current affairs for ias exam 2011 science technology defence environment october 2011

7/31/2019 Current Affairs for IAS Exam 2011 Science Technology Defence Environment October 2011

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UPSCPORTAL Current Affairs : http://upscportal.com/civilservices/current-affairs

B E G -8

C E ED F

F GH

EA E

Boeing’s first long-range maritime

reconnaissance and anti-submarinewarfare aircraft P-8I for the

Indian Navy completed its initial

flight at the Boeing Field in

Seattle,USA on 29 September

2011.Test pilots performed

airborne systems checks including

engine accelerations and

decelerations and autopilot flight

modes during the flight.

The plane was taken to an altitude

of 41,000 ft and stayed airborne

for two and half hours .India

awarded a $2.1-billion (around

Rs9450 crore) contract to Boeing

in January 2009 for eight such

planes to replace the ageing fleet

of Soviet-era Tu-142s.Poseidon is

internationally acknowledged as

the benchmark in maritime

patrol.It marries a tried and tested

sensor and weapons suite with a

specially developed Boeing 737

aircraft. Given that reliability and

endurance are crucial, it was

logical to base the Poseidon on

the world’s most widely flown

airliner (a 737 lands or takes off

somewhere in the world every

three seconds). The Poseidon is a

737-800, specially modified with

a 737-900 wing.

The P-8I is built by a Boeing-led

industry team that includes CFM

International,Northrop Grumman,

Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems,

BAE Systems and GE

Aviation.The CFM-56 enginespower the Poseidon. These are

modified with larger generators

that churn out the power needed

for the MMA’s sensors and

control systems. In addition, there

is an auxiliary power unit that

provides electricity even when the

main engines are switched off .

Boeing was instructed by the

Indian Navyto install certain

capabilities not provided for the

P8A.

This includes aft-looking radar ,

custom-designed by US company

Telefonic, which functions like anelectronic rearview mirror ,

scanning the water behind the

aircraft.

CDC : -

C D

India is experiencing a rapid healthtransition with a rising burden of Non Communicable Diseases

(NCD s). Overall, NCD s areemerging as the leading causes of death in the country accountingfor over 42% of al l deaths(Registrar General of India).

NCDs cause significant morbidityand mortality both in urban andrural population, withconsiderable loss in potentiallyproductive years (aged 35–64

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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years) of life.It is estimated thatthe overall prevalence of diabetes,

hypertension, Ischemic HeartDiseases (IHD) and Stroke is62.47, 159.46, 37.00 and 1.54

respectively per 1000 populationof India. There are an estimated

25 Lakh cancer cases in India.

& C

C , D , C D &

Considering the rising burden of

NCDs and common risk factors to

major Chronic Non –

Communicable Diseases ,

Government of India initiated anintegrated National Programme

for Prevention and Control of

Cancers, Diabetes, Cardiovascular

Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).

The focus of the programme is on

health promotion and prevention,

strengthening of infrastructure

including human resources, early

diagnosis and management and

integration with the primary health

care system through NCD cells at

different levels for optimal

operational synergies. National

Cancer Control Programme, an

on-going programme, has been

integrated under NPCDCS.The

programme is being implemented

in 100 districts spread over 21

States during 2010-11 & 2011-

12) at an estimated outlay of Rs.

1230.90 crore (Rs.499.38 crorefor interventions on diabetes and

cardiovascular diseases & stroke

and Rs.731.52 crore for cancer

control) on a cost sharing basis

between the Centre and the

States at the rate of 80:20. These

districts have been selected

keeping into account their

backwardness, inaccessibility &

poor health indicators.

A. C :

8 Common diagnostic

services , basic surgery,

chemotherapy and palliativecare for cancer cases at 100

district hospitals.

8 Support for Chemotherapy

drugs at each district hospital

8 Day care Chemotherapy

facilities at 100 district

hospitals.

8 Facility for laboratory

investigations including

Mammography at 100district hospitals

8 Home based palliative care

for chronic, debilitating and

progressive cancer patients

at 100 districts.

8 Support for contractual

manpower and equipment

for management of cancer

cases at the 100 district

hospitals.8 Strengthening of 65 centre

Tertiary Cancer Centres

(TCCs)

B. C D

(C D), D &

8 A Cardiac care unit at each

of the 100 district hospitals.

8 NCD clinic at 100 district

hospitals and 700

Community Health Centres

(CHCs) for diagnosis and

management of

Cardiovascular Diseases

(CVD), Diabetes & Stroke.

8 Provision for availability of

life saving drugs, to each

district hospital in 100

districts.

8 Opportunistic Screening for

diabetes and high blood

pressure to all persons above

30 years including pregnant

women of all age groups at

20,000Sub

Centres

.

8 Home based care for bed

ridden cases in 100 districts.

8 Support for contractual

manpower and equipments

at the 100 district hospitals

& 700 CHCs for

management of NCD s

including health promotion

activities.

A

8 Human Resource under

National NCD Cell in place.

8 Human Resource under State

andDistrict level in process.

8 Signed MOU Received from

11 States.

8 Setting up of State and

District NCD cells in process

8 Operational Guidelines

developed.

8 Training Modules developed

for Health Workers and

Medical Officers.

8 Funds for implementation of

NPCDCS in 27 districts

across 19 states were

released in March 2011 for

opportunistic screening ,

establishment of ‘NCD clinic’at CHCs and District

Hospitals.

8 Funds for conducting training

workshops were released to

NIHFW and Indian Nursing

Counsel.

8 Pilot Project on School based

Diabetes Screening







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Programme initiated in 6

districts

8 Proposal for surveillance of

NCD risk factors is under

submission

8 Efforts are being taken to

increase awareness for promotion of healthy

lifestyle through Mass

media.

The programme, thus, attempts toachieve behaviour change in thecommunity to adopt healthy lifestyles including dietary patterns,

enhanced physical activity andreduced intake of tobacco andalcohol resulting in overall

reduction in the risk factors of common Non-CommunicableDiseases in the country.

D

B

A new laser developed by the

researchers at Michigan State

University, which can accurately

detects roadside bombs and helps

identify Improvised Explosive

Devices(IEDs).The laser

combines short pulses that cause

molecules in the explosive to

vibrate.Every kind of molecule has

different vibrational frequencies

that uniquely find the

substance.However , the new

laser can make these distinctions

even for quantities as small as a

fraction of a billionth of a

gram.The laser has the sensitivity

and selectivity to look into large

areas and detect improvised

explosive devices, which cause 60

percent of coalition soldiers’

deaths in Afghanistan.

F

NASA’s Kepler mission made the

first unambiguous detection of acircumbinary planet - a planet

orbiting two stars - 200 light-

planets in our galaxy.Previous

research has hinted at theexistence of circumbinary planets,

but clear confirmation proved

elusive.Kepler detected such aplanet by observing transits,

where the brightness of a parent

star dims from the planet crossingin front of it.Kepler is the first

NASA mission capable of finding

Earth-size planets in or near thehabitable zone, the region in a

planetary system where liquid

water can exist on the surface of the orbiting planet.Scientists

detected the new planet in the

Kepler -16 system , a pair of orbiting stars that eclipse each

other from our vantage point onEarth. When the smaller star partially blocks the larger star , a

primary eclipse occurs, and a

secondary eclipse occurs whenthe smaller star is occulted, or

completely blocked, by the larger

star . This showed the third bodywas circling, not just one, but

both stars, in a wide circumbinary

orbit.This discovery confirms that

Kepler -16b is an inhospitable, coldworld about the size of Saturn and

thought to be made up of abouthalf rock and half gas. The parent

stars are smaller than our sun.

One is 69 percent the mass of thesun and the other only 20

percent. Kepler -16b orbits around

both stars every 229 days, similar to Venus’ 225-day orbit, but lies

outside the system’s habitable

zone, where liquid water couldexist on the surface, because the

stars are cooler than our sun.

E C B

H

F

NASA’s Wide-field Infrared

Survey Explorer (WISE) captured

years from Earth,on 15

September 2011.The planet is

cold, gaseous and not thought to

harbor life, but its discoverydemonstrates the diversity of








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rare data of a flaring black hole,

revealing new details about these

powerful objects and their blazing

jets.Scientists study jets to learn

more about the extreme

environments around black holes.

Much has been learned about the

material feeding black holes,

called accretion disks, and the jets

themselves through studies using

X -rays, gamma rays and radio

waves.But key measurements of

the brightest part of the jets ,

located at their bases, have been

difficult despite decades of work.

WISE is offering a new window

into this missing link through its

infrared observations.The blackhole, called GX 339-4, had been

observed previously. It lies more

than 20000 light-years away

from Earth near the center of our

galaxy. It has a mass at least six

times greater than the sun. Like

other black holes, Observing the

jet ’s variability was possible

because of images taken of the

same patch of sky over time, a

feature of NEOWISE, theasteroid-hunting portion of the

WISE mission.

WISE data enabled the team tozoom in on the very compactregion around the base of the jetstreaming from the black hole. Thesize of the region is equivalent tothe width of a dime seen at thedistance of our sun.The resultsshowed huge and erratic

fluctuations in the jet activity ontimescales ranging from 11

seconds to a few hours. Theobservations are like a dance of infrared colors and show the sizeof the jet’s base varies. Its radiusis approximately 15000 miles(24140 kilometers) with dramaticchanges by as large as a factor of

10 or more.The new data alsoallowed astronomers to make thebest measurements yet of theblack hole’s magnetic field, whichis 30000 times more powerfulthan the one generated by Earthat its surface.

G A

C C

NASA’s twin lunar Gravity

Recovery and Interior Laboratory

(GRAIL) spacecraft lifted off

from Cape Canaveral Air Force

Station in Florida on 10 September

2011 to study the moon in

unprecedented detail.

GRAIL-A is scheduled to reach

the moon on 31 December 2011,

while GRAIL-B will arrive on 1

January 2012. The two solar -

powered spacecraft will fly in

tandem orbits around the moon tomeasure its gravity field. GRAIL

will answer longstanding questions

about the moon and give scientists

a better understanding of how

Earth and other rocky planets in

the solar system formed. The

straight-line distance from Earth

to the moon is approximately

250000 miles (402336

kilometers).The science collection

phase for GRAIL is expected to

last 82 days. JPL manages the

GRAIL mission.

A D

A team of Scientists from Rutgers

University in Brazil discovered atiny plant which they say bowsdown and sows its own seeds.

The plant has pink and whiteflowers. Scientists found the plantin rural northeastern Bahia, Brazil,

one of the world’s mostbiologically diverse areas. The

discovery was reported in Live

Science.When the plant’s fruitsform, the plant slowly bends itssmall, fruiting branches down,

depositing the seed capsules

carefully onto the ground. The

plant sometimes buries them inthe soft cover of moss. The teamof scientists named the newspecies Spigelia genuflexa,

because of the plant’s dexterity.

E

Scientists discovered fossilisedremains of a large predatory fish







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with a fearsome mouth whichprowled North Americanwaterways some 375 millionyears ago. The fossil was foundon Ellesmere Island in theNunavut Territory of ArcticCanada. The findings are

published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

The lobe-finned fish, now calledLaccognathus embryi, grew toabout five to six feet long and hada wide head with small eyes androbust jaws lined with largepiercing teeth.

The predatory fish preyed on

armoured placoderms and lungfish.

The beast was likely a bottom-

dweller , waiting on the seafloor topounce at prey passing by, the

researchers said.In the past, theresearchers also discoveredTiktaalik roseae, a transitionalanimal considered a missing linkbetween fish and the earliestlimbed animals, side-by-side withL.embryi at the same site. Thatsuggests the two lived side-by-

side as well, the researchersbelieve.

H

C

Scientists discovered genetic

factors that make frog immune to

the fungal disease

chytridiomycosis . This couldimprove captive breeding

However , the frogs from the

other two locations survived and

fought off the infection

completely.The researchers traced

the difference back to regions of

DNA that form part of the immune

system called the Major

H istocompatibility Complex

(MHC).It is likely that the two

populations whose members

survived infection in the lab are the

ones that had been most strongly

exposed to the fungus in the wild

since it was detected in Arizona

in the 1970s.

A composite herbal formulation

named ‘Perfomax’ launched, that

has been developed by DRDO

and has been found to improve

physical and mental performance

in High Altitude and Hypoxic

Conditions at a function held in

Leh, Ladakh today. The

formulation is rich in antioxidants

and other bioactive compounds

that improve performance of brain, heart, kidney and lungs and

improves blood circulation.

B

C

Planetary Scientists discovered

that the universe is bound by

cosmic thread. Scientists have got

evidence of the vast filament of

material connecting the MilkyWay galaxy to nearby clusters of

galaxies , which are similarly

interconnected to the rest of the

universe .According to the

scientists, there were two types

of matter that made up the

Universe; the dominant, enigmatic

dark matter and ordinary matter

schemes. Chytridiomycosis is

slowly spreading across the world

and has already sent a number of

species extinct.Chytridiomycosis

kills by damaging the skin of the

living being, which eventually

results into cardiac arrest.

Frogs and other amphibians that

had no resistance succumbed

quickly. For their experiment,

Scientists collected lowlandleopard frogs (Lithobates

yavapaiensis) from five places in

Arizona.

In the lab, they infected the

animals with the chytrid fungus

(Batratochytrium Dendrobatidis,

or BD). All the frogs collected

from three of the locations died.








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in the form of galaxies, stars and

planets.Unlike a sponge, however ,

gravity draws the material over

these interconnecting filaments

towards the largest lumps of

matter , and the scientific findings

show that the globular clusters

and satellite galaxies of the Milky

Way trace the cosmic filament.

G A

C C

D G

Scientists stated that the two

powerful collisions with a dwarf

galaxy in the past two billion years

was the cause of the spiral arm

structure of the Milky Way.In

trying to explain the shape of our

own galaxy, the Milky Way, with

its prominent spiral arms rooted in

a central bar , scientists had earlier

dismissed the influence of outside

forces .However , in the new

study, scientists focused on the

nearby Sagittarius dwarf galaxy,

much of which had been ripped

apart by the gravitational pull of

the Milky Way, leaving debris

that formed a large but very faint

stream of stars around our

galaxy.This dwarf galaxy might

have once been 100 times more

massive .This dwarf galaxy’s

collision with the Milky Way

triggered the formation of our

galaxy’s spiral arms, caused the

flaring seen in the outermost disk

and influenced the growth of its

central bar .The impact could have

generated ringlike structures

wrapping around the Milky Way,

similar to ones actually seen in our

galaxy, such as the Monoceros

ring.

C

A( )

( ) E

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C A








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