Science & Technology, Defense, Environment [March-2014]

Potentially hazardous asteroid 2013 YP139 discovered

NASA discovered a new potentially hazardous asteroid named 2013 YP139 on 29 December 2013. It was confirmed by the NASA on 15 January2014. It was first discovered by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Widefield
Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). The Researchers at the University of Arizona used the Spacewatch telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory southwest of Tucson to confirm the discovery. The 2013 YP139 is about 43 million kilometers from Earth. On the basis of Infrared brightness, it is found to be 650 meters in diameter and extremely dark like a piece of coal. NEOWISE‘s sophisticated software picked up the moving object against a background of stationary stars. The asteroid circles the Sun in an elliptical orbit titled to the plane of solar system. It is possible for its orbit to bring it as close as 482803 km from Earth, a little more than the distance to the Moon. But it will not come that close within the next century. NEOWISE was originally called as Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) which made the most comprehensive survey to date of
asteroids and comets. In 2010 and early 2011, WISE discovered more than 34000 asteroids and characterised 158000 throughout the solar system. Its reactivation in September 2013 followed 31 months in hibernation.

Moclic software to predict weather

Researcher from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) designed the software Monitoring Climate Change (Moclic) through which is possible to organise, store and operate geo-referenced data from climate elements. Moclic can calculate bio and agro climatic indicators such as humidity, aridity, rain erosion and rainfall concentration.

Using the new software information regarding temperature can be known more accurately which feeds on data from weather stations in any state or country. Moclic project allows an agronomist to obtain annual rainfall records and relate them to the crops production figures for explanation of a possible event. It is also possible to identify desiccation processes in a region which comes useful while considering the seeds that can resist droughts or the optimization of rainwater catching techniques, storage or types of irrigation. The software is very simple and can be used by decision making characters, as governors, breeders, physicians, farmers, students or anyone whose repercussions could  have economic politic or social effects.

First multi-coloured 3D Printer launched

World’s first 3D-printer Objet500 Connex3 was launched on 28 January 2014. The printer was manufactured by the USA based company Stratasys, the owner of the Mark Bot range of printers. Object500 Connex3 is the world’s first 3D printer that can produce multi-colour, multi material objects at the same time. It will be commercially available in the second quarter of 2014 and will cost around 330000 dollars. It enables users to get exact intended colour, material properties and surface finish as conceptualized. The printer uses three different base resins and 10 colour palettes and can craft a variety of objects like a pair of sports goggles, flexible shoes, headphones, a blender and even multi-colored football and bike helmets. It is touted to be better than the 3D printer the ProJet 5500X which was unveiled by Stratasys’s rival 3D Systems. ProJet 5500X offers a smaller range of colours: black, white, and certain shades of grey. However, since the size of the printer is large, it is mainly targeted toward major corporations and high-end designers.

What is it that determines the colour of anything?

Colour is the visual perception of the physical signal, the light, that eye receives. The colour depends on the kind of light that falls on anything and also that bounces off or passes through it. Light travels in waveform and each colour has its own wavelength. So, in other terms, colour depends on the wavelengths of light that reaches the surface of an object and that reach eyes after being reflected or transmitted by the object. Surface of any object has, in general, three effects on light falling over it — absorption, reflection and transmission. If an object absorbs all wavelengths of light falling on it, then it appears ‘black’ and if it reflects every wavelength of light falling on, it will appear ‘white’. If an object reflects wavelengths of light partly, absorbing the rest, then the reflected wavelengths ‘decide’ the colour of it. Thus the apparent colour of an object depends on the wavelength
of the light that it reflects. For example, a ‘red object’ observed in daylight appears red because it reflects only the waves producing red light.

We see green leaves as being green because chlorophyll in the leaves, because of its nature and chemical makeup, absorbs the all other wavelengths (colours) of the sunlight (called white light as it contains all wavelengths), except green. The green is reflected back out to the viewer making the leaves appear green. The light falling on the surface also determines the colour. If a piece of cloth which appears green in sunlight is viewed under red light it will appear black, because the pigments on the surface of that cloth have the property of reflecting only green light absorbing all other wavelengths falling on it. As red light has only wavelength corresponding
to red colour it is completely absorbed and as no colour is reflected back it appears black. Transparent objects do not reflect light, but transmit it. A ‘blue’ glass transmits only blue light, absorbing all other colours, so appears blue. A non-rigid ‘object’ like sky also has colour due to the phenomena called scattering. As sunlight strikes the upper atmosphere blue light is scattered the most by air molecules and suspended dust particles etc., which illuminates the whole sky, giving it its colour.

Dexter

Dexter, a private information stealing virus, was detected by Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-In) in online banking transaction space on 19 January 2014. The virus is particularly more threatening for the users of credit card while making payments at the shopping counters. When the credit card is swiped at the point of sale (POS), the virus Dexter steals the confidential data like card holder’s name, account number, expiration date, CVV code and other discretionary information. This leak of the information could lead to financial loss and phishing attacks on the card. Earlier in December 2013, RBI made it mandatory for debit card holders to punch in their PIN every time when they make a purchase. The order was passed following the spread of virus of Trojan Family which was detected at the Point of Sale (POS).

Computer Emergency Response Team - India (CERT-In)

CERT – In, set up in January 2004, is a nodal department under the Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. It is mandated to protect Indian cyberspace and software infrastructure against destructive and hacking activities. In accordance with the Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008, CERT – In is designated as national agency to perform the following functions in the area of cyber security

• Collection, analysis and dissemination of information on cyber incidents.

• Forecasts and alerts of cyber security incidents.

• Emergency measures for handling cyber security incidents.

• Coordination of cyber incident response activities.

• Issue guidelines, advisories, vulnerability notes and white papers relating to information security practices, procedures, prevention, response and reporting of cyber security incidents.

What is the powdery material that sticks to the fingers when a butterfly is caught by its wings?

Both butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera meaning scaly wings. As the order name Lepidoptera implies, the powdery material found on butterfly wings that sticks to our fingers is a  bunch of tiny scales, modified sensory structures called setae. Wings are made of two thin membranes covered with unicellular scales arranged loosely in rows. Thin layers of chitin, a hardened protein make the scales. These scales strengthen
and stabilize the wings. The scales are of two kinds, one filled with colouring materials and the other minutely grooved and surfaced. Each scale is plugged into a socket on the wing with grids of high and low ribs and cells. The cells hold the natural pigment molecules such as uric acid (white), carotenoid pigments (yellow, orange), quercetin (red, purple) and melanin (brown). Each pigmented scale produces only one type of pigment. Along with the pigments, the arrangement and spacing of the ribs and cells also contribute to the colour. However, the vivid iridescent colours are the results of reflection and refraction of light by the different size, pattern and spacing of the ribs on the scales. Besides regulating temperature by either absorbing or reflecting sunlight, the loose attachments and slippery nature of scales prevent butterflies from predators. Some species have androconial scales helping in the dispersal of pheromones to attract the opposite sex.

Hubble discovered clouds on new planets

Hubble discovered the two new planets, GJ 436b and GJ121 4b, providing the weather forecast for a planet outside our solar system. The Astronomers led by University of Chicago Laura Kreidberg and Jacob Bean W determined that both the planets covered with clouds and contains hydrogen. These clouds hide any information about the composition and behaviour of the lower atmosphere and surface. GJ 121 4b is about 40 light years away from Earth in the constellation Ophiuchus. GJ436b is similar in mass to Neptune and GJ 121 4b is considered a Super Earth planet because of its mass is intermediate between those of Earth and
Neptune.

About Hubble

The Hubble space Telescope’s launched in 1990 that orbits Earth. Its gaze has helped determine the age of the universe and the existence of dark energy. Why do we have more hair on our head than any other part of the body?

Human body has different types of hairs in different parts. Vellus hairs, which are tiny and virtually invisible, intermediate hairs, which are shorter and less pigmented and terminal hairs which are larger, longer and pigmented are the three major types. From childhood onward, vellus hair covers the entire body regardless of sex or race except in the following locations: the lips, the nipples, the palms of hands, the soles of feet, certain external genital areas and scar tissue. Increase in the level of androgens, the male hormones during puberty causes a transformation of vellus hair into intermediate and terminal hairs on several parts of the body in both male and female. The hair follicles in these areas respond to androgens, especially testosterone and its derivatives to convert the vellus hair into terminal hairs. The hairs in these locations are termed as androgenic hairs. Sush areas are the underarms and the pubic area. In contrast, normally only men grow androgenic hair in other areas. So there is a sexual dimorphism in the amount and distribution of androgenic hair, with males having more intermediate hairs and females having more vellus hair, which is less visible. In men, approximately 5 per cent of testosterone undergoes 5á-reduction to form a potent androgen derivative called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The enzyme 5á-reductase synthesises DHT in the prostate gland, testes, hair follicles and adrenal glands. When the percentage of DHT increases more than this, the male-pattern baldness occurs in men since their hair follicles, usually on the top and front of the head, are sensitive to the hormone DHT.

In women the DHT, which is synthesized in the hair follicles and adrenal glands and can prevent hair growth especially in the scalp is counteracted by estrogen. Hence for women, hair loss usually begins at menopause when estrogen levels begin to drop. The baldness in males due to inhibition of scalp hair growth is medically termed as androgenic alopecia. The response to androgen and its derivatives varies with the body site, and is the cause for different growth pattern of hairs in human body.

Technology to turn Plastic into fuel developed

National Institute of Technology, Odisha, developed a commercially viable technology for efficiently rendering common polymer, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) into a liquid fuel. This discovery may lead to re-using
discarded plastic bags and other products to address growing demands for fuel globally. Study was published in International Journal of Environment and Waste Management. LDPE is used to make container, medical and laboratory equipment, computer components and plastic bags. The team heat up the plastic waste to between 400 and 500 degrees celsius over a kaolin catalyst (a clay mineral containing aluminum and silicon).This caused the plastic’s long chain polymer chains to break apart in a process known as thermo-catalytic degradation. The process released large quantities of much smaller, carbon-rich molecules. An analytical method called Gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to characterise these product molecules and found the components of their liquid fuel to be mainly paraffins and olefins 10 to 16 carbon atoms long. This makes the liquid fuel very similar chemically to conventional petrochemical fuels. Kaolin acts as a catalyst by providing a large reactive surface on which the polymer molecules can sit and so be exposed to high temperature inside the batch reactor, which breaks them apart. Recycling initiatives are in place across the world but much of the polyethylene waste ends up in landfill, dispersed in the environment or in the sea. The process, if implemented on a large scale, can reduce pressures on landfill as well as ameliorating the effects of dwindling oil supplies in a world with increasing demands on petrochemicals for fuel.

What is the difference between the two chemicals — carbohydrate and hydrocarbon, while both are fuels — one for humans and the other for engines?

Carbohydrates and hydrocarbons are two different classes of organic compounds. Though the names appear to be similar, there is a vast difference in their basic chemical composition. Carbohydrates contain Carbon (C),
Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O). Whereas hydrocarbons contain only Carbon (C) and Hydrogen (H). Both liberate energy in presence of oxygen and get converted to carbondioxide and water. Carbohydrates include starch,
sugars, cellulose glycogen etc., and they are basically polyhydroxy aldehydes, polyhydroxy ketones or compounds that can be hydrolysed to them. These carbohydrates are the ultimate source of most of our food
because we eat grain or we feed to animals to be converted into meat and fat which we then eat. These carbohydrates thus formed during photosynthesis in the plants in the form of starch, sugar are converted to glucose in our body through complex enzymatic catalysis. This glucose is finally converted to carbondioxide and water liberating energy in the form of ATP at cellular level during respiration. These reactions take place in our body
during respiration, wherein the oxygen required for the conversion is supplied during inhaling and the liberated carbondioxide is expelled during exhaling. During the metabolism, this energy is used by the muscles in the form of mechanical energy, used for maintaining the body temperature, stored in the form of ATP for future use and utilized in the body for various metabolic activities.

In our body also the conversion of carbohydrates takes place with the release of energy but through complex biochemical pathway and these reactions take place in the mitochondria present in the cells. Conversion of carbohydrates liberates approximately 4.1Kcal or 17kJ of energy per gram of carbohydrate consumed. When it comes to the case of hydrocarbons they are combustible fuels. i.e, they liberate enormous amount of energy on burning in the presence of oxygen. Burning of hydrocarbons is an exothermic reaction, which means a lot of heat is liberated which is used to drive engines, motors, power plants and others. Basically these compounds contain only carbon and hydrogen in their structure. Common examples for this class of compounds are gasoline, kerosene, cooking gas, coal gas, naphtha and such other fuels.

Lice genes evolved faster than those of human, chimp

Genes of lice have evolved much faster than those of humans and chimps on which they feed, according to research that has just been published.

“Understanding differences between species in the rate of molecular evolution is of considerable interest in the fields of evolution, molecular biology, population genetics and systematics,” observed Kevin P. Johnson and his colleagues in a paper appearing this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B . Studying genetic differences that have arisen in humans, chimps and their lice offered a convenient way of estimating the relative rates of such evolution.

Humans and chimps shared a common ancestor about 5 million to 6 million years ago. Their lice too would have evolved across the same period of time from a louse that lived off that ancestral primate. With a common period of evolution, the rate of genetic change in the primates could be readily compared with that of the lice. Dr. Johnson of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign in the U.S. and his colleagues examined 1,534 genes that humans, chimps and the two species of lice (the human body louse, Pediculus humanus , and the chimpanzee louse, Pediculus schaeffi ) had in common. They computed the extent of differences in each of those genes for humans and chimps, and then compared that to the differences found in genes in the two lice. This comparison revealed that lice have been evolving nearly 15 times faster than their hosts at the DNA sequence level. “Interestingly, the genetic divergence between lice was correlated with the genetic divergence in these same genes between humans and chimpanzees,” the scientists noted in their paper. “That is, genes that evolve more rapidly in humans and chimpanzees also evolve more rapidly in their parasitic lice, even though lice and primates are separated by more than 600 million years of evolution.” This was the first evidence of correlated
rates of evolution across the genome between hosts and their parasites, they added. The explanation for such a correlation appeared to be the relative level of functional constraints on different genes. In humans and chimps, however, a greater proportion of gene sequence changes resulted in changes to the protein structure. That means that even though louse genes have been changing at a faster rate, most of those changes were ‘silent’ and had no effect on the protein they coded for, a press release issued by the University of Illinois pointed out. Since those changes made no difference to the life of the lice, they were tolerated, Dr Johnson was quoted as saying in the press release. Those sequence changes that actually change the structure of proteins in lice were likely to be harmful and were being eliminated by natural selection.

Nanotechnology may prevent Cancer from spreading

Nanotechnology may prevent cancer from spreading by using sticky nanoparticles. Researchers of Cornell University (US) have designed these sticky nanoparticles. These are made by attaching Trail protein and other
proteins to the nanoparticles. As per the results of earlier trial tests, Trail protein has the ability to kill cancer cells. These sticky nanoparticles are injected into blood stream which attaches themselves with the white blood cells. Tests revealed that as soon as sticky nanoparticles came in contact of cancel tumor cells which had broken off the main tumour and were trying to spread, it kills them. It thus prevent tumour from spreading into other regions. The test results are significant in human blood and mice. The lead researcher Professor Michael King suggested that sticky nanoparticles should be used before surgery or radiotherapy. This move would help in removing tumour cells from the main tumour.

Water-jet printer created

A team of scientists have created Water-Jet printer on 28 January 2014. The printer was created by the team of scientists at Jilin University of China. These new water-jet printer use water instead of ink. The used paper fades back to white within a day, which enables it to be reused. A dye compound called oxazolidine was used, which yielded a clear, blue print in less than a second after water was applied. Many statistics indicate that about 40 per cent of office prints are taken to the waste paper basket after a single reading. Water-jet technology allows each page to be reprinted dozens of times. This is money and tree saving option in a digital world that still relies heavily on hard copy. The trick lies in the paper, which is treated with an invisible dye that colours when exposed to water, then disappears. The print fades away within about 22 hours at temperatures below  35 degrees as the water evaporates, quicker if exposed to high heat. Currently, four water-printed colours so far are available like blue, magenta, gold and purple, but can only print in one hue at a time, for now.

Supercomputer PARAM Yuva- II ranked 1 in India

Supercomputer PARAM Yuva- II was rated 1st in India, 9th in the Asia Pacific Region and 44th in the world among the most power efficient computer systems as per the Green500 List. It was announced at the Super computer Conference (SC 2013) in Denver, Colorado, US. PARAM Yuva-II was developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). CDAC is the second organization worldwide to have carried out the Level 3 measurement of Power versus Performance for the Green500 List. PARAM Yuva – II uses hybrid technology, processor, co-processor and hardware accelerators. PARAM uses hybrid technology to provide the peak compute power of 520.4 Teraflop/s using 210 kilowatt power. The interconnect network comprises of homegrown PARAMNet-III and Infiniband FDR System Area Network. This system is designed to solve large and complex computational problems. The system has 200 Terabytes of high performance storage, and requisite system software and utilities for parallel applications development.

About Supercomputers

• A Super computer is the fastest type of computers that is typically used for scientific and engineering applications whichhandles very large databases or does a great amount of computation or both.

• In general Supercomputers consume a lot of electrical power and produce much heat.

• To reduce heat, it requires elaborate cooling facilities, which increases the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a supercomputer.

• Green500 ranks computer systems in the world according to compute performance per watt and providing a world ranking based on energy efficiency.

• Energy consumed by supercomputers is measured at various Levels L1, L2, and L3.

Science & Technology, Defense, Environment [March-2014]

Choroideremia: gene therapy shows promise

The first Phase I clinical trial of a gene therapy for an inherited cause of progressive blindness called choroideremia — an X-linked recessive disease — has shown promising initial results. The objective of the study was to get the gene into the cells in the retina of the eye using an AAV vector without causing damage. After six months, however, the patients actually showed improvements in their vision in dim light; two of the six patients enrolled for the study were able to read more lines on the eye chart. The authors caution that the results of the study “should not be overinterpreted.” The paper is published today (January 16) i n The Lancet . Robert MacLaren, the first author of the study, is from the University of Oxford. In RPE65- associated retinal degeneration, “the disease starts with loss of night vision in the first decade of life and then progresses with a gradual  loss of peripheral vision and legal blindness by the fifth decade,” notes the paper. Vision loss results from both dysfunction and degeneration of photoreceptors. Since the loss of vision is due to dysfunction, gene therapy is able to restore vision. However, the photoreceptors that have already undergone cell death cannot be saved. The results hold promise for other disorders like agerelated macular degeneration and rod-cone dystrophies. Two patients who had the most advanced disease had “substantial gains.” On the whole, the group of six showed an improvement in maximal retinal sensitivity in the eye that was treated. Five of the six patients who received the full dose of AAV vector had “improvements in mean retinal sensitivity in their detached retinas six months after surgery.”

How are spacecraft like Mars Orbiter instantly controlled from Earth, crores of Km away? How do the images captured by the Orbiter’s camera reach the Earth in short time? The communication (whether for controlling the spacecraft from Earth or image-transfer from the spacecraft to Earth) between a spacecraft in space and the Earth takes place through Radio Frequency (RF) electro magnetic waves typically in the frequency range of 300 MHz – 30 GHz (1m to 1cm ultra short wavelength as compared to 25, 31 or 49 metres in short wave radio transmission).

These waves travel at the speed of light (3 lakh Km per second). All inter-planetary missions like Mars Orbiter, which are millions of Km away from the Earth, take a very long time to send or receive data/control signals
to/from the Earth. As the distance between Mars and Earth keeps varying (due to rotation of both the planets around the Sun) in the range of about 55 million Km to 400 million Km, the travel-time for the RF signals can be even more than 22 minutes. The electromagnetic wave from outside is able to penetrate the ionosphere surrounding the Earth and get to the earth and vice versa as its frequency exceeds the ionospheric plasma frequency.

Controlling the deep-space missions spacecraft, especially in emergency situations becomes a challenge as receiving the spacecraft-response to any of the ground commands takes double the time. The chosen orbit of the recently launched Indian Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) will require maximum of about 42 minutes to know the spacecraft status in response to any control-command sent from The Earth. High level onorbit autonomy, therefore, has been implemented in the MOM that will put the spacecraft into a safe mode in case of emergency till scientists on ground diagnose the problem and take corrective actions. The signals received are very weak and hence require amplification. The antenna manages this because of its directivity. The larger the antenna the narrower the direction range from where the signal is picked up. 32m antenna at 6 GHz will pick up signals
from a narrow cone of angle 0.1 deg only and used at the ground to control the deep-space missions/spacecraft and receive the data/images from them. India will use its own Deep- Space Mission network consisting of
18m and 32 m dish antennae to communicate with the MOM and has also an agreement with NASA to utilise its ground network facilities to retain the communication with the spacecraft when it goes beyond the capture range of Indian ground stations.

Tulasi genetically engineered to increase pharmaceutical value

Scientists at Western Kentucky University, US genetically engineered Tulasi or basil to enhance its pharmaceutical value. Scientists genetically engineered Tulsai to produce eugenol, a compound found in basil. Eugenol has a pharmaceutical value which controls the breast cancer. Tulasi is a medicinal plant and has anti-cancerous compounds called metabolites. About Tulasi or Basil

• Tulasi is scientifically called Ocimum tenuiflorum or Ocimum sanctum.

• Tulasi leaves are used in Ayurvedic medicine and it is known to promote the longevity of life.

• The herb Tulasi is used to cure the respiratory disorders and to combat cardiac disorders.

Rosetta to reawaken for final mission

When Rip Van Winkle awakened from his 20-year slumber atop the Catskill Mountains, he didn’t know he had missed the American Revolution. Next week, a comet-tracking Rip Van Wink is set to wake up from a 30-  month hibernation, but with one difference.

Our understanding of comets hasn’t changed much in this period. The Rosetta space probe, launched by the European Space Agency in 2004, will flicker to life on January 20 in its eccentric orbit around the Sun, between those of Mars and Jupiter. Once it becomes operational again, scientists from NASA and ESA will get it ready to start tracking the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/ C-G) before May this year. If all goes well, they will attempt to soft-land a lander on the comet in November for the first time in history. The mission was conceived by ESA in 1993 to study comets, where they originate from, their composition, and what they say about the formation of the Solar System. Recent studies, including two from February and September 2013, have also shown that comets could have smuggled amino acids and hydrocarbons from other parts of the galaxy onto Earth, where their crashing billions of years ago could have seeded life. Yet, no comet has been studied as closely as Rosetta will attempt to in the next 12- 13 months. The lander onboard Rosetta , titled Philae ,
carries 10 instruments to study these attributes.

“The lander addresses a wide range of science aspects which are meant to solve questions of cometary science on one hand and the origin and formation of the planetary system on the other,” noted Dr. Hermann Boehnhardt, Lead Scientist for Philae in an email. The instruments will study the landscape of 67P/C-G, its soil composition, chemical and isotopic make-up, temperature and other physical characteristics. Before it can be deployed, however, Rosetta will study the comet’s nucleus and determine a suitable landing site in August-September 2014. “This will be when the comet is about 585 million km from and travelling at a speed of 14.1 km/s with respect to the Sun,” wrote Dr. Boehnhardt. At this stage, the comet will start to feel the effects of the Sun, which will become measurable by Philae. Dr. Boehnhardt said that there was a possibility of Rosetta not finding a suitable landing site, or of Philae not being healthy after landing. To overcome such scenarios, the team is planning back-up missions for the lander. However, because a controlled landing is being attempted for the first time, Dr. Boehnhardt deems most problems as being unforeseeable. Philae will relay information of what it finds to Rosetta , which will be escorting 67P/C-G to its perihelion, its closest point to the Sun in its orbit. This is expected to occur on August 13, 2015. The entire mission will end in December of that year. Dr. Boehnhardt speculated that Rosetta ’s may be designed on the basis of what we learn from Philae .

Indigenous Glucose Monitoring Device

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched two indigenous Glucose Monitoring Device, Suchek and QuickcheQ, on 13 January 2014. The launching of two kinds of glucometers and testing strips will make mass screening and detection feasible. Suchek is designed and developed by Nanobios Lab, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai. Suchek is very useful for health camps as it has a mobile application, which helps save, trend and analyse blood glucose  levels at an individual level. QuickcheQ is designed and developed by the Birla Institute of Technology, Hyderabad with funding from the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR).

These will be manufactured by Biosense Technologies and will be available in the open market in the next six months. Among the non communicable diseases, diabetes is rapidly rising all over the world. Globally, it is estimated that 382 million people living with diabetes. India alone is reported to have more than 65 million cases of diabetes, the second largest number after China. Under the national programme on prevention and control of cancer, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and stroke, more than 53 million people have been screened for diabetes and more than 50 million for hypertension.

About Diabetes

Diabetes, diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become increasingly polydipsia (frequent thirst) and polyphagia (frequent hunger).

There are three types of diabetes:

(1) Type 1 Diabetes The body does not produce insulin. People usually develop type 1 diabetes before their 40th year, often in early adulthood or teenage years. Patients with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin injections for the rest of their life. They must also ensure proper blood-glucose levels by carrying out regular blood tests and following a special diet. Approximately 10% of all diabetes cases are type 1.

(2) Type 2 Diabetes The body does not produce enough insulin for proper function, or the cells in the body do not react to insulin (insulin resistance). Some people may be able to control their type 2 diabetes symptoms by losing weight, following a healthy diet, doing plenty of exercise, and monitoring their blood glucose levels. Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type.

(3) Gestational Diabetes This type affects females during pregnancy. Some women have very high levels of glucose in their blood, and their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin to transport all of the glucose into their cells, resulting in progressively rising levels of glucose.

A CeNSE of things to come Innovations at a centre in IISc are bringing the pathology lab closer to the individual. A moat isn’t something you’d typically expect to find around a research centre, but then the micron-scale operations at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science, need certain extreme buffers against the reverberations of urban life. Such devices of the future are engineered within the centre’s ‘vibration proof’ nanofabrication facility, as: microscopic submarines that course through the blood stream; low cost graphene sensors that can detect pathogens, and a ‘vibrations test’ of diseased cells that could become a vital supplement to chemical tests. And these innovations among others will, bit by bit, bring the pathology lab closer to the patient, the researchers here believe. Assistant Professor at CeNSE, Ambarish Ghosh has already demonstrated in papers i n Nano Lettersand Physical Review Letters that microscopic glass ‘nano voyagers’ can be precisely manoeuvred through water using an external magnetic field. He is now coaxing the device to travel through the blood stream. “There is huge potential in these devices to deliver drugs to specific tissues. Cancer drugs for instance, should ideally be delivered precisely to metastatic tissues rather than impact healthy ones.”

NASA Mars Rover discovered doughnut rock

Jelly doughnut rock discovered by NASA Mars rover was revealed on 21 January 2014 on the tenth anniversary of the Mars rover’s landing on the planet. The researchers named the rock as Pinnacle Island, which is
high in composition of three elements sulfur, magnesium and manganese. Researchers said the rock is the one of the oddest things on Mars that space experts have ever come across on Mars. The rock is examined and it can be seen as a whitish colour on the outer surface while bearing reddish colour toward its center and looks like sweet desert.

About Opportunity Mars Rover

One of the NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers, Opportunity reached the Red Planet on 24 January 2004. The Opportunity rover was built for a three-month mission on Mars, but continues to return valuable scientific data even after 10 years. NASA’s Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover Search for and characterize a variety of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity.

Anu Vidyut Pariyojana launched in Fatehabad, Haryana

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation of 2,800 Megawatt nuclear power plant in Fatehabad district of Haryana on 13 January 2014. The project named as Anu Vidyut Pariyojna, will have four units of 700 MWes each and it will be built at a cost 23502 crore rupees. They are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) which will use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as both coolant and moderator. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) will build these reactors. This is the first time Haryana will have a nuclear project. In the second stage, the NPCIL will build two more PHWRS of 700 MWe each at the Gorakhpur site of Haryana. The nuclear plant will accelerate the pace of development of the area and it would also generate more employment opportunities. The NPCIL is already building four PHWRS of 700 MWe each, two units each at Kakrapara in Gujarat and Rawatbhatta in Rajasthan. The units at Kakrapara are under advanced stage of construction and they will attain criticality in 2016. NPCIL is the sole body responsible for constructing and operating India’s commercial nuclear power plants. The company had 21 nuclear reactors in operation at seven locations. Total installed capacity of nuclear reactors is 5780 MWe.

India’s three-stage nuclear power programme

Programme was formulated by Dr. Homi Bhabha in the 1950s. The objective of the plan is to secure the country’s long term energy independence, through the use of uranium and thorium reserves found in the monazite sands of coastal regions of South India. Programme has three stage vision:

 The first stage consists of the pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR), the second stage consists of fast breeder reactors (FBR)  and the third stage consists of advanced heavy water reactors (AHWR).

Smart contact lens to measure glucose levels in tears

Google X Lab unveiled a smart contact lens that can help diabetics  to measure their glucose level in tears on 17 January 2014. The smart contact lens has been developed in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) by Brian Otis and Babak Parviz. The contact lens uses a tiny wireless chip and a minituarized glucose sensor. Besides it uses an antenna, thinner than a human hair, to measure tear glucose with better accuracy. The lens also uses tiny LED lights to warn users when their glucose levels cross certain thresholds. The company is currently testing prototypes of contact lens that can take about one reading per second. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes affects 347 million people worldwide. In 2004 alone, 3.4 million people died as a result of high fasting blood sugar. The International Diabetes Federation data shows that one in ten people across the world’s population are forecast to have diabetes by 2035.

Antiseptic Mouthwashes can raise Heart Strokes

Scientists in their study has warned that certain types of mouthwashes can kill good bacteria in the mouth but by spiking the blood pressure it increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The study was published in the Journal free Radical Biology and Medicine on 28 January 2014. Chemical Chlorhexidine in mouthwashes kills off good bacteria and allows the blood vessels to relax resulting in raising the blood pressure. Killing of all these bugs each day is a disaster as small rises in blood pressure have significant impact on morbidity and mortality from heart disease and stroke. The study suggests that the mouthwash that contains 0.2 percent of antiseptic
chlorhexidine in volume shortens the blood pressure by between 2 and 3.5 units of those who use mouthwash. For each two-point rise in blood pressure, the risk of dying from heart disease rises by seven percent and
the risk of dying from stroke by 10 percent. Chlorhexidine kills microbes that are needed to help in creation of nitrite, which is essential for blood vessels to dilate properly.

NASA rover Opportunity found Mars had life friendly fresh water

NASA Mars rover Opportunity found that Mars had life friendly fresh water once. This was confirmed by the scientists at NASA on 23 January 2014. The discovery has reinforced the similar discoveries made by Curiosity on the other side of the planet Mars. Opportunity had been analyzing water-bearing rocks at the rim of an ancient impact crater called Endeavour. Rather than the chemical fingerprints of acidic, salty water
found at previous sites, Opportunity discovered telltale clays called smectites that form in Ph-neutral water.

The finding adds to an emerging picture of a planet Mars that spent its first billion years or so warmer than it is today, with pools of fresh water on its surface. Gradually, water activity declined and what did exist became acidic, scientific findings reveal, and then, beginning about 3 billion years ago, Mars dried up. By studying rocks at various levels, scientists expect to not only get a better idea of how long the planet Mars was able to sustain life, but where conditions might be favourable to perverse key evidence, such as organic carbon.

NASA Mission on Mars Opportunity, along with its now-defunct twin, Spirit, landed on Mars in 2003 for concurrent 90-day missions to look for clues of the past existence of water on planet Mars. NASA in 2012 another Mars rover named Curiosity equipped with an onboard chemistry lab for follow-up investigations to determine that Mars had other ingredients essential for supporting life. Curiosity is exploring an area known as Gale Crater. Saturn’s Ring 4.4 billion years old Saturn’s iconic rings were formed about 4.4 billion years ago said the researchers at the University of Colorado. This was announced at the annual meeting of the American
Geophysical Union on 3 January 2014. The new study was conducted using data gathered by the NASA’s Saturnorbiting Cassini spacecraft. The main rings are believed to be extremely old, rather than hundreds of millions of years old said the researchers. Saturn’s main ring system is huge but razor-thin, measuring about 280000 kilometres across but just 33 feet or so in the vertical direction. The rings are composed primarily of water ice,  but they contain small amounts of rocky material contributed by micrometeoroid bombardment. The University of Colorado researchers used Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyser instrument to measure how frequently such tiny particles cruise through the Saturn system. The researchers were able to reconstruct the orbits of many of these particles, finding that the lion’s share come from the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune’s orbit.

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