Captivity and confinement has had devastating effects on humans and the same can be true in the case of wild animals, especially the big cats. In this new study, scientists observe the hormones produced by captive big cats, like the Bengal Tiger or Leopard, to measure the amount of stress they endure during captivity. The study also throws light on stereotypy -  a coping mechanism developed by captive animals, and its relation to the amount of stress they experience. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one third of the world’s population is  infected with Tuberculosis (TB) . India accounts for the quarter of the world’s burden of TB and has the highest number of multidrug resistant TB  cases worldwide. While multidrug resistant TB poses a major challenge for healthcare providers worldwide, many steps have been taken to treat this form of disease and control its spread.

Red blood cells (RBC) are the primary carriers of oxygen in all the vertebrates They pick up oxygen from the lungs, flow through the circulatory system and deliver the oxygen to the different cells and tissues. White blood cells (WBC), on the other hand, are the bodies primary defense system. Produced in the bone marrow, WBC helps the body fight invaders, like virus and bacteria.

The warming climate has made the world panic. Although some countries are still skeptical, most scientists agree about the inevitable rise in the temperature of the planet by the year 2030. Several countries have already started a shift towards renewable sources, like solar and with the Paris agreement, the world joined this movement.

India today faces several challenges, an air pollution is one of the important one’s to overcome. Four Indian cities often features on world’s top 10 most polluted cities. And lack of data has prevented us from understanding effects of the pollution and take measures to tackle them. A new study now shows that one’s daily routine can be a good indicator for the level of pollution one might face.  It has already shown us that people travelling in cars and CNG buses face a lot less pollution and could help us find a lot more solutions to our pollution woes. 

Plant based derivatives that cure cancer are a plenty with scientists discover more of them with time. One on the list from a long time is Resveratrol, a compound found in grapes, peanuts and berries. But how does this compound fight with cancerous cells? A new study has now thrown some light on the exact mechanism of how derivatives from resveratrol acts on cancerous cells and kills them, in the process, letting the other healthier cells remain unharmed. This discover, the researchers claim, can help scientists in developing more efficient drugs that can fight cancer, a deadly disease. 

Cancer remains one of the most terrifying disease to face, despite decades of research and billions of dollars spent. They are a group of diseases that begins with abnormal cell growth, which then spreads to other parts of the body, causing huge damage to the tissues and cells. Once a patient has been diagnosed with cancer, doctors can only try and remove the spreading tumors or control their growth. Even if the tumors have been successfully removed, they are likely to return, making a visit to the doctors a regular affair.

Mosquito borne diseases like malaria and dengue are still rampant and have posed a great challenge to mankind. We have lost several lives in our war against mosquitoes, and scramble new ways to fight them. Now, researchers are working to genetically engineer the genes of mosquitoes using the technique of RNA interference, where an RNA is artificially inserted to disturb the normal functions of mosquito cells, thereby killing them in the process. This process, they claim, is environmentally friendly and most effective compared to existing strategies.

The fossil fuel crisis arising due to our increased use of oil leading to diminishing oil reserves, is giving rise to an increase in renewable energy generation. While solar and wind are preferred to produce electricity, biodiesel is preferred as a replacement to petrol and diesel. Biodiesels are produced from plant or animal matter, like vegetable oil, animal fat or even waste cooking oil. Although biodiesels still produce exhaust gases, they are much cleaner and safer compared to the toxic fumes coming out of fossil fuel powered engines.