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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 27, 2016 at 6:47am

Egyptian researchers have developed a bandage embedded with nanoparticles for the treatment of wounds using the anti-epilepsy drug Phenytoin, known for its capacity to treat skin injuries.

The bandage can heal wounds in a few days, after just one application to soft tissue. Wounds normally take several days to a few weeks to heal completely, and some may only heal after several months or up to two years.

Even though Phenytoin is known for its potential to accelerate wound healing, some of its properties limit its effectiveness. For example, a low percentage of the drug can be absorbed into the blood circulation. It also doesn’t cover the entire wounded area, which interferes with the efficiency of healing.

To overcome these challenges, a research team from Zewail City of Science and Technology in Egypt, led by Ibrahim M. El-Sherbiny, the director of the Center for Materials Science, embedded the drug into a bandage consisting of nanoparticles carried on nanofibers.
“This allowed a well-controlled release of phenytoin, distributing it effectively, which, boosts its efficiency.”

The results of the study, published last May in the Journal of Applied Materials & Interfaces, also confirmed an improvement in the formation of granulation tissue — a fibrous connective tissue which grows from the base of the wound until it fills it, and replaces the blood clot that formed after the wound was received.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 21, 2016 at 10:19am

A Failed Supernova

A star that mysteriously disappeared might be the first confirmed case of a failed supernova, a star that tried to explode but couldn’t finish the job. A newborn black hole appears to have been left behind to snack on the star’s remains.

In 2009, a star in the galaxy NGC 6946 flared up over several months to become over 1 million times as bright as the sun. Then, it seemed to vanish. While the star could just be hiding behind a wall of dust, new observations with the Hubble Space Telescope, reported online September 6 at arXiv.org, strongly suggest that the star did not survive. A faint trickle of infrared light, however, emanates from where the star used to be. The remnant glow probably comes from debris falling onto a black hole that formed when the star died.

Black holes are typically thought to form in the aftermath of a supernova, the explosive death of a massive star. But multiple lines of evidence have recently hinted that not all heavyweights go out with a bang. Some stars might skip the supernova and collapse into a black hole. Until now, though, evidence that this happens has been either spotty or indirect.

“This is the first really solid observational evidence for a failed supernova".

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 21, 2016 at 10:08am

Strange it may seem but according to a new study Camouflaging Octopi & Squids Are Colourblind!

Several cephalopods manage to blend beautifully with their surroundings, but they themselves are actually colorblind, finds a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Cephalopods—cuttlefish, squid and octopus—are renowned for their fast color changes and remarkable camouflage abilities. Previous investigations of vision and visual pigment evolution in aquatic predators, however, have focused on fish and crustaceans, generally ignoring the cephalopods. Soft-bodied cephalopods are attractive for studying the evolution of vision as they have camera-like eyes, sharing many similarities in optics, anatomy and function with fish. According to Professor Justin Marshall and Dr. Chung Wensung from the Queensland Brain Institute, the goal of the study was to investigate how these creatures adapt to the light conditions in different habitats. The researchers found that squids have the ability to adapt their vision depending on the color and depth of the water they live in. This ability is called evolved spectral tuning, as they can change their visual focus from green, in coastal waters, to blue, to match deep sea conditions. “These engaging and charismatic animals can display complex, bright color patterns on their skin, but our studies have reconfirmed beyond doubt that they are colorblind,” Marshall said. “It is ironic then that humans still struggle to spot them in the natural habitat where their camouflage is perfectly matched with the surroundings.” Marshall said this latest research into cephalopods provided fascinating insights into how the remarkably intelligent creatures interacted with their world. 

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/283/1838/20161346

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 20, 2016 at 8:06am

Great News!

France just became the first country to ban all plastic plates, cups, and utensils.

With reports like 'By 2050, there'll be more plastic than fish in our oceans'*, we feel disheartened. But France has shown a way to tell us that need not be the case.

France just passed a law that says all plastic plates, cups, and utensils will be banned by 2020, and replacements will need to be made from biologically sourced materials that can be composted. 

The new law follows a total ban on plastic shopping bags in July, and is part of the country’s Energy Transition for Green Growth Act - a plan to make France a world leader in adopting more environmentally friendly practices, and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the new law, the distribution of disposable plastic bags at supermarket check-outs has been banned as of July, and plastic bags will be prohibited in fruit and vegetable departments from 1 January 2017.

A ban on the distribution of disposable cooking utensils, cups, and plates will be enforced in 2020, which will give manufacturers time to adjust.

Local ministers stipulated that in three years’ time, 50 percent of the material used to procure such items will have to be organic and compostable, and that proportion will rise to 60 percent by 2025.

The news has been welcomed by conservation groups around the world, and with predictions that by 2050, there'll be more plastic than fish in our oceans, is the kind of definitive action that’s needed if we’re going to have any chance of mitigating the problem of waste in a growing global population. 

* http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 20, 2016 at 7:53am

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 20, 2016 at 6:43am

Filtering sea water in minutes!

• The technology is based on salt-attracting membranes and vaporising heat

• The membranes are made of cellulose acetate powder which is cheap to make

• Even remote communities could use the technique – with just membranes and fire.

Researchers at Alexandria University in Egypt have unveiled a cost-effective desalination technology which can filter highly salty water in minutes.

The technology is based on membranes containing cellulose acetate powder, produced in Egypt. The powder, in combination with other components, binds the salt particles as they pass through, making the technique useful for desalinating seawater. 

The membrane we fabricated can easily be made in any laboratory using cheap ingredients, which makes it an excellent option for developing countries.

The technology uses pervaporation, a technique by which the water is first filtered through the membrane to remove larger particles and then heated until it vaporises. The vapour is then condensed to get rid of small impurities, and clean water is collected.

This method can be used to desalinate water which contains different types of contamination, such as salt, sewage and dirt. This kind of water is difficult to clean quickly using existing procedures.

Desalination of simulated seawater by purge-air pervaporation using an innovative fabricated membrane

http://wst.iwaponline.com/content/72/5/785

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 17, 2016 at 7:20am

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 13, 2016 at 6:55am

After launching the world's first hack-free satellite,  China has tested its first quantum radar which could detect objects, including stealth aircraft, within the range of 100 kilometres.

The first Chinese quantum radar was developed by the Intelligent Perception Technology Laboratory of the 14th Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC)

Quantum radar is a device that uses quantum entanglement photons to provide better detection capabilities than conventional radar systems.

The method would be useful for tracking targets with a low radar cross section, such as modern aircraft using stealth technology or targets employing active countermeasures to jam or baffle enemy radar.

The technology may also find use in biomedicine, since quantum radar requires lower energy and can be used to non-invasively probe for objects with low reflectivity, such as cancer cells.

Earlier, China launched the world s first quantum communications satellite, which uses quantum entanglement for cryptography.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 2, 2016 at 8:01am

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 1, 2016 at 7:39am

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