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Nasa empowers future space innovators, selects 10 new round of candidates for CubeSat missions – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Nasa has chosen 10 small research satellites from eight different states to be sent to the International Space Station, as part of the organization's initiative to broaden educational and scientific outreach, foster technological progress, and promote workforce training.These compact satellites, known as CubeSats, adhere to a universal design specification, quantified in units, with one unit (1U) defined as dimensions of 10x10x11 centimeters.This standardization facilitates the assembly of larger CubeSats up to 12U. Due to their modular nature and low production and launch costs, CubeSats facilitate increased cooperation among governmental bodies, commercial sectors, and educational institutions. They offer a swift, economical approach for conducting scientific research and t...
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‘Ram pressure can make stars’: Nasa captures Virgo Galaxy cluster – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) Astronomers using the Nasa/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a stunning image of LEDA 42160, a galaxy situated approximately 52 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. This dwarf galaxy, among many others, navigates through the dense gas within the vast Virgo cluster of galaxies, experiencing the profound effects of ram pressure.“A dwarf galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, located 54 million light-years away, is undergoing a highly-energetic event, captured here by Nasa Hubble. The little galaxy is undergoing a process called ram pressure stripping that is driving unusually high levels of star formation in regions of the galaxy,” Nasa said in a social media post.Describing the image Nasa in a...
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Nasa’s cosmic communication challenge: Will astronauts one day video call from Mars? – Times of India

NEW DELHI: As humanity's gaze turns toward the Red Planet, the tantalizing prospect of astronauts video calling from Mars looms on the horizon. But bridging the vast cosmic expanse between Earth and Mars is no ordinary feat. Let's explore the challenges, technological strides, and the tantalizing possibility of interplanetary video calls.The Martian communication conundrumMars, our enigmatic neighbor, lies an average of 225 million kilometers (140 million miles) away from Earth. Traditional communication methods, such as radio waves, face significant limitations. The delay caused by the speed of light means that even a simple "hello" would take several minutes to traverse the interplanetary void.The need for real-time communicationImagine astronauts on Mars conducting groundbreaking exp...
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Imported human eggs for fertility treatment found to carry Hemophilia B – Times of India

TEL AVIV: Israel's Ministry of Health reported that fertilised eggs for the purpose of in vitro fertilization (IVF) of women in the country were imported from a clinic in Georgia called BIRTH that came from a donor who is a carrier of the genetic disease Hemophilia B.Hemophilia B, also known as Christmas disease, is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by a lack of blood clotting factor IX. Factor IX is a protein in the blood that helps blood clot. When there is not enough factor IX, people with hemophilia B bleed for a longer time than usual after an injury or surgery. They may also bleed internally, into their joints or muscles.According to the suspicion, the information about eggs having these genetic carriers was available to the staff at the clinics both abroad and in Israel; howe...
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Taters the cat: Why Nasa beamed a cat video 19 million miles into deep space – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In an innovative move, Nasa beamed a cat video a staggering 19 million miles away, showcasing an unprecedented feat in the realm of deep-space communication. This unique endeavor was part of a larger test for the Deep Space Network (DSN), a global network of massive radio antennas that provides communication links between Earth and the spacecraft navigating the void beyond our immediate celestial neighborhood.The DSN's primary role has always been to maintain communication with missions far beyond Earth, ensuring that vast distances do not hinder humanity's exploration of space. As missions travel farther into the cosmos, the challenge of maintaining robust, uninterrupted communication channels becomes increasingly complex. It's here, amidst the daunting silence of deep space...
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Scientists find potential new drug target to prevent Ebola – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Scientists have found a new way in which Ebola reproduces in the human body, identifying a potential target for drugs to prevent the viral disease. The study also sheds light on how the deadly virus that affects people mostly in sub-Saharan Africa interacts with a human protein called ubiquitin. "We used a combination of experimental and computational (using computers) methods to investigate the interaction between the Ebola virus VP35 protein and ubiquitin chains," said study co-author Rafael Najmanovich, a professor at the University of Montreal in Canada. "Advanced computational modeling by our team predicted the binding interface between a viral protein, VP35, and the ubiquitin chains in human cells, and identified potential chemical compounds that could disrupt this in...
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Tapeworm larvae found in man’s brain – how did they get there? – Times of India

LANCASTER: We have all found ourselves in a place we would rather not be, a school reunion, the never-ending work meeting or a distant relative's wedding reception. In such situations, it is often a good option to make the best of it. Well, this isn't just the case for people, it is also an occurrence in the world of parasites - those lifeforms that live in and on us.This was the case for Taenia solium, or pig tapeworm which found itself in an unlikely place. A middle-aged man from Florida with a history of migraines went to the doctor as his headaches were becoming worse and weren't responding to his usual drugs. The 52-year-old was sent for a CT scan, which revealed something alarming: his brain was infested with tapeworm cysts. The most common route of infection is eating undercook...
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IIT Guwahati, international scientists shed light on dark matter’s crucial role in shaping Universe – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati in collaboration with international scientists have proposed a novel scenario to explain the matter-antimatter imbalance in the Universe. A study by the researchers sheds light on one of the long-standing mysteries in the field of cosmology surrounding dark matter and Baryon Asymmetry in the Universe (BAU). The research which has been funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), has been published in Physical Review D. According to officials, only about 5 per cent of the Universe comprises visible or baryonic matter, such as stars and galaxies. The remaining approximately five times this visible matter is composed of dark matter, a substance that does not emit light. While the origin of dark matter...