Pollen grain analysis has provided insights into how the first humans migrated from Africa to Europe and Asia, according to research published in Science Advances. The study found that warming temperatures supported the expansion of forests in Siberia, facilitating early human migration to the region.
A recent study suggests that Saturn's rings may not be billions of years old, but rather formed in the recent past through the collision of two icy moons. Using simulations, researchers found that this younger-rings hypothesis is plausible. Understanding the origin of Saturn's rings could provide insights into the formation of other celestial bodies.
Scientists at the University of Basel have discovered a link between certain brain signals and variations in memory performance among individuals. The researchers conducted a study involving nearly 1,500 participants and found that brain activity in specific regions, such as the hippocampus, was directly associated with memory performance. They also identified functional networks in the brain that were linked to memory performance.
Covid infection can trigger a dangerous immune response in the hard fatty deposits, called plaques, lining the interiors of the heart's blood vessels, which can disrupt the normal blood flow, according to researchers. Exposing these plaques to the coronavirus boosted inflammation in blood vessels, thereby enabling the fatty deposits to interfere with the blood flow and worsen pre-existing heart conditions, the researchers at New York University (NYU) Langone Health, US, showed.
According to a study by Tulane University, taking at least 50 steps and climbing stairs daily can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. Climbing more than five flights of stairs per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%. The study used data from 450,000 adults and found that stair climbing particularly benefits those who are less susceptible to cardiovascular disease.
Even as Isro is awaiting a signal from Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover and Vikram lander, the space agency's chairman S Somanath has said that it won't be a problem even if they fail to wake up.Speaking at a press conference, Somanath said that that Chandrayaan-3's rover, which is currently in sleep mode, has achieved what was expected from it in the mission.The Isro chief said it will wake up if its electronic circuits have not been damaged due to the extreme weather on the moon.
Eutelsat Communications has completed its merger with OneWeb, creating the Eutelsat Group. The merged entity, headquartered in Paris, will operate as Eutelsat OneWeb with a center in London.
An international team of geologists and seismologists has created a refined map of Zealandia, the submerged continent beneath the Pacific Ocean. Using data from rock samples and seismic analysis, they discovered a subduction zone near the Campbell Plateau off the west coast of New Zealand. The map shows the magmatic arc axis and other major geological features of Zealandia.
For the first time, scientists have observed antimatter particles -- the mysterious twins of the visible matter all around us -- falling downwards due to the effect of gravity, Europe's physics lab CERN announced on Wednesday. In more than a dozen experiments, the CERN scientists varied the strength of the magnets, observing gravity's effect on antimatter at different rates.
Effective data storytelling can help improve data gathering and advocacy for public libraries, according to a study published in the Public Library Quarterly. Overcoming cultural barriers to data storytelling is crucial for success, with librarians needing to address obstacles such as fear of data and lack of time, tools, and training.
The Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyan has been unable to leave a clear imprint of the Indian national emblem and Isro logo on the lunar soil, which scientists say is a good sign as it provides new understanding of the properties of the soil. This new information could be critical for future missions involving lunar habitation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people, especially students, to participate in the ongoing Chandrayaan-3 MahaQuiz, which has already seen over 1.5 million enrollments. In his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat, Modi expressed his happiness at the large number of people who watched the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's south pole on August 23. The quiz consists of 10 multiple-choice questions and participants have six more days to take part.
A recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has found that abuse of antimicrobials has led to widespread resistance to antibiotics in India. The study analyzed data from 21 hospitals and found that the effectiveness of the antibiotic carbapenem in treating infections has decreased over time. The report also highlighted the need for more responsible antibiotic prescription practices and the development of new drugs tailored to Indian needs. While there were some positive findings, such as the identification of a molecular mechanism of resistance, overall antimicrobial resistance remains a significant concern.
Former ISRO chairman K Sivan has stated that the Chandrayaan-3 mission is not over yet and there is still a lot of data to be processed. The lander and rover of the mission completed their mission tasks during the 14 Earth days, but ISRO is still attempting to establish contact with them. Sivan also mentioned that the data from Chandrayaan-2 is still being analyzed and new science is expected to be discovered.
Researchers have discovered that box jellyfish, specifically the species Tripedalia cystophora, have the ability to learn. In a lab experiment, the jellyfish were trained to recognize and avoid patterns that represented mangrove roots, which they would typically collide with. After a few collisions, the jellyfish changed their behavior and began swimming farther away from the pattern. The study sheds light on the origins of learning and raises questions about the capacity to learn among nerve cells, regardless of whether they are part of a brain.
The Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyan has been unable to leave a clear imprint of the Indian national emblem and the Isro logo on the lunar soil, indicating a new understanding of the properties of the soil in the south pole region. This information could be critical for future missions aiming for lunar habitation and sustained human presence.
According to recent research from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, there may be another approach to cure cigarette addiction. Researchers observed that theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TBS), which uses powerful, rapidly fluctuating magnetic field pulses to influence brain activity, can promote self-control, reduce cravings, and, as a result, lead to reduced smoking.
Expanding newborn screening (NBS) to include detecting genes linked to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) may worsen existing health disparities, according to a recent article in Paediatrics. The authors argue that the scarcity of genetics experts and diagnosticians, as well as the lack of adequate genetic information about variants in diverse communities, would result in overdiagnosis and over-treatment.
Botanists have recently rediscovered the smilax turbans, a long-lost plant species akin to a well known an Ayurvedic therapeutic plant in the pristine forests of Kurung Kumey district of Arunachal Pradesh, 500 km away from where it was last collected 95 years ago.
Researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia have found that analyzing cough sounds can help determine the severity of Covid-19 in patients. The study recorded cough sounds from 70 patients with COVID-19 and found that differences in cough acoustics correlated with varying levels of disease severity and pneumonia progression.
New simulations led by Northwestern University suggest that supermassive black holes devour their surrounding gas much faster than previously thought. The study challenges the conventional theory that black holes eat slowly and proposes that they consume food in a cycle of tearing and refilling subdisks, which takes only a few months. This finding could help explain the behavior of quasars, which experience sudden brightening and dimming.
An international team of mathematicians claims to have discovered 12,000 new solutions to the three-body problem in physics and mathematics. These solutions, which have been made available on the arXiv database, expand upon the few hundred known scenarios. The three-body problem involves calculating stable orbits when three objects interact with each other gravitationally.
This is mirrored in the global captioning and subtitles sector. According to the data tracker Valuates Reports, it was just under $300 million in 2021 and is anticipated to reach around $500 million by 2028. With such high demand, not only is there an increase in the number of subtitle authors and agencies in the country, but there is also a new ingredient in the mix: AI.
A study has found that patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. OSA can lead to fatigue, decreased oxygen in the blood, and increased risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. CPAP machines help keep the airways open while sleeping.
Researchers have genetically modified a marine bacterium to break down plastic in saline water. The bacterium, Vibrio natriegens, was combined with the DNA from Ideonella sakaiensis, a bacterium that produces enzymes capable of breaking down PET, a plastic commonly found in the ocean.
The researchers discovered that just half of the people matched the nutritional value of their meals and snacks. This disparity has a detrimental impact on health indicators like blood sugar and fat levels, and addressing it may be as simple as changing one's diet. With unhealthy snacks, 25 per cent of people nullify the positive effects of healthy meals, increasing their risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Come January, a petite European spacecraft, christened “Bikini,” will hitch a ride aboard India’s trusted PSLV, soaring to a staggering altitude of 500km before making a re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere and plunging into the deep sea.
A natural component found in turmeric, called curcumin, may be as effective as omeprazole in treating gastrointestinal symptoms. Turmeric has long been used in Southeast Asian medicine for the treatment of dyspepsia. In a study, researchers randomly assigned 206 individuals with recurring upset stomach to one of three therapy groups: turmeric, omeprazole, or a combination of both. The study found that all three groups showed significant reductions in symptom severity after 28 days. The researchers believe that curcumin may be a viable option for the treatment of functional dyspepsia.
Researchers at EPFL have successfully genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to generate electricity. By altering the bacteria to have increased extracellular electron transfer (EET), the modified E. coli can generate electricity while metabolizing a wide range of organic substrates. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize waste management and energy production, as the modified bacteria performed well in various conditions, including wastewater from a brewery. The engineered E. coli can also be utilized in microbial fuel cells, electrosynthesis, and biosensing. The researchers are excited about the future potential of this technology.
A new team of astronauts, including NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, has departed for the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. O'Hara will be on a six-month mission, while Kononenko and Chub will stay for a year.
A variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, known as EG.5.1, has been found to be able to escape neutralizing antibodies better than other strains, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. However, researchers have stated that this increase in antibody escape is only moderate, and does not completely undermine the immunity established through vaccination or prior infection.
The psychedelic drug MDMA can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, researchers reported in a new study published Thursday. “It’s the first innovation in PTSD treatment in more than two decades. And it’s significant because I think it will also open up other innovation,” said Amy Emerson, CEO of MAPS Public Benefit Corporation, the research sponsor.
Spanish pharmaceutical company Insud Pharma has established a specialized oligonucleotides center at its Chemo India Formulation Private Limited campus in Hyderabad. This center is dedicated to research and production of oligonucleotides, with the capacity to produce Nusinersen, an antisense oligonucleotide for treating Spinal Muscular Atrophy. It has received approvals from US FDA, Spanish Health Agency.
Moderna on Wednesday said its flu vaccine had generated a stronger immune response against all four A and B strains of the influenza virus compared to traditional flu shots in a late-stage trial. The effectiveness of Moderna's flu vaccine was demonstrated across all age groups, and was found to be safe and tolerable, according to the company. Moderna also said it had found that its shot was equal or superior to Sanofi's high-dose flu vaccine in a separate early head-to-head study.
Scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bengaluru have discovered that naturally occurring plant-based polyphenols, such as tannic acid found in trees like Chestnut and Oak, could be an effective strategy for combating Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Bengaluru-based startup KaleidEO Space Systems has become the first Indian firm to demonstrate "edge computing" in space. The firm used deep learning-based algorithms to analyse imagery captured by Satellogic, a satellite constellation and data provider company. The success of this demonstration is a step towards KaleidEO's mission of launching four satellites in 2025 with edge computing capabilities.
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a new approach to potentially detect and kill cancer cells, especially those which form a solid tumour mass. They have created hybrid nanoparticles made of gold and copper sulphide, which can kill cancer cells using heat, and enable their detection using sound waves, according to a study published in 'ACS Applied Nano Materials'.
Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have successfully grown human embryo-like structures in the lab without using sperm, eggs, or a womb. The models, created from chemically modified stem cells, closely resemble genuine human embryos and could be valuable for studying conditions such as miscarriage, birth defects, and infertility.
There has been a 79% increase in new cases of cancer among those in the under-50 age bracket globally in the past three decades, a study published in the British Medical Journal (Oncology) has found. Though the number of such patients went up to 3.82 million in 2019 from 1.82 million in 1990, researchers found that the resultant deaths increased by 28% during the corresponding period.
A review paper published in the journal Foods discusses the risks associated with minimally processed vegetables (MPVs) in the Brazilian market. The study highlights the presence of pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes in MPVs. The paper emphasizes the need for control measures to ensure the safety and quality of MPVs.
Tropical Storm Katia in the Eastern Atlantic is expected to weaken on Sunday, according to forecasters. While its direction is uncertain, it is not expected to pose a threat to land. The storm is currently located about 855 miles north-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. The National Hurricane Center described the storm's forecast as difficult to determine, with one model showing a "squashed spider pattern."
India's space agency takes aim at another milestone Saturday with the launch of a probe to study the Sun, a week after its successful unmanned landing on the Moon. The United States and the European Space Agency (ESA) have sent numerous probes to the centre of the solar system, beginning with Nasa's Pioneer programme in the 1960s.