Page 3 - Scientists

Scientists warn UK govt of a new 'deadly virus' due to climate change

The scientists noted that CCHF infections may not be picked up by doctors in the NHS, as previously they hadn't been expected, the scientists informed the Committee

Scientists develop 2 new polio vaccines to help eradicate viral disease

Scientists have developed two novel oral polio vaccines (nOPVs) that they say will bolster the World Health Organization's most recent push to finally eradicate the viral disease. The two nOPVs, recently described in the journal Nature, are made from weakened poliovirus that has been genetically engineered to reduce reversion to dangerous forms of the virus. "With such variation in vaccination within and between countries, poliovirus has persisted into the 21st century, with sometimes tragic consequences," said Raul Andino, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the US. "We have designed these new vaccines using lessons learned from many years of fighting polio and believe they will help eliminate the disease once and for all," said Andino, co-senior author of the research paper. Polio is usually asymptomatic, but can cause severe disability, paralysis or death in about one in every hundred children. It spreads via fecal or oral particles, so it is ...

Anglophile scientist, ardent nationalist

Bhabha was born into a wealthy Parsi family (he was related to the Tatas). He studied physics at Cambridge and wrote several well-regarded papers

Russian hypersonic scientist accused of 'betraying secrets to China'

"He is convinced of the fact that the information was not secret, and of his own innocence," one of the people said

DRDO scientist held for giving info to Pak, sent in custody till May 29

A special court in Pune on Tuesday remanded DRDO scientist Dr Pradeep Kurulkar, arrested on charges of providing confidential information to a Pakistani agent, in judicial custody till May 29. Kurulkar, a director at one of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) labs in Pune, was arrested by the Maharashtra police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on May 3. During the hearing, Kurulkar requested for some medicines, as he has a problem of high blood sugar, and home food. The court permitted that he be given medicines, but refused his request for food to be delivered from his home. The court sent Kurulkar in judicial custody for next 14 days. On Monday, the special court extended his police custody till Tuesday after the prosecution said his mobile phone needs to be analysed. The scientist was allegedly in touch with an agent of a Pakistan Intelligence Operative through WhatsApp and video calls, an ATS official said last week, adding it was a case of honeytrap. After his

Scientists study EMIC plasma wave identified in Indian Antarctic station

According to the report, the study can help in determining the impact of energetic particles in the radiation belts on low-orbiting satellites

Covid patients' blood shows who is likely to become severely ill: Study

Researchers have identified specific proteins in the blood plasma of people infected with COVID-19 that may help predict which patients may need to be placed on ventilators to breathe and which are most likely to die of the virus. The researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in the US studied blood plasma samples from 332 COVID-19 patients. "Identifying harmful proteins may be helpful as we confront not only variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, but also as new viruses emerge in the future," said study principal investigator Carlos Cruchaga. "We may be able to draw blood from an individual with a COVID infection, check the levels of these key proteins and quickly determine risk for serious outcomes. We then could use that information to determine the best course of treatment," Cruchaga said. The team studied plasma samples from COVID-19 patients admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, US and compared them to plasma samples from 150 people who had not b

Antibody that blocks Omicron, other Covid variants identified by scientists

A group of scientists in the US has identified an antibody that appears to block infection by all dominant variants of the virus that causes Covid-19, including Omicron

upGrad closes Rs 300 cr internal funding round from existing investors

Major investors in the rights include co-founder Ronnie Screwvala (Rs 212 cr) and Singapore-based Temasek (Rs 81 cr)

New Covid-origins study hints at spillover from animal: Scientists

Besides raccoon dogs, the international team of scientists also found DNA of bamboo rats, palm civets, Malayan porcupine and Amur hedgehog

Researchers show new ways of tracking spread of infectious diseases

In previous work, Luis M. Rocha's group at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC) found a way to simplify networks by extracting their backbones

Robotic thumb, arm, wings on humans could soon be a reality: Scientists

Advancements in human augmentation are likely to give humans a robotic thumb, arm or arms, wings, or tentacles in the coming decades, according to scientists

Indian plate moving 5 cm yearly, raising possibility of earthquakes: NGRI

Weather scientist warned that the Indian tectonic plate is moving about 5 cm every year, leading to accumulation of stress along the Himalayas and increasing the possibility of major seismic events

Fault's healing behaviour can provide window into zone's seismicity: Study

Observing the healing behaviour of a fault could provide a window into the seismicity of the fault zone, according to scientists. A fault that is slow to heal is more likely to move harmlessly, while one that heals quickly is more likely to stick until it breaks in a large, damaging earthquake, they said in a study. The scientists at The University of Texas at Austin, US, have discovered that a frictional phenomenon could be key to understanding when and how violently faults move, according to the study. That is because the phenomenon, which explains why it takes more effort to shove a heavy box from a standstill than it does to keep it moving, governs how quickly the fault surfaces bond together, or heal, after an earthquake, the study said. An everyday quirk of physics could be an important missing piece in scientists' efforts to predict the world's most powerful earthquakes, the study published in the journal Science said. That alone will not allow scientists to predict when th

IIT Delhi researcher develop next-gen vaccine using body's own immune cells

It was found that this antigen was more effective than free antigens in producing antibodies against the Covid-19 virus

Union MoS launches capacity building programme for senior scientists

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Thursday launched a 'Capacity Building Programme for Senior Scientists in Effective Leadership and Creativity' at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) here. The initiative is being organised in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), ASCI said. The programme aims to impart creative thinking skills to participating scientists, enabling them to develop competencies necessary for effective leadership, it said. This, in turn, will enable scientific establishments to operate more effectively in today's competitive environment, the college stated. Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman CBC; ASCI Chairman and former Union Home Secretary K Padmanabhaiah and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Scientists in Japan use new device to detect brain tumor via urine test

Scientists have used a new device to identify a key membrane protein in urine that indicates whether the patient has a brain tumour. According to their study, the protein used to detect brain cancer could avoid the need for invasive tests, and increase the likelihood of tumours being detected early enough for surgery. This research from Nagoya University, Japan, could also have potential implications for detecting other types of cancer, the study said. The research was published in the journal ACS Nano. Although early detection of many types of cancer has contributed to the recent increases in cancer survival rates, the survival rate for brain tumours has remained almost unchanged for over 20 years. This is partly due to their late detection. Physicians often discover brain tumours only after the onset of neurological symptoms, such as loss of movement or speech, by which time the tumour has reached a considerable size. Detecting the tumour when it is still small, and starting ..

Scientists working to increase shelf life of millets-based products

After putting Indian millets on the global stage, scientists are working on ways to increase the shelf life of products made from the coarse grains without compromising on the nutritional value. Scientists at Mysuru-based CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI) are also working on validating the numerous health benefits attributed to millets as they make a comeback as superfoods. Millets have an active enzyme called lipase that reduces the shelf-life of millet-based products by giving off-odours and rancidity, Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR-CFTRI told PTI here. She said scientists at CFTRI are now working on methods and processes to inactivate the lipase enzyme in millets, which could enhance their shelf life. Some food processors remove the outer layers of millet that takes away the fibre and minerals of the coarse grains. But, it should not become devoid of vitamins and minerals and be left with only starch and a little bit of protein. We are wor

Renowned scientist, former CSIR director A D Damodaran dies at 87

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death and said the country has lost a scientist known for his expertise in nuclear science

New metabolite that can detect liver cancer by urine test discovered

A metabolite, that has never been found in mammals before, and may allow urine tests to detect a type of liver cancer, has been discovered by scientists