In a breakthrough, Johnson & Johnson has developed an experimental pill that has shown promising results in a small human challenge trial against dengue fever. The drug is the first ever to show antiviral activity against dengue that has no specific treatments currently. The trial, conducted in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, US, involved 10 volunteers who were administered a high dose of the pill five days before being injected with a type of dengue. They continued taking the pill for 21 days afterwards. Remarkably, six of these participants show
In a groundbreaking medical achievement, Asia witnessed its first bloodless heart transplant, successfully executed in Ahmedabad. This landmark procedure has set a new precedent in the field of cardiac surgery, highlighting the city's and the country's prowess in innovative medical practices. The operation was meticulously planned and carried out by a team of seasoned cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, and support staff. The patient, a Jehovah's Witness, adhered to a faith that prohibits blood transfusion. Respecting these religious beliefs, the medical team employed advanced surgical te
Jeff Bezos’ aviation company Blue Origin has unveiled Blue Ring, a spacecraft platform focused on providing in-space logistics and delivery. Blue Ring is part of a newly-formed Blue Origin business unit called In-Space Systems. It provides end-to-end services that span hosting, transportation, refueling, data relay, and logistics, including an “in-space” cloud computing capability, for missions in medium Earth orbit out to the cislunar region and beyond. The platform can host payloads of more than 3,000 kg, and provides unprecedented delta-V capabilities and mission flexibility, t
Dubai Police plans to deploy fully electric, self-driving patrol cars equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). A prototype of the high-tech patrol car was unveiled in the five-day GITEX Global 2023 held at Dubai World Trade Centre from October 16-20. These state-of-the-art patrol cars are equipped with sophisticated AI technology, enabling them to identify criminal activity, recognise individuals’ faces, and scan vehicle license plates. The design of these vehicles is tailored for deployment in residential areas, where the need for enhanced security is critical. The vehicle has an
In a remarkable feat, a 21-year-old computer science student has harnessed the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to decode letters from scorched scrolls dating back 2,000 years, which were once considered completely unreadable. The discovery was announced on October 19 by Professor Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky, along with a team of collaborators. They researchers initiated the Vesuvius challenge in March, an endeavour aimed at expediting the deciphering of these ancient texts. The challenge, supported by Silicon Valley investors, offered cash rewards
Software company Adobe, at its annual MAX conference, unveiled a new futuristic “digital dress” that lets wearers change patterns on its surface on the go.At the conference, from October 10 to 12, in Los Angeles, California, Adobe showed major new AI capabilities, highlighting how generative AI can be used by design professionals in their daily workflow. The dress, developed under Adobe’s Project Primrose, is made of sequins that are “reflective light-diffuser modules” built using liquid crystals such as those used in smart lighting. The sequins are basically tiny screens built u
A mobile tower has been installed for the first time at Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield. In collaboration with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the army personnel established the base transceiver station (BTS) at forward posts on October 6 to extend mobile communication for the soldiers deployed at more than 15,500 feet, said XIV Corps or Fire and Fury Corps responsible for guarding borders with China and Pakistan. Fire and Fury Corps posted the news on social media platform X on October 12. Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State for Communications, Government of India,
IIT-Bombay and Laurus Labs backed ImmunoACT have received the approval for India’s first CAR-T cell therapy, NexCAR19 (Actalycabtagene autoleucel) — a breakthrough treatment for some types of cancers — from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). NexCAR19 has been approved for relapsed-refractory B-cell lymphoma and leukemia. The approval will offer hope to thousands of blood cancer and lymphoma (cancers of the lymph system) patients in the country who cannot afford to travel abroad to avail the cutting-edge therapy, an advanced form of immunotherapy first launche
The India-Pakistan ICC World Cup match on October 14 set a global streaming record with more than 3.5 crore people watching the clash on Disney+Hotstar. The new global streaming viewership record has beaten the record set by the Indian Premier League (IPL) final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans on May 29 with a viewership of 3.2 crore viewers. In the match played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India defeated Pakistan by 7 wickets to register its 8th World Cup victory against the team in a historic rivalry that has been on since 1991. With the massive win, India de
Amazon’s first pair of prototype satellites for its planned Kuiper internet network was launched into space on October 6 from Florida, US. It is the company’s first step towards its mission of deploying thousands more satellites into orbit to beam internet service globally. A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket carrying the satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern time (1800 GMT). The mission aims to test Amazon’s first pieces of technology in space. The e-commerce and web services giant plans to deploy 3,236 more satellites in the next few years