Science Acumen

Pregnant women are advised to take special precautions during pregnancy. The effects of diseases during pregnancy not only harm the mother but can also cause long-term harm to the baby. A study conducted by researchers at the Medical University of Vienna found that viral infections during pregnancy negatively affect a pregnant woman's brain and lead to changes in postpartum behavior. This study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry . Researchers say there is substantial evidence that viral infection during pregnancy negatively affects brain development in the fetus, lasting lifelong effects on the child's mental health and behavior. Now a new preclinical study has revealed for the first time that virus-induced immune activation during pregnancy also affects the mother's brain.  This has a negative impact on the maternal care and behavior of the mother after the birth of the child. The findings were published by a team of behavioral biologists from th...

Blackhole is one of the most mysterious things in the universe. Its gravitational force is so strong that it does not allow anything near it to pass through, even attracts light inside itself. Astronomers are constantly trying to unravel the mysteries of black holes. In this episode, astronomers have succeeded in detecting eight new blackhole binaries. These resonate around our galaxy. According to this study, combining their images together can reveal how a black hole moves in an explosion. So far only two such black holes were known. Blackhole binaries are systems that orbit a star. Students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) carried out this research with the help of the California Institute of Technology and other institutions. The findings of this research were published in The Astrophysical Journal . There are millions of black holes in our galaxy that have tremendous gravitational force. They are usually densely black and, except in a few rare cases...

In March this year, the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter took various pictures of the star after reaching its closest approach to the Sun.   Analysis of the data collection reveals powerful flares, breathtaking views over the solar poles, and a curious hedgehog in video that makes its way back to Earth. The spacecraft was inside the orbit of Mercury during its closest approach to the Sun. It is the closest planet to the Sun.  It sits about 1/3 of the distance between the Sun and the Earth. The hitshield had achieved a temperature of over 500°C. However, it was kept cool with the help of various technical devices. The important thing that this orbiter was successful in finding out is this - how does our star work? The European Space Agency has said that the closer the spacecraft gets to the Sun, the more closely the remote sensing equipment is able to analyze it. During close approach, the spacecraft observed solar flares and even Earth-directed coronal ma...

The UK has come up with a unique idea to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by the year 2050. He is working on solar power plan in space. 50 British institutions including Airbus, Cambridge University have joined hands to cooperate with the government's scheme. The UK started an alternative search initiative in this direction in last year. The main objective of the scheme is to achieve the goal of zero greenhouse emissions at a lower cost than the technologies. According to Martin Salto, the head of this initiative, all the technology needed to develop a solar power station in space is already in place and the special thing is that all the work of building this station will be done by robots. The UK aims to have electricity on Earth by 2035. The length of this power plant can be up to several miles. To put it into space orbit, about 300 rockets the size of SpaceX's starship would be needed. Once established, it will orbit the Sun as well as the Earth. It will b...

The debate about vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism has been going on for a long time. Different things keep coming to the fore about which of these is more nutritious. A recent study has revealed that the growth and nutrition of vegetarian children is similar to that of children who eat meat. Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital did this study on about nine thousand children. The findings of this study were published in the journal Pediatrics . The study's findings support changes in dietary habits among Canadians. The Food Guide of Canada was updated in the year 2019. In which people were urged to consume vegetable based proteins, beans and tofu etc., instead of meat in their diet. According to the study's lead author and pediatrician Dr. Jonathan Maguire at St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, plant-based diets have increased in popularity during the past 20 years. Eating habits are changing with the increase in plant-based diet choices. Ho...

Apart from the Moon, astronomers are most interested in Mars. Space agencies around the world are running their missions on this red planet. In the future, plans are being made to set up human settlements here. An important thing has come to the fore while studying in this direction. Scientists at the University of California say that solar power can be a great option for the Mars mission. Modern science is indicating that Mars may be the source of possible aliens visible on Earth. Today technology has developed so much that we can send missions to Mars. Scientists from all over the world are also making efforts in this direction. In this context, new studies may prove to be important. The findings of this study have been published in the journal Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences . According to Aaron Berliner, a co-author of the study and a graduate student in bioengineering in the Arkin Laboratory at UC Berkeley, currently the source of energy for Mars rovers, incl...

There are also large sources of sugar in the sea. These sources, present in the form of sea grass, contain large amounts of sucrose, which is a major component of the sugar used in the kitchen. Sea grass at the bottom of the ocean has 1.3 million tonnes of sugar reserves, that is, sweetness equal to the sweetness of 32 billion cold drinks.  This was revealed by a recent study conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Germany. Marine microbiologist Nicole Dubilier says that sea grasses produce sugar during photosynthesis.  The researchers tested their hypothesis through mass spectrometry techniques in ocean grasslands. This showed that in average light these seagrasses use sucrose for self metabolism, but in high light, such as afternoon or summer, these grasses produce more sugar. Release excess sugar into their rhizosphere. The surprising thing is that this sugar is not absorbed by marine organisms.  To prevent this, seagrasses send ou...

Microplastic particles are poisoning not only groundwater but also soil and crops. Plastic sheets are widely used in the fields which are dissolving the fine particles of plastic in the soil. It is also affecting the crops. This is where the particles are reaching the depths of human blood and lungs. In March of this year, researchers measured plastic particles in human blood . Subsequently, these particles were also identified in the lungs. Toxic Link , a non-governmental organization working on plastic pollution, has shared this information on the basis of testing samples taken from agricultural lands at different places. According to the study conducted by Toxic Link, 30 samples were taken from different agricultural farms. Microplastic particles were found in all these samples. In addition, the presence of heavy metals was also found in the soil samples. Plastic sheets are being used for the last 20 years from where the samples were taken. Plastic sheets are generally u...

In a new study, researchers have discovered the functioning of the cells found in our brain, which make up almost half of our brain. The study was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience . Scientists say that in this research done on mice, the discovery of new functions of cells called astrocytes will give a new direction to neuroscience research. With the help of the findings from this study, it will help in finding effective treatments for Epilepsy, Alzheimer's, Brain stroke and other neuro-related diseases. Researchers have also studied how astrocytes interact with neurons. Neurons are the fundamental cells of the brain and nervous system that receive inputs. Neurons send messages to different parts of the body through complex electrical and chemical signals. Till now scientists believed that astrocytes are important but their role in this process is less. It is now found that astrocytes direct the growth of axons which are elongated and thin and receive electri...

Need various types of tests on time to time for keep an eye on our health. Apart from this, there are many wearable devices available to monitor our health in better way. Now, scientists have developed a wearable device that can measure health status by measuring the gas released from the skin.  With the help of this, people can become aware about their health. It gives signals to take precaution or to be alert. Most of the research so far has been based on finding out about health through biomarkers released in sweat.  These are linked to the electrical signal emanating from the chemicals. But it requires a high amount of sweating. There are many smart watch or fitness tracker devices in the market which take conclusion by measuring the heartbeat or body temperature.  Now researchers from Ohio State University in the US have developed a technique that can identify biomarkers related to diseases such as heart disease or diabetes. Recommended ⬇️  Lack of ...