(Current Affairs For SSC Exams) Sci & Tech, Jan. 2013 - Other Topics

Science & Technology

January 2013

Topic : Other Topic

US Grand Canyon Is Actually 65-70 Million Years Old: Researchers

US Grand Canyon, one among the seven natural wonders of world, is in reality 65 million years old than what was thought, revealed a study conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder. This means that Grand Canyon might have been there at the time of dinosaurs as well. In the previous estimates of the age of Grand Canyon, it was found that it was 5-6 million years old depending upon the age of gravel-washed downstream by the Colorado River.

Researchers nevertheless believe that it was created around 70 million years ago when dinosaurs had existed on Earth. The researchers made use of radioactive decay as well as thermal dating in order to find out the age of Grand Canyon. In the study, the radioactive decay of thorium as well as uranium atoms was exploited into the helium atoms in phosphate mineral called apatite. The helium atoms remained locked inside the apatite grains when they cooled and contracted to surface when Grand Canyon was carved. Hotness of the apatite determined that fewer helium atoms were there within it, which enabled researchers to find out thermal history of this area.

The temperature variations at the shallow levels under the surface of Earth are influenced by the topography and this in turn enabled the team of researchers to find out about the important natural excavation of this wonder of the world. The research found out that Grand Canyon was carved to around some hundred metres of the modern depth around 70 million years back.

Chinese Scientists unveiled the Secret of Bactrian Camels by DNA Study

Scientists of China on 13 November 2012 found the DNA of Wild Bactrian Camel, which is actually an endangered species. The endangered species has a capability to live even in the extreme conditions. Scientifically also known as Camelus bactrianus ferus, the genetic code of this species unveiled 20821 genes. A lot of these genes facilitate Bactrian camel with the metabolic tools which allow it to go for days without water and food. It is possible for the species to go on a diet which is based on the tough vegetation.

Scientists found that even-toed ungulates are the predecessors of Bactrian camels, both of which have evolved from the common ancestor some 55 to 60 million years ago. The study revealed that the camel has astonishing salt tolerance as well as atypical immune system. This Bactrian camel can be found in the Northwestern China as well as Southwestern Mongolia’s deserts. In these regions, the camels withstand bitter cold and fierce heat, very little grazing as well as dryness.

Camels can consume more salt than the sheep or cattle and also have two times higher blood glucose level. Still they do not develop health issues such as hypertension and diabetes. These camels make exceptional heavy-chain antibodies, which remains a special interest for the pharmaceutical engineers.

Strategies to control thrips in groundnut

In the recent past, thrips menace has drastically increased on groundnut crops grown all over Tamil Nadu. Thrips are small insects and they appear on groundnut crop both in vegetative and flowering stage. Female lays 60-70 single eggs into young tissues of the plant. The nymphal and pupal periods last 5 days each. The adults are pale cream in colour. They are soft bodied and have highly fringed wings.

Unique feeding

The thrips desap the plant with their unique feeding apparatus and also transmit the deadly bud necrosis virus that impedes plant growth. Nymphs and adults tear the surface of the leaflets and suck the oozing sap resulting in white patches appearing on the lower surface of the leaves and distortion of young leaflets. The injury results in development of dull yellowish-green patches of the upper leaf surface and brown coloured (necrotic) areas on the lower surface. Severe infestations cause bronzed appearance of leaf with curling and stunting of plants. High temperature with low rainfall favours multiplication and transmits groundnut bud necrosis virus.

Management methods

Uproot and destroy severely infected plants. Remove the alternative host plants. Mulching would check the damage during the early stage of the plant. Setting up of blue sticky traps at rate of 12 per hectare in the field will check the thrips population. Apply safe chemical insecticides at recommended doses only if the population crosses 10 thrips per plant.

Application of ecofriendly pesticides viz., neem oil or pungam oil at 2ml/ha will be very effective.

Spraying of fipronil 5 per cent SC at 1.500-2.000ml/ha or thiacloprid 21.7 per cent SC 125ml/ha or thiamethoxam 25 per cent WG at 40g/ha or dimethoate 30 EC at 2 ml per litre of water at 25, 45 and 60 days after sowing will protect the crop from thrips menace.

Citizen science projects take root in India

The practice of science is largely seen as the privilege of a few scientists working within the limitations of a research institute or university. But not any more! Thanks to Citizen Science initiatives even non-scientists may experience a taste of scientific research today. Citizen Science is when people make their own voluntary contributions to the progress of science from home. The advent of the Internet has made possible the active participation of a large number of people in areas like astronomy, ecology and particle physics all over the world. National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, (NCBS) is spearheading two such projects within India — Migrantwatch and Seasonwatch.

Migrantwatch (www.migrantwatch .in) was set up in 2007. The participants in this activity identify migrant birds and note down the first sighting and feed it into the online database. This requires skill in identifying birds, and so the target group consists of birdwatchers. They are contacted through email groups and nature clubs in a straightforward manner. However, the organizers soon realized that there was a better way to reach out to non-specialists all over the country, and that was by studying plants. After all, everyone knows to identify at least five different plants. This led to the start of Seasonwatch, a programme in which the participant identifies a tree and observes it every week to note down when the flowers, fruits and leaves come out. The plan is to build up baseline data based on decade after decade of observations. This would help study changes in the seasons based on changes in flowering pattern. Not just adults, but school children, many of them, have been recruited into this programme. Now there are more than 300 people in Seasonwatch, about 250 of whom are children.

Pied Crested Cuckoo

The Pied Crested Cuckoo migrates from Africa to India every year. (There is also a resident population in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The migrant birds come to Central and Northern India.) There are legends that this bird marks the arrival of monsoon; there is widespread belief that the monsoon follows within a definite number of days after the first sighting of the bird.
This was verified by collating observations made by the members of Migrantwatch for four years, which included the first sighting and the onset of the monsoons.
The findings indicated that while the birds arrive just before the monsoon, the number of days between the sighting and the onset of the monsoon is not fixed from year to year. It is possible that the birds use the wind that sets in on the east coast of Africa and are likely riding on the wind in their journey to India. The citizen scientists were able to affirm this by analysing the observations over a four-year period. The findings may actually make a research paper.

Season watch

In India, there is little ecological data about the seasons prior to 1950s. While there is a lot of input from meteorological studies, there is less information about changes in seasonal cycles of plants. The only one of its kind is a 20-year study done in Mudumalai, in the Western Ghats.

In this study, the change in vegetation was monitored. It may be noted that there is no significant baseline work on climate and seasons from the ecological angle. Seasonwatch (www.seasonwatch.in) workaddresses this lacunae — it builds up baseline data about the flowering and fruiting of trees which can be put in the public domain.

The advantage of these two programmes is twofold says Suhel Quader, head of Citizen Science, NCBS: “they help in adding to the scientific knowledge base and also change us as citizens — to care about the environment and develop a relationship with what is around us.” “I hope many more people come forward, including children, so that 20 years from now we will understand and love nature better.”
Seasonwatch and Migrantwatch are largely in English and Malayalam. The next step is to translate the pages into local languages. But that is not all; for the benefit of people challenged in using the Internet, the organisers are planning to take the programme mobile — using smartphones and mobiles in collecting data. So really the whole exercise is a case in point that technology can be used to bring together people in the most creative way possible.

NASA’s Mercury-orbiting probe discovered ice on the planet

Scientists of NASA have discovered a huge mass of ice at Mercury’s North Pole on 29 November 2012. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. These findings come from the Mercury-orbiting probe of NASA, Messenger. Frozen water is found in the North Pole regions of Mercury which are always found in shadows and mainly affects the craters. It is supposed that the south pole of mercury also has ice but there is no hard and fast data which supports this. Messenger orbits closer to the North Pole than South Pole. Scientist from the Johns Hopkins University opined that if all this is added, the total amount of ice comes out to be 100 billion to 1 trillion metric tons. The only thing that is uncertain is how deep it lies. It is thought that the ice is approximately 1.5 feet or 0.5 metres deep or possibly, around 65 feet deep as well. The amount of ice found at Mercury is enough to bury the area the size of Washington D.C. by around 2.5 miles deep.

The radar measurements analysed from Earth had suggested existence of ice on Mercury’s poles for two decades. Because of the Messenger, the results have been confirmed now. The water, it seemed, came from impacting comets and possibly even the asteroids. Ice was found at Mercury’s surface and also buried under the dark organic material. It is very important to note that presence of ice on Mercury does not necessarily indicate that there is a possibility of life on Mercury. But it is evidence that Mercury might support life, considering the presence of water on its surface. Over the years, Mercury has also become a subject of astrobiological interest.

About Messenger

Messenger was launched back in 2004. It is a NASA spacecraft orbiting around Mercury. The observations through NASA’s Messenger will continue in the next year as well.
Research on Paralysis Cure through Olfactory Ensheathing Cells
Cambridge University researchers reversed in the third week of November 2012, the paralysis process in dogs after injecting them with the cells which grow on the lining of the nose. This research has opened up new aspirations for the paralysis cure in humans as well. Researchers believe that this will be crucial for the human patients with spinal injuries who had lost bowel or bladder control as well as sexual function. The research was conducted on the pets which had suffered from spinal injuries that prevented them in using the back legs. Researchers are especially optimistic as this would help in the treatment of humans as well. According to the researchers, this is the first study to test the transplant in real-life injuries instead of the lab animals. The olfactory ensheathing cells, removed from the lining of the nose of dogs were grown as well as expanded for various weeks in the lab.

Out of the 34 pet dogs, 23 of them had these cells transplant in their injury site. Rest of the dogs, were injected with neutral fluid. The dogs which received transplant displayed a great improvement. They were walking on treadmill with harness support. The other group of dogs did not regain the use of the back legs. The co-author of the study, Professor Robin Franklin believes that the findings are very exciting because it is the first time that significant improvements can be seen in severely damaged spinal cord. It is also believed that this technique can restore some movement at least in the human patients with the injuries of spinal cord. The technique could also be used with the drug treatments in order to promote the nerve fibre regeneration as well as bio-engineering in order to replace the damaged neural networks. Researchers believe that transplanted cells can regenerate the nerve fibres around damaged spinal cord regions. This was what helped the dogs regain usage of the back legs as well as coordinate the movements with the front limbs.

What are olfactory ensheathing cells?

Olfactory ensheathing cells are the kind of glial cells which are found in nervous system. These are the neural crest cells which participate in guidance as well as growth of the main olfactory neurons. Olfactory ensheathing cells exist in the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) as well as Central Nervous System (CNS) portions, i.e., olfactory epithelium and bulb.

Bionetwork of Bacteria Live in Belly Button

US researchers from North Carolina State University in the second week of November found that the navel, also known as belly button can harbour the bionetwork of bacteria which is quite similar in biodiversity to the rainforests of the world. 2368 such species of the bacteria were found out of which 1458 are absolutely new for science. Among the 60 individuals who were studied, merely eight of the species were frequent in around 70 percent people. These eight species are called oligarchs. Nevertheless what remains doubtful is what factors determine about the kind of species found in the people. Researchers have looked at various factors such as ethnicity, age and sex and none of these can predict as to which species of bacteria will live in a person. The project was launched by the researchers in part in order to investigate claims made over recent years about collection of the organisms on human skin which makes the first line of protection against the pathogens. Researchers are aware of the fact that the immune system will not function properly in the absence of these microorganisms.

Total Solar Eclipse seen in Northern Australia

A total Solar Eclipse was seen in Northern Australia on 14 November 2012. The darkness of the eclipse was at its peak for 2 minutes. Number of scientists, amateur astronomers and tourists gathered together on the hill tops and the beautiful beaches of Great Barrier Reef to have a look on of the celestial phenomenon. The total solar eclipse left a large part of the Continent’s North Eastern part into sudden darkness.
The eclipse started at the time of dawn and casted its shadow in an area of about 150 kilometers in the Northern Territory of Australia sweeping across the east to the South Pacific after crossing across the northeast tip of the country. This eclipse was partially visible from the eastern half of Australia, East Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and southern parts of Chile and Argentina.
Started just after the dawn, the eclipse casted its 150-kilometre shadow in Australia’s Northern Territory, crossed the northeast tip of the country and was swooping east across the South Pacific, where no islands are in its direct path. A partial eclipse was visible from east Indonesia, the eastern half of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and southern parts of Chile and Argentina. Totality of the darkness, that happens at the peak of the eclipse lasted just for two minutes in some parts of Australia, where it was visible.

Solar Eclipse

The Solar Eclipse occur when the moon crosses between the Sun and the Earth blocking the sun completely or partially. This celestial event can occur only on the day of a new moon when, the sun and the moon lies in conjunction to each other when seen from the earth.

Soybean plants at Chernobyl produce fertile seeds

The environmental impact of radiation at Chernobyl continues to interest many researchers. There are only very limited studies on plants. Chernobyl accident led to contamination of large tracts of land.
“There have been a few molecular analyses of plants grown in the radio-contaminated Chernobyl area, and there is as yet no broad understanding of the mechanisms that underlie survival,” Dr. Katarý´na Klubicova and coworkers from the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia reported in the October 2012 issue ofPLoS ONE , an open access journal.

Researchers found that in spite of the magnitude of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, local flora continues to grow and reproduce in the radioactively contaminated soil.
“Although there has been more than 80 years of research addressing the effects of ionizing radiation on plants, the ongoing success of plants in the Chernobyl area was not anticipated,” the researchers added.
These researchers who have been pioneers in the field, analyzed protein abundance in mature seeds harvested from first generation soybean plants grown in radioactive and non-radioactive plots in the Chernobyl area . They reported that the plants adapted very well to the contaminated environment ( Journal of Proteome Research , 2009).This study was described in The Hindu on July 23, 2009.There was evidence suggesting that the plant adapts itself to heavy metal stress and protects itself against radiation damage. Plants mobilise seed storage proteins to adjust to increased levels of ionising radiation. Researchers planted soybean plants since 2007 in a radioactive field located 5 km from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP), near the village Chystogalivka, and in a control field established directly in a non-radioactive area in the town of Chernobyl. The soil in the radioactive field contained 20,650 Bq /kg of Cs-137 and 5180 Bq/ kg of Sr-90 and in the non-radioactive field 1414 Bq/ kg of Cs-137 and 550 Bq/ kg of Sr-90.( In a Bq of radioactivity one disintegration occurs every second).

The dry weight of mature soybeans harvested from the radioactive Chernobyl area was only 63 per cent of those harvested from the non-radioactive area. Total oil content in mature dry seeds harvested from the radioactive area decreased to 20 per cent from 25 per cent in the seeds harvested from the non-radioactive are. Soybeans from the radioactive Chernobyl area were smaller, contained less oil, and were fertile. The Abundances for 211 proteins were characterised during soybean seed development in non-radioactive and radioactive Chernobyl areas. “.... the study showed that biochemistry of soybean seed development in radio-contaminated Chernobyl area is altered the specific way that resulted into the smaller seeds with less oil ... “, Dr Martin Hajduch, co-author and Senior Scientist, Slovak Academy of Sciences responded to an e-mail query.
The researchers observed that relatively larger amounts of Sr-90 got transferred from soil to plant compared with Cs-137.

“This is due to different biochemical properties of these two radio-nuclides that are still not well understood,” he added.

“In the case of both contaminated and control fields, Sr-90 got concentrated in the shoot system for both control and contaminated (550 Bq/kg to 1720Bq/kg (3 times) for control;5180Bq/kg to54,000 Bq/kg (9.5times) for contaminated. How do you explain this?”

Dr Hajduch thus responded to the query:

“The biochemical pathways of radio-nuclides within the plants are still not well understood. Different levels of Sr-90 and Cs-137 accumulation in soybean are due to different biochemical properties of these radio-nuclides.” “Will the energy absorbed from Sr-90 by the seeds during their storage dramatically affected its behaviour during its growth during the second generation?”
“There was probably some minor effect of accumulated radioactivity on the seeds during the storage. However the effect was not big, because mature seeds are not biologically active tissue. This is also documented by the fact that seeds were able to germinate,” he clarified. Scientists measured Cs-137 and Sr-90 in the shoot system (entire plant without roots and seed pods) and in the seeds. They found that the shoot system accumulated more radioactivity than seeds. This may be nature’s scheme to resist further damage by limiting accumulation of radioactivity in seeds.

In an interesting study published in PLoS ONE Journal in 2009, Dr Sher Ali and his co-workers from the National Institute of Immunology, Delhi showed some evidence that while natural background radiation may be responsible for varying alterations, it leaves the DNA of the vital germ line intact. Nature’s inexplicable schemes save all living things from extinction.

Seas rising 60 % faster than UN forecast

Sea levels are rising 60-per cent faster than the UN’s climate panel forecast in its most recent assessment, scientists reported on Wednesday. At present, sea levels are increasing at an average 3.2 millimetres (0.125 inches) per year, a trio of specialists reported in the journal Environmental Research Letters . This compares with a ‘best estimate’ by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, which projected that by today, the rise would be 2 mm (0.078 inches) per year. The new figure converges with a widely-shared opinion that the world is heading for sea-level rise of around a metre (3.25 feet) by century’s end, co-author Grant Foster of US firm Tempo Analytics told AFP. “I would say that a metre of sea level rise by the end of the century is probably close to what you would find if you polled the people who know best,” Foster said. The investigation, led by Stefan Rahmstorf of Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), gauged the accuracy of computer simulations that the IPCC used in its landmark Fourth Assessment Report in 2007.

New Drug Discovered that can Halt Cancer from Multiplying

Scientists in the last week of November 2012 developed a new drug called Aflibercept for stopping the cancerous cells from multiplying. The new drug compels the cancerous cells to sleep which in turn stops them in multiplying. The drug is said to trick the tumours for becoming inactive by swapping the molecular switches in cancer structure so that there is no multiplication of the cancerous cells. The drug had shown positive results in UK, where scientists performed trials on the patients. The patients had shown significant life extension. There were over 1400 patients involved in the trial and some of these were also suffering from advanced bowel cancer. These patients with advanced bowel cancer had already gone through chemotherapy which prolonged their life by two years. Scientists believe that the drug would be useful across a wide range of cancers in the future studies. Aflibercept in comparison to the conventional drugs had statistically better survival benefits for treating bowel cancer which had spread even after initial treatment.
Aflibercept is usually given as 30-minute infusion with chemotherapy. As of now, it is found in US only. Europe would soon approve the drug for cancer treatment.

Scientist decoded the Reason for Albert Einstein Being a Genius

A study led by Scientist and Evolutionary Anthropologist, Dean Falk of Florida State University revealed in the Month of October that the Physicist Albert Einstein’s brain had an “extraordinary” prefrontal cortex - unlike those of most people which may have contributed to his remarkable genius. It was on Einstein’s death in 1955 that his brain was removed and photographed from multiple angles with the permission of his family and was sectioned into 240 blocks from which histological slides were prepared. The researchers came to conclusion after studying 14 newly discovered photographs of Einstein’s brain, which was preserved for study after his death. The research concludes that the brain was indeed highly unusual in many ways as it was compared to 85 “normal” human brains and, in light of current functional imaging studies, interpreted its unusual features. It was found that the overall size and asymmetrical shape of Einstein’s brain were normal but the prefrontal, somatosensory, primary motor, parietal, temporal and occipital cortices were extraordinary. The study was published in the journal Brain and it also published the “roadmap” to Einstein’s brain prepared in 1955 by Dr Thomas Harvey to illustrate the locations within his previously whole brain of 240 dissected blocks of tissue, which provides a key to locating the origins within the brain of the newly emerged histological slides.

Scientist Developed a Device that allow Heartbeat to Power Pacemaker

Scientists had developed a new device that uses energy from a beating heart to power a pace-maker, which can eradicate the need for surgeries to replace the depleted batteries. The experimental device converts energy from a beating heart to provide enough electricity to make a pacemaker running. After conducting test it was suggested that the device could produce 10 times the amount of energy needed. The researchers at the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor tested an energy-harvesting device that uses piezoelectricity –electrical charge generated from motion. The approach is a challenging technological solution for pacemakers, because they require only small amounts of power to operate. Pacemakers device is replaced every five to seven years when their batteries run out which is quite costly and inconvenient. With the invention of such new technology many patient are spared with many operation which are conducted in order to transplant new batteries.

Animals are bigger in colder climates

Animals living near colder climates are bigger in size because being heftier allows them several benefits like reducing body heat loss, researchers said. For most species of vertebrates, body mass increases the closer you get to the poles. The bigger you are, the more fat you can store to help you get through the winter.

For many types of animals, it pays to be bigger in the colder climates that exist at high latitudes and altitudes. Heftier animals have a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio, which helps reduce heat loss — a pattern known as Bergmann’s Rule. A more massive organism has a smaller surface area-to-volume. Another reason is that the bigger you are, the more fat you can store to see you through the winter of colder climates. More nutritious foods also fuel bigger body size closer to the poles.

Sunita Williams Returned Back on Earth after 4 Months in Orbit

The Indian-American Sunita Williams, 47, set the record by returning to Earth on 20 November 2012 from the International Space Station (ISS) from Russian Soyuz capsule after having spent 4 months in the orbit. She touched the grasslands of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan after living months in the orbit. This was the perfect landing for Williams as well as flight engineers Aki Hoshide and Yuri Malenchenko, when they touched down earth in the chilling expanses of Kazakhstan from the Russian Soyuz capsule.

After they landed, helicopters rushed towards them for assistance because the capsule parachuted downwards around 35 km from planned destination because of the procedural delay. Their return has wrapped a 127-days space sojourn since they were launched in space from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on 15 July 2012, including the 125 days aboard ISS. Williams has a total span of 322 days in space during two long-duration missions. Initially, she served at ISS as an Expedition 14/15 flight engineer from 9 December 2006 to 22 June 2007. Sunita Williams also has the record for highest spacewalking time for the female astronauts. She has in all 50 hours and 40 minutes spacewalking time. There are three more Expedition 34 flight engineers- Nasa astronaut Tom Marshburn, Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Roman Romanenko as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield scheduled to be launched from Baikonur on 19 December 2012 for 5-months stay.

Boron management in cole crops

Boron is an essential micronutrient and plays a important role in fertilization and flowering process.

Synthesis

It has been known to be constituent of plants since 1857. Facilitating pollination and fruit set is considered to be the most important function of boron besides its role in the synthesis of amino acids and protein metabolism.
Boron increases the translocation of sugar in plants and increases the rate of transport of sugars (which are produced by photosynthesis in mature plant leaves) to actively growing regions
It plays an important role in both structural and functional integrity of plasma membranes. Integrity and functionality of plasma membranes are ensured with adequate supply of boron.
Boron is involved in nitrogen fixation and it is required for growth and development of vascular tissues. It accelerates nitrogenous activity through effective nodule development for nitrogen fixation.
Cole crops (those which grow well in temperate climate like cauliflower and cabbage) have high boron requirement and its deficit is high in acidic soils.
These crops develop crack, corky stem, petioles and midribs. In crops like Knol Khol (Kohl rabi), cracking will be seen and as a result these vegetables will not fetch a market value.
In cauliflower it appears as small water soaked areas in the centre of the curd. Later, the stem becomes hollow with soaked tissue surrounding the walls of the cavity.

Brown rot

In more advanced stage, pinkish or rusty brown areas develop on the surface of the curd and hence, it is also known as brown rot or red rot. Affected curd develops a bitter taste.
It can be controlled by application of borax or sodium tetra borate at 20 kg ha. In case of acute deficiency, foliar spray of 0.25 to 0.50 per cent solution of boric acid is advocated.

SRI system revives popularity of paddy cultivation

Paddy cultivation requires a lot of water. In fact the year’s production of paddy depends to a large extent on the season’s rainfall and any delay or failure in the monsoon has a direct impact on the paddy yield.
“As scientists we face a great challenge in motivating a farmer and sustaining his interest in continuing paddy cultivation with less amount of water, using techniques like Systematic Rice Intensification (SRI). For this we need to identify enterprising growers in respective districts who are optimistic and ready to try,” says Mr. M.Devanathan, programme co-ordinator, Thirur KVK, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu.

Personal interest

“Though today SRI technique has established increased yield and helps farmers get a better income there are some pockets where farmers still have not accepted it. We take a personal interest for those farmers having some inhibition and try to make them aware through interactions with others who have successfully done it, and impress upon them to try it out,” he says.
A. Venkattahiri, a farmer, has nearly 13 acres in Ramakuppam village in the region. Initially the farmer was growing paddy under the common conventional method along with some other crops. He was not willing to accept this simple and effective technology having his own doubts on its effectiveness. On one of their regular visits, the KVK staff met him and impressed upon him to try SRI. “Though initially reluctant, the farmer was willing to try it since we promised him that he would get a better yield and income.”

And today the farmer does not regret taking to SRI as he has got a net income of more than Rs. 1 lakh from his two and half hectares in less than four months in which he carried out SRI. Previously he was able to earn a little over Rs. 50,000 using conventional methods.

“Ï regret not taking to SRI earlier,” says the farmer.

“Practically under this method the cost of cultivation has come down. The seed requirement for an acre is only 3 kg, whereas under conventional methods I used to sow 30 kg of seeds for eight cents. Plant protection is easy and less expensive. The incidence of pest and disease also seems to be low.

No rat menace

Most important, rat menace is practically absent in SRI planted fields due to the square system of planting the seedlings. I noticed that the grain panicles are quite dense and tillers are more in number,” explains the farmer.
The KVK constantly kept guiding and motivating him. Right from supplying leaf colour charts to providing the different machines on time they saw to it that the farmer got all the necessary inputs on time.

Sourcing is difficult

“Though the Government has made available certain devices like cono weeder and markers (devices required for this type of cultivation) at a subsidized cost for farmers through the different KVK offices to encourage SRI cultivation, many farmers find it difficult to source the devices on time as there is a good demand for them.

“One needs to wait for some weeks to be able to get the machines. In such cases farmers lose patience and decide to grow the crop under the conventional method. If they are able to get the devices on time then I am sure like me many would start adopting SRI,” he says confidently.

At a time when paddy growing is fast becoming un-remunerative for many paddy growers across the State, people like Mr.Venkattahiri serve as motivation for others. Earning nearly Rs. 1 lakh from an hectare in three and half months is no longer a fairy tale.

In fact today nearly 200 hectares in Poondi region have come under SRI cultivation after seeing the financial success of Mr. Venkattahiri, according to Mr. Devanathan.
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has also uploaded a detailed visual presentation on SRI cultivation, methods, inputs, irrigation schedule etc at http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/sri.html

Scheme

The state government through a world bank scheme called ‘TN-IAMWARM’ is presently supplying six bags of urea, three bags of superphosphate, one bag of potash and eight kg of any seed variety free of cost for cultivating SRI in one hectare. Interested farmers need to approach the respective KVK offices in their region with relevant land documents to avail this benefit.
Scientists decoded how flu viruses replicate within Infected Cells
Scientists in the fourth week of November 2012 decoded how flu viruses replicate within infected cells, which could be used in the development of potent vaccines. The study done by the scientists explained the flu virus replication machinery. Scientists used advance molecular biology and electron-microscopy techniques to see one of influenza’s essential protein complexes in detail. They focused on influenza’s ribonucleoprotein (RNP). RNPs contained the genetic material of virus and the special enzyme that is required by the virus to replicate itself.
Any influenza virus contains eight RNPs in its core. RNPs are important to the virus’s ability to survive and spread in its hosts. Each RNP contains a single protein which is the coding gene of the RNA-based viral genome. The viral RNA segment is coated with protective viral nucleoproteins and its structure resembles a twisted loop of chain. The free ends of this twisted loop are held by a flu-virus polymerase enzyme, which is entrusted with two important tasks of viral reproduction-1) making new viral genomic RNA 2)making the RNA gene-transcripts that will develop into new viral proteins. It would be interesting to know how the flu polymerase and the rest of the RNP interact.
The only flu RNPs reproduced in the laboratory, were shortened versions whose structures didn’t match those of native flu RNPs. Still, Scientists developed a test-cell expression system which produced all of the protein and RNA components required to make full-length flu RNPs. The discovery enabled Scientists to analyse molecular samples more easily.

New Genes found that explain Vulnerability of Women against Arthritis

Scientists at Arthritis Research UK Epidemiology Unit found out in second week of November, 2012 about 14 new genes which cause rheumatoid arthritis. This adds to the already identified 32 genes which cause the disease. The discovery will help the scientists explore new treatments for this condition. Also, this discovery will help the scientists know why women are more susceptible to the disease than men.
According to the scientists, these genetic findings will help in dividing the patients to smaller groups with similar rheumatoid arthritis. This will further help in disease management as well as allocation of the therapies. The scientists will consider how even the minor genetic changes can alter normal biological process to cause the disease. A study conducted by the scientists identified the genes which were specific to the X-chromosome of the females and this explains why women are 3 times more vulnerable to arthritis than men. The study will have a huge impact on developing the clinical treatments for the condition. The scientists have already found three genes which can be targeted for drugs and this leaves 43 more genes with drug development potential. This was the first time when genetic association was established between X chromosome, which is found in the females and arthritis.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

RA or rheumatoid arthritis is the systematic and chronic inflammatory health condition which affects various organs as well as tissues, but mainly it attacks the flexible joints. Around 1% of population of the world is suffering from RA and women are 3 times more susceptible to the condition than men. Mostly the onset of this condition is between 40-50 years. Nevertheless people can be affected by RA at any age.
Arthritis is caused because of environmental and lifestyle factors like pregnancy, smoking as well as infections but the genetic makeup of a person is also said to influence a person’s vulnerability to the disease.
NASA launched Space Station Alert Service to Make People Aware about the ISS

The US Space Agency, NASA on 2 November 2012 launched a new service in which people can receive text messages on their phones, whenever the International Space Station would come over their house. The service was launched during the celebration of 12th anniversary of astronauts living and working on the orbiting lab.

The message would make people aware in finding out the International Space Station (ISS) as people yet are unaware about the location of ISS in the sky also about the fact that after sun and moon, it is the third brightest object present in the sky.

The Spot the Station facility would be available across the world as the trajectory of the station carries more than 90 percent population on earth. The Spot the Station Service would provide people information about the location of the ISS in the sky.

About International Space Station (ISS)

International Space Station (ISS) that looks similar to Venus is mainly visible in the sky during dusk and dawn at the time, when only moon is visible in the sky. It is a habitable satellite made and placed on the lower earth orbit by the Scientists, and can be seen in the sky with naked eyes without using telescope or any other device. The International Space Station Acts as a platform and environment for scientists to conduct research in the space, which cannot be performed by any other means. The ISS provides a platform to conduct scientific research that cannot be performed in any other way. While small unmanned spacecraft can provide platforms for zero gravity and exposure to space, space stations offer a long term environment where studies can be performed potentially for decades, combined with ready access by human researchers over periods that exceed the capabilities of manned spacecraft.

Makemake, the Massive Dwarf Planet of Solar System Has No Atmosphere from Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, CSIC, Spain in the third week of November 2012 discovered that the distant drawf planet called Makemake, which is 2/3rd that of Pluto in size does not have atmosphere. Planet makemake revolves around sun in its distant route which lies away from Pluto. This distance is closer to sun than Eris’, the massive dwarf planet in entire solar system.

In the previous observations it was found that Makemake was quite like the fellow dwarf planets which compelled some astronomers to believe that it had atmosphere, maybe like that of Pluto. But in the new study it was discovered that Makemake does not have significant atmosphere. The team that carried out the study combined the observations from three telescopes- New Technology Telescope, Very Large Telescope and TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) at European Southern Observatory’s La Silla and Paranal observing sites in Chile. The new observations of the team will add many more details to discover about Makemake. The details will include finding the size more precisely and estimating the density of the planet.

Scientists Developed Test to Detect schizophrenics

Scientists developed a near to 100 percent accurate test to detect schizophrenics, by simply checking their gaze. Apparently schizophrenics can be checked just by implying some ‘simple viewing tests’. The tests brought out ninety-eight per cent accuracy in distinguishing between those with and without schizophrenia. This path breaking research was done by researchers at Aberdeen University. They found that people with schizophrenia showed well-documented deficits in the ability to track slow moving objects smoothly with their eyes. The study was led by Dr Philip Benson and Professor David St Clair which involved a range of eye tests and the volunteers were asked to track slow moving objects slowly with their eyes, inspect a variety of everyday scenes and given instructions to keep a steady gaze on a single unmoving target.

Why certain zones are prone to railway accidents

So what caused the 11 railway accidents involving express trains in 2010 alone, and why has there been a sudden spurt in accidents during recent years? A paper published this year in Physica A , a reputed international journal, has in a very scientific way identified the reasons behind these. Aside from clearly establishing the well-known cause — the disproportionate increase in railway traffic compared with infrastructure — it has also identified zones that are insufficient to handle the congestion and reasons for this.

The paper is based on statistical analyses of data drawn from the Indian Railways website, and is authored by Saptarshi Ghosh, Avishek Banerjee and Niloy Ganguly of Complex Network Research Group (CNeRG) in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Kharagpur.

The authors have identified two main reasons for the 2010 accidents. First, railway traffic has grown disproportionately to railway infrastructure, particularly railroads and routes. Second, there are serious flaws in the scheduling of trains on some routes. So much so that the Railway system would not be able to handle the traffic on certain routes if all trains were to run as per schedule. Hence, the Railways resort to making trains wait at signals, leading to long delays in trains’ run-time. This is alarming, as the system intentionally introduces the possibility of human error and/or system failure leading to accidents.
The 11 accidents were due to derailments or collisions between express trains or some sort of failure of the railway system itself. Incidentally, eight of the 11 accidents took place in a zone which they call the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP) — a north-eastern belt. This is no coincidence, as the statistical analysis by the authors clearly identifies the reason.

They find that the Indo-Gangetic Plain hosts some of the most traffic-intensive segments of rail routes — seven out of the 20 that they consider high-traffic. Comparing data gathered from 1992 to 2010 from “trains at a glance,” they conclude that this is because the infrastructure such as railway lines and tracks have not grown over the years, whereas the number of trains has increased manifold. They identify the most risk-prone ‘trunk segment’ as the Delhi-Tundla-Kanpur one and identify the Vishakhapatnam -Vijayawada trunk segment from the southern zone as the “safe standard” based on the empirical evidence that it has not had any accident so far.
How sound is the rationale behind keeping the south zone route as a safe standard? Is it not better to keep an absolute value on safety? In an email to The Hindu , Niloy Ganguly noted: “It will definitely be better to use an absolute standard, but we do not know of any such standard for IR….

Note that there have been derailments/collisions even in South India in 2012. Hence, some segments in South India also seem to be nearing the risky zone. This means that the condition of IGP is even worse than what we had estimated in our paper (since the safe standard itself is no longer very safe).”

Another parameter is the headway, or time lapse between two trains as they cross the same point. The possibility of two trains coming dangerously close to one another increases as the headway reduces. They found two segments clearly coming out as risk-prone segments — the Delhi-Kanpur segment and the Ahmedabad-Surat segment. The Vishakhapatnam-Vijayawada segment has a much higher headway and is therefore safer, relatively speaking. Of the two lower headway segments, the Ahmedabad-Surat segment has trains with low headway running throughout the day, whereas in the case of the Delhi-Kanpur segment, trains get bunched up in the early hours.

Runtime delays of trains on these segments were also studied. While 20 per cent of the trains on the Delhi-Kanpur segment were delayed by more than one hour, only about three per cent of the trains on the Vishakhapatnam-Vijayawada segment were delayed to that extent. The delays reflect the high degree of congestion and frequent waiting of trains at the signals, and hence a possibility of an accident.
They also analysed traffic congestion at a fine-grained level by undertaking a simulation of the traffic flow according to the IR schedule. The authors modelled the “block system” followed by Indian railways.
A railway track is divided into block sections (of about 4-8 km) such that when one train is occupying a block, no other train is allowed to enter that block on the same track. Signals or stations at the end of the block control the traffic.

From the simulation, it became apparent that there would be more than two or three trains in one block quite frequently in the Indo-Gangetic Plain if all trains were to run as per schedule and not stopped by signals.
Now, while some blocks have three tracks, most of the IR blocks have only two tracks and so can accommodate at most two trains. So this indicates that the infrastructure is not sufficient to handle the traffic and this is only being managed by stopping trains and delaying them beyond the scheduled time.

Why is a choke required in a tube light and not in a CFL?

Both conventional fluorescent lamps (usually 4 feet long) and compact fluorescent lamps — CFLs ( much smaller both in length and diameter of the tube) used in lighting applications are low pressure mercury vapour discharge lamps. These lamps generate light by the process of fluorescence (accomplishing conversion of invisible ultra-violet, UV to visible light) by electrical discharge-passage of electricity through gaseous-vapour medium along the column of the tube. When electrical discharge could strike the column of the tube, lot of invisible UV radiation having wavelength dominantly at 254 nm is generated. This UV radiation when strikes the white coating inside the tube made of fluorescent material- phosphors gets converted to visible light with wavelengths in the region of 400-700 nm through the process of fluorescence. The electrical resistance of the discharge column of the tube increases with dimensions and decreases with miniaturization of lamp dimensions.

For a conventional fluorescent lamp, the ballast used is a choke which essentially a leak transformer (made of bulk coil windings) which momentarily produces an inductive kick in the form of high voltage (approximately 1000 volts) so that the electrical discharge could be struck along the column of the tube. So in a conventional fluorescent lamp the role of the choke is to initiate the electrical discharge process. Once the discharge is struck it can be sustained through the drop in electrical resistance of the column. But CFLs, being smaller in dimensions offering much lower electrical resistance do not require such bulky chokes. Instead the discharge in CFLs is initiated by much compact electronic circuits integrated into the CFL holder. Usually these electronic ballasts are small oscillator circuits producing high frequencies (approximately 10 kilo Hertz) facilitating flicker free quick start of lamp as electrical discharge strikes faster at such high frequencies.

How do mobile touch screens work?

Mobile phones may use two types of input devices. In regular mobile phones, a keypad type of device is used, which is mounted separately from the screen of the cellphone. Whereas in touch screen cellphones, a touch screen is a cellphone display screen that also acts as an input device. The touch screens are sensitive to pressure; a user interacts with the mobile applications by touching pictures or words on the screen. Most mobile phone keyboards are basic in that they use a tactile surface you are accustomed to touching, and underneath is a basic rubber peg (black dot) which travels some depth until it encounters resistance in the form of the actual keyboard surface which is sometimes called a ‘bubble board.’ This is basically a semi-circle of aluminium shaped in the form of a dome and provides that springing effect of key and feedback on your finger when you press down and the button regains its at-rest shape and normal position. Touch screen technologies used in mobile phones include resistive, capacitive and surface-wave based system.

The resistive system consists of a normal glass panel that is covered with conductive and resistive metallic layers. These two layers are held apart by spacers, and a scratch resistant layer is placed on top of the whole setup. An electrical current runs through the two layers while the monitor is operational. When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact exactly at that spot. The change in the electrical field is noted and the coordinates of the point of contact are calculated by the processor. Once the coordinates are known, a special driver translates the touch into something that the operating system can understand, much as a computer mouse driver translates the movements of a mouse into a click or a drag.

The change in the electrical current is registered as a touch event and sent to the controller for processing. In the capacitive system, a layer of an electroconductive material (most often indium tin-oxide) that stores electrical charge is placed on the glass panel of the monitor. When a user touches the monitor with his finger, some of the charge is transferred to the user, so the charge on the capacitive layer decreases. This decrease is measured in circuits located at each corner of the monitor. The computer calculates, from the relative differences in charge at each corner, exactly where the touch event took place and then relays that information to the touch screen driver software. Resistive touch screen panels are generally more affordable but offer only 75 per cent clarity and the layer can be damaged by sharp objects. One advantage of the capacitive system over the resistive system is that it transmits almost 92 per cent of the light emitted from the monitor, whereas the resistive system transmits only about 75 per cent. This gives the capacitive system a much clearer picture than the resistive system. Also, the capacitive system has a very long life (about 225 million clicks).

Device Developed to Imitate Dog’s Nose for Detecting Explosives

Dogs are known for their olfactory sense. Imitating the same sense, scientists from the University of California in the third week of November 2012 designed the nanotech chip that can smell presence of the molecules from a bomb within a few seconds. According to the researchers, this nanotech chip is portable, absolutely sensitive and accurate which can smell the vapours from the explosives as well as other substances. This could become very common in future just like the smoke detectors found in the public places.

Researchers who were led by professors Martin Moskovits and Carl Meinhart designed the detector which makes use of the microfluidic nanotechnology in order to imitate biological mechanism used behind canine scent receptors. This device is not just very sensitive for tracing the amount of specific vapour molecules but can also tell about specific substances besides the similar molecules. The device has been designed with the similar or even better sensitivity just like the nose of the dogs. Results of the study depict that this device can also detect the airborne molecules of the 2, 4-dinitrotoluene, mainly the vapours which emanate from the TNT-based explosives.

Algorithm Developed for Controlling Computer Cursors with the Thoughts

Researchers from Stanford who were led by the scientists of Indian origin, in the third week of November 2012 claimed the development of fastest as well as most reliable mathematical algorithm which can help the disabled trick the computer cursors with the thoughts. The speed, accuracy as well as natural movements of the algorithm are those like the real arm. Researchers have developed the system for ReFIT, the algorithm for the brain-implantable prosthetic systems. This can help in greatly improving the accuracy as well as speed of the neural prosthetics which can control cursors of the computers. The findings will help in improving the prosthetic system performance as well as robustness in the paralysed. The system works by relying on the sensor which is actually implanted in the brain. This sensor is responsible for recording the action potentials in the neural activity from the range of electrode sensors. It then sends the data to the computer.

Scientist Decoded a Gene that Gives Humans an Edge over Apes

Researchers of University of Edinburgh discovered a new gene known asmiR-941, which explains the evolution of humans from the chimpanzees. The gene is found only in human beings. It appeared in humans after they evolved from apes. This gene played a very important role in the development of a human brain. The gene could be used for knowing how humans learnt the usage of languages as well as tools. University of Edinburgh researchers compared this gene to 11 more mammals’ species which included gorillas, chimpanzees, rats as well as mice. The research will help us know the answer to most commonly asked question- what is it that differentiates humans from others. Previous studies which differentiated humans and apes established the fact that evolutionary genetic benefits enable humans to live much longer than the apes, while also making them susceptible to ailments such as heart disease, dementia as well as cancer. miR-941 is the first of its kind gene and scientists believe that the gene has certain specific purpose in human body.

Scientists discovered Bacteria that can Line up to Create Live Wire

Scientists on 8 November 2012 revealed about the discovery of a special type of bacteria in the Ocean with abilities of combining together for the formation of the long conducting nano wire cable for transportation of electrons and capturing the oxygen available at the surface for carrying out the metabolic activities. The live wire is made of the living biological cells, not from any type of metal or alloy that is generally used in making of the wire. A group of scientists along with Christain Pfeiffer reported about the discovery of this special type of bacteria with abilities of cooperate and multiply at times of threats to overcome the problems.

Same DNA but different gene expression

Humans share over 90 per cent of their DNA with their primate cousins. However, the expression or activity patterns of genes differ across species in ways that help explain each species’ distinct biology and behaviour.
U.S. shale gas drives up exports of unused coal

A report by researchers at the University of Manchester has concluded that whilst the U.S. is burning less coal due to shale gas production, millions of tonnes of unused coal are being exported to the UK, Europe and Asia.

Benefits of leisure-time physical activity

Leisure-time physical activity is associated with longer life expectancy, even at relatively low levels of activity and regardless of body weight. Life expectancy gains of as much as 4.5 years were seen.
Saliva research to save endangered sea lions
Studying zoo animals is a perfect opportunity to research on how saliva can signal stress, health risks, and illness in the human body, and apply this research to endangered species such as seals, as well.
Solar energy ‘funnel’ taps more sunlight
A ‘solar energy funnel’ that takes advantage of materials under elastic strain enables harnessing a broader spectrum of sunlight’s energy to produce electricity says Nature Photonicsjournal.
Sun emits a mid-level flare
On November 13, the sun emitted a mid-level solar flare. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation, which can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where communications and Global Positioning System signals travel.
Trigger for earth’s last big freeze
Scientists have found conclusive evidence that flood waters from melting of the enormous Laurentide Ice Sheet flowed north into the Arctic first down the Mackenzie River valley.
Skeleton of a mammoth found
A near-complete skeleton of a mammoth which lived between 200,000 and 500,000 years ago has been found near Paris.
Climate change will alter Greenland’s face
Using a regional climate model and the output of three global climate models, researchers at The City College of New York predict how climate change would change the face of Greenland over the next century.
River floods predicted using new technology
Scientists have developed a tool for gauging and managing the dangers of floods in specific river zones and are now using it to provide real-time forecast of the dangers of river floods.
Why Antarctic sea ice cover has increased
NASA and British Antarctic Survey scientists have reported that marked changes to Antarctic sea ice drift caused by changing winds are responsible for observed increases in Antarctic sea ice cover in the past two decades.
Genetic traits affected in turkey evolution
The genetic traits affected by the variation between today’s domestic turkeys and their wild ancestors are body size and breast muscle development — features that determine whether a consumer will buy the turkey.
How blue-green algae harvests sunlight
An international team of biologists has identified both the enzyme and molecular mechanism critical for controlling a chameleon-like process that allows blue-green algae to maximize light harvesting for photosynthesis.
New strategy to visualise fingerprints
A new approach for identifying and making fingerprints on paper readily readable has been developed.
It produces a negative of the fingerprint image and is nearly independent of the composition of the sweat residue left behind on the paper.
New, more natural lens inspired by human eye
Researchers have created a new artificial lens that is nearly identical to the natural lens of the human eye. This innovation may provide a natural performance in implantable lenses to replace damaged human eye lenses.
Australia to strengthen lead in solar energy
Australian government will fund 3. 3 million AUD for The Skills Development Program of solar technology to reinforce Australia’s leadership in this field, the Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson said.
Finding clues to disease resistant watermelons
An international consortium of scientists has published the genome sequence of watermelon. This could accelerate watermelon breeding towards a more nutritious, tastier and more disease resistant fruit.
Mummy unwrapping promoted Egyptology
Public ‘unwrappings’ of real mummified human remains by both showmen and scientists heightened the fascination, but also helped develop the growing science of Egyptology, says a Missouri University historian.
Owl study aims to mitigate aircraft noise
Owls have the uncanny ability to fly silently, relying on specialised plumage to hunt in acoustic stealth. Researchers are studying the owl’s wing structure to better understand it and apply that information to design of aircraft.
Life found in sub-zero Antarctic lake’s brine
Where there is water there is life — even in brine beneath 60 feet of Antarctic ice, in permanent darkness and sub-zero cold. Lake Vida, in East Antarctica hosts some newly discovered microbes, says PNAS journal.
Carbon buried in the soil rises again
Scientists have identified a source of carbon emissions. While erosion can bury carbon in the soil, acting as a carbon sink, the sink is only temporary. About half of such carbon will be re-released within about 500 years.
Increasing efficiency of wireless networks
Two professors at the University of California, Riverside have developed a new method that doubles the efficiency of wireless networks and could have a large impact on the mobile Internet and wireless industries.
Mars, Earth had similar early building blocks
A team of scientists studied the hydrogen in water from the Martian interior and found that Mars formed from similar building blocks to that of Earth, but that there were differences in the later evolution of the two planets.
Grapefruit–medication interactions increasing
The number of prescription drugs that can have serious adverse effects from interactions with grapefruit is increasing, yet many physicians may be unaware of it, states an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal

Additional Kepler data now being released

The Space Telescope Science Institute U.S., is releasing 12 additional months worth of data meticulously collected by NASA’s Kepler Mission, one of the most prolific planet-hunting endeavours ever conceived.
Mosquitoes fail at flight in heavy fog conditions
Mosquitoes have a reduced wing-beat frequency in heavy fog, but are able to generate sufficient force to lift their bodies, even after dew deposition. They are unable, however, to maintain an upright position needed for flight.

Columbia Glacier will stop retreating in 2020

The wild and dramatic cascade of ice into the ocean from Alaska’s Columbia Glacier, one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, will cease around 2020, according to a study by the University of Colorado Boulder.
Bacteria talk to each other and human cells
Bacteria can talk to each other via molecules they themselves produce. This is important when an infection propagates. Now, researchers are showing how bacteria control processes in human cells the same way.
Stroke recovery using marine algae product
A new study using brevetoxin-2, a compound produced naturally by marine algae, stimulated nerve cell growth and plasticity in mouse neurons. Treatment for stroke may not be far off.
Evidence of a ‘mid-life crisis’ in great apes
Chimpanzees and orangutans can have a mid-life crisis just like humans, a study suggests. Well-being follows a U shape — high in youth, old age and low in middle age.
Massive black hole inflates giant bubble
Some black holes actively accrete matter, part of which is ejected in a narrow stream of particles, and travels at nearly the speed of light. When the stream slows down, it creates a tenuous bubble that can engulf the entire galaxy.

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