General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - May 2015

May 2015

May 10, 2019

Rice Husks Can Remove Toxins

A study has observed that rice husk can effectively remove microcystin (a toxin released by harmful algal blooms) that are increasingly occurring in the great lakes and other freshwater lakes around the world.
According to the study, rice husks can effectively remove microcystin from water, a finding that could have far-reaching implications for communities along the great lakes and across the developing world.
An abundant and inexpensive agricultural by-product, rice husks have been investigated as a water purification solution in the past. However, this is the first time they have been shown to remove microcystin, the toxin released by harmful algal blooms.

May 08, 2019

Zinc Supplementation Suppresses Fat Deposition in The Liver

A research team led by Dr Prosenjit Mondal, Assistant Professor, School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, and Dr Debabrata Ghosh from CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, has shown that zinc oxide nanoparticles can prevent fat accumulation in the liver and thereby prevent Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
Their work has recently been published in the journal, Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine.
WHO reports that the number of deaths due to liver diseases in India was 259,749 in 2017.
Nearly 120 million Indians are estimated to suffer from NAFLD, with a higher incidence rate amongst obese and diabetic people.
The observations of the team may help in formulating therapeutic strategies to improve insulin sensitivity and ameliorate liver steatosis associated with type 2 diabetes.
Co-investigators on the study were research scholars, Surbhi Dogra, Khyati Girdhar, P. Vineeth Daniel, Swarup Chatterjee, Abhinav Choubey and faculty Dr Subrata Ghosh from IIT Mandi and Dr SatyakamPatnaik and Aditya K Kar from CSIR-IITR.

May 03, 2019

Tapping Fresh Water under the Ocean

The last place most people would expect to find fresh groundwater is tens to hundreds of kilometres offshore in the ocean. Yet not only is that exactly where freshwater can be found, in the ground of the continental shelf beneath the ocean, but simulations have shown that it could be a common occurrence across a range of geologic systems.
These offshore groundwater resources could be exploited for uses such as drinking, agriculture and oil recovery, but new research suggests that tapping into those resources could lead to adverse onshore impacts.

May 02, 2019

India's Second Mission to Moon Delayed

According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India's second mission to the moon has been delayed again and will be launched during the July 9 to 16 window period.
Earlier, Chandrayaan 2 was to be launched between March 25 and April end.
For the required trajectory, the satellite can be launched only during certain window periods and since the one in April has been missed, Chandrayaan 2 will be launched during the next suitable window in July. This is a very complex mission and the earlier dates were estimates, but the procedures took longer than expected.
The lander is expected to reach the surface on September 6.

May 01, 2019

Record Solar Hydrogen Production

Researchers have created a smart device capable of producing large amounts of clean hydrogen.
By concentrating sunlight, their device uses a smaller amount of the rare, costly materials that are required to produce hydrogen, yet it still maintains a high solar-to-fuel efficiency.
Their research has been taken to the next scale with a pilot facility installed on the EPFL campus.
The scientists estimate that their system can run for over 30,000 hours, or nearly four years, without any part replacements, and up to 20 years if some parts are replaced every four years.
Their solar concentrator turns and follows the sun across the sky in order to maximise its yield.
As per Sophia Haussener, the head of the LRESE and the project lead, in sunny weather, the system can generate up to 1 kilogram of hydrogen per day, which is enough fuel for a hydrogen-powered car to travel 100 to 150 kilometers.

Wynk Tube Music App

Bharti Airtel launched a music application Wynk Tube – an extension of its existing Wynk Music app.
Wynk Tube will allows users to stream audio and video of popular tracks within the same interface.
Users can also instantly switch between audio and video mode of their favourite tracks, with a single touch.
The service will be free for Airtel subscribers. Non-Airtel users will need to pay Rs. 99 a month, post a trial offer of 30-day free usage.

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