Mar-17S&T Flashcards
Mar-17S&T -Index
6.1. SpaceX Launches its First Recycled Rocket 57
6.2. Silicon Based Polymer an Elastic Second Skin (ESS)
6.3. Li-Fi
6.4. VPM1002/ TB Vaccine
6.5. IISc Researchers’ Ecofriendly Way of Recycling E-
Waste
6.6. High Nitrogen Steel
6.7. Telescope GRAPES-3 Upgrade to Snipe Out Solar
Storm
6.8. Five New Sub-Atomic Particles
6.9. Crop protection: Firing to Keep the Storm at Bay
6.10. Fovea
6.11. Cold Atom Laboratory
6.12. Precursor Molecules
6.13. Trade Mark Rules
6.14. Hyperloop Technology
6.15. Commercializing ISRO Projects
6.16. Europa Clipper Mission
6.17. Greyball
6.18. Export of Generic Versions of Patented Drugs
6.19. Deltaretrovirus
6.1. SPACEX LAUNCHES ITS FIRST RECYCLED ROCKET
Why in news?
SpaceX Could Reuse 100% of Major Rocket Components by Next Year says founder Elon Musk.
About SpaceX
SPACEX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecrafts.
The Private Sector Company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.
Rocket used is Falcon 9 which was already used one year before for NASA. It first ever returned a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit, in December 2010 and again in May 2012 when its Dragon spacecraft attached to the International Space Station, exchanged cargo payloads, and returned safely to Earth
Presently it under the contract with NASA, is flying numerous cargo supply to International space station In future it will carry crew as part of NASA’s commercial crew programme.
Rocket reusability is for the purpose of cost cutting, speed up flights, technology advancement and less space garbage dumping.
6.2. SILICON BASED POLYMER AN ELASTIC SECOND SKIN (ESS)
Background
Scientists at MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a new material that can temporarily protect and tighten skin, and smooth wrinkles. About it
As skin ages, it becomes less firm and less elastic which can get worse by sun exposure. This impairs skin’s ability to protect against extreme temperatures, toxins, microorganisms, radiation and injury.
ESS which mimics the mechanical and elastic properties of healthy youthful skin, could be applied as a thin, imperceptible coating and be adapted to provide long-lasting ultraviolet protection.
It can provide a barrier, cosmetic improvement and potentially deliver a drug locally to the area that’s being treated and cure eczema and other type of dermatitis.
6.3. LI-FI
What is Li-Fi?
Li-Fi or Light Fidelity, also known as visible light communications (VLC) is a super-quick alternative to Wi-Fi.
Li-Fi utilizes visible light in place of radio waves to bar data through the air.
Li-Fi innovation began in 2011 by Professor Harald Haas of the University of Edinburgh, who showed that glimmering light from a solitary LED could transmit a larger number of information than a cellular tower.
Potential of Li-Fi in India
Connecting rural communities to internet: It uses solar cells as receivers that could deliver communications and access to the world wide
web in a way that the current free space optical (FSO) systems on their own cannot do.
It has enormous potentials in robotics and instrumentation.
It can be used in aircraft cabins, hospitals and nuclear power plants without causing electromagnetic interference as it uses visible light.
Li-Fi may prove useful in harnessing the power of the Internet for giving more citizen-centric governance.
—Fig—
6.4. VPM1002/ TB VACCINE
Why in news?
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India Pvt. Limited is set to start a Phase II/III immunization trial for tuberculosis utilizing a novel, recombinant BCG (bacillus Calmette-Guérin) vaccine.
Current Status
As per recent estimates, the number of new cases every year has risen to 2.8 million and mortality is put at 4, 80,000 each year.
The National strategic plan for tuberculosis elimination (2017-2025), has set a highly ambitious goal of “achieving a rapid decline in burden of TB, morbidity and mortality while working towards elimination of TB by 2025.”
About the Vaccine
The new vaccine is based on BCG vaccine. However it is more powerful and efficacious as it contains a gene better recognised by the immune system.
The safety of the vaccine has been previously tested and it has been found to be safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic vaccine in newborn infants.
The vaccine will be tested in 2000 adults who have been successfully treated and cured for TB.
Significance
The currently used BCG vaccine causes BCG-related disease in HIV-positive babies (due to reduced immunity). The recombinant version is expected to be safe in babies exposed to HIV.
6.5. IISC RESEARCHERS’ ECOFRIENDLY WAY OF RECYCLING E-WASTE
Why in news?
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have found a novel way to recycle the mounting pile of electronic waste more efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner.
What is it?
The new approach is based on the idea of crushing e-waste into nanosize particles using a ball mill at very low temperature ranging from -50 to -150 degree C.
This way of recycling does not require chemicals to separate different metals.
The crushed material when mixed with water helps to separate different metals by using gravity.
Unlike the present techniques, it helps to segregate the metals in one phase making the recycling process much simpler.
Although, it uses high energy, it is scalable and environment friendly.
Box–What is e-waste? According to E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016, “e-waste” means waste electrical and electronic equipment whole or in part or rejects from their manufacturing, refurbishment and repair process which are intended to be discarded as waste.
According to a joint study conducted by KPMG-Assocham (May, 2016), India generates 18.5 Lakh tonnes of E-waste annually and is the fifth largest producer of e-waste globally.
6.6. HIGH NITROGEN STEEL
Why in news?
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has signed a technology transfer agreement with Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Limited (JSHL) for manufacturing High Nitrogen Steel (HNS).
About High nitrogen steel (HNS)
High nitrogen steels are a new class of high alloy martensitic, austenitic or duplex grades with up to 0.9 mass% of N in solid solution.
Significance
The alloy has significant applications in the defence sector due to its much higher ballistic strength than normal steel, but currently the country is largely dependent on imports.
In addition to being non-magnetic and corrosion-resistant, the HNS cost is about 40% less compared to Rolled Homogenous Armour Steel (RHA)
The HNS technology would further the Army’s quest for lighter and high-performance armouring material compared to materials currently in use.
will pave the way for further acceleration of locally developed technology,
Applications of NHS
The potential applications of HNS include combat platforms like futuristic infantry combat vehicles, mine-protected vehicles, army bridges and army corridors.
6.7. TELESCOPE GRAPES-3 UPGRADE TO SNIPE OUT SOLAR STORM
Why in News?
On June 21, 2015, a giant cloud of magnetized plasma was ejected from the Sun and slammed into Earth’s magnetosphere, triggering a severe geomagnetic storm. This incident called for more robust preventive scientific measures for solar storm.
What is GRAPES-3?
GRAPES-3 (Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV Energies Phase-3) is a muon telescope observation unit, located in Oat (Nilgiri ,Tamilnadu).
The first cosmic ray experiment was started in 1955 as GRAPES-1 by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), which was upgraded in various stages to GRAPES-2, before the new experiment GRAPES-3 was
established.
GRAPES-3 has been established with
the collaboration of the Tata Institute
of Fundamental Research, Mumbai,
India and the Osaka City University,
Osaka, Japan.
What are the functions of GRAPES-3?
To study cosmic rays, air shower
detectors and muon detectors from
galaxy.
To study the sun and its accelerator of energetic particles and its effects on the Earth.
It studies our galaxy through nuclear composition of cosmic rays and diffusion of γ-ray (gamma rays)
Why needed up-gradation?
It will act as an early warning system and will measure the intensity of coronal mass ejection.
The upgrade will provide precise information about the propagation of storms in the last million miles.
It would increase the chances of spotting solar storms by observing the large extent of sky and improving the direction of incident rays.
It would discern the direction of detected particles of solar storm such as plasma thereby, making it unique among all the other cosmic ray detectors in the world.
Box–1-What is solar Storm?
It is an eruption of mass and energy from the solar surface mainly in the form of magnetic plasma and hot gases of electrically charged particles; and in addition, more dangerous gamma, ultraviolet and X rays, out into space.
Solar Flaries, Cronal Mass ejection, and sunspot activities are the indicators of solar storm.
Solar storms can happen at any time but tend to become more severe and more frequent in roughly 11-year cycles.
Box–2-How does Solar Storm affect the Earth?
The collision of charged particles of solar storm with earth’s magnetospheres generates the shimmering Northern Lights, the aurora borealis, and aurora australis in southern hemisphere.
Some charged particles can modify the Earth’s magnetic field and affect compass readings.
The changing magnetic fields can also induce electricity in long pipelines, or produce electrical surges in our power grids leading to brown outs and black outs.
It can affect the space programme, trade communications (stock- exchange), broadcast communications, airlines and navigation.
6.8. FIVE NEW SUB-ATOMIC PARTICLES
Why in News?
In March 2017, Scientists of Large Hadron Collider accelerator at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) found five new sub-atomic particles.
More on the News
The newly discovered particles are high-energy versions of the omega-c baryon, a particle made up of two strange quarks and one charm quark
Omega-c-zero is a part of the same family of protons and neutrons, the so-called baryons, because they have three quarks, the fundamental building blocks of matter.
These particle states are named, according to the standard convention, Omega-c-zero (3000), Omega-c-zero (3050), Omega-c-zero (3066), Omega-c-zero (3090) and Omega-c-zero (3119). The numbers indicate their masses in megaelectronvolts (MeV).
Characteristic numbers are used to identify the properties of a specific particle and the determination of their theoretical significance.
6.9. CROP PROTECTION: FIRING TO KEEP THE STORM AT BAY
Why in news?
Orchid owners of Himachal Pradesh have, recently, installed the anti-hail storm gun through collective mobilisation of funds.
Background
More than 15% of total plantation crop is damaged by hail storms in Himachal Pradesh.
Existing scheme for crop protection such as anti-hail net is old technique which end up damaging the crop by blocking the sunlight.
Moreover, the anti-hail net technique is expensive to maintain and requires a professional team to install and uninstall.
How does it work?
An anti-hail cannon is a shock wave generator intended to disrupt the formation of hailstones in the atmosphere in the beginning stage.
An explosive charge of acetylene gas and air is fired in the lower chamber of the machine and the resulting energy passes through the neck and develops a shock wave.
The shock wave travels at the speed of sound through cloud formations. It splits up the ice bearing layers of the cloud and it is observed that it either comes down as rain or a thin sleet that does not damage the fruit.
6.10. FOVEA
Why in news?
Indian scientists has found that a small depression in the retina of eye called “Fovea” plays a crucial role in
helping humans read the text , recognize faces, enjoy colours, focus
on computer screens, etc.
About Fovea
The fovea is a specialized region that dominates our visual
perception which provides more than half of the input from the
eyes to the visual cortex of the brain.
It is located near the optic nerve and is best suited for fine task like
reading.
However Fovea is unable to process rapidly changing visual signalsbecause of slow response of its cone-photoreceptors than cone-photoreceptors present in the peripheral retina. This inability let the humans see continuous motion in movies/flipbooks. (Cone-photoreceptors are the neurons that are frontline of the visual system).
Understanding the functioning of Fovea helps in correcting central vision loss like Macular degeneration and design visual prosthetics (Bionic eye).
Among the mammals, only humans and other primates have Fovea. Some predatory birds like Owls and few reptiles also have similar structures
Box–Note: Bionic Eye is a retinal implant which interprets images captured by a miniature video camera worn on a pair of glasses. It mimics the function of the retina to restore sight for those with severe vision loss
—Fig—
6.11. COLD ATOM LABORATORY
Why in news?
NASA is planning to send an experimental instrument called Cold
Atom Laboratory (CAL) on board SpaceX CRS-12 to International
space Station to create coldest spot known in the universe.
Aim of the experiment is to study matter at temperatures far
below anything found naturally.
About Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL)
This ice chest-sized box has been developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The box will have lasers, a vacuum chamber and an electromagnetic “Knife” to cool atoms to 100 Pico
Kelvin (one ten-billionth of a degree above absolute zero). At such low temperature all activities of atom theoretically stops.
When atoms are cooled to such low temperatures, they form a distinct form of matter called Bose-Einstein
condensate. In such state matter behave less like particles and
more like waves.
Observing atoms in Bose-Einstein condensate form in earth is
extremely difficult because of gravity which continuously pulls the
atoms towards the ground. This prevents atoms from holding on to
their wavelike form for longer period to be observed.
However in space ultra-cold atoms can hold on to their wave like
forms longer because of no gravity.
Utilities of this experiment
Studying these hyper-cold atoms will provide new insights into
dark matter and gravity.
Better understanding of superfluids may help in more efficient
transfer of energy.
It may potentially lead to better Sensors, Quantum computers and Atomic clocks used in spacecraft navigation.
Box–Bose-Einstein Condensates
They are Superfluids – a kind of fluid with zero viscosity.
In this situation all atoms move without friction as if they are all one solid substance.
—Fig—
6.12. PRECURSOR MOLECULES
Indian researchers, using a novel technology, has not only been able to increase wheat grain yield by more than 20% but also made it more resilient to environmental stress like drought conditions.
The technology entails using precursor compounds that enhances the production of key sugar signaling molecule called Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) molecule which stimulate starch synthesis thus increasing the yield.
Reseachers observed that plants treated with precursor compounds were able to achieve 100 times increase in production of T6P molecule compared with plants that did not received the precursor molecule. Genetic methods achieved only 2-3 times increase in production of T6P molecule. Since the pathway of T6P molecule is the same in other plants, the yield can potentially be increased by using suitable precursors.
Four precursor compounds were used by researchers, however a particular precursor called ortho-nitrophenyl ethyl gave the best result both with Arabidopsis thaliana plant and wheat in terms of higher absorption of precursor by plants and less time taken by precursor to release T6P molecule.
On environmental stress front, researchers found that precursor molecule called 2 (dimethoxy (ortho-nitro) benzyl) helped plants fight with drought like conditions.
6.13. TRADE MARK RULES
Why in News?
The Trade Mark Rules, 2017 have been
notified recently by the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry.
Need
It would replace the previous Trade Mark
Rules 2002, and therefore would streamline and simplify the processing of Trade Mark applications.
Rules
Ease of filing Trademarks –
o Trade Mark Forms have been reduced from 74 to 8.
o Expedited processing of a registration application has been extended up to registration stage which till now existed only up to examination stage.
o Servicing of documents to Trade Mark Registry has been eased.
Trademark Fees –
o All fees related to trademark have been rationalized.
o Online filing fees have been made 10% lower than physical filing fees to promote e-filing of trademark.
o Fees for Individuals, Start-ups and Small Enterprises have been reduced to only Rs 4,500.
For the first time, modalities for determining well-known trademarks have been introduced.
Hearing of disputes has been introduced through video conferencing.
Adjournments in opposition proceedings have been restricted to a maximum of two to avoid pendency.
Significance
Presently, examination time for a Trademarks application has already been brought down from 13 months to just 1 month in January 2017 despite a 35% jump in filings in 2015-16.The new Rules should give a boost to the Intellectual Property Regime in India.
By rationalizing the fee structure, this step may also be a right step to promote entrepreneurship in India.
New rules would also give a time-bound resolution of disputes besides lowering the burden on tribunals and courts.
It is a step towards ease of doing business and would eventually increase India’s position as a good investment decision with protection of intellectual property rights.
Way Forward
The Trademark rules have been changed at a timely moment when India stands at having a third largest startup ecosystem in the world. There should also be a commensurate capacity building needed to implement the changed rules.
Box–What is a Trademark?
It is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises.
It is protected by Trademarks Act 1999.
Trademarks registry established in India in 1940, presently administers the Trademarks Act. It is also a resource centre for trademarks.
6.14. HYPERLOOP TECHNOLOGY
Why in News?
Recently two companies Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) and Hyperloop One (HO) have evinced interest to develop hyperloop technology in India by 2021.
Hyperloop One Global Challenge selected 35 semi-finalist cities for developing hyperloop, 5 of them are in India. Presently such a system is being developed between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Significance
It is a revolutionary mode of transport
that has the potential to reduce transport time of people and goods by more than 80%.
It has a lower right of way problem thus
simplifying the land acquisition for this transport.
It also has a lower carbon footprint apart from
lowering noise pollution of public transport.
It would also promote Make in India programme
and manufacturing sector of India with technology
transfer related to the hyperloop pods.
Challenges
It requires heavy investments (about $100 million)
and therefore private sector partnership is
needed. Therefore effective public and private
sector coordination is a prerequisite.
It may prove to be non-inclusive way of transport
as its cost of travel may be prohibitive for the
economically marginalized people. High-power consumption, accidents and technical challenges have hampered its progress.
Way forward
At a time when railway infrastructure is abysmal and the airline industry is priced, hyperloop only perceives to be a futuristic idea.
Still with India being able to sustain a high growth rate for another decade, hyperloop may be a disruptive technology to promote India’s future ambitions.
Box–Hyperloop
It was an idea of entrepreneur Elon Musk.
It is a system of magnetically levitating capsules that are sent at high speeds through low-pressure tubes.
It can have speeds even greater than commercial air travel.
Linear Induction motors are used in it and control its speed.
—Fig—
