New Delhi: The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) aboard the Aditya-L1 spacecraft has achieved a significant milestone by capturing the first-ever full-disk images of the Sun in the 200-400 nm wavelength range.
The images were shared on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) website on 8 November, with the Indian space agency explaining their significance.
Activated on 20 November, and producing its first light science images on 6 December, SUIT utilised eleven filters to show new details of the photosphere, or the deepest visible surface of the Sun, and chromosphere — the second layer located above the photosphere.
This imagery includes features like sunspots, which are dark spots on the sun where the magnetic field is strong, offering scientists valuable insights.
The collaborative effort, led by the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, involves ISRO and several other institutions, promising an understanding of the Sun’s dynamics and its impact on Earth’s climate.
ISRO’s first solar mission, the Aditya-L1 satellite was successfully launched into space this September. Read more.
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What brains do when we daydream
A study led by Harvard Medical School researchers explores brain function during daydreaming by tracking the activity of neurons in the visual cortex of mice.
Published in Nature Journal this week, the study reveals that, during quiet waking states, mouse neurons occasionally fired in patterns similar to those of actual images seen in the past, indicating daydreaming. The researchers found that the initial daydreams predicted how the brain’s response to the images would evolve, suggesting a potential role of daydreams in shaping future responses.
Interestingly, daydreams were found to be more frequently about recent experiences and occurred predominantly when the mice were relaxed.
The study hinted at a potential link between daydreams and brain plasticity, or the brain’s ability to remodel itself in response to new experiences. It could also lead to improved learning and memory, according to the study.
The researchers said, however, that further study was needed to confirm this possibility. Read more.
Our tongues are ‘as unique’ as our fingerprints
A new study by researchers from the University of Edinburgh and University of Leeds has developed an artificial intelligence framework to analyse the 3D microscopic scans of human papillae i.e. the minuscule bumps that cover our tongue and help us taste, swallow and talk.
Published in the Scientific Reports journal on 14 December, Rayna Andreeva, Anwesha Sarkar, and Rik Sarkar’s paper sheds light on the unique geometric features of these taste-related structures. While the papillae’s taste-related functions are well-explored, their uniqueness has remained a mystery.
The study used over 2,000 different scans of individual papillae from 15 peoples’ tongues and analysed it to reveal finer differences in papillae shapes. Interpretable machine learning techniques identified persistent homology features as key predictors of biological variables.
The research suggests that tongue papillae can serve as a distinctive identifier of individuals, with researchers able to identify an individual with an accuracy of 48 percent among the 15 participants from a single papillae.
The research opens new avenues in understanding food preferences and oral diagnostics. Read more.
Flu patients may experience long flu, similar to long Covid
New research from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed individuals hospitalised with seasonal influenza may experience long-term health effects, similar to the complications associated with long Covid.
The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal on Thursday, compared the impact of Covid-19 and the flu, and highlighted increased risks of death, hospital readmission, and health problems across various organ systems for both viruses.
Notably, the risks were higher 30 days or more after the initial infection, challenging the assumption that individuals get over these illnesses after hospitalisation.
The study’s findings focus on the substantial toll on health following hospitalisation for either Covid-19 or seasonal influenza, underlining the importance of ongoing efforts to reduce hospitalisation risks through vaccination. Read more.
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