A new device has been approved in Europe which is offering sight to the sightless. The above picture is of Barbara Campbell, who lost her sight many years ago due to a retinal disease. She has been implanted with this new device, which consists of a small camera mounted on glasses and the images are converted to impulses that are sent to a transmitter on the side of the glasses.
The transmitter then beams the impulses to 60 electrodes that have been surgically implanted at the back of the eye. These electrodes bypass the damaged retinal cells and directly stimulate nerve cells connected to the visual center in the brain. She now sees a very crude image that has 60 points of light, compared to the millions of someone with healthy vision.

World Water Day is internationally observed today,i.e., on 22nd March, 2011 to increase awareness about the provision of Safe & Healthy water for drinking & everyday use for everyone. The history of this day dates back to 1992 when a resolution was passed in Brazil and was then announced by UN council to be observed annually on 22nd March.

The theme for this year is 'Water for cities - Responding to the Urban Challenge'.

Some Facts

-One out of four city residents worldwide, 789 million in total, lives without access to improved

sanitation facilities. 

-497 million people in cities rely on shared sanitation. In 1990, this number was 249 million.

-27%of the urban dwellers in the developing world do not have access to piped water at home.

-In Pakistan, 44 percent,i.e., 72 million people out of total 180 million dont have access to safe drinking water. The situation is more worse in rural areas where almost 90 percent of the people have no access to clean water.

Tonight its going to be Super-Moon, means the moon will appear bigger & brighter. This is because the path of the moon is elliptical in shape with one portion closer to the earth & the other away from it.

It is said that the moon will appear 10 percent bigger & 30 percent brighter than rest of the full moons during the year. It will be more prominent during the evening. A Super Moon of such scale is occurring almost after 18 years, last time it happened in 1992. 

A Super Moon, because of its proximity, influences the tidal waves to a bigger extent & can lead to Floods, Storms & Earthquakes.

Every year World Kidney Day is observed on the second Thursday of March, to raise awareness about the importance of Kidney & its associated disorders. The slogan for this year's campaign is 'Protect Your Kidneys and Save Your Heart'.

What is the function of kidneys ?

The main job of our kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from our blood. Kidneys also help to control our blood pressure, to produce red blood cells, to keep our bones healthy & to maintain blood acidity.

Who are the main culprits causing damage to the kidneys ?

The common disorders causing damage to kidneys are,

-Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

-Diabetes

-High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Woke up early today & really enjoyed the soothing experience of a morning walk. After the last night's drizzle everything was looking clean & clear at the sunrise. The flowers were looking very fresh & captivated my inner self.

Wellcome library, known for maintaining a free collections of books, manuscripts, archives, films and pictures on the history of medicine from the earliest times to the present day, hosted the Medical Images Awards for 2011 recently. The judging panel included scientists who have to choose the best from around 400 images. The aim was to select those images which not only conveyed scientific information but had an artistic beauty as well.

Shown above is the scanning electron micrograph of a honeybee. The honeybee has a hairy thorax and segmented abdomen, a pair of double wings and three pairs of segmented legs. Each leg has a different 'tool' designed for a specific function to assist in the collection and transport of pollen to the hive for the production of honey.