Tag: research

Recycling Wood, Crop Waste into Valuable Chemicals: Renewable Biomass Material

Neha Shukla

Everyone realizes the importance of recycling potential wastes into useful products. This recycling process helps in reducing the requirement for raw materials, minimizing energy usage, curb water and air pollution, thus reducing greenhouse gas emission. Experts around the world are trying ceaselessly to look for new and innovative techniques to recycle wastes. In one such attempt, researchers have found an innovative method to recycle lignin, which is a biomass waste, into certain chemicals that can be put to use in other applications. Recycling Lignin Lignin is the complex material responsible…

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Magnetic Nanoparticle Pill will detect Cancer: Searching Bloodstream with Google

Neha Shukla

Giant web search engine, Google is expanding its business in different technological areas, investing in research program to develop driver-less cars, goggle glasses, contact lenses, delivery drones, robots, providing internet facilities via balloons to name a few. Now Google is expanding into the field of advance medicine. With an aim of developing nanoparticles that would be delivered in the form of a pill in aiding cancer detection and other ailments, the big G unveiled its latest project called the “Nanoparticle Platform. 

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ECOSTRESS: The New Thermometer for detecting Earth’s Temperature

Pooja Kashyap

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing a space-based instrument for detecting transpiration within plants so that the flora can effectively use water. ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment (ECOSTRESS) is the name of the device that will be docked on the space station for monitoring the water loss through nano-pores occurring within leaves.

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High Milk Consumption leads to Greater Risk of Fractures: Fat triggers Inflammation

Neha Shukla

Importance of milk and other dairy products are long known to everyone. They are one of the richest sources of Calcium and contain Vitamin D which together plays an imperative role in strengthening human bones and teeth, thus, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Milk also contains many other essential nutrients. However, a recent study challenges the health benefits of milk intake and on the contrary, links high milk consumption with higher risk of fractures and early mortality.

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Individual Genes responsible for Violent Crimes: Nature versus Nurture

Neha Shukla

The debate on what makes a person more violent than another is still on. The question is whether criminals are born with such fierce nature or any incident or experience shape up such violent trait in criminals is yet to be answered. So far, scientists have proposed that certain genes (by altering brain chemistry), might be an influential factor behind such violent behavior. But DNA clues to back this suggestion is not present. 

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LEDs Attract more Flying Invertebrates: Light Pollution

Neha Shukla

Invention of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by three scientists won them the Nobel Prize for physics. This innovative LED technology comes with many advantages such as they are energy efficient, bright enough to be used for regular lighting and last longer. But the increasing use of LEDs has certain drawbacks too, as found in a new study led by a pair of experts from Scion, a New Zealand research Institute. According to them LEDs serve light pollution and can cause ecological problems because flying invertebrates are more drawn to LED…

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Fruit Fly can sniff out Drugs and Bombs: Electronic Noses Technology

Neha Shukla

When it comes to detecting bomb or drugs, generally dog is the first animal that comes in our mind. But would you believe when I say that very soon fruit-fly might be taking over the job of detecting bombs and illicit drugs? Surprised! According to a research conducted by the University of Sussex, fruit fly’s sense of odor can be employed in an innovative technology to expose bombs and drugs. 

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Coordination and Collaboration discovered in Hunting Crocodilians: A Club of Hunters

Neha Shukla

We have already read Vladimir Dinets’ research work about certain species of crocodiles and alligators that very intelligently made use of twigs to lure its prey, to climbing tree’s crown to keep an eye on its potential prey or an approaching enemy. Apart from these, advanced parental care, complex communication are other behavior noticed in reptiles. 

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Lighting Sheets to replace Bulbs: OLED, the Next Generation Lights

Pooja Kashyap

How about customizing light source in our rooms, something that resembles the photo frames. Sounds interesting, ain’t it? Researchers have already been working in the field of light and they have come up with an approach that targets the efficiency in half amount of energy being consumed by regular bulbs by developing ‘glowing sheets’. Technology used in these light sheets would resemble the mega thin TVs and smartphones as the sheets are expected to include organic LEDs or OLEDs.

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Charging Gadget in Bedroom leads to Weight Gain: Light from Devices Disrupt Metabolism during Sleep

Neha Shukla

Gadgets have made our lives convenient, but at the same time, safety issues have thwarted their ease. Experts are still debating & studying whether radio wavelengths emitted from cellular phone causes brain cancer or not. Now another team of researchers has discovered that charging cell phones or tablets in the bedroom, during night can lead to weight gain. 

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High Sugary Drinks lead to Poor Memory: Neuroinflammation

Neha Shukla

High intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (containing high sugar or high fructose corn syrup content) are responsible for obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and other disorders. But recently, experts have found that these beverages when consumed (especially in adolescent age) can lead to poor memory and learning skills. 

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Electrical Pulses used to reinstate Movements in Paralyzed Rats: Epidural Stimulation

Pooja Kashyap

In Frankenstein effort, Gregoire Courtine, a researcher at the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, Switzerland, has developed a process that has helped a paralyzed rat in walking with a precise cadence. The neuroscientist has employed electronics to reinstate realistic movements to the disabled animal. With an aim of resurrecting life in the paralyzed limbs of people, the researcher has zapped spinal cords with electrical pulses. These undulations will substitute the commands being sent by brain in normal condition however, the signals are disrupted with an injury in the spinal cord.

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On/off Switch for Aging Cells Discovered: Telomere Homeostasis

Pooja Kashyap

Newly divided cells of the human body have an ability of replenishing certain organs including lungs, skin and liver consistently. However, majority of these cells have an expiry date, which means, they cannot perform the function throughout, since each division also corresponds to shortening of chromosomes. Upon reaching a certain stage telomere, the area of repetitive nucleotide sequences situated at the peripheral of each chromatid, stops the dividing process. This leads to degeneration of organs and tissues and eventually aging. However, in the presence of telomerase, an enzyme that rebuilds…

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