Snehal Fernandes

Drugs can slow down dementia, says research on fruit flies

Researchers said while some drugs are given to patients to alleviate the symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders, there is little understanding of how they work on the brain

A year after KAPS-1 heavy water leak, corrosion spots found: AERB

The inspection team found similar corrosion spots on the outer surface of the channels removed from KAPS-2, after a minor leak last year

Maharashtra most vulnerable to hailstorms: IMD

Issuing timely warnings and Agromet advisories before and after hailstorms will help farmers to protect the crop and minimise loss

International scientists can access Astrosat data after 6 months

Texting while driving? You will take twice the time to react to a mishap

A study by the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IITB) found that the response time of Indian drivers distracted by mobile phones – when put on a driving simulator – varied based on the task vis-à-vis the situation they encountered

Mumbai start-up uses solar energy to preserve seasonal produce, tackle undernourishment

The team plans to write to the state women and child welfare and tribal departments with the proposal to introduce solar conduction dryers in villages

Pollutants blocking sunlight, affecting visibility in cities like Mumbai, Delhi

A two-member team from the Centre for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science (CAPSS), Bose Institute, Kolkata, found very high Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), which signifies very high atmospheric aerosol loading – suspension of solid and liquid particles in the air – between 2004 and 2015 in 29 Indian cities.

E-waste concentration in Indian soil is twice the global average, claims study

These persistent organic pollutants (POP) stay in the environment for longer periods, get dispersed over long distances, and accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans, land and marine animals.

Decoded: Why people fled Jaisalmer’s ghost villages 200 years ago

New studies suggest that the villages could have been destroyed in an earthquake 200 years ago

Erratic rains, urbanisation make summers hotter in Delhi, Mumbai and 23 cities

Erratic monsoon rain and rapid urbanisation are making the Indian summer hotter and more humid, especially in Mumbai, Delhi and another 23 cities that have a combined population of 116 million people.

In Mumbai: 35.3% premature deaths were results of stroke because of air pollution

Most premature deaths in Mumbai and Delhi over two decades were caused by stroke (a medical condition that occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off), due to inhalation of ultrafine suspended particles, revealed a study by the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IITB).

‘Mumbai-Delhi spent Rs49,0559 crores to treat diseases due to poor air in 2015’

Deaths due to air pollution in Mumbai and Delhi have doubled over the last 25 years, and together with chronic bronchitis, it accounts for 95% of premature deaths in two of India’s biggest cities, found a study by the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IITB)

Speech difficulties? IIT-Bombay app helps you communicate

The app, called Jellow Communicator, can be used by children with cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome and brain injury, and adults who have lost their speech to a stroke.

Mumbai region has a quarter of India’s bird species: new pocket guide

‘Birds of the Mumbai region’, a pocket guide, by naturalist Sunjoy Monga, has documented more than 350 species – that’s nearly a quarter of the Indian avifauna – flying over 4,300 sq km of MMR, as well as Sahyadri hills (Western Ghats), including Bhimashankar, Mahabaleshwar, Malshej.

Mumbai fares better than Thane, Panvel and Navi Mumbai in air pollution survey

Suspended particulate matter in air in most parts of the state were almost two times the safe limits in 2015, revealed an assessment of air pollution in Indian cities by not-for-profit Greenpeace India on Wednesday.

Rotten tomatoes? A Mumbai start-up will now keep them fresh for over a month

A Mumbai-based startup has developed a packing technology to store tomatoes, that will increase the life of the perishable vegetable.

Urban green cover helps reduce heat, says IIT-B study

The five-member team said the study findings point to increasing public health facilities in non-urban regions to combat health hazards from heat waves

IIT-B microsatellite Pratham sends signal after two months

Beacon signal is the signature of the satellite, which on decoding tells it’s ‘Pratham, student satellite of IIT-Bombay’; it also means that the satellite is live, stable and operational...

Not just black holes, neutron stars too generate gravitational waves: TIFR-MIT study

Ten months after the discovery of gravitational waves created by the merger of two black holes, scientists from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have identified another celestial object that could be generating gravitational waves

World Energy Conservation Day: Save on your power bills, save the planet

You can go green by using appliances and gadgets that are energy-efficient; this helps bring down not only carbon emissions, but also your electricity bills

At 15.7°C, Saturday was the coldest day this winter: IMD

City to stay cool over next two to three days

Earlier draft had banned construction within 1km from SGNP

While the draft notification allowed no new constructions within 1km of the park’s boundary, and made no mention of the Metro III car shed, the final notification has done away with the restrictions.

Maharashtra govt to treat waste of 4 civic bodies along Ulhas river

Currently, the river is heavily polluted with untreated domestic and industrial effluents

Centre marks buffer zone around Sanjay Gandhi National Park, allows construction work

The Union environment ministry on December 5 issued a notification, demarcating an area upto a radius of 4km around Sanjay Gandhi National Park, (SGNP) Borivli, as a buffer zone, where construction work as per law could be carried out. It has declared the area an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ)

Eureka! 4 scientists from Tata institute discover new superconductor

In a first, a four-member team of scientists from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Navy Nagar, has discovered superconductivity in Bismuth — the 83rd element in the periodic table. Superconductors are materials that have no resistance to the flow of electricity.

Air in Mumbai continues to be poor

Of 10 locations, Andheri, BKC, Malad and Navi Mumbai, recorded ‘very poor’ air. Places at Chembur, Borivli, Worli, and Colaba witnessed ‘poor’ air quality levels. Only two locations – Bhandup and Mazagaon – recorded ‘moderate’ air quality.

The air we breathe: Mumbai’s toxic road junctions can stop traffic, your heart

A study led by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) at 33 traffic junctions across the city found the average concentration of PM10 (particulate matter of less than 10 microns in diameter) to be maximum at Dindoshi at 2,709 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) — that is 27 times the permissible limit of 100ug/m3

Urbanising areas are likely to witness extreme rainfall: Study by IIT Bombay

Using a data-driven technique, a five-member team found a link between the extent of urbanisation and changing characteristics of rainfall extremes.

India now CERN associate member, to have a say in European experiments

With the exception of not being able to vote, India as an associate member state will sit on the CERN council and have a stronger voice in scientific and finance meetings.

Phase out mercury from hospitals, green body tells state

Long-term exposure to the toxic metal affects the nervous system, brains, lungs and kidneys