Latest news with #PCD
Bangkok Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Mekong River Commission detects heavy metal contamination along the Mekong
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat is warning about a "moderately serious" situation following the detection of heavy metal contamination in the Mekong River, believed to have originated from poorly regulated mining operations in a self-administered region of Myanmar. In remarks on Thursday, the MRC said recent water quality assessments identified elevated levels of arsenic at multiple locations along the river. The testing, which focused on the Kok River and parts of the Mekong, showed that arsenic concentrations at four out of five sampling sites exceeded the standard limit of 0.01 mg/L. The assessments showed upstream sites at the upper Myanmar–Laos border as well as the downstream site at Luang Prabang of Lao PDR had arsenic levels below the threshold. However, higher levels of arsenic were detected in the section between a point slightly north of the Golden Triangle at the Myanmar–Laos border and Thailand's Chiang Khong district at the Thailand–Laos border. The MRC said no lead contamination was detected in the Mekong stretch within Lao PDR. This suggests the contamination may stem from transboundary sources. It also cited comparative data from the Thai Pollution Control Department (PCD) in May which showed arsenic levels at around 0.025 mg/L on average. Based on these findings, the MRC has classified the situation as "moderately serious" under its Technical Guidelines for Water Quality Emergency Response and Management. In response, the MRC Secretariat is arranging joint assessments to strengthen cross-border water quality monitoring. A key meeting and field visit is planned for July 21 in Chiang Rai. The session aims to secure agreement among Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand on a monitoring plan and to outline a long-term roadmap for regional cooperation. This latest effort by MRC comes in response to a growing transboundary water pollution crisis, largely attributed to substandard mining practices in Myanmar. Heavy metals such as arsenic have been detected in the Kok and Sai Rivers, which flow through northern Thailand before merging with the Mekong. Meanwhile, the Thai PCD said it is monitoring the situation closely, noting that contamination levels typically worsen during the rainy season. Officials have advised the public in affected areas to avoid using river water for household or agricultural purposes due to potential health risks. In parallel, the government is also preparing to engage in direct negotiations with Myanmar in pursuit of a lasting resolution to the issue.
Bangkok Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
MRC detects heavy metal contamination along the Mekong
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat is warning about a "moderately serious" situation following the detection of heavy metal contamination in the Mekong River, believed to have originated from poorly regulated mining operations in a self-administered region of Myanmar. In remarks on Thursday, the MRC said recent water quality assessments identified elevated levels of arsenic at multiple locations along the river. The testing, which focused on the Kok River and parts of the Mekong, showed that arsenic concentrations at four out of five sampling sites exceeded the standard limit of 0.01 mg/L. The assessments showed upstream sites at the upper Myanmar–Laos border as well as the downstream site at Luang Prabang of Lao PDR had arsenic levels below the threshold. However, higher levels of arsenic were detected in the section between a point slightly north of the Golden Triangle at the Myanmar–Laos border and Thailand's Chiang Khong district at the Thailand–Laos border. The MRC said no lead contamination was detected in the Mekong stretch within Lao PDR. This suggests the contamination may stem from transboundary sources. It also cited comparative data from the Thai Pollution Control Department (PCD) in May which showed arsenic levels at around 0.025 mg/L on average. Based on these findings, the MRC has classified the situation as "moderately serious" under its Technical Guidelines for Water Quality Emergency Response and Management. In response, the MRC Secretariat is arranging joint assessments to strengthen cross-border water quality monitoring. A key meeting and field visit is planned for July 21 in Chiang Rai. The session aims to secure agreement among Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand on a monitoring plan and to outline a long-term roadmap for regional cooperation. This latest effort by MRC comes in response to a growing transboundary water pollution crisis, largely attributed to substandard mining practices in Myanmar. Heavy metals such as arsenic have been detected in the Kok and Sai Rivers, which flow through northern Thailand before merging with the Mekong. Meanwhile, the Thai PCD said it is monitoring the situation closely, noting that contamination levels typically worsen during the rainy season. Officials have advised the public in affected areas to avoid using river water for household or agricultural purposes due to potential health risks. In parallel, the government is also preparing to engage in direct negotiations with Myanmar in pursuit of a lasting resolution to the issue.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
AIIMS researchers pioneer breakthrough diagnostic tool for rare genetic disorders
New Delhi: Researchers at the AIIMS-Delhi have developed a powerful new method to diagnose Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia , or PCD, a rare and often misdiagnosed genetic disorder affecting the respiratory system. The innovative technique, built around transmission electron microscopy , or TEM, stands to revolutionise the way ciliary disorders are detected and understood. The breakthrough, led by Dr Subhash Chandra Yadav, Electron Microscope Facility, Department of Anatomy, and Professor Kana Ram Jat, Department of Paediatrics, was published recently in the journal Microscopy and Microanalysis (University of Oxford). Published under the title 'An Innovative TEM-Based Ultrastructural Imaging Methodology for the Diagnosis of Respiratory Ciliary Disorders,' the study detailed the method that improves diagnostic accuracy dramatically by identifying structural defects in motile cilia in nearly 70 per cent of suspected cases -- an achievement unmatched even by cutting-edge whole-genome sequencing. The method was used on 200 patients with suspected ciliary disorders, and confirmed diagnoses in 135 cases. The scope of the technique extends far beyond PCD, researchers claimed. It can accurately detect a range of rare ciliary disorders related conditions, including respiratory anomalies, renal cystic disease, blindness, neural tube defects, intellectual disability, skeletal abnormalities (such as polydactyly and abnormally short limbs), ectodermal defects, situs inversus (a condition where internal organs are mirrored), and infertility. What sets this methodology apart is its comprehensive and refined workflow, researchers said. From meticulous sample collection and fixation to ultra-thin sectioning and advanced TEM imaging, every step is optimised to enhance the visibility of tiny defects - boosting detection capability by nearly 640 times compared to conventional methods, they said. Medical experts hail this innovation as a game-changer in genetic diagnostics. It promises faster and more accurate diagnoses and lays the groundwork for tailored therapies, improved patient care, and deeper insights into the mechanisms of ciliary disorders, said one of the authors.
The Print
04-05-2025
- Health
- The Print
AIIMS researchers pioneer breakthrough diagnostic tool for rare genetic disorders
The breakthrough, led by Dr Subhash Chandra Yadav, Electron Microscope Facility, Department of Anatomy, and Professor Kana Ram Jat, Department of Paediatrics, was published recently in the journal Microscopy and Microanalysis (University of Oxford). The innovative technique, built around transmission electron microscopy, or TEM, stands to revolutionise the way ciliary disorders are detected and understood. New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) Researchers at the AIIMS-Delhi have developed a powerful new method to diagnose Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, or PCD, a rare and often misdiagnosed genetic disorder affecting the respiratory system. Published under the title 'An Innovative TEM-Based Ultrastructural Imaging Methodology for the Diagnosis of Respiratory Ciliary Disorders,' the study detailed the method that improves diagnostic accuracy dramatically by identifying structural defects in motile cilia in nearly 70 per cent of suspected cases — an achievement unmatched even by cutting-edge whole-genome sequencing. The method was used on 200 patients with suspected ciliary disorders, and confirmed diagnoses in 135 cases. The scope of the technique extends far beyond PCD, researchers claimed. It can accurately detect a range of rare ciliary disorders related conditions, including respiratory anomalies, renal cystic disease, blindness, neural tube defects, intellectual disability, skeletal abnormalities (such as polydactyly and abnormally short limbs), ectodermal defects, situs inversus (a condition where internal organs are mirrored), and infertility. What sets this methodology apart is its comprehensive and refined workflow, researchers said. From meticulous sample collection and fixation to ultra-thin sectioning and advanced TEM imaging, every step is optimised to enhance the visibility of tiny defects — boosting detection capability by nearly 640 times compared to conventional methods, they said. Medical experts hail this innovation as a game-changer in genetic diagnostics. It promises faster and more accurate diagnoses and lays the groundwork for tailored therapies, improved patient care, and deeper insights into the mechanisms of ciliary disorders, said one of the authors. PTI PLB VN VN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
AIIMS scientists develop new method to diagnose Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia with 640x greater precision
New Delhi : In a major stride for rare disease diagnostics , researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences ( AIIMS ), New Delhi, have developed a groundbreaking method for diagnosing Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) -- a rare and often misdiagnosed genetic disorder affecting the respiratory system -- using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). According to Dr Subhash Chandra Yadav from the Electron Microscope Facility, Department of Anatomy, AIIMS Delhi, this method is the first of its kind in India. "This type of diagnosis is the first of its kind in India, and no other hospital or research lab in the country currently provides such a diagnosis based on electron microscopy," said Dr Subhash Chandra Yadav of the Electron Microscope Facility, Department of Anatomy, AIIMS Delhi. Dr Yadav said that the AIIMS Delhi method for PCD diagnosis has now been internationally accepted as an innovative methodology and other ciliary diseases. "Our developed method for PCD diagnosis has now been internationally accepted as an innovative methodology for PCD and other ciliary diseases, with the research paper published in the top-rated Microscopy and Microanalysis journal from the University of Oxford," he said. The breakthrough, led by Dr Yadav and Prof Kana Ram Jat from the Department of Paediatrics, was detailed in the prestigious journal under the title "An Innovative TEM-Based Ultrastructural Imaging Methodology for the Diagnosis of Respiratory Ciliary Disorders ." According to a statement from AIIMS Delhi, the advanced method dramatically improves diagnostic accuracy, identifying structural defects in motile cilia in nearly 70 per cent of suspected cases, an achievement unmatched even by cutting-edge whole-genome sequencing. Validated on 200 patients with suspected ciliary disorders, the technique confirmed diagnoses in 135 cases. The scope of this technique extends far beyond PCD. It can accurately detect a range of rare ciliary disorder-related conditions, including respiratory anomalies, renal cystic disease, blindness, neural tube defects, intellectual disability, skeletal abnormalities (such as polydactyly and abnormally short limbs), ectodermal defects, situs inversus (a condition where internal organs are mirrored), and infertility. "What sets this methodology apart is its comprehensive and refined workflow. From meticulous sample collection and fixation to ultra-thin sectioning and advanced TEM imaging, every step is optimised to enhance the visibility of tiny defects, boosting detection capability by nearly 640 times compared to conventional methods," as per the statement. Medical experts hail this innovation as a game-changer in genetic diagnostics. It promises faster and more accurate diagnoses while laying the groundwork for personalised therapies, enhanced patient care, and deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying ciliary disorders. This pioneering effort by AIIMS researchers marks a transformative milestone in India's diagnostic capabilities, bringing hope to countless patients and their families as they navigate the challenges of rare genetic diseases.
