Astronomers discover repeating FRB as they comb through Arecibo data from 2015

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) belong to the list of the least-understood events in astronomy. With the help of Arecibo Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico, researchers have witnessed an FRB emitting repeat bursts. It is for the first time that such an event has been witnessed by astronomers.

The discovery of the repeating FRB has been made when the researchers examined last year’s Arecibo data, when the largest radio telescope in the world surveyed the 17 known locations for fast radio bursts.

Analysis suggested that at least one of the targets, codenamed as FRB 121102, was sending out a repeating signal. The latest FRB on record was reported only a week before the newly announced phenomenon was shared by astronomers.

Tarantula venom could soon be used to ease pain

A component of tarantula venom, called ProTx-II, could one day be used to relieve your headache, back pain or any other body ache and replace the commonly used drug aspirin. The aim behind the research is to find an alternative to ineffective painkillers and opioids such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin that can lead to extreme drowsiness and be highly addictive.

Scientists say this peptide toxin identified by them could prove to be an ideal painkiller due to its high potency. Peptides are chains of amino acids, but the molecules are smaller. ProTx-II, researchers say, selectively counters pain receptors in the brain.

Plastic Surgery registers further growth in 2015 in United States

Plastic surgeries performed to improve buttock shape, butt implants and butt lifts are gaining popularity among Americans. The recent data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) revealed that according to the figures of 2015, males are no more under the cover to get plastic surgeries performed, resulting in men accounting for over 40% of the total breast reduction surgeries.

The top five surgical procedures performed during 2015 were breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and tummy tuck.

Mumps is Spreading across Many University Campuses

Two Harvard students have been confirmed to have mumps virus. Mumps is a viral disease that spreads from an already infected person to others in a number of ways. The illness causes swelling of the parotid or salivary glands along the face, neck and jaw. Most of the Americans are vaccinated against mumps during childhood. Two doses are enough for protection. However, it is believed that vaccinated people could also contract the disease.

The general characteristics indicating onset of the illness are swelling around the neck and jaw, include fever, malaise (tiredness), muscle aches and headache, while 25% of mump infected people have no or fewer symptoms.

March Is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, during which, people are made aware that early detection offers better chances in dealing with cancer. However, only less than half of people aged 50 and older get tested for colon cancer. Colorectal cancer is second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. If detected early, the problem can be prevented and survival chances are high.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), colon cancer has a 90% cure rate when detected early. CT Colonography (CTC) or ‘virtual colonoscopy’ is used to screen for the disease. It is a high-tech, low-dose X-rays to produce moving images of the colon. The images are analyzed by doctors to detect colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps. This is also increasing the colorectal screening rates.

Any skill could be learned in seconds with A Stimulator

A California-based team was inspiration behind devising a way that could help in uploading large amount of information in human brain, and that too in a matter of seconds. The team was first to record the electric brain signals of a trained pilot. With such a development, humans could learn any skill in a very short time span.

The researchers at HRL Laboratories believe that they have designed a simulator that could transfer information to human brain at great speed. The stimulator is in the form of a cap that stimulates certain parts of brain to emulate brain activity of pilot. Then these caps were tested by being issued to people to learn flying with a flight simulator.

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