Hearts will be mended

Sir,

Hearts disease is one of the most dangerous killers of human beings. For the last thirty years some great research has been devoted to the study of heart and its diseases known around as cardiology. Since that day in 1967 when Dr. Christian Bernard did the first heart transplant in capetown in South Africa heart studies have kept lightening pace.

Now, a week ago a new breakthrough has been reported from the University of Minnesotra in USA. A virtually dead heart of mice has been brought to life.

The new technique when done on humans which eventually will open a new field of research into the treatment of heart diseases. The core procedure involves stripping the cells from the heart of a dead rat. To strip the heart of a dead rat strong detergents are used which literally wash off the cells leaving behind a white scaffolding mainly formed of proteins. What was later done was that this base was injected with cells taken from a newborn rat heart and placed in a sterile setting. The scientists hoped that the matrix would grow.

It was later observed that the heart started contractions only after four days and on eight day the hearts was pumping. This is a path breaking research. In human beings the goal is to inject stemcells drawn from nonembryonic sources from the recipient of the donated organ thus eliminating the danger of rejection of the new heart by the immune system. Thus in a way hearts will neither feel rejected nor hopefully dejected. A good thing for human hearts which feel frequent breakdown.

Yours etc...
Rajan Sharma
Gandhi Nagar
Jammu

Forestland encroachments

Sir,

A news report was published in this paper titled, ''Govt to remove encouragements......(Jan 17)''.

In this regard I would like to submit that encroachments are a big headache for the administration. Hundreds of hectares of forest land has been encroached upon by influential men who have contacts with Government officers as well as with land mafia. This unholy and poisonous nexus is flourishing day by day. The result is that hundreds of acres of forest land is being encroached.

Forests are shrinking in size. Some days ago the State Forest Minister literally threw his hands up. According to him the condition of the State Forest Department is pretty bad. On many counts forests are being destroyed. Firstly forests are being cutdown. Here too an unholy nexus between smugglers, police and forest officials is destroying the green gold. The State was once brimming with forest. Its Deodar, Kail and fir trees were famous all over the country. The forest produce was exported and utilised locally. Now, anybody can see the condition of State forests. Huge areas of once great forest, stand denuded. The result is a great loss not only to the State but to the entire ecosystem. Then the denuded forest land is now being systematically encroached upon by people. Here Government alone cannot do all the things. NGOs, prominent citizens etc have to build up pressure on the administration so that such nefarious activities are stopped once for all.

Yours etc...
Rajinder Dogra
Nagrota,
Jammu