A recent study shows how a smartphone-based tool can be effectively turned into an eye-examination device. This device can take not only retinal photos but also detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy.

The big, bright, green-coloured Andaman day gecko is a sight to behold; only that, you have to go all the way to the Andaman Islands to get a glimpse of it. Endemic to the islands, these geckos live in trees and are active during the day. Thanks to cash crops grown on these islands today, they can be found in plenty, feeding on bananas, coconuts and betel nuts. They belong to the genus called Phelsuma, believed to have evolved from Madagascar, an island about 6000 km away from the Andamans! A new study has traced their evolutionary history and has thrown some light on how they differ from the other geckos in the Andamans.

People see human-animal conflicts as a fight between two species on opposing sides. However, in reality, the human aspect also has multiple dimensions. In some cases, there are two groups—the affected public—and the forest department staff, who manage and mitigate it; in others, more such groups. One of the frequent human-animal conflicts is that between humans and monkeys, especially the rhesus macaque, whose population is widespread in many cities. Now, a study by researchers shows that differences in people's opinions on mitigating such conflicts could instead be adding to the conflict.

In a recent study, researchers show how cleaner air during the lockdown in Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world, has led to a hike in solar power generation.

^{Gold nanoparticles dispersed in water [Image Credits: Nikonianman / CC BY-SA 4.0]}

In a recent study, researchers have assessed how successful computer simulations are in matching with solar surface observations.

Researchers use new self-assembly techniques to create microstructures that can be used in early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

^{Photo by Faris Mohammed on Unsplash}

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) approaches are the present-day buzzwords finding applications in a host of domains affecting our lives. These approaches use known datasets to train and build models that can predict, or sometimes, make decisions about a task. In one such case, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), Mumbai, have in a recent study, developed ML approaches using molecular descriptors for certain types of catalysis that could find use in several therapeutic applications.

The Nicobar long-tailed macaque is a species of monkeys endemic to three islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. Found in troops that consist of an alpha male and female, there is a system of hierarchy, as is seen in all group living animals. While adults are further categorised as beta individuals and subordinates, juveniles and infants also form a part of the troop. In many social animals, like the macaques, the ranking of an individual determines the role they play on other activities within the group. In a recent study, researchers have investigated if an individual’s rank has any effect on how the members groom each other.