Study shows how paper wasps use the space in their nests to feed their larvae and fend off diseases.

Among the various types of cancer, Urothelial Bladder Cancer (UBC) is responsible for around 2 lakh deaths per year around the world. This cancer affects the inner lining of the bladder and is the most common form of bladder cancer. It usually affects aged individuals, with blood in urine and painful urination as the first sign of its manifestation. Conventional methods of treatment involve surgical removal of cancerous tissue in the bladder and chemotherapy.

In a new study, researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, and the Pennsylvania State University and Colorado State University in the USA, have studied how flies land on ceilings. The researchers have also explored how the fly’s brain integrates visual and balance-related inputs from the surroundings to generate appropriate movement in the wings and legs to achieve a perfect landing.

The use of vaccination for preventing diseases has had the most profound effect on human health and quality of life. Despite this, anti-vaccination movements are gaining popularity in recent years, especially in high income countries with historically near universal vaccine coverage, like the USA. Consequently, cases of diseases like measles have seen a 30% rise globally. Vaccine hesitancy has been declared one of the top ten threats to global health by the WHO in 2019. In times like these, what if science showed some added benefits of vaccination besides the obvious? A recent set of studies by a team of international researchers, led by those at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP), Washington DC and New Delhi, have shown that vaccines can have other unintentional positive effects.