Aug-16S&T Flashcards
Aug-16S&T -Index
- Copyright Infringement: Govt Policy and Measures
- Successful Testing of Scramjet Engine
- Advanced Ultra Super Critical Technology (AUSC)
- Cybathlon 2016
- Flooded Canyons Found on Saturn’s Moon Titan
- Stephen Hawking’s Prediction about Black Holes
- Proxima B
- PAVA Shells
- First Human Genetic Editing Trial
- Need for an HPV Vaccine
- Made-in-India Leprosy Vaccine
- Scientists Recycle CO2 to Create Usable Fuel
5.1. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT: GOVT POLICY AND MEASURES
Why in News?
The government has planned for strict enforcement of copyright law to tackle piracy in the country through its IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) Policy.
A nation-wide awareness campaign is set to be launched on IPR by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
The government has issued strict warning against copyright infringement online stating the punishable
offences under its copyright law.
Problem at Hand
India is experiencing rampant copyright infringement in the case of music, books and movies as well as other products.
The online media being a significant participant of copyright infringement.
Common Copyright Infringements
Making infringing copies for sale or hire or selling or letting them for hire.
Permitting any place for the performance of works in
public where such performance amount to copyright infringement.
Distributing infringing copies for the purpose of trade or to such an extent that is harmful to the interest of
the owner of copyright;
Public exhibition of infringing copies by way of trade.
Importation of infringing copies into India.
Positives of the Government Initiative
Awareness campaigns are expected to sensitize the public about intellectual property rights.
The new IPR policy puts a legal framework in place for the IPR regime.
It has also reduced the time taken by govt. to approve a trademark from about a year to a month by 2017.
Loopholes
The recent approach by the government of stronger penalising of copyright infringement is a misguided one.
Piracy is being exclusively viewed as destructive force and its productive aspect such as sharing of knowledge has been totally neglected.
Moreover, the root cause of media piracy i.e. the global pricing problem (high prices for media goods, low incomes and cheap digital technologies) is not being considered.
Box–1-Copyright Law in India
The Copyright Act, 1957 governs the subject matter of copyright law in India.
It has been amended 6 times since 1957, the latest being in 2012.
India is a member of many important international conventions governing the area of copyright law. They are Berne Convention of 1886, The Universal Convention of 1951, The Rome Convention 1961 and the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
Box–2-Penal Provisions of the Copyright Act
Section 63 deals with offence of infringement. It provides that any person who ‘knowingly’ infringes copyright or is party to it may be punished with imprisonment and fine.
The minimum imprisonment is of 6 months (extendable up to 3 years) and a fine up to Rs. 3 lakhs.
Section 63-A deals with repeat offences and provides for a higher fine and imprisonment for a repeat offenders.
Section 65 deals with the possession of plates for the purposes of making infringing copies.
5.2. SUCCESSFUL TESTING OF SCRAMJET ENGINE
Why in News?
ISRO carried out successful testing of scramjet engine from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
India became only the fourth co
More About The Flight Test
ISRO used an Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), a sound rocket for the test.
The initial launch of ATV was by regular solid fuel rocket motor.
Two scramjet engines were at the sides of the rocket.
The scramjet engines were ignited 55 seconds later and physically operated for 6 seconds.
The engine achieved ignition and maintained combustion at six times the speed of sound (Mach 6).
What is Scramjet?
Scramjet stands for Supersonic Combustion Ramjet.
Scramjet breathes air and uses high speed vehicle to
forcefully compress the incoming air before combustion.
Conventional aircraft engines on the other hand compresses air using fan before combustion.
It is also called the air breathing engine as it uses atmospheric oxygen to burn the hydrogen fuel.
Scramjets are efficient only at supersonic speed.
Significance of the Launch
The fact that scramjet uses atmospheric oxygen to burn the fuel in the first phase will considerably reduce the amount of oxidiser to be carried aboard.
This in turn will reduce cost-to payload ratio.
A rocket using scramjet engine would be significantly lighter, smaller and therefore cheaper. It will also be able to carry more payloads.
Scramjet also has many other applications in cruise and other
missiles.
This flight test is a big technological achievement for India and also highlights ISRO’s capabilities.
Challenges
The scramjet engine needs to test at higher Mach speeds and prolong the period of combustion.
Since the scramjet engine comes into play only when the rocket goes beyond the speed of Mach 5 therefore an engine needs to be developed that initially works as subsonic (ramjet) and later as scramjet engine.
Box–SRO’S Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) - It is the vehicle which was used to test the scramjet engine. It is a sounding rocket. Sounding rocket - Sometimes also called a research rocket, it is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. USA, Russia and European Space Agency are the others who
—Fig—
5.3. ADVANCED ULTRA SUPER CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY (AUSC)
Why in news?
Govt. approved Rs 1,554 crore to develop advanced ultra-super critical (AUSC) technology for power plants.
It will be used for thermal power plants of future, envisaging reduced coal consumption and CO2 emission. Significance
This will be the first time large power plant equipment will be manufactured with advanced technologies without any technological collaboration/licensing agreement with foreign companies.
This technology is still not matured and demonstrated anywhere in the world.
Box–Other important facts
Conventional coal-fired power plants, which make water boil to generate steam that activates a turbine, have efficiency of about 32%.
Supercritical (SC) and ultra-supercritical (USC) power plants operate at temperatures and pressures above the critical point of water, at which point there is no difference between water gas and liquid water. This results in higher efficiencies of above 45%.
5.4. CYBATHLON 2016
Why in news?
For the first time, Cybathlon, is going to be organized in Zurich on October 8 this year. About Cybathlon
It will host 74 athletes from 25 countries.
It will feature six disciplines
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) bicycle race
Powered Leg Prosthesis Race
Powered Wheelchair Race
Powered Exoskeleton Race
Powered Arm Prosthesis Race
Brain-computer interfaces game (BCI Race).
Unlike the Paralympics, the Cybathlon looks for excellence and innovation in the way of interfacing the human and the robotic components.
It intends to promote the development and widespread use of bionic technology.
It is organized on behalf of the Swiss National Competence Centre of Research in Robotics (NCCR Robotics).
An Indian team, trained and supported by Riselegs (a Bengaluru-based organization that specializes in devising prosthetic legs and mobility devices made of cane) will participate. Bionics Technology in medicine
In medicine, Bionics usually means the replacement or enhancement of organs or other body parts by mechanical versions or electrical add ons.
Bionic implants differ from mere prostheses by mimicking the original function very closely, or even surpassing it
5.5. FLOODED CANYONS FOUND ON SATURN’S MOON TITAN
Why in News?
NASA’s spacecraft Cassini has discovered steep sided canyons flooded with hydrocarbons on Saturn’s Moon Titan.
The canyons have been found to be hundreds of metres deep.
The findings are the first evidence of both liquid filled channels and deep canyons on Titan.
NASA’s Cassini-Huygen’s Mission
NASA’s Cassini’s Mission is one of the most ambitious missions ever launched into space.
The spacecraft was launched in two elements: the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe.
The spacecraft is loaded with powerful instruments and camera.
It is capable of taking accurate measurements and detailed images in a variety of atmospheric conditions and light spectra.
Cassini-Huygens reached Saturn and its moons in July, 2004
5.6. STEPHEN HAWKING’S PREDICTION ABOUT BLACK HOLES
Scientists who created a virtual black hole in the lab claim to have
observed for the first time a phenomenon according to which some
particles can escape black holes.
It was predicted by British physicist Stephen Hawking more than 40
years ago.
Before this, it was believed by scientists that nothing could ever
escape from a black hole, not even light.
However, in 1974, Stephen Hawking suggested particles, that are now called Hawking radiation, could escape black holes.
As per him if a particle and its antimatter appeared spontaneously at the edge of a black hole, one of the pair might be pulled into the black hole while the other escaped, taking some of the energy from the black hole with it.
Box–Antimatter - Antimatter is a material composed of antiparticles, which have the same mass as particles of ordinary matter but opposite charges, as well as other particle properties.
5.7. PROXIMA B
Why in news? It is recently discovered Earth-like planet orbiting Proxima Centauri (the closest star to our solar system), in its Goldilocks Zone. Features
It is 4.22 light-years away.
Its “year” is only 11 days.
The planet is in a “temperate” zone compatible with the presence of liquid water.
It is 25 times closer than Earth is to our sun, but since its star is only 12 percent as massive as our sun and much dimmer so it’s in the habitable zone. The find has been called “the biggest exoplanet discovery since the discovery of exoplanets.” Associated fact: “Breakthrough Starshot” The mission by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner who pledged US$100 million toward a plan to visit another star system. Initially their destination was to be Alpha Centauri. But the recent discovery of a nearby planet Proxima b could switch things up for Starshot.
—Fig—
5.8. PAVA SHELLS
Why in news?
PAVA, a chilli based non-lethal munition will replace pellet guns in Jammu & Kashmir, decided an expert panel of the Home Ministry.
What is it?
PAVA stands for Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide. It is also called Nonivamide.
It is an organic compound characteristically found in natural chilli pepper.
On the Scoville scale (the degree to measure the power of chilli), PAVA is categorised as “above peak”.
It has the ability temporarily but severely irritate and paralyse humans.
5.9. FIRST HUMAN GENETIC EDITING TRIAL
Why in News?
Chinese scientists are set to perform the world’s first genetic editing trial on humans in August 2016 in order to find a cure for lung cancer.
Oncologists will inject patients with cells that have been modified using a specific gene-editing technique.
What is it?
The process of genetic editing will be carried out through CRISPR-Cas9 technique.
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is a collection of DNA sequences that lets scientists to selectively edit genome parts and replace them with new DNA stretches.
Cas9 is an enzyme that can edit DNA allowing the alteration of genetic patterns through genome modification.
CRISPR directs Cas9 where to cut and paste.
How will it work?
Doctors will extracts T-cells (a type of immune cell) from lung cancer patients and edit them.
The edited cells will then be multiplied in the laboratory before being reintroduced into the patient’s body.
T-cells are then expected to attack tumour cells.
Conclusion
If successful, this technology can revolutionise the treatment of blood diseases, tumours and other genetic diseases.
Edited T-cells injected into a patient can also attack normal tissue making the process unsafe.
5.10. NEED FOR AN HPV VACCINE
Why in News?
It is being debated whether HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) Vaccine should be included in the universal immunisation programme or not.
What is it?
The vaccine offers protection against sexually transmitted Human Papilloma Virus.
The vaccine also averts the risk of contracting cervical cancer.
It needs to be administered before the first intercourse.
WHO (World Health Organisation) recommends two doses of the vaccine preferably in the age of 9-13 years.
What is The Debate?
The cervical cancer cases in India has decreased potentially in the last 10 years due to improved personal hygiene, availability of running water in washrooms and better nutrition.
In such a scenario, the need for the vaccine is a matter of debate as it is an expensive intervention.
Moreover, it is difficult to determine its efficacy in averting the risk of cervical cancer.
Also, regular screening (such as the pap smear test) in India is given more importance.
On the other hand, WHO says that interventions such as screening and vaccination need to coexist and can even help eliminate cancer.
Current Status
Two vaccines: Gardasil and Cervarix are available in India.
The decision to include the vaccine in the immunization programme is pending with the Health Ministry.
Delhi became the first state in the country to launch this vaccine as a public health programme for schoolchildren.
5.11. MADE-IN-INDIA LEPROSY VACCINE
Why in news?
A first-of-its-kind leprosy vaccine developed in India is to be launched on a pilot basis in Bihar and Gujarat. Significant Facts
Vaccine name is Mycobacterium Indicus Pranii (MIP).
It is developed by National Institute of Immunology (NII).
This vaccine will be administered as a preventive measure to those staying in close contact with leprosy patients.
Important facts about leprosy
Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, affects around 127,000 people in India every year. About 59 per cent of the world’s leprosy patients live in India.
National Leprosy Eradication Programme was launched in 1983.
India achieved the goal of elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in Dec 2005.
Chhattisgarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli have still not achieved elimination.
5.12. SCIENTISTS RECYCLE CO2 TO CREATE USABLE FUEL
Why in News?
According to a study published in journal Science, Scientists have developed a highly effective method of converting carbon dioxide into methanol.
Methanol can be used as low emission fuel for vehicles.
What is it?
The gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels can be converted into usable energy source by using sunlight, similar to the way plants convert CO2 into sugar.
Plants use catalysts in the conversion; similarly here scientist used tungsten diselenide as catalyst to convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide being highly reactive can then easily converted into useful fuel such as methanol.
Significance: This method directly targets the conversion of CO2 making it highly effective for environment protection.
