UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE) is an imaging atmospheric Cerenkov telescope (IACT) located near Hanle, Ladakh, India. It is the highest (in altitude) and second largest Cerenkov telescope in the world. It was built by Electronics Corporation of India, Hyderabad, for the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and was assembled at the campus of Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle. It was originally scheduled to become operational by 2016, but plans were pushed back to begin operations in 2020. It will be remotely operated and will run on solar power. The telescope is the second-largest gamma ray telescope in the world and will help the scientific community enhance its understanding in the fields of astrophysics, fundamental physics, and particle acceleration mechanisms. The largest telescope of the same class is the 28-metre-diameter High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) telescope being operated in Namibia. Wikipedia , PIB

Red Panda Conservation Breeding and Augmentation Programme of Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling has been shortlisted as one of the top three finalists by World Association of Zoos and Aquariums for the 2024 WAZA Conservation & Environmental Sustainability Awards. Winner will be announced at 79 th  WAZA Annual Conference at Tarongo Zoo, Sydney, Australia on 7 th  Nov 2024. Between 2022 and 2024, nine captive-bred red pandas (seven females and two males) were released into Singalila National Park (SNP) in West Bengal. Of the seven released females, three gave birth to five cubs in wild. PNHZP, in collaboration with the Wildlife Wing of the Government of West Bengal, has undertaken several habitat restoration initiatives in Singalila National Park and Darjeeling division. PNHZP is taking several in-house and collaborative research works related to Red Panda with institutions like CCMB, IISER and WII. PNHZP’s conservation efforts are further strengthened by its Bioban

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age. These forces and systems include a wide set of forces and systems that shape daily life such as economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies, and political systems. CDC has adopted this definition from the World Health Organization. Social determinants of health (SDOH) have a major impact on people’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Examples of SDOH include: Safe housing, transportation, and neighborhoods Racism, discrimination, and violence Education, job opportunities, and income Access to nutritious foods and physical activity opportunities Polluted air and water Language and literacy skills SDOH also contribute to wide health disparities and inequities. For example, people who don't have access to grocery stores with healthy foods are less likely to have good nutr

Polaris Dawn  was a  private crewed spaceflight  operated by  SpaceX  on behalf of  Shift4  CEO  Jared Isaacman , the first of three planned missions in the  Polaris program . Launched 10 September 2024 as the 14th crewed orbital flight of a  Crew Dragon  spacecraft, Isaacman and his crew of three —  Scott Poteet ,  Sarah Gillis  and  Anna Menon  — flew in an  elliptic orbit  that took them 1,400 kilometers (870 mi) away from Earth, the farthest anyone has been since NASA's  Apollo program . They passed through parts of the  Van Allen radiation belt  to study the  health effects of space radiation  and spaceflight on the human body. Later in the mission, the crew performed the first commercial  spacewalk . Outer Space Treaty: The  Outer Space Treaty , formally the  Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies , is a  multilateral   treaty  that forms the basis of international  space

The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles. It ALWAYS exists near the poles, but weakens in summer and strengthens in winter. The term "vortex" refers to the counter-clockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the Poles. Many times during winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, sending cold air southward with the jet stream (see graphic above). This occurs fairly regularly during wintertime and is often associated with large outbreaks of Arctic air in the United States. The one that occurred January 2014 is similar to many other cold outbreaks that have occurred in the past, including several notable colder outbreaks in 1977, 1982, 1985 and 1989. There are several things the polar vortex is NOT. Polar vortexes are not something new. The term “polar vortex” has only recently been popularized, bringing attention to a weather feature that has always been present. It is also not a feat

World Elephant Day is an international annual event on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world's elephants. Conceived in 2011 by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures, and Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary-General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand, it was officially founded, supported and launched by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12, 2012. Since that time, Patricia Sims continues to lead, support and direct World Elephant Day, which is now recognized and celebrated by over 100 wildlife organizations and many individuals in countries across the globe. Wiipedia ,  <<<  Elephants, Project Elephant and Elephant Corridors in India

The United States Senate passed a bill that officially recognizes bald eagle as America's national bird. It was recognized after 200 years since it became the symbol of the country. The American Bald Eagle: The bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since 1782, when it was placed with outspread wings on the Great Seal of our country. It appears in many government institutions and on official documents, making it the most pictured bird in all of America. The eagle appears on the president’s flag, the mace of the House of Representatives, military insignia, and billions of one-dollar bills.  The bald eagle first appeared as an American symbol on a Massachusetts copper cent coined in 1776. Since then it has appeared on the reverse side of many U.S. coins, notably the silver dollar, halfdollar and quarter, as well as the gold coins which were christened the eagle, half eagle, quarter eagle, and double eagle.  For six years, the members of Congress held a bitter disp

Recently, a team of astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India made a groundbreaking discovery of a vampire star in M67, that sheds light on a complex rejuvenation process, known as mass-transfer in a binary system. Vampire stars, known to astronomers as blue straggler stars (BSS), are identified easily in star clusters. These stars defy simple models of stellar evolution and show many characteristics of younger stars.  The team made use of the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) onboard AstroSat, India's first multi-wavelength satellite launched in 2015, for their study. Using the UVIT on AstroSat, the scientists took images of the vampire star and estimated its UV brightness.  These heavy elements are rare and are found in a class of stars called ‘asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars’, where abundant neutrons for a slowly occuring neutron capture process (s-process) are a

EOS-08 is ISRO’s latest Earth Observation Satellite, slated for launch by the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3. The primary objectives of the EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites. Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 carries three payloads: Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and SiC UV Dosimeter. The EOIR payload is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands, both during the day and night, for applications such as satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring. The GNSS-R payload demonstrates the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensing for applications such a

  What is it?   Directed energy weapons (DEW) use concentrated electromagnetic energy to combat enemy forces and assets. These weapons include high energy lasers and other high power electromagnetics—such as millimeter wave and high power microwave weapons. Unlike weapons that fire bullets or missiles, DEWs can respond to a threat in different ways. For example, they can temporarily degrade electronics on a drone or physically destroy it. See our 2022   Spotlight   for more information on counter-drone technology. How does it work?   Each type of DEW uses a different region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum describes all of the kinds of light—including those the human eye cannot see—and classifies them according to wavelength. Different types of electromagnetic energy have different properties. For example, the wavelength affects what the directed energy can penetrate—such as metal or human skin. All DEWs emit energy at the speed of light, and are often discussed in terms

A team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International Space Station and back for the first time using optical, or laser, communications. The feat was part of a series of tests on new technology that could provide live video coverage of astronauts on the Moon during the   Artemis missions. Historically, NASA has relied on radio waves to send information to and from space. Laser communications use infrared light to transmit 10 to 100 times more data faster than radio frequency systems. NASA News

Relevance: " India's Fully Robotic Telescope In Ladakh Captures Building-Sized Asteroid's Closest Approach To Earth" - NDTV GROWTH-India is India's first fully robotic optical research telescope. This was constructed as a joint partnership between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, with support from DST-SERB and IUSSTF. It is a part of   international  GROWTH network : a Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen. The telescope is located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory site at Hanle, Ladakh. It was . Situated at 4500 meters above mean sea level and is the one of the highest observatory sites in the world. Same site also hosts The Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT), the gamma-ray array telescope (HAGAR), and the imaging Cherenkov telescope (MACE).  Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH) is a 5 year project funded by the National Science Foundation. Partner institutions

  The   NOνA   ( NuMI   Off-Axis ν e   Appearance) experiment is a   particle physics   experiment designed to detect   neutrinos   in   Fermilab 's   NuMI   (Neutrinos at the Main Injector)   beam . Intended to be the successor to   MINOS , NOνA consists of two detectors, one at Fermilab (the   near detector ), and one in northern Minnesota (the   far detector ). Neutrinos from   NuMI   pass through 810 km of Earth to reach the far detector. NOνA's main goal is to observe the   oscillation   of muon neutrinos to electron neutrinos. The primary physics goals of NOvA are: [1] Precise measurement, for neutrinos and antineutrinos, of the  mixing angle  θ 23 , especially whether it is larger than, smaller than, or equal to 45° Precise measurement, for neutrinos and antineutrinos, of the associated mass splitting Δm 2 32 Strong constraints on the  CP-violating  phase δ Strong constraints on the neutrino mass hierarchy Wikipedia ,  About The NOνA (NuMI Off-Axis νe Appearance) experim

In one of the significant discovery, It was found that  deep-sea minerals produce oxygen ( Dark Oxygen ) in absence of sun light. It was long standing assumption that  plants and algae  are the only  sources of Earth's oxygen. It is known that they produce oxygen by the process of photosynthesis in the presence of Sun light. Contrary to this assumption,  A study by  team of researchers, including a  Northwestern University  chemist,  reveals that deep-sea minerals produce oxygen in absence of Sun light. It was discovered that at a depth of 4 kilometers below the surface of Pacific Ocean, where no Sun Light can reach,  small mineral deposits called  polymetallic nodules are found releasing Oxygen.  It was discovered in  Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), an abyssal plain stretching between Hawaii and Mexico. It was discovered that these polymetallic nodules are electrically charged as high as that of 1.5 V. It was presumed that this voltage could splitting up H2O molecule to produce Oxy

Working Principle: A Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) consists of following components: 1. RF transmitter: It generate high power microwave radiation in pulses. 2. Antenna: It sends the signal out to space and to receive scattered energy (echoes) from targets around 3. servo system to move the antenna in a planned schedule scan,  4. Receiver to detect and process the received echo signals and a  5. Display unit to graphically present the signal in user understandable form.  Magnetrons, klystrons and travelling wave tubes still continue to be the main RF oscillators of most radar transmitters. Major advantages of Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) include:  Wind speed measurement during rainfall and thunderstorms which was not possible in conventional weather radar. Thus, the DWR helps to provide improved warnings.  Better estimation of rainfall with detection of heavy rainfall events and generation of warnings.  Additional inputs to numerical weather prediction models for generating improved weath

Relevance: " Take steps to remove US ban on Indian wild caught shrimps, Indian fishing community urges govt " - The Hindu businessline USA imposed this ban because of absence of  Turtle Excluder Devices in Indian fishing boats during inspection. Turtle excluder devices, commonly called TEDs, promote sea turtle conservation by addressing interactions between sea turtles and trawl fishing gear. These devices are made of metal bars and mesh that fit inside the neck of a trawl net. While shrimp pass between the bars to the back of the net, turtles and other larger animals bump against the metal grid and escape through a flap in the mesh. The modern TED is a simple grid made of metal bars that is fit into a trawl net. Small animals, such as shrimp, pass through the grid into the mesh bag at the end of the trawl and are caught. When larger animals like sea turtles enter the trawl net, they are redirected by the TED and are able to exit through an opening either at the top or bottom

Chandipura vesiculovirus   ( CHPV ) is a member of the   Rhabdoviridae   family that is associated with an   encephalitic   illness,   Chandipura encephalitis   or   Chandipura viral encephalitis , in humans. It was first identified in 1965 after isolation from the blood of two patients from   Chandipura   village in   Maharashtra   state,   India   and has been associated with a number of otherwise unexplained outbreaks of encephalitic illness in central India. In June–August 2003, 329 children affected and 183 died in   Andhra Pradesh   and   Maharashtra   states of India.   Further   sporadic cases   and deaths in children were observed in   Gujarat   state in 2004. [4] Chandipura vesiculovirus has been isolated from sandflies in India and West Africa and is probably spread through its bite. The presence of the virus in Africa indicates a wide distribution although no human cases have been observed outside India. It was first identified in 1965 during an outbreak of encephalitis in

Researchers have used  standard optical fiber for establishing this record. Previously, in  March 2024, they managed to send data at 301 terabits per second. SciTechDaily

 On  November 08, 2023,  the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved   Zepbound   (tirzepatide) injection for chronic weight management in adults with obesity (body mass index of 30 kilograms per square meter (kg/ m2) or greater) or overweight (body mass index of 27 kg/m2 or greater) with at least one weight-related condition (such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol) for use, in addition to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, is already approved under the trade name Mounjaro to be used along with diet and exercise to help improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Zepbound activates receptors of hormones secreted from the intestine (glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)) to reduce appetite and food intake. Zepbound is administered by injection under the skin once weekly, and the dosage must be increased over four to

The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified the first hepatitis C virus (HCV) self-test which can provide a critical support in expanding access to testing and diagnosis, accelerating global efforts to eliminate hepatitis C. The product, called OraQuick HCV self-test, manufactured by OraSure Technologies, is an extension of the pre-qualified, OraQuick® HCV Rapid Antibody Test which was initially prequalified by WHO in 2017 for  professional use . The self-test version, specifically designed for use by lay users, provides individuals with a single kit containing the components that are needed to perform the self-test. WHO News