Dec-16S&T Flashcards
Dec-16S&T -Index
6.1. Biofuel from Aquatic Weeds
6.2. Disanet-Disaster Communication Network
6.3. NASA Probe to Hunt for ‘Trojan’ Asteroids
6.4. World’s First Water-Wave Laser
6.5. Innovative Magnetic Tether for Slowing Space Junk
6.6. Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and
Innovations
6.7. Launch of Agni-V
6.8. Jet Stream in Earth’s Core
6.9. Dead Zone in Bay of Bengal
6.10. Chikungunya Vaccine
6.11. Mitochondrial Gene therapy
6.12. Leap Second to be Added to Final Minute of 2016
6.13. India’s First Private Moon Mission
6.14. Remote Sensing Satellite RESOURCESAT-2A
Launched
6.15. Superconductivity Found in Bismuth
6.16. ISRO Signs Deal for First Privately Built Satellite
6.17. Diagnosis of Dengue and Chikungunya
6.18. Curbing the Growth of Malaria Parasite
6.19. Bhim App
6.20. Ebola Vaccine
6.21. China opens first fully-owned satellite ground
station
6.1. BIOFUEL FROM AQUATIC WEEDS
Why in News? Scientists at IIT Kharagpur found a way to ramp up yields of biofuel sourced from commonly found aquatic weeds such as water hyacinths. What is Biofuel?
A biofuel is defined as any fuel whose energy is obtained through a process of biological carbon fixation. Biofuel can be characterized on the basis of their source biomass. What is Aquatic weed?
Aquatic weeds are those unabated plants which grow and complete their life cycle in water and cause harm to aquatic environment directly.
Some limitations of Aquatic weed are that it reduces water storage capacity in reservoirs, tanks, ponds. It also impedes flow and amount of water in canals and drainage systems.
It also reduces fish production by lowering oxygen levels and promoting nutrient assimilation. It also interferes with navigation and aesthetic value of water body. It also promotes habitat for mosquitoes.
6.2. DISANET-DISASTER COMMUNICATION NETWORK
Why in news?
IIT Madras team is developing a low-cost communication system named DISANET.
It will allow basic services such as voice, text and video communications to be exchanged within its network of rescue workers, Master Operation Centre and the NDMA.
Why the need?
One of the first things to get affected during natural disasters and accidents is the communication network. In a country where over a billion use mobile phones, providing mobile connectivity during a disaster, at least for emergency usage, is a priority.
The plan is also to enable citizens within the reach of this system to communicate essential messages, such as “I am safe” or basic information – name, age, gender, etc, of persons discovered.
The whole system is compatible with basic model mobile phones, as most users in India do not own smart phones.
At present, people who are involved in rescue operations, such as police personnel, use walkie/talkie handsets (VHF/UHF) but VHF/UHF handsets are expensive.
Components of the network
The design has four subsystems - WiFi, a satellite link, single-carrier GSM and LTE (Long Term Evolution). Rescue workers with GSM handsets, WiFi cameras and WiFi nodes can spread out over an area of 12-25 square kilometre to form the primary deployment area. These workers supply communication between the affected area and the Master Operation Centre (MOC).
Benefits of the initiative
The rescue team will be able to directly communicate with citizens about the arrangements using FM broadcast, which citizens receive on their mobiles.
This enables the flow of authenticated information from the authorities to the citizens and prevents rumour-mongering during times of disaster.
6.3. NASA PROBE TO HUNT FOR ‘TROJAN’ ASTEROIDS
Why in News?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is set to search for elusive “Trojan” asteroids
What are asteroids?
Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Most of this ancient space rubble can be found orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt
As they revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits, the asteroids also rotate, sometimes quite erratically. Scientists
continuously monitor Earth-crossing asteroids, whose paths intersect Earth’s orbit, and near-Earth asteroids that approach towards Earth. NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, launched in 2007, orbited and explored asteroid Vesta for over a year.
About Trojan Asteroids
Trojans are asteroids that are constant companions to planets in our solar system as they orbit the Sun, remaining near a stable point 60 degrees in front of or behind the planet.
Since they constantly lead or follow in the same orbit, they will never collide with their companion planet.
There are six planets in our solar system with known Trojan asteroids—Jupiter, Neptune, Mars, Venus, Uranus and Earth. The Earth Trojan is elusive; to date, scientists have only discovered one Earth trojan asteroid—2010 TK7
Box–1-About OSIRIS-REx spacecraft
●The full form of OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security– Regolith Explorer.
●The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft by NASA is on a seven-year journey to rendezvous with, study and bring a sample of asteroid Bennu to Earth. This sample of a primitive asteroid will help scientists understand the formation of our solar system more than 4.5 billion years ago.
6.4. WORLD’S FIRST WATER-WAVE LASER
Why in news?
Scientists of Technion Institute (Israel) have created the first ‘water-wave laser’ that emits a beam through the interaction of light and water waves. The biggest impediment till now was the large difference in frequencies of water waves and light waves.
Applications of the discovery
Water wave laser can be controlled better in terms of emissions and therefore it may be used in ‘lab-on-a-chip’ devices to study cell biology and test new drug therapies.
It can be used to develop cheap nano-laser sensors having range of applications like security.
Box–What is a laser?
Laser is an acronym for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. It is a coherent, unidirectional beam of perfectly monochromatic light (therefore having greater energy than normal light) having a range of application like sensors, optical communication sources etc.
6.5. INNOVATIVE MAGNETIC TETHER FOR SLOWING SPACE JUNK
Why in news?
Japan has launched a cargo ship which will use a half mile long tether to remove some of the debris from Earth’s orbit.
The tether, made of aluminium strands and steel wire, is designed to slow the debris, pulling it out of orbit.
The automated cargo ship - called Stork or Kounotori - which is carrying the junk collector is bound for the International Space Station and blasted off from Tanegashima Space Center in the North Pacific.
The junk collector is the latest in a series of ideas put forward to tackle the problem, including harpooning, sweeping, lassoing and dragging debris into the atmosphere for burning.
Limitation of Tether technology
Japanese scheme will only work for bigger pieces of junk.
Benefits of removing space junk
It will help make space safer for astronauts by getting rid of space junk.
It will also provide better protection for space stations and weather and communications satellites worth billions of dollars.
What is space junk?
Space junk is the term used to describe man-made rubbish floating in space – often litter from space exploration (even natural objects like asteroids are a part of space debris).
The majority of the debris in space is believed to consist of small particles but some objects are larger
They all travel at speeds up to 17,500 mph, fast enough for a relatively small piece of orbital debris to damage a satellite or a spacecraft.
Way forward
Preventing space junk - The space agencies across the world are now shifting towards launching micro and nano satellites for reducing the space junk
Removing the space junk - by methods like harpooning, using tether, incineration etc.
NASA’s guidelines on orbital debris should be internationalized and multiple countries should form a common standard to deal with space debris as it is a global common.
—Fig—
6.6. COALITION FOR EPIDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND INNOVATIONS
Why in News?
India will lead the global fight against epidemics as it is a member of the newly formed Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). It will be headquartered in Norwegian Institute for Public Health, in Oslo.
Why the need?
Recent outbreaks: SARS, Ebola and Zika - reveal gaps that partnerships like CEPI should fill.
About the coalition
CEPI aims to finance and coordinate the development of new vaccines to contain infectious disease epidemics that are usually neglected (like some neglected tropical diseases)
The coalition will not focus on diseases that already have adequate attention like rotavirus, but will be guided by WHO’s R&D blueprint (2016), which lists eleven illnesses to focus on like Chikungunya, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) etc.
The steering agencies of the coalition are - Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, GOI; Government of Norway; Wellcome Trust; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and World Economic Forum.
Benefits of the Coalition
CEPI would provide the opportunity to leverage vaccine development capacities in India,
CEPI will increase access to vaccines. It will also bolster India’s status of pharmacy of the world.
It will help protect our population and help lower preventable deaths.
It will boost our ability to have a competitive vaccine industry and help India build on its pharmaceutical economy.
In the era of antibiotic resistance, this initiative will help finance the development of vaccines for resistant infections.
Way forward
To be successful the coalition should set up adequate funding mechanisms, regulatory environment and scientific guidelines on the vaccine development. Also disease mapping should be done to properly assess the cause and the solutions of the epidemics.
The clinical trials of the vaccines developed under the programme would have to be based on highest medical, ethical standards. For this hints can be taken from the recommendations of the Ranjit Roy Chaudhary
6.7. LAUNCH OF AGNI-V
Why in News?
India successfully conducted the final test of its indigenous ICBM, Agni-V from Wheeler Island off Odisha coast.
About AGNI V
The nuclear-capable missile has a strike range of over 5,000-km.
It has been developed by DRDO
It can be transported and swiftly launched from anywhere on land. It can even be launched from canisters.
It is a surface-to-surface missile having new technologies incorporated than previous Agni counterparts in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine.
It is one of the most accurate ballistic missile in the world and therefore has high kill efficiency.
Significance of the launch
Its range extends to entire Pakistan and also northernmost parts of China thus adding to our defence preparedness. This is especially relevant in times of strengthening China-pak axis and aggressive geopolitics in the region.
It will promote our policy of deterrence and promote the regional balance of power in the Indian subcontinent.
Future plans
India has also started working on Agni-VI. It will be capable of being launched from submarines as well as
from land, and will have a strike-range of 8,000-10,000 km.
Box–Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
It was conceived by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam for self-sufficiency in missile technology in 1983
DRDO is its implementing agency
It has a time bound objective to develop the following missiles -
Short range surface to surface ballistic missile - PRITHVI
Intermediate range surface to surface ballistic missile - AGNI
Short Range low level surface to air missile - TRISHUL
Medium range surface to air missile - AKASH
Third generation anti tank missile - NAG
In 1990s the programme was expanded to include Sagarika (ballistic missile), Dhanush (naval version of Prithvi) and Surya missiles
In 2008 DRDO announced the successful completion of the program
6.8. JET STREAM IN EARTH’S CORE
Why in news?
European Space Agency’s Swarm satellites have found out an occurrence of Jet streams in the outer core of the Earth’s interior. It is like an accelerating band of molten iron circling the North Pole, like the jet stream in the atmosphere.
Significance of the finding
It will help the scientists to understand more about the interior mechanisms of the earth and also delve deeper into the phenomenon like earthquakes and volcanism.
This proves a previous research that found out that iron in the outer core is moving faster in the northern hemisphere, mostly under Alaska and Siberia.
Swarm Satellites
ESA’s Swarm satellites measure and track the different magnetic fields caused by the Earth’s core, crust, oceans, mantle, the ionosphere and the magnetosphere. By monitoring magnetic fields, the satellites give scientists a way to figure out how the core’s layers move.
Box–Jet Streams
Jet streams are fast-flowing air currents in the atmosphere (usually in upper troposphere) that meander too. Jets streams play a key role in determining the weather because they usually separate and push colder and warmer air. Jet streams that commonly occur in India are -
1.Subtropical westerly jet streams are most prominent in winter season
2.Easterly jet stream which are most dominant in monsoonal season.
6.9. DEAD ZONE IN BAY OF BENGAL
Why in News?
The Bay of Bengal hosts a ‘dead zone’ of an estimated 60,000 square kilometres - Scientists have uncovered evidence that this area is showing signs of one of nature’s most lethal marine features.
Significance of the finding
It can be a reminder of the rising artificial eutrophication and steps that needs to be taken to make the coastal communities eco-friendly.
These hypoxic situations and formation of dead zones supports microbial processes that remove vast amount of nitrogen from the ocean.
Bay of Bengal is close to large human populations that need food produced by nitrogen based fertilizers - there are fears of more oxygen depletion in the ocean waters which can cause removal of excess nitrogen hurting the food security.
Box–Dead Zones
Dead Zones are areas inside the ocean that lack oxygen and cannot support the complex life systems that allow marine life to flourish - most marine life either dies, or, if they are mobile such as fish, leave the area - forming a biological desert.
There are many physical, chemical, and biological factors that create dead zones, but nutrient pollution is the primary cause of those zones created by humans.
Dead zones are well-known off the western coasts of North and South America, Namibia and India in the Arabian Sea.
6.10. CHIKUNGUNYA VACCINE
Why in news?
US researchers have developed a vaccine for chikungunya made from an insect-specific virus Eilat virus since it only infects insects and has no impact on people, making the vaccine safe and effective.
Significance of the vaccine
There is currently no commercial chikungunya vaccine. Traditionally, vaccine development involves trade-
offs between how quickly the vaccine works and safety.
The newly-developed vaccine quickly produces a strong immune defence and completely protects mice and nonhuman primates. It is still unable to prove effectiveness in humans.
Box–About Chikungunya
It is caused by virus. The virus is transmitted by the bites of infected female mosquitoes, commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
It is characterized by fever and severe joint pain in hands and feet, and may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash.
The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue, and can be misdiagnosed.
There is no cure for the disease. Treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms. This is the first vaccine treatment which may become a viable treatment in future
6.11. MITOCHONDRIAL GENE THERAPY
Why in news?
Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) of United Kingdom has allowed the first mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) by allowing creation of a “three-parent baby” — a child in whichthe vast majority of DNA comes from the mother and father and a small amount of DNA comes from a female donor.
The procedure was done through the Pronuclear transfer technique.
Significance and types of the MRT
The benefit of MRT is that it helps in preventing mitochondrial diseases which can be passed on from the affected mother to the offspring.
The process can be done by two methods - the infographic 1 shows the Pronuclear transfer and the infographic 2 shows the Spindle transfer.
Pronuclear transfer has a couple of drawbacks -
○ Ethical grounds because it is seen as destroying two embryos
○ Scientists worry because a bit of cytoplasm is usually transferred along with the pronuclei. That means that unacceptably high numbers of disease carrying mitochondria may also get transferred.
To remove the above drawbacks spindle transfer technique is used as shown in figure 2.
Pros and Cons of the therapy
Pros:
It will help in preventing lethal diseases arising out of maternal faulty mitochondrial DNA.
It cannot be misused as HEFA will act as a fertility regulator. Similar regulators can be established by other countries looking for adopting this technique
Cons:
There are no clinical trials still to conclusively prove its efficacy.
It could mark the push to create “Designer babies” which may commoditize mankind etc.
Way forward
Countries like India, USA etc. still have a ban on this technique. Proper Clinical trials is the need of the hour for data to be collected on the safety and efficacy of the technique being used. Also awareness programmes are the solution to remove the unnecessary superstitions prevalent in the common populace.
—Fig—
6.12. LEAP SECOND TO BE ADDED TO FINAL MINUTE OF 2016
Why in news?
This year will last a second longer as a “leap second” will be added to the world’s clocks on New Year’s Eve by timekeepers around the world.
Significance of the move
Presently the world uses precision atomic clocks in many applications
like satellites, where time is kept by measuring the movements of electrons in cesium atoms.
Consequently, atomic time is constant, but the Earth’s rotation slows by about two thousandths of a second per day. For example - At the time of the dinosaurs, Earth completed one rotation in 23 hours and it has gained 1 hour since then.
So leap seconds are essential to ensuring atomic time does not move away from time based on the Earth’s spin. If it isn’t corrected, such a drift would result in clocks showing the middle of the day occurring at night.
Box–Leap Second
Leap Second is added to give Earth the opportunity to catch up with the atomic time.
Earth’s time is measured by Astronomical time/Universal time (T1) and the atomic time is measured by International Atomic Time (TAI)
International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service (IERS) of Paris tells the world when to add leap seconds on the basis of difference between T1 and TAI.
They’re inserted at the end of the last day of either June or December.
6.13. INDIA’S FIRST PRIVATE MOON MISSION
Why in News?
Team Indus, a Bengaluru-based private aerospace company will be sending a spacecraft to the Moon on December 28, 2017 aboard an ISRO rocket.
More about the Mission
The aim of the mission is to land this aircraft on moon, have it travel at least 500 metres, and beam HD videos, images and data back to the Earth.
Except for the launch vehicles, all the technology to be used under the mission has been developed in-house by the company
It is one of the four international teams running for the Google Lunar XPRIZE, a $30 million competition to encourage private companies to take up space missions.
ISRO’s PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) would launch the spacecraft in a three-day window after completing a rotation around the earth.
The space craft would land on Mare Imbrium, a region in the North western hemisphere of the moon.
6.14. REMOTE SENSING SATELLITE RESOURCESAT-2A LAUNCHED
Why in News?
In its 38th flight PSLV-C36 successfully launched RESOURCESAT-2A satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
This is the thirty-seventh consecutive successful mission of PSLV.
More About RESOURCESAT-2A
It is a remote sensing satellite which will provide information on water bodies, farm lands, crop extent, forests, mineral deposits, coasts, rural and urban spreads for the next five years.
The satellite was launched into the Sun Synchronous Orbit at 825 km height.
Much like its predecessors RESOURCESAT 1 and 2, RESOURCESAT-2A also has a three tier imaging system.
It is equipped with an Advanced White Field Sensor (AWiFS) that provides images of 56 metre resolution, (LISS-3) Linear Imaging Self-scanning Sensor and LISS-4 provides image of 23.5m and 5.6m resolution respectively.
Significance of the Launch
RESOURCESAT-2A will be useful in crop area and production estimation, drought monitoring, soil mapping, cropping system analysis and farm advisories generation.
For the first time ISRO used cameras on-board that showed the separation stages during the flight and the deployment of solar panels of the satellite.
