NASA mission to study black holes
- Black holes can heat surrounding gases to more than a million degrees. The high-energy X-ray radiation from this gas can be polarised and vibrating in a particular direction.
- The mission named The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) with three space telescopes will measure the polarisation of Cosmic X-rays of surrounding gases.
- The mission set for launch in 2020. For the first time it allows astronomers to explore astronomical objects such as stellar and supermassive black holes, neutron stars and pulsars.
- This will allow scientists to find the causes for rise of black holes.
Leishmaniasis
- Historically the disease is known as “Aleppo boil”. Recently it becomes a problem among Syrian refugees.
- It is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania and is spread by the bite of the sandfly.
- The disease will result in skin ulcerations and then presents with fever, low red blood cells, and enlarged spleen and liver.
- It may occasionally spread to internal organs with fatal consequences.
New technique to detect jaundice
- Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and whites of the eyes due to high Bilirubin levels.
- Levels of Bilirubin in blood are normally below 1.0 mg/dL and levels over 2-3 mg/dL typically results in jaundice.
- Bilirubin is a yellow compound that occurs during the body's clearance of waste products that arise from the destruction of aged red blood cells.
- High Bilirubin levels may be due to excess red blood cell breakdown, new born jaundice, thyroid problems, liver diseases such as cirrhosis or hepatitis or blockage of the bile duct.
- IIT-Guwahati researchers devised a new technique that uses thumb imprint to detect Bilrubin levels and thereby diagnose Jaundice.
