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 INDEX

3.8 Immunosensor for Japanese Encephalitis Virus11

1. SPACE............................................... 3
1.1 Proxima Centauri ............................................... 3 4. BIO-TECHNOLOGY .......................... 12
1.2 Neutrino .............................................................. 3 4.1 Synthetic Biology .............................................. 12
1.3 Moons Make Planets Habitable ......................... 3 4.2 DNA Replication Licensing .............................. 12
1.4 X-particles in Quark-gluon Plasma .................... 4
5. NANO-TECHNOLOGY ....................... 13
1.5 EOS-04 ............................................................... 5
5.1 Nanoantenna..................................................... 13
2. DEFENCE .......................................... 5
6. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ......... 13
2.1 P-8I Aircraft ....................................................... 5
6.1 Doxxing ............................................................ 13
2.2 Advanced Light Helicopter MK III ..................... 6
6.2 Radio Frequency Identification ........................ 14
2.3 Presidential Fleet Review 2022 .......................... 6
6.3 M2M Communication ....................................... 14
2.4 Ghost Army ......................................................... 7
6.4 Param Pravega ................................................. 15
3. HEALTH ............................................ 7 6.5 AI Research Super Cluster ............................... 15
3.1 Obstructive Sleep Apnoea................................... 7
7. OTHERS.......................................... 16
3.2 Type 1 Diabetes .................................................. 8
7.1 Graphene .......................................................... 16
3.3 Lassa Fever ........................................................ 8
7.2 Bullet Train ....................................................... 16
3.4 Fairbank's Disease ............................................. 9
7.3 Vande Bharat Trains ........................................ 17
3.5 Acromegaly Disorder ......................................... 9
7.4 Aviation Turbine Fuel....................................... 17
3.6 Goitre ............................................................... 10
7.5 Pickleball .......................................................... 17
3.7 Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's ........................ 10
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

FEBRUARY 2022

1. SPACE

Proxima Centauri
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has detected a new planet ‘Proxima d’ around Proxima Centauri.
• Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our Solar System, lying just over four light-years away.
• It is a faint red dwarf star, which might or might not spell doom.
• It is part of the Alpha Centauri star system.

Exoplanets of Proxima
Characteristics
Centauri

It is a planet with a mass comparable to that of Earth that

Proxima b orbits the star every 11 days.
It is within the habitable zone.

Proxima c It is on a longer five-year orbit around the star.

It is the third detected in the system and the lightest yet

Proxima d
discovered orbiting this star.

Neutrino
Tamil Nadu has said to the Supreme Court that it does not want the Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO) to be set up
in a sensitive ecological zone in the Western Ghats at a great cost to wildlife and biodiversity.
• Neutrinos are the 2nd most abundant particles, after photons.
• They come in three ‘flavours’ or ‘types’, and each flavour is associated with a light elementary particle. They
are,
1. Electron-neutrino is associated with the electron;
2. Muon-neutrino with the muon and
3. Tau-neutrino with the tau particle.
• They are not easy to catch, as they do not carry a charge, as a result of which they do not interact with matter.
• They also might have unique properties that would help explain why the universe is made of matter instead of
antimatter.
• Subatomic particles that make up antimatter have properties that are opposite to the subatomic particles of
normal matter.
• Protons, neutrons and electrons (subatomic particles of normal matter) are among the 12 quarks and leptons
have been discovered so far.
• To know about the Indian-based Neutrino Observatory, click here.
• Related Links - Baikal-GVD, Neutrinos and Star Death

Moons Make Planets Habitable

A new study has examined the moon formations and concluded that only certain types of planets can form moons
that are large in respect to their host planets.
• Earth's moon is vitally important in making Earth the planet we know today - The moon controls
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the length of the day and ocean tides, which affect the biological cycles of life forms on our planet.
• The moon also contributes to Earth's climate by stabilizing Earth's spin axis, offering an ideal environment for
life to develop and evolve.
• Because the moon is so important to life on Earth, scientists conjecture that a moon may be a potentially
beneficial feature in harboring life on other planets.
• Most planets have moons, but Earth's moon is distinct in that it is large compared to the size of Earth.
• The moon's radius is larger than a quarter of Earth's radius, a much larger ratio than most moons to their
planets.
• By understanding moon formations, we have a better constraint on what to look for when searching for Earth-
like planets.
• It is expected that the exomoons [moons orbiting planets outside our solar system] should be everywhere, but
so far we haven't confirmed any.
• These constraints will be helpful for future observations.

Origin of Earth's Moon

• Many scientists have historically believed Earth's large moon was generated by a collision between proto-
Earth and a large, Mars-sized impactor, approximately 4.5 billion years ago.
• [Proto-Earth is the Earth at its early stages of development.]
• The collision resulted in the formation of a partially vaporized disk around Earth, which eventually formed
into the moon.
• In order to find out whether other planets can form similarly large moons, the study conducted impact
computer simulations, with a number of hypothetical Earth-like rocky planets and icy planets.
• They hoped to identify whether the simulated impacts would result in partially vaporized disks, like the disk
that formed Earth's moon.
• The researchers found that rocky planets larger than six times the mass of Earth (6M) and icy planets larger
than one Earth mass (1M) produce fully -- rather than partially -- vaporized disks, and these fully-vaporized
disks are not capable of forming fractionally large moons.
• We found that if the planet is too massive, these impacts produce completely vapor disks because impacts
between massive planets are generally more energetic than those between small planets.
• After an impact that results in a vaporized disk, over time, the disk cools and liquid moonlets -- a moon's
building blocks -- emerge.
• In a fully-vaporized disk, the growing moonlets in the disk experience strong gas drag from vapor, falling onto
the planet very quickly.
• In contrast, if the disk is only partially vaporized, moonlets do not feel such strong gas drag.
• As a result, we conclude that a completely vapor disk is not capable of forming fractionally large moons.
• Planetary masses need to be smaller than those thresholds we identified in order to produce such moons.

X-particles in Quark-gluon Plasma

Researchers have found evidence of elusive short-lived “X” particles in the CERN’s particle accelerator.
• In the first millionths of a second after the Big Bang, the universe was a roiling, trillion-degree plasma of
quarks and gluons.
• The quarks and gluons are the elementary particles that briefly glommed together in countless combinations
before cooling and settling into more stable configurations to make the neutrons & protons of ordinary matter.
• Before cooling, a fraction of these quarks and gluons collided randomly to form short-lived ‘X’ particles, so
named for their unknown structures.
• Today, X particles are extremely rare. But they may be created in particle accelerators through quark
coalescence.

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• In quark coalescence, the high-energy collisions can generate similar flashes of quark-gluon plasma.

Tetraquarks - Uncommon
• Generally, the basic building blocks of matter (neutron and the proton) are made from three tightly bound
quarks.
• For years, we had thought that for some reason, nature had chosen to produce particles made only from two or
three quarks.
• Only recently have physicists begun to see signs of exotic "tetraquarks" -- particles made from a rare
combination of four quarks.

X-particles
• X particles that were produced in the quark-gluon plasma in the CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC),
Switzerland are of a type known as X (3872), named for the particle's estimated mass.
• As the background was overwhelming after the quark-gluon plasma forms and cools down, a machine-
learning algorithm was used to pick out decay patterns characteristic of X particles.
• X (3872) is either a compact tetraquark or an entirely new kind of molecule made from not atoms but two
loosely bound mesons.
• [Mesons are the subatomic particles that are made from two quarks.]
• Discovery - X (3872) was first discovered in 2003 by the Belle experiment, a particle collider in Japan that
smashes together high-energy electrons and positrons.
• Within this environment, however, the rare particles decayed too quickly for scientists to examine their
structure in detail.
• It has been hypothesized that X (3872) and other exotic particles might be better illuminated in quark-gluon
plasma.
• Significance - In the next few years they want to use the quark-gluon plasma to probe the X particle's
internal structure, which could change our view of what kind of material the universe should produce.

EOS-04
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52 injected Earth Observation Satellite EOS-04, into an intended sun
synchronous polar orbit of 529 km altitude from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota.
• EOS-04 is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high quality images under all weather conditions for
applications such as Agriculture, Forestry & Plantations, Soil Moisture & Hydrology and Flood mapping.
• PSLV-C52/EOS-04 has a mission life of 10 years.
• The vehicle also placed two small co-passenger satellites,
1. A student satellite (INSPIREsat-1) from Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in
association with Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at University of Colorado, and
2. A technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from ISRO, which is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint
Satellite (INS-2B).

2. DEFENCE

P-8I Aircraft
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has delivered the 12th P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft to the Indian Navy.
This completes the follow-on clause for four additional P-8I aircraft contracted in 2016.
• P-8I Aircraft is a long-range maritime reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft.
• It is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft that Boeing company developed as a replacement for the US
Navy’s ageing P-3 fleet.

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• With a maximum speed of 907 kmph and an operating range of over 1,200 nautical miles, the P-8Is detect
threats and neutralize them if required, far before they come anywhere near Indian shores.
• Deal - In 2019, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of the six aircraft.
• In 2021, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of 6 additional P-8I aircraft and related equipment, a
deal estimated to cost $2.42 billion.
• The six aircraft under discussion will come with extensive upgrades.
• These P-8Is will come installed with encrypted communication systems since India has signed the
foundational agreement Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) with the U.S.
• History - The Indian Navy was the first international customer of the aircraft by procuring P-8Is under a
$2.2 billion deal in 2009.
• In 2016, the Navy exercised the optional clause for four more P-8Is in a deal worth over $1billion.
• The P-8I is an integral part of the Indian Navy’s fleet and has surpassed 35,000 flight hours since it was
inducted in 2013.

Advanced Light Helicopter MK III

Tri-Service Andaman & Nicobar Command inducts the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter MK III.
• The indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-DHRUV) is a twin engine, multi-
role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5 ton weight class.
• The basic Helicopter produced in skid version and wheeled version of the aircraft is manufactured by
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
• The major variants of Dhruv are classified as Dhruv Mk-I, Mk-II, Mk-III & Mk-IV.
• Amongst its variants, the MK III variant is a maritime role variant encompassing state-of-the-art sensors
and weapons that add punch to India’s prowess at sea.
• The ALH MK III aircraft with its glass cockpit, Shakti engines, advanced Maritime Patrol Radar, Electro–
optical payload and Night Vision Device will act as a force multiplier in keeping India’s territories safe.
• The state-of-the-art aircraft has multirole capabilities including maritime surveillance, support for Special
Forces, medical evacuations besides search and rescue roles.

Presidential Fleet Review 2022

The President of India took part in the 12th Presidential Fleet Review of the Indian Navy 2022.
Currently, the India’s Naval Fleet has 60 ships and submarines and 55 aircraft.
• The Presidential Fleet Review is the country’s President taking stock of the Commemorating 75 years of
Navy’s capability. independence, the theme of
Presidential Fleet Review
• It showcases all types of ships and capabilities the Navy has.
2022 is ‘Indian Navy - 75
• A fleet review is usually conducted once during the tenure of the years in Service of the
President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Nation’.
• In terms of significance, the Navy’s Presidential review is second only to the
Republic Day Parade.
• President’s Yacht - The President is taken on one of the Naval ships, which is called the President’s Yacht,
to look at all the ships docked on one of the Naval ports.
• The President’s Yacht this year is an indigenously built Naval The earliest recorded Indian Fleet
Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS Sumitra, which will lead the Review was in the 18th Century by
Presidential Column. the Maratha fleet, consisting of
‘Ghurabs’ and ‘Gallivats’, under the
• The yacht will be distinguished by the Ashoka Emblem on her side renowned Sarkhel (Grand Admiral)
and will fly the President’s Standard on the Mast. Kanhoji Angre at the coastal fortress
of Ratnagiri.
• Previous Reviews - So far, 11 Presidential Fleet Reviews have

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been conducted since Independence.

• The first one was conducted in 1953, under President Rajendra Prasad.
• The last one was conducted in 2016 under President Pranab Mukherjee.
• The reviews in 2001 and 2016 were International Fleet Reviews, in which some vessels from other countries
also participated.

Ghost Army
The US President signed into law a bill titled, “Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act”, essentially providing
recognition to the ‘Ghost Army’.
• The ‘Ghost Army’ is a tactical deception unit deployed by the US during World War II.
• The Ghost Army refers to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Company Special.
• The existence of the ‘Ghost Army’ was unknown for about 50 years after it was formed by the US War
Department in January 1944.
• The unit had a “strange mission”, to keep enemy troops in the dark about the number and location of
American troops.
• The units were assembled and members trained fairly quickly in Tennessee.
• A year and a half later, the unit was on its way back home after having served with four US armies in France,
Belgium, England, Luxembourg, Holland and Germany.
• Its existence was declassified in 1996, when the official history, first written in 1945 by Captain Fred Fox also
became available.

3. HEALTH

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Singer and music composer Bappi Lahiri (69) passed away following complications from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
(OSA).
• OSA is a widely prevalent but under-diagnosed medical condition.
OSA is the most common cause
• OSA occurs when muscles in the throat and upper airway relax of road accident in the US as
intermittently during sleep and block the airway. people with OSA tend to doze off
• When a person is obese, they develop extra fat on their larynx and while driving.
pharynx (muscles in the throat) that can close off their airway in sleep.
• The muscles start relaxing in sleep and it is a garden hose like situation (when there is no water, it flattens out
and no air can go through).
• Cycle - When no air enters the lungs, the oxygen saturation starts falling. When it is critical, the brain wakes
the person up.
• They wake up subconsciously, the breathing restarts.
• This cycle keeps repeating through the night.
• Impacts - Although the condition doesn’t kill by itself, it can lead to The Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty
heart attacks and strokes due to the low oxygen level. is a surgery to open the upper
airways by taking out extra
• In the long run, it can also result in increasing blood pressure, tissue in the throat.
abnormal heart rhythms, and other metabolic disorders.
• It further leads to an increase in obesity, compounding the problem. It just reduces the snoring, but
doesn’t really treat sleep apnoea.
• It may also lead to depression.
• Prevalence - The prevalence of OSA is 4% among women and 13.4% among men. (less common in women
than men).
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• The prevalence in people younger than 40 years of age is about 10% and in those over age 40 is 17%.
• The prevalence of OSA in India is going up hand in hand with increasing obesity. However, it is
underdiagnosed, especially in smaller cities.
• Check up time – Snoring and choking are the most common symptoms of OSA. But not everyone who
snores has it.
• One should definitely check in with the doctor if they feel groggy or sleepy in the morning and doze off during
the day.
• To check whether someone has OSA, doctors look answer for something they call the ‘STOP BANG’. It is a
series of 8 questions.
• If your answer to >5 of these 8 questions is a YES, there is a high risk for a person to have OSA.
• Prevention - Studies have shown that a 10% increase in body weight increases the incidence of OSA six-fold.
• However, if the patients shed 10% weight, the incidence goes down by 20%. So, the best way to reduce the
symptoms of OSA is to lose weight.
• Treatment - The best method to treat is to use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy. It is
akin to letting the water run in the garden hose to help it maintain the structure.
• In addition, some surgeries may be offered if there are structural anomalies in the mouth.

Type 1 Diabetes
According to a new study, Type 1 diabetes in those below 25 years accounted for at least 73.7% of the overall diabetes
deaths in this age group in 2019.
• Inadequate diagnosis and treatment of diabetes is likely to be a major contributor to these early deaths,
highlighting the urgent need to provide better access to insulin and basic diabetes education and care.
• The death rate varied based on the socio-demographic index (SDI) of a country.

SDI Spectrum Death Rate for Type 1 diabetes

High SDI countries 0.13 deaths per 100,000 people (415 deaths)

Low-middle SDI countries 0.6 per 100,000 people (5,300 deaths)

Low SDI countries 0.71 per 100,000 people (4,860 deaths)

• Between 1990 and 2019, global death rates for all types of diabetes after age-standardisation decreased by 17%
and that for Type-1 diabetes by 21%.
• Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and Haiti had the highest age-standardised death rates for diabetes. Cyprus,
Slovenia and Switzerland had the lowest death rates.
• The UN and the World Health Organization in the 2013-2020 global action plan had recognised diabetes as
one of the key challenges in the non-communicable diseases group and aimed to confront it.
• To know more about the Diabetes, click here.

Lassa Fever
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, about 80% of the Lassa fever cases are
asymptomatic and therefore remain undiagnosed.
• Lassa fever is a zoonotic acute viral haemorrhagic disease.
• Discovery - The Lassa fever-causing virus is found in West Africa and was first discovered in 1969 in Lassa,
Nigeria.
• The fever is primarily found in countries in West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria
where it is endemic.

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• Spread - The host of Lassa virus is a rodent known as the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis).
• A person can become infected if they come in contact with household items of food that is contaminated with
the urine or feces of an infected rat.
• It can also be spread, though rarely, if a person comes in contact with a sick person’s infected bodily fluids or
through mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or the mouth.
• Person-to-person transmission is more common in healthcare settings.
• Even so, people don’t usually become contagious before symptoms appear and cannot transmit the infection
through casual contact such as through hugging, shaking hands or sitting near someone who is infected.
• Symptoms typically appear 1-3 weeks after exposure.
• Mild symptoms include slight fever, fatigue, weakness and headache and more serious symptoms include
bleeding, difficulty breathing, vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen and shock.
• Death can occur from 2 weeks of the onset of symptoms, usually as a result of multi-organ failure.
• Nearly one-third of those infected report various degrees of deafness. In many such cases, the hearing loss can
be permanent.
• Prevention - The best way to avoid getting infected is to avoid contact with rats.
• Treatment - Lassa fever can be fatal, but it can be treated if diagnosed early.

Fairbank's Disease
• Fairbank's disease or Multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) a rare genetic disorder which affects the growing
ends of bones.
• It is a group of disorders of cartilage and bone development, primarily affecting the ends of the long bones in
the arms & legs (epiphyses).
• Bones usually elongate by a process that involves the depositing of cartilage at the ends of the bones, called
ossification.
• This cartilage then mineralizes and hardens to become bone. In MED, this process is defective.
• Two types of MED - They are distinguished by their patterns of inheritance as
o Autosomal dominant and
o Autosomal recessive.
• Causes - Dominant MED is caused by mutations in the COMP, COL9A1, COL9A2, COL9A3, or MATN3 genes
(or can be of unknown cause).
• Recessive MED is caused by mutations in the SLC26A2 gene.
• Symptoms - Joint pain in the hips and knees; early-onset arthritis; a waddling walk; and mild short stature
as adults.
• Recessive MED may also cause malformations of the hands, feet, and knees; scoliosis; or other abnormalities.
• Most people are diagnosed during childhood, but mild cases may not be diagnosed until adulthood.
• MED patient usually requires management of pain and orthopedic procedures, for which facilities are
available at tertiary care institutions in India.

Acromegaly Disorder
• Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that develops when your pituitary gland produces too much growth
hormone during adulthood.
• When you have too much growth hormone, your bones increase in size.
• In childhood, this leads to increased height and is called gigantism.
• But in adulthood, a change in height doesn't occur. Instead, the increase in bone size is limited to the bones of
your hands, feet and face, and is called acromegaly.

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• Symptoms - Sleeplessness, Excess fatigue, A hoarse voice, Profuse sweating, Frequent headaches, Abnormal
weight gain, Develop odour in the body, Enlargement of jaws or tongue etc.
• As acromegaly is uncommon and the physical changes occur slowly over many years, the condition sometimes
takes a long time to recognize.
• Untreated, high levels of growth hormone can affect other parts of the body, in addition to your bones. This
can lead to health problems.
• But treatment can reduce your risk of complications and significantly improve your symptoms, including the
enlargement of your features.

Goitre
Prevalence of self-reported goitre in National Family Health Survey (NFHS) IV (2015-2016) was 2.2%, while it was
2.9% in NFHS-V (2019-2021).
• Goitre may be an overall enlargement of the thyroid gland, or it may be the result of irregular cell growth.
• The swelling of the thyroid gland forms one or more lumps (nodules) in the front of the neck. The lump will
move up & down when you swallow.
• A goiter may be associated with no change in thyroid function or with an increase or decrease in thyroid
hormones.
• Causes of goiter
1. Not enough iodine or lack of iodine in your diet (most common),
2. Hypothyroidism (Underactive thyroid),
3. Hyperthyroidism (Overactive thyroid),
4. An inflamed thyroid gland (thyroiditis),
5. Hormone changes during puberty, pregnancy or the menopause,
6. Taking some types of medicine, such as lithium, a medicine used to treat some mental health
conditions,
7. Having radiation treatment to your neck or chest area,
8. Nodules or cysts within the thyroid,
9. Thyroid cancer.
• Treatment depends on the cause of the goiter, symptoms, and complications resulting from the goiter.
• Small goiters that aren't noticeable and don't cause problems usually don't need treatment. A wait-and-see
approach is usually recommended.
• Other possible treatments include radioiodine treatment and thyroid surgery.
Thyroid gland
• Thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck just below the Adam's apple.
• This gland is just in front of the windpipe (trachea).
• This gland produces thyroid hormones, which help regulate the body's metabolism, the chemical processes
that occur in the body.

Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's

A new study has revealed a pathological brain activity that precedes the onset of Alzheimer's first symptoms by
many years. This finding may help early diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
• Normally, the neuronal activity of the hippocampus decreases during sleep in healthy animals.
• But in early stages of Alzheimer's, there is a pathological brain activity, which is an increased activity in the
hippocampus during anaesthesia and sleep.

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• [The hippocampal region plays a key role in memory processes, and Number of people with dementia
is known to be impaired in Alzheimer's patients.] worldwide will increase from 50
• This pathological brain activity is due to a failure in the physiological million (2019) to more than 150m
regulation, which is the failure in the homeostatic mechanism (2050).
that stabilizes the neural network.
This huge increase in the
• The discovery of this abnormal activity during specific brain states prevalence of Alzheimer's (due to
may enable early diagnosis of Alzheimer's, eventually leading to a the expected rise in population
more effective treatment of a disease that still lacks effective growth and in life expectancy) will
therapies. continue unless we develop
effective treatments.
• [Each neural circuit has a set point of activity, maintained by numerous stabilizing mechanisms. This is the
homeostasis mechanism.]
• Amyloid deposits, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease pathology, are formed in patients' brains as early as 10-
20 years before the onset of typical symptoms such as memory impairment and cognitive decline.
• But, most efforts to treat Alzheimer's disease by reducing the amount of amyloid-beta proteins and their
aggregation have failed.
• If we could detect the disease at the pre-symptomatic stage, and keep it in a dormant phase for many years,
this would be a tremendous achievement in the field.
• So, the key to effective treatment are,
1. Identifying a signature of aberrant brain activity in the pre-symptomatic stage of Alzheimer's and
2. Understanding the mechanisms underlying its development.
• Solution - The instability in neuronal activity is known from epilepsy.
• An existing drug for multiple sclerosis may help epilepsy patients by activating a homeostatic mechanism that
lowers the set point of neural activity.
• This drug stabilizes activity and reduces pathological activity observed during anesthesia.
• To know more about Alzheimer’s disease, click here.

Immunosensor for Japanese Encephalitis Virus

Hyderabad-based National Institute of Animal Biotechnology has developed an electrochemical based
immunosensor for detecting the Non-Structural 1 (NS1) secretory protein, a biomarker for Japanese Encephalitis
Virus (JEV).
• This immunosensor was developed by fabricating fluorine-doped Tin
NS1 secretory protein is
Oxide electrode with reduced Graphene Oxide for the rapid, sensitive and
suitable biomarker for JEV
specific detection of the NS1 secretory protein.
found circulating in the blood
• The synthesized NS1 Antibodies were used as the bioreceptor to fabricate and has been reported to
the electrode with reduced graphene oxide as a conductivity enhancing elicit an immune response.
nanomaterial for the detection of JEV NS1 antigen (Ag).
• Significance - Detection of the NS1 instead of antibody has an added advantage since the antigen is present
from day 1 of the infection and hence facilitates early detection.
• On the other hand, antibodies appear only after Day 4/5 of the infection.
• Since there is no cure available for JEV, early detection is essential to mitigate a breakout.
• Limit of Detection (LOD) range is more sensitive than other sensors developed for JEV.
• This immunosensor was also specific towards JEV NS1Ag as compared to other flaviviral NS1Ag.
• To know more about the Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV), click here.

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4. BIO-TECHNOLOGY

Synthetic Biology
The Central government is working on a national policy on synthetic
biology. As part of the 12th Five-Year Plan,
India had set up a task force on
• Synthetic Biology is a field of science that involves redesigning systems biology and synthetic biology
organisms by engineering them to have new abilities. research in 2011.
• It designs and constructs new biological parts, devices, and This body underlined the potential
systems, and re-designs the existing, natural biological systems benefits from synthetic biotechnology
for useful purposes. in bio fuels, bioremediation,
• It harnesses the power of nature to solve problems in medicine, biosensors, food and health and made
manufacturing and agriculture. a strong case for a push for the
technology.
• Some examples of use of Synthetic Biology are,
It highlighted that India could be a
o Microorganisms harnessed for bioremediation to clean
world leader as a protector and
pollutants from our water, soil and air.
supporter of “open source biological
o Rice modified to produce beta-carotene, a nutrient platforms”.
usually associated with carrots that prevents vitamin A deficiency.
o Yeast engineered to produce rose oil as an eco-friendly substitute for real roses that perfumers use to
make luxury scents.
• Difference - In some ways, synthetic biology is similar to "genome editing" because both involve changing an
organism's genetic code.
• However, there is a distinction between these two approaches based on how that change is made.
• In synthetic biology, scientists typically stitch together long stretches of DNA and insert them into an
organism's genome.
• These synthesized pieces of DNA could be genes that are found in other organisms or they could be entirely
novel.
• In genome editing, scientists typically use genome editing tools to make smaller changes to the organism's
own DNA. These tools can also be used to delete or add small stretches of DNA in the genome.
• Concern - Synthetic biology can be used to synthesize an organism's entire genome. It could be used to
develop biological weapons.
• The first synthetic bacterial genome was completed in 2008 with the synthesis of the genome of Mycoplasm
genitalium, a bacterium that can cause urinary and genital tract infections in humans.

DNA Replication Licensing

A new study has revealed for the first time the dynamics of an important process called the ‘DNA Replication
Licensing’.
• Cells use the ‘DNA Replication Licensing’ or ‘origin licensing’ process to
These findings may help
regulate, or license the replication of their genomes during cell division.
explain why certain portions
• The DNA replication licensing system ensures that chromosomal DNA is of the genome are relatively
replicated precisely once before cell division occurs. susceptible to DNA damage
during replication in some
• Location - Origin licensing occurs in the initial, preparatory phase of cell cancer cells.
replication, known as the G1 phase.
• Licensing takes place several hours before origins are activated to undergo replication in S-phase.
• Process - Licensing involves sets of special enzymes that attach to the DNA in chromosomes at various
locations where DNA-copying is to originate.
• The enzymes essentially license the copying of DNA so that cells don't copy their genomes more than once.
• The new study has shown in particular how the dynamics of the process differ in the two basic states of
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genomic DNA,
1. Euchromatin state - Relatively loose and open DNA for gene activity, and
2. Heterochromatin state - DNA wound more tightly to silence gene activity.
• Findings - Heterochromatin DNA loads the above mentioned licensing enzymes relatively late compared to
what we observe in the euchromatin.
• This finding hinted that in dividing cells with an abnormally shortened G1 phase, heterochromatin might
never be fully licensed for replication.
• This could potentially result in large mutations during replication and even cell death.
• Cells can have a shortened G1 phase for different reasons, including due to cancer.
• So the study suggests that the "genomic instability" or tendency to develop more mutations of some cancer
types, and the genomic locations of that instability, might be explained in part by faulty origin licensing.

5. NANO-TECHNOLOGY

Nanoantenna
Researchers have developed a nanoantenna made of DNA and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to study changes in the
structure of protein molecules.
• Working - The DNA-based nanoantenna works like a two-way radio that can both receive and transmit radio
waves.
• It receives light in one wavelength.
• It transmits light in another colour depending upon the protein changes it senses, and this can be detected and
studied.
• Characteristics - These fluorescent nanoantennae remained stable at higher temperatures.
• These nanoantenna offer a distinct advantage over the fluorescent dyes that are ubiquitously used in
biotechnology.
• The latter ‘display a low affinity for proteins’, while these nanoantennae have an affinity to a specific region of
a protein, which is contingent on the structure and chemistry of the protein.
• So, they are able to detect even the most minute of changes.
• The nanoantenna was able to pass muster even with respect to protein-protein interactions.
• This nanoantenna can be synthesised with different lengths and flexibilities to optimize their function.
• Significance - The antenna will help us understand how natural nanomachines function or malfunction,
consequently leading to disease.
• Labs equipped with a conventional spectrofluorometer, could readily employ these nanoantenna[e] to study
proteins.
• This study will in turn help us identify new drugs or to develop new nanotechnologies or nano-machines.
• The antenna performed well when used for examining enzyme kinetics i.e. the speed at which a reaction
progresses in the presence of an enzyme.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Doxxing
Meta’s oversight board suggested that Facebook and Instagram must make strict doxxing rules.
• Doxxing is publishing and analysing others' personal information on the internet with a malicious intent that
can reveal the person's real identity making them victims of harassments and cyber attacks.
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• Generally, doxxing is used to shame or punish people who would rather stay anonymous, because of their
controversial beliefs or other types of non-mainstream activity.
• The term doxxing (sometimes spelled doxing) is a longtime hacker term derived from “dropping dox” or
documents about an adversary.
• Motivations range from personal revenge to political ends.
• Some doxers act with the intent of exposing criminals or perpetrators of heinous acts.
• However, there are plenty of examples of people who have been wrongly doxxed and harmed as a result.

Radio Frequency Identification

Indian Army has commenced the implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging of its
ammunition inventory.
• Radio Frequency Identification is a wireless communication technology.
• It uses the electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic
spectrum to passively identify a tagged object.
• RFID system comprised of two components: tags and readers.
• RFID Tags use radio waves to communicate their identity and other information to nearby readers.
• RFID tags can store a range of information from one serial number to several pages of data. They can be
passive or active.
1. Passive tags are powered by the reader and do not have a battery.
2. Active tags are powered by batteries.
• Reader is a network-connected device that has one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive
signals back from the RFID tag.
• It uses radio waves to transmit signals that activate the tag. Once activated, the tag sends a wave back to the
antenna, where it is translated into data.
• Readers can be mobile so that they can be carried by hand, or they can be mounted on a post or overhead.
• Related Links - FASTag

M2M Communication
The Government has taken steps to facilitate wider proliferation and innovation in Machine to Machine
communication (M2M) sector.
• Machine-to-machine (M2M) refers to any technology that enables networked devices to exchange information
and perform actions without the manual assistance of humans.
• The first use of M2M communication is often credited to Theodore Paraskevakos, who invented technology
related to the transmission of data over telephone lines, the basis for modern-day caller ID.
• Purpose - The main purpose of M2M technology is to tap into sensor data and transmit it to a network.
• Unlike SCADA or other remote monitoring tools, M2M systems often use public networks and access methods
- cellular or Ethernet - to make it more cost-effective.
• Components - The main components of an M2M system include sensors, RFID, a Wi-Fi or cellular
communications link, and autonomic computing software programmed to help a network device interpret
data and make decisions.
• These M2M applications translate the data, which can trigger preprogrammed, automated actions.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning facilitate the communication between systems, allowing them to
make their own autonomous choices.
• M2M is also the foundation for the internet of things.
• Uses - M2M technology helps remotely monitor equipment and systems.
• It reduces costs by minimizing equipment maintenance and downtime.
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• It was first adopted in manufacturing and industrial settings, where other technologies, such as and remote
monitoring, helped remotely manage and control data from equipment.
• M2M has since found applications in other sectors, such as healthcare, business and insurance.

Param Pravega
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has installed and commissioned Param Pravega, one of the most powerful
supercomputers in India.
• It is the largest supercomputer in an Indian academic institution.
• It was installed and commissioned under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
• The system is expected to power diverse research and educational pursuits.
• It has a supercomputing capacity of 3.3 petaflops (1 petaflop equals a quadrillion, or 1015 operations per
second).
• It has been designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
National Supercomputing Mission
• NSM is steered jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY).
• It is implemented by the eCentre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and the Indian Institute
of Science (IISc).
• The Mission has supported the deployment of 10 supercomputer systems so far at IISc., in IITs, IISER Pune,
JNCASR, NABI-Mohali and C-DAC, with a cumulative computing power of 17 petaflops.
• These systems have greatly helped faculty members and students carry out major R&D activities, and
optimising telecom networks.
• To know more about the National Supercomputing Mission, click here.

AI Research Super Cluster

Facebook-parent Meta is building an AI supercomputer, the AI Research SuperCluster (RSC).
• RSC is a powerful supercomputer that can perform tasks like translating text between languages and help
identify potentially harmful content on Meta's platform.
• It can run computer vision workflows up to 20 times faster. AI supercomputers are built by
• It can train large-scale Natural Language Processing (NLP) models combining multiple graphic
three times faster. processing units (GPUs) into
compute nodes, which are then
• It can help its researchers build better AI models that can work across connected by a high-performance
different languages, seamlessly analyse text, images and video network fabric to allow fast
together. communication between those
• It also power real-time voice translations to large groups of people GPUs.
speaking different languages so that they can collaborate on a
research project, and develop new augmented reality tools.
• With the pandemic, the demand for data centres of AI and ML among Government and educational entities is
witnessing exponential growth which in turn is boosting the demand for supercomputers.
• RSC can keep people safe in the metaverse through its training models that can detect harmful content faster
than earlier systems.

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OTHERS

Graphene
The Kerala government announced the country’s first Graphene Innovation Centre, a joint venture of Digital
University of Kerala, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) and Tata Steel Limited.
• Graphene is a single layer or monolayer of carbon atoms, tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice.
• It is an allotrope of carbon in the form of a plane of sp2-bonded atoms with a molecular bond length of
0.142 nanometres.
• The separate layers of graphene in graphite are held together by van der Waals forces, which can be
overcome during exfoliation of graphene from graphite.
• Characteristics - Graphene is
1. The thinnest compound known to man at one atom thick,
2. The lightest material known (with 1 sq. M. weighing 0.77 mg),
3. The strongest compound discovered (due to the very strong covalent bonds),
4. The best conductor of heat at room temperature,
5. The best conductor of electricity known and
6. High melting and boiling points.

Bullet Train
Ministry of Railways has decided to undertake Survey and prepare the The world’s first high-speed rail system,
Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for the High Speed Bullet Train the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, began
Corridors. operations in Japan in 1964 and was
• Bullet Train is a very fast passenger train with a smooth, pointed widely known as the bullet train.
shape.
India’s first bullet train will run between
• This rail runs significantly faster than traditional rail traffic, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-speed Rail
using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and Corridor. This Bullet Train will be up and
dedicated tracks. running by 2026.
• While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines India’s 1st bullet train station will be set
built to handle speeds in excess of 250 km/h and upgraded lines up in Surat.
in excess of 200 km/h are widely considered to be

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high-speed.

Vande Bharat Trains

In the Union Budget 2022-2023, the Union Finance Minister has proposed the manufacture of 400 new Vande
Bharat trains in the next 3 years.
• Dubbed as Train 18, the Vande Bharat train is an indigenously designed and manufactured self-propelled
“engineless” train.
• The Vande Bharat is India’s first semi high-speed train that can achieve a maximum speed of 160 kmph.
• Its faster acceleration and deceleration results in reduced In 2019, the first Vande Bharat was
journey time by 25% to 45%. manufactured by the Integral Coach
• These trains operate without a locomotive and are based on a Factory (ICF), Chennai, in about 18
propulsion system called distributed traction power months as part of the ‘Make in India’
technology, by which each car of the train set is powered. programme.

• These have an intelligent braking system with power Vande Bharat is touted as the next major
regeneration for better energy efficiency thereby making it leap for the Indian Railways in terms of
cost, energy and environment efficient. speed and passenger convenience since
the introduction of Rajdhani trains.
• The current version of the train has 16 coaches with 14
ordinary chair cars and two executive class chair cars.

Aviation Turbine Fuel

The Union Finance Minister said that the government will take up the issue of inclusion of the Aviation Turbine Fuel
in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system before the next GST Council meeting.
• Jet fuel or Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is a specialized by-product of crude or petroleum used to power
aircraft.
• It is kerosene-based fuel used for powering jet and turboprop engine aircraft.
• It must meet performance guidelines for both the rich mixture condition required for take-off power settings
and the cleaner mixtures used during cruise to reduce fuel consumption.
• The primary functions of aviation turbine fuel are to power an aircraft, energy content and combustion
quality.
• Apart from being a source of energy, other significant performance properties of ATF are stability, lubricity,
fluidity, volatility, non-corrosivity and cleanliness.
• It is also used as hydraulic fluid in engine control systems and as a coolant for certain fuel system components.

Pickleball
According to the U.S. Pickleball Association, the pickleball sport has grown 39.3% in the past two years in the
country.
• Pickleball is a paddle sport created in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum.
• Pickleball incorporates components of tennis, table tennis, and badminton all into one.
• It can be played both indoors and outdoors, with standard court size the same as a badminton court or a
modified tennis court.
• The game is usually played as singles or doubles using paddles and a plastic ball with holes.
• Pickleball was introduced to India by Sunil Valavalkar.

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