Pancreatic cancers are aggressive and deadly, with high rates of metastasis and poor prognosis. The tumour environment is also hypoxic: the cells rapidly divide and thrive in very low oxygen conditions. Now, IIT-Bombay researchers have shown that the hypoxia ends up enhancing the cells’ metastatic behavior. By affecting the cells’ plasma membrane lipids, hypoxic conditions...
Category: Science & Tech
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How are passengers able to access the Internet on aeroplanes?
Passenger Internet on aeroplanes used to be rare in the 2010s but has become almost commonplace today. On most flights, the basic idea is that the whole aeroplane is treated like a flying Wi-Fi router that connects to the rest of the Internet through a long backhaul link. This means your phone or laptop never...
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Indian researchers reveal novel mutation that causes rare condition among consanguineous children
A recent paper in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Dysmorphology has presented the first detailed case report of a new kind of gene mutation in a child, with a rare condition – pseudo-TORCH Syndrome Type 2. Using exome sequencing, a genetic test that analyses the protein coding regions of the DNA, researchers have identified a novel...
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What on Earth (or Beyond) is a Time Crystal?
Science is a fascinating subject because it tells stories that sound unbelievable at first, like invisible forces, information teleporting between particles, and now, a crystal that dances in time! A crystal that never rests Imagine a crystal that moves forever, not in space, but in time. It keeps oscillating for an extremely long period without...
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ADHD stimulants are being used recreationally, with consequences for users
Not long ago, most people thought of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, as a childhood condition that would eventually be outgrown. Now it’s everywhere. TikTok videos describe “ADHD moments” that feel instantly familiar, clinics are booked out for months, and adults are finally getting diagnoses that explain years of chaos and exhaustion. Also Read:...
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Where does road dust settle in India’s efforts to clean its air?
Road dust mainly comprises PM₁₀ and coarse particles and forms a large share of the air we breathe. With the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) aiming for a 40% reduction in PM₁₀ by 2025-2026, reducing road dust is an urgent priority. This is reinforced by source apportionment studies across 17 non-attainment cities that have found...
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What are cookies (on the internet)?
When you visit a website, a small pop-up appears before you explore it fully, asking you to “Accept all” or “Deny.” These are internet cookies often explained in tiny bits of texts we don’t bother to read. In today’s digital world, where so much of our information exists online, it’s important to understand what happens...
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13 new amphibians recorded from northeast
In a major taxonomic revision of bush frogs, the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has recorded 13 new-to-science species of amphibians from the northeastern part of the country. These new species have been described in a study published in the latest issue of Vertebrate Zoology, an international journal. The authors of the study are Bitupan...
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The rational ape: study says chimpanzees reason through their beliefs
When, in 1960, the British primatologist Jane Goodall first observed chimpanzees at Gombe National Park in Tanzania using twigs to fish termites out of anthills, she was making scientific history. Researchers had until then believed only humans could use tools. Goodall’s discovery erased that line as well as raised important questions about what it means...
