

Granting bail to Kappan, the bench said he has to report to the police in Delhi for the next six weeks and in Kerala after that. Kappan will be produced before a trial court in three days, which will release him on bail subject to conditions.

"The appellant shall deposit his passport if not already deposited with the investigating machinery before his actual release. The appellant shall not misuse his liberty in any manner and he shall not be in contact with any person(s) connected with the present controversy in question," it said.

The bench, in its order, said: "We have been taken through some of the documents placed on record. At this stage we refrain from dealing with and commenting upon the progress and investigation and material gathered by the prosecution in support of its case as the matter is still to be taken up at the stage of framing of charges."

The state government, in a written response, said: "The investigation has revealed that the petitioner (Kappan) is part of the larger conspiracy with the co-accused (including the financial launderer of CFI, Rauf Sharif) to foment religious discord and spread terror in the country, especially in the wake of anti CAA protests and violence, the Babri Masjid decision of this Hon'ble Court and the Hathras incident."

It further claimed that the documents recovered from Kappan's laptop and from his rented house in Delhi, establishes how the current PFI leadership was basically comprised of ex-SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India -- banned as a terrorist organisation) members.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had rejected Kappan's plea for bail, and he then moved the top court challenging the order.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) Five people were injured when a house collapsed in Azad Market area of North Delhi.

Delhi Police and Fire Department confirmed that as of now no death was reported, while the rescue operation is underway.

The injured are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

"Rescue operation is in progress. Around six to seven labourers were trapped of which five have been shifted to a hospital. A NDRF team also reached the spot. Live detectors are being used to trace the trapped. Due to narrow lanes, JCB machines were unable to reach the spot," fire official Ravinder Singh said.

According to fire department, a distress call was received regarding the incident at around 8.30 a.m., following which four fire tenders were rushed to the site.

Meanwhile, local police also reached the spot to assist the fire officials.

Details are awaited.

--IANS
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Ahmedabad, Sep 9 (IANS) Gujarat Congress has given a symbolic bandh call in the state on Saturday to protest against inflation and unemployment.

The Congress has appealed to the traders and other businesses to pull down their shutters from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The party's state unit president Jagdish Thakor appealed to the people to join the bandh call to register their protest against inflation, unemployment and to get regular jobs for the contractual workers.

Thakor alleged that 4,36,663 qualified youths were unemployed, some 4,58,976 unemployed youths are registered with the state employment exchange office even as 4.50 lakh government posts are vacant.

Hundreds of village panchayats are functioning without Gram sevak officers, hundreds of government libraries don't have regular librarians and more than 27,000 teachers posts are vacant.

Talking about inflation, Thakor said edible oil prices are skyhigh at Rs 3,000, gas cylinder' price is now Rs 1,060, petrol is priced at Rs 95 and the CNG has touched Rs 84 per kilo. "These all products have a cascading effect on the citizens' lives," stated Thakor.

He has instructed all the district and city Congress committees and workers to ensure that emergency services were not disturbed because of the bandh call.

--IANS
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