Category: LIFESTYLE

New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) Amid rising mental health challenges such as stress, burnout, and attention deficits, a new study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi on Monday showed that Indian classical ragas can potentially enhance levels of attention, emotional regulation, and mental stability.

The study, conducted in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, provides scientific validation for music as a therapeutic tool: one that is culturally resonant and non-invasive.

The research, which involved 40 participants exposed to the ragas, utilised advanced electroencephalogram (EEG) microstate analysis — a real-time brain-mapping technique that captures momentary yet significant patterns of neural activity.

The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, suggests that listening to Raga Darbari — known for its soothing and uplifting qualities — before exams or important meetings may improve focus, while Raga Jogiya — a melancholic melody — could help manage emotional overwhelm or grief.

The shifts observed in neural activity were not random, said first author Dr. Ashish Gupta, Assistant Professor, IIT Mandi.

“The data showed repeatable, consistent transitions after exposure to the ragas, suggesting Indian classical music can serve as a powerful tool for mental wellness. The EEG data consistently showed how music exposure, compared to silence, shifted the brain into more stable and functional patterns,” added Gupta.

The EEG test employed small metal electrodes, known as “microstates”, which often last only a few milliseconds and represent the brain’s transient modes of operation, such as attention, emotional engagement, or mind-wandering.

Brain cells communicate through electrical impulses, and this activity is represented as wavy lines on an EEG recording.

The research revealed that Raga Darbari and Raga Jogiya can fundamentally alter EEG microstates, and show fleeting but powerful neural patterns that reflect attention, emotion, and cognitive processing.

“EEG microstates offer a window into how the brain operates moment, attention, mind-wandering, or emotional engagement. What we found was that Ragas don’t just evoke feelings, they actually reprogramme the brain in real time, it is remarkable to see how these ancient melodies consistently guide the brain into more stable and focused patterns,” said Prof Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi.

The study also observed an overall increase in brain stability across participants, with microstates becoming longer and more grounded, indicating a calmer, more focused mind.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) The Digital India initiative has expanded access to healthcare, housing, and education in the country in the last 10 years, said Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, on Monday.

Delivering the inaugural address at the Southern Regional Conference of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) at Pondicherry University, Singh noted how initiatives launched over the past decade have not only streamlined service delivery but also empowered citizens, especially those in remote and rural areas.

Calling Digital India “the default operating system of governance”, Singh asserted that the shift from “minimum government, maximum governance” to a citizen-centric digital ecosystem is central to the country’s administrative and socio-economic reforms.

Citing schemes like Ayushman Bharat and PM Awas Yojana, the Minister emphasised “how digital tools have broadened access to healthcare and housing”.

“India is the only country where you can get insured for a pre-existing disease. That is a testament to our citizen-first approach,” he added.

Singh also pointed out that reforms such as biometric and face-recognition-based identity systems have been instrumental in humanising governance.

“It is not just about adopting technology — it’s about applying it to ensure dignity and ease of living for every Indian,” he said.

Further, the MoS drew attention to several governance interventions introduced since 2014, including DigiLocker, UMANG, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile), noting their role in reducing bureaucratic delays and enhancing transparency.

“These reforms are not just administrative upgrades — they have massive socio-economic consequences,” he said, citing examples like self-attestation replacing notarised verification and digital life certificates sparing senior citizens the need to physically prove their existence to receive pensions.

Similarly in education, Singh cited the “One Nation, One Subscription” initiative, which provides access to top global journals to researchers across India, describing it as a significant step toward democratising knowledge.

“The new digital ecosystem has bridged information gaps for students and researchers, irrespective of geography,” he noted.

The Minister also highlighted India’s rising global standing, with key indicators such as the Global Innovation Index, startup rankings, and patent filings showing marked improvement.

“From being ranked 10th globally in the economy, we are now 4th, and on track to be 3rd by 2027,” he said.

Urging a greater collaboration between academia, administration, and the private sector, for “Viksit Bharat 2047,” Singh said that “the next phase will depend on how we unlock our unexplored resources, from oceans to outer space.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a simple sensor that is cost-effective and can enable faster detection of liver cancer.

The team focussed on the potential of terbium — a rare earth metal — to develop a unique luminescent probe that can sense the presence of an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase.

While its core function is to break down a sugar acid called glucuronic acid, the enzyme also doubles as a critical biomarker for liver cancer.

An increase in beta-glucuronidase levels has been associated with the risk of colon, breast, and renal cancers, as well as infections of the urinary tract and AIDS.

Thus, the novel sensor offers a potentially powerful screening tool against different types of cancers, neonatal jaundice, and NSAID-induced toxicity, said the researchers.

“Conventional methods of colorimetry and fluorescence for detecting such enzymes are often restricted by sensitivity or interference from background signals. The ability of rare earth metals to have long-lived excited states allows us to filter out short-lived background fluorescence, resulting in a much clearer signal,” said Ananya Biswas, former PhD student at IISc and co-first author of the paper published in the journal Chemistry, on Monday.

The innovation began with research into the gel-forming properties of metal ions. The IISC team discovered that terbium ions, when incorporated into a gel matrix derived from bile salts, emitted a bright green glow.

To this, the researchers added a molecule called 2,3-DHN ((2,3-Dihydroxynaphthalene), masked with glucuronic acid.

In the presence of beta-glucuronidase, terbium ions cleave the mask, releasing 2,3-DHN, which then acts as an “antenna,” absorbing UV light. It also transfers energy to nearby terbium ions, amplifying the green fluorescence, explained Uday Maitra, Professor in the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc.

Further, to make the technology accessible, the team embedded the gel matrix onto paper discs, creating a simple and portable sensor.

Exposing the samples containing beta-glucuronidase, these discs emitted a pronounced green glow under UV light.

These sensors could also be analysed using a UV lamp and ImageJ — an open source, freely accessible software, making this technique ideal for resource-limited settings, the team said.

The sensor showed a detection limit, which was significantly below the beta-glucuronidase levels typically seen for cirrhosis — an advanced stage of liver disease.

While more clinical studies are needed to validate the findings, such sensors can bring down the cost of detecting clinically significant biomarkers, the researchers said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) With xenotransplantation — animal-to-human transplantation — poised to address the global organ shortage crisis, a pioneering study has outlined how human immune cells interact with pig kidney tissue in transplanted organs, revealing critical early markers of rejection and potential intervention strategies.

Led by French and US researchers, the study deployed cutting-edge spatial molecular imaging to find key molecular mechanisms that could help overcome the biggest challenge in xenotransplantation: rejection by the human immune system.

The team led by Dr. Valentin Goutaudier from the Paris Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration & NYU Langone Transplant Institute) found that human immune cells were found in every part of the pig kidney’s filtering system after the transplant.

Researchers observed early molecular signs of antibody-mediated rejection as soon as Day 10 and peaking at Day 33, reinforcing previous findings that rejection begins rapidly but progresses over time.

By tracking these immune responses for up to 61 days, the team identified a crucial window for targeted therapeutic intervention.

“Our study provides the most detailed molecular map to date of how the human immune system engages with a transplanted pig kidney,” explained Goutaudier, while presenting the study at the ESOT Congress 2025 in London, UK.

“By pinpointing specific immune cell behaviours and gene expressions, we can refine anti-rejection treatments and improve transplant viability,” he added.

The study used a bioinformatic pipeline to distinguish human immune cells from pig structural cells, allowing for precise mapping of immune infiltration patterns.

Notably, macrophages and myeloid cells were the most prevalent immune cell types across all time points, further confirming their role as key mediators in xenograft rejection.

When targeted therapeutic interventions were introduced, immune-mediated signs of rejection were successfully weakened.

Combined with novel spatial insights into how immune cells interact with pig kidney tissue, this marks a major breakthrough — paving the way for more refined anti-rejection strategies.

The findings bring researchers one step closer to making genetically modified pig kidneys a viable long-term solution.

The next phase of the study will focus on optimising anti-rejection treatments, refining genetic modifications in donor pigs, and developing early detection protocols to monitor and manage rejection responses, said the team.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) In a significant achievement for identifying neurodegenerative diseases early, a team of US researchers has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps clinicians detect brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia using a single and widely available scan.

The tool, StateViewer, not only helped in early detection but also provided accurate diagnosis — it identified the dementia type in 88 per cent of cases, including Alzheimer’s disease.

It also enabled clinicians to interpret brain scans nearly twice as fast and with up to three times greater accuracy than standard workflows, according to the research, published online in the journal Neurology.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic trained and tested the AI on more than 3,600 scans, including images from patients with dementia and people without cognitive impairment.

Currently, diagnosing dementia requires cognitive tests, blood draws, imaging, and clinical interviews, and yet, distinguishing conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia remains a challenge.

“Every patient who walks into my clinic carries a unique story shaped by the brain’s complexity,” said David Jones, a Mayo Clinic neurologist.

“StateViewer reflects that commitment — a step toward earlier understanding, more precise treatment, and, one day, changing the course of these diseases,” added Jones, director of the Mayo Clinic Neurology Artificial Intelligence Programme.

The tool analyses a fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan, which shows how the brain uses glucose for energy. It then compares the scan to a large database of scans from people with confirmed dementia diagnoses and identifies patterns that match specific types, or combinations, of dementia.

While Alzheimer’s affects memory and processing regions, Lewy body dementia involves areas tied to attention and movement. Frontotemporal dementia alters regions responsible for language and behaviour.

StateViewer displays these patterns through colour-coded brain maps that highlight key areas of brain activity, giving all clinicians, even those without neurology training, a visual explanation of what the AI sees and how it supports the diagnosis.

Dementia affects more than 55 million people worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases each year.

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form, is now the fifth-leading cause of death globally.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) Torrent Pharmaceuticals, the flagship company of the Torrent Group, on Sunday announced to buy a controlling 46.39 per cent stake in JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals from global investment firm KKR at an equity valuation of Rs 25,689 crore.

After the acquisition, Torrent plans to merge JB Chemicals with itself.

“The transaction marks a significant step in Torrent’s ambition to create a future-ready, diversified healthcare platform combining a deep chronic segment heritage with emerging international CDMO capabilities,” said JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited in an exchange filing.

The transaction will be executed in 2 phases. The first phase includes the acquisition of 46.39 per cent equity stake (on a fully diluted basis) through a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) at a consideration of Rs 11,917 crores, followed by a mandatory open offer to acquire up to 26 per cent of JB Pharma shares from public shareholders at an open offer price of Rs 1,639.18 per share.

In addition to the above, Torrent has also expressed its intent to acquire up to 2.80 per cent of equity shares from certain employees of JB Pharma at the same price per share as KKR.

The second phase includes “merger between Torrent and JB Pharma through a scheme of arrangement”.

As per the approval given by the Board of Directors of both companies, upon merger of JB Pharma with Torrent, every shareholder holding 100 shares in JB Pharma will receive 51 shares of Torrent, the exchange filing read.

“We are pleased to have on board the JB Pharma heritage and build on the platform for the future. Torrent’s deep India presence and JB Pharma’s fast growing India business, combined with the CDMO and international footprint offers immense potential to scale both revenue and profitability,” said Samir Mehta Executive chairman, Torrent

This strategic alignment furthers our goal of strengthening our presence in the Indian pharma market, and build a larger diversified global presence. Moreover, the CDMO platform provides a new long-term avenue of growth for Torrent,” he mentioned.

According to Gaurav Trehan, Co-Head of Asia Pacific and Head of Asia Pacific Private Equity, KKR, and CEO of KKR India, JB Pharma’s transformation under their stewardship is a testament to KKR’s ability to scale high-quality companies.

“We are proud to have collaborated with JB Pharma’s management team, led by Nikhil Chopra, to bring the breadth of KKR’s global experience and operational expertise to support the company’s organic and inorganic growth, and help JB Pharma become one of India’s fastest growing branded pharmaceutical companies,” he noted.

Both the SPA and Scheme are subject to standard requisite statutory and regulatory approvals, including from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Stock Exchanges, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), and other approvals, as applicable.

“As we now enter a new chapter alongside Torrent Pharmaceuticals, we are confident that the combined strengths of our organisations will unlock greater opportunities to enhance healthcare access across our markets,” said Nikhil Chopra, Chief Executive Officer and Whole Time Director of JB Pharma.

—IANS

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New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) A team of Australian researchers has developed and implantable electronic device has restored movement following spinal cord injury in an animal study, raising hopes for an effective treatment for humans and even their pets.

Spinal cord injuries are currently incurable with devastating effects on people’s lives, but now a trial at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland offers hope for an effective treatment.

“Unlike a cut on the skin, which typically heals on its own, the spinal cord does not regenerate effectively, making these injuries devastating and currently incurable,” said lead researcher Dr Bruce Harland, a senior research fellow in the School of Pharmacy at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

“We developed an ultra-thin implant designed to sit directly on the spinal cord, precisely positioned over the injury site in rats,” Dr Harland added in a paper published in Nature Communications journal.

The device delivers a carefully controlled electrical current across the injury site.

“The aim is to stimulate healing so people can recover functions lost through spinal-cord injury,” said Professor Darren Svirskis, director of the CatWalk Cure Programme at the University’s School of Pharmacy.

Unlike humans, rats have a greater capacity for spontaneous recovery after spinal cord injury, which allowed researchers to compare natural healing with healing supported by electrical stimulation.

After four weeks, animals that received daily electric field treatment showed improved movement compared with those who did not.

Throughout the 12-week study, they responded more quickly to gentle touch.

“This indicates that the treatment supported recovery of both movement and sensation,” Harland said. “Just as importantly, our analysis confirmed that the treatment did not cause inflammation or other damage to the spinal cord, demonstrating that it was not only effective but also safe.”

The goal is to transform this technology into a medical device that could benefit people living with these life-changing spinal-cord injuries,” added Professor Maria Asplund of Chalmers University of Technology. The next step is to explore how different doses, including the strength, frequency, and duration of the treatment, affect recovery, to discover the most effective recipe for spinal-cord repair.

—IANS

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New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Eating a bowl of leafy green and cruciferous vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli may be good to ward off the risk of heart attack and stroke, particularly in elderly women.

A team of researchers from the Edith Cowan University (ECU), the University of Western Australia, and the Danish Cancer Institute found that leafy green vegetables — rich in Vitamin K1 — may help prevent atherosclerotic vascular diseases (ASVDs).

ASVD is a subgroup of cardiovascular diseases — the leading cause of death worldwide, primarily due to heart attacks and strokes. It causes plaque to build up inside the arteries, potentially leading to cardiovascular problems.

The research conducted in 1,436 elderly women showed that a higher dietary intake of Vitamin K1 could reduce the risk of ASVD.

In addition, Vitamin K may also be beneficial for musculoskeletal health, through its impact on bone strength.

Notably, a higher Vitamin K1 intake also leads to less thickening of blood vessels in the neck — a marker of atherosclerosis.

“Leafy green and cruciferous vegetables, like spinach, kale, and broccoli, contain Vitamin K1 which may assist in preventing vascular calcification processes that characterise cardiovascular disease. The great news is that these vegetables can be easily incorporated into your daily meals” said Montana Dupuy from ECU. ECU Senior Research Fellow Dr Marc Sim noted that a cup and a half of such vegetables is an easy way to increase our daily vitamin K intake and may lower our risk for cardiovascular disease”.

“This research found women who consumed approximately 30 per cent higher intakes of Vitamin K1 had lower long-term risk of ASVD,” he said.

As the research provided key evidence to support future studies, the team is now creating new foods that pack more leafy greens that are rich in Vitamin K1, to be used in communities with special nutritional and dietary requirements, such as aged care residents.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) A portable DNA sequencing device may be a key genomic surveillance tool for detecting hotspots of antibiotic resistance in animals, and the environment, according to a new study.

In the pilot project, researchers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture, and Arizona State University (ASU) in the US tested the handheld DNA sequencing device to check antibiotic resistance across six chicken slaughterhouses.

The global team collected samples from both wastewater and surrounding rivers in Indonesia’s Greater Jakarta area.

The study found signs that drug-resistant E. coli bacteria — a key indicator of antibiotic resistance — from slaughterhouse wastewater may be reaching nearby rivers.

In many cases, downstream sites had higher levels of resistant E. coli than upstream, pointing to a possible route for resistance to spread from animal waste into the environment.

The researchers found that portable DNA sequencing can strengthen national surveillance efforts by making it easier to detect antibiotic resistance hotspots.

This will pave the way for more targeted, cost-effective solutions to reduce the spread of resistant E. coli strains, which can cause a range of illnesses, including diarrhoea, especially in children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals, the researchers said.

“In certain settings, diarrhoea isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s life-threatening,” said Lee Voth-Gaeddert, a researcher with the ASU Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health issue, posing significant risks to human and animal health.

In 2021, AMR was associated with 4.71 million deaths, including 1.14 million directly attributable to AMR. By 2050, AMR is projected to cause 8.22 million deaths annually, with 1.91 million directly attributable.

Fast, affordable, and locally accessible tools like the portable DNA sequencing device may significantly advance efforts to track and control a broad range of microbial threats.

The mobile sequencing approach could also be expanded to farms and wet markets, or adapted to track other pathogens such as bird flu, noted the team in the research appearing in the journal Antibiotics.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Love your morning cup of coffee? A new study has shown that it may not only energise you but also help slow down ageing and boost longevity.

Caffeine has long been linked to potential health benefits, including reduced risk of age-related diseases.

However, the study led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London in the UK revealed how caffeine works inside human cells, and what exactly its connections are with nutrient and stress-responsive gene and protein networks.

The researchers found that caffeine affects ageing by tapping into an ancient cellular energy system.

They showed that caffeine works by activating an important system called AMPK — a cellular fuel gauge that is evolutionarily conserved in yeast and humans.

“When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope,” said Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis, Reader in Genetics, Genomics, and Fundamental Cell Biology at Queen Mary’s University of London’s Centre for Molecular Cell Biology.

“And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch,” Rallis added, in the paper published in the journal Microbial Cell.

Interestingly, AMPK is also the target of metformin — a common diabetes drug that’s being studied for its potential to extend the human lifespan together with rapamycin.

Using a yeast model, the researchers showed that caffeine’s effect on AMPK influences how cells grow, repair their DNA, and respond to stress — all of which are tied to ageing and disease.

“These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity,” said Dr John-Patrick Alao, the postdoctoral research scientist leading this study.

“And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly — with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines,” Alao added.

–IANS

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