Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have made a significant advancement in environmental science by developing a novel method to trace the origin and destination of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as "forever chemicals." Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic fields, the team has created a technique to track these persistent chemicals, which are notorious for their long-term environmental impact and health risks. The breakthrough allows for precise identification of PFAS through their unique carbon isotope fingerprints, addressing the challenges posed by their exceptionally strong molecular bonds. This advancement not only aids in tracking and regulating PFAS but also opens potential applications in fields such as counterfeit drug detection and astrobiology. The findings were detailed in a paper published in Environmental Science & Technology and represent a promising development in environmental monitoring and regulatory efforts.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the first flight test of the Long Range Glide Bomb (GAURAV) from the Indian Air Force's Su-30 MK-I platform. The test, carried out off the coast of Odisha, showcased the bomb's precision with pinpoint accuracy. GAURAV, a 1,000 kg class air-launched glide bomb, utilizes a hybrid navigation system combining INS and GPS data, and was indigenously developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad. The flight was meticulously monitored, and the successful test was praised by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V. Kamat.

Antibiotics, while essential in combating bacterial infections, pose a significant risk to the human microbiome when used irrationally. This article explores the crucial role of the microbiome in maintaining health, the potential consequences of antibiotic misuse—including antibiotic resistance and increased susceptibility to infections—and emphasizes the importance of judicious antibiotic use. It also highlights strategies such as promoting probiotic intake and ongoing research to mitigate these risks and protect the delicate balance of microorganisms in the body.

The Corbett Tiger Reserve has announced a new vaccination program for stray dogs within a 2 km radius of its boundaries. The initiative aims to combat the spread of diseases such as rabies, benefiting both local communities and wildlife. Veterinary teams and animal welfare organizations will carry out the vaccinations, with local residents encouraged to report stray dog sightings to aid the process. The program is designed to improve public health and protect the reserve's wildlife from potential disease outbreaks.

India is on the brink of commissioning its second nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arighat, enhancing its strategic deterrence capabilities. Built at the Ship-Building Centre in Vizag, INS Arighat is equipped with nuclear missiles and is expected to be formally commissioned within one to two months. Concurrently, India is advancing a project to build two nuclear-powered attack submarines with conventional weapons, currently awaiting final approval. The project, initially planned for six submarines, has been reduced to two, with the first expected to be completed in about a decade. This development comes as India seeks to strengthen its naval capabilities in response to China’s expanding submarine fleet. India’s current naval assets include one SSBN, 16 diesel-electric submarines, and a range of conventional submarines, while China boasts a significantly larger and more advanced fleet. The enhancements in India's nuclear and conventional submarines are vital for bolstering its defense posture and maintaining strategic credibility.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk's scheduled interview with former President Donald Trump on X was significantly disrupted due to a major DDOS attack. The attack, which overwhelmed the platform with excessive traffic, delayed the interview and might restrict the number of live listeners. Musk indicated that, in the worst case, the conversation might be available only to a limited live audience, with plans to post it online later. A DDOS attack, or Distributed Denial-of-Service attack, floods a server with traffic to disrupt its normal operations, utilizing compromised computer systems to generate the attack traffic.

A recent study by researchers at Imperial College London suggests that reducing daily exposure limits to silica dust from 0.1 mg/m³ to 0.05 mg/m³ could potentially save approximately 13,000 lives worldwide. The research, published in the British Medical Journal on August 8, 2024, highlights the severe health risks associated with current exposure standards, including the risk of developing silicosis, a serious lung disease. The study indicates that lowering exposure limits could reduce silicosis cases by 77% over a 40-year working lifetime. The findings also emphasize the urgent need for more data on silicosis, particularly in developing countries where safety measures are often lacking.

NASA has officially decommissioned the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), an orbiting telescope that has played a key role in mapping the sky in infrared light since its launch in December 2009. Despite its significant contributions, including the discovery of over 34,000 asteroids and comets, the decision to shut down WISE was driven by the telescope's aging technology and reduced functionality. This move marks the end of an era for infrared space observation as NASA shifts focus to newer, more advanced technologies.

The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) has issued a critical advisory to combat Koleroga disease affecting arecanut plantations. Koleroga, a fungal disease, poses a serious threat by damaging leaves and reducing yields. The advisory includes essential guidelines such as regular monitoring, use of resistant plant varieties, proper sanitation, and the application of fungicides. Farmers are encouraged to follow these recommendations to control the disease effectively, prevent its spread, and maintain the health of their plantations.

This weekend, skywatchers will enjoy the Perseid meteor shower, which will peak during the late night of Sunday, August 11, and into the early morning of Monday. With minimal moonlight and optimal viewing conditions, this meteor shower is one of the best annual celestial events. The Perseids, known for their bright, swift meteors and spectacular fireballs, will be visible from approximately 11 pm to early morning. The shower is caused by debris from Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle and offers a unique viewing experience, especially when observed from dark, remote locations away from city lights. For those who cannot watch in person, live streams are available online.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is on the cusp of finalizing the Pinaka-MK3, a state-of-the-art long-range rocket launcher that will extend India's strike capabilities to 300 kilometers. This advanced system, which boasts improved range, accuracy, and firepower, is a significant upgrade from its predecessors. As a critical component in modern warfare, the Pinaka-MK3 is set to enhance India's defense infrastructure and overall military deterrence. The system will undergo rigorous testing and validation before its anticipated deployment, providing the Indian armed forces with a powerful tool to safeguard national security.

A groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications has settled the debate surrounding the origins of Homo floresiensis, a small archaic human species from Flores, Indonesia. Researchers from Japan, Indonesia, and Australia analyzed 700,000-year-old fossil remains, including a miniature human arm and dental fossils, revealing that early hominins were even smaller than previously estimated. These findings, based on fossils from the Mata Menge site, provide new insights into the evolution and body size of Homo floresiensis, which was previously identified in Liang Bua caves. The study suggests that the small stature evolved over 300,000 years from Homo erectus and highlights the complexities in understanding the lineage and development of this unique species.

A new plant-based supplement, 'NBRI-Gout Out,' developed by CSIR-NBRI, offers a promising natural treatment for gouty arthritic conditions. Aimed at improving the lifestyle of aged and compromised patients, this supplement restores locomotion and alleviates symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness. The herbal product, funded under the Department of Science and Technology's SEED Division, combines five medicinal plants and has shown significant efficacy in reducing uric acid levels and inflammatory mediators in clinical tests. It is water-soluble, cost-effective, and has attracted commercial interest from two companies. The supplement can be used as an adjuvant therapy alongside existing treatments for gout.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore has developed a cutting-edge footwear technology for armed forces personnel. These shoes, equipped with Tribo-Electric Nanogenerator (TENG) technology, generate electricity with every step, which is stored and can power small electronic devices. Additionally, the shoes feature Global Positioning System (GPS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies for real-time location tracking. The first batch of 10 pairs has been delivered to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This innovation, guided by Professor I A Palani and endorsed by IIT Indore Director Professor Suhas Joshi, aims to enhance safety, coordination, and efficiency for military personnel and has potential applications in various civilian sectors, including monitoring seniors, schoolchildren, climbers, and athletes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has convened an emergency meeting to evaluate the recent surge in monkeypox (Mpox) cases in Congo and neighboring countries. The meeting will determine if the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that an independent committee will assess the situation. The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported over 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, with a significant impact on children. Mpox has spread to 10 African nations this year, with over 96% of cases in Congo. The virus, previously declared a global emergency in 2022, is showing a 160% increase in cases this year, primarily affecting youths. Key symptoms include fever, chills, respiratory problems, swollen lymph nodes, and muscle pain.

Astronomers are intently observing Eta Carinae, a hypergiant star approximately 100 times the mass of the Sun, located 7,500 light-years away in the Carina Nebula. Known for its immense size and luminosity, Eta Carinae is a prime candidate for a future supernova. This star's volatile history includes a significant outburst 170 years ago, known as the Great Eruption, which created the distinctive Homunculus Nebula. Despite its past eruptions and current instability, predicting the exact timing of its potential supernova remains challenging. Eta Carinae's unique features, such as emitting natural laser light, and recent Hubble Space Telescope images highlighting its surrounding nebula, add to its enigmatic nature. The anticipated explosion promises to be one of the most significant astronomical events in recent history, offering valuable insights into the life cycles of massive stars.

Astronomers have discovered ten unique neutron stars, or pulsars, in the globular cluster Terzan 5, located 18,000 light-years from Earth. These pulsars are noted for their rapid spinning and peculiar behaviors, including "spider pulsars" that destroy nearby stars with high-energy radiation and a speed demon neutron star that consumes its companion stars. The findings, made using the Green Bank and MeerKAT Telescopes, reveal a diverse range of pulsars within one of the Milky Way's most densely packed star clusters. The research offers new insights into pulsar evolution and opens the door for further studies and public involvement through citizen science projects.

Researchers from Singapore General Hospital (SGH), A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), and NUS Medicine have discovered a new clade of Candida auris, increasing the total number of known clades to six. C. auris is a highly transmissible fungus that poses significant public health risks, particularly to patients with severe medical conditions and invasive devices. The new clade was detected in 2023 in a patient who had not traveled abroad, leading to further investigation and confirmation using machine-learning techniques. This discovery, published in The Lancet Microbe, highlights the need for improved surveillance and early detection methods to manage emerging public health threats.

The central government has unveiled the recipients of the first-ever Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) 2024, with the award ceremony scheduled for August 23 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre. This event will coincide with the inaugural National Space Day, celebrating the Chandrayaan-3 mission's successful moon landing. The awards include four categories: Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva, and Vigyan Team. Notably, biochemist Govindarajan Padmanabhan will receive the Vigyan Ratna Puraskar for lifetime achievements, while the ISRO-Chandrayan 3 Team will be honored with the Vigyan Team Award. The Vigyan Yuva Award will recognize young scientists across various fields, and the Vigyan Shri Award will honor a diverse group of contributors. The RVP awards aim to acknowledge exceptional work in science and technology, without any cash rewards, and are not conferred posthumously except in highly deserving cases.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch the Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-8) on August 15. The satellite will be deployed using the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. EOS-8, built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, aims to advance satellite technology with its three payloads: Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR) for capturing images in MIR and LWIR bands, Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) for remote sensing applications, and SiC UV Dosimeter for monitoring UV irradiance and gamma radiation. The mission, which has a planned lifespan of one year, introduces significant advancements in satellite mainframe systems with the Communication, Baseband, Storage, and Positioning (CBSP) Package.

A recent study has revealed that sucralose, a popular non-nutritive sweetener, can be a beneficial tool for managing blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Sucralose is much sweeter than sugar but contains negligible calories, making it an attractive option for reducing sugar intake without sacrificing taste. The research found that sucralose does not significantly impact blood glucose levels when used properly, supporting better glycemic control and overall diabetes management. Experts recommend including sucralose in a balanced diet while consulting healthcare professionals for personalized advice on sweetener intake.

Bluetongue disease, a viral infection transmitted by biting midges, has been detected across all Dutch provinces. This disease primarily impacts ruminants such as sheep, cattle, and goats. Key symptoms include fever and swelling of the mouth and nose. The Dutch authorities are responding with measures such as vaccination and vector control to manage and contain the outbreak. The widespread nature of the disease poses significant concerns for livestock health and the agricultural sector.

The Union Health Ministry has introduced Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aimed at optimizing the transport of human organs through air, road, railways, and waterways. These SOPs provide a comprehensive framework for improving the efficiency and safety of organ retrieval and transplantation. Key measures include priority procedures for air transport, creation of green corridors for ambulances, and special protocols for metro transit. The guidelines ensure adherence to best practices, enhance coordination between agencies, and address the critical nature of live organ transport. The SOPs were developed with input from NITI Aayog and transplant professionals, underscoring the importance of streamlined processes in saving lives.

A recent study by the Advertising Standards Council of India and Parallel HQ has uncovered that deceptive design tactics, known as dark patterns, are prevalent in 52 of the 53 mobile applications surveyed. These tactics, including misleading buttons, hidden pricing, and fake urgency, manipulate users into making unintended decisions, such as signing up for costly subscriptions or purchasing additional items without clear disclosure. Coined by user experience designer Harry Brignull in 2010, dark patterns are designed to exploit user behavior for the benefit of app designers and advertisers. The study underscores the need for greater transparency and regulatory measures to protect consumers from these exploitative practices.