Science and Technology: Current Affairs

ACHIEVEMENTS OF INDIANS

VEERABHADRAN RAMANATHAN Veerabhadran Ramanathan, atmospheric scientist of Indian origin has been doing wonders around the globe for many years and has recently been nominated to receive ‘Champions of the Earth award’, the UN’s highest environmental award, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced. He currently chairs an international science team from Asia, Africa and Latin America under the Atmospheric Brown Clouds Program sponsored by the United Nations Environmental Programme.  For over 30 years, he has been conducting original research in Climate and Atmospheric Science.

ABOUT  UN’s CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH AWARD

The prize is awarded annually to leaders from government, civil society and the private sector, whose actions have had a significant and positive impact on the environment. Other winners to receive Champions of the Earth award are Google Earth; Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food Movement; Izabella Teixeira, Minister of Environment, Brazil; Jack Dangermond, founder of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), and Martha Isabel Ruiz Corzo from the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.

VIJAYA GADDE Twitter, a microblogging site, which has more than 200 million active users, is widely expected to go public in 2014. He is recently appointed as Twitter’s general counsel [ twitter’s top lawyer] Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size. Microblogs “allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, individual images, or video links”

JAGANNATHAN SARANGAPANI He is an Indian origin scientist, working at Missouri university of science and technology. He recently developed a system that may act as Robot Brain. He has developed this new feedback system that allows robots to operate with minimal supervision and could eventually lead to autonomous machines. The system may lead to robots that think for themselves, learn, adapt and use active critique to work unsupervised.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

KANNURIN It is a recently isolated Anti – Fungal molecule from the bacterium ‘Bacillus cereus AK1 bacterium” The discovery of this molecule is formally announced in Kannur. so Named as Kannurin. The molecule promises to be active against invasive fungal infections that primarily affect people with immune-deficiency including HIV/AIDS patients and those undergoing cancer chemotherapy or organ transplantation. It is a major breakthrough as it indicates that the molecule promises to have potential pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. The new molecule is devoid of haemolytic activity .The absence of less haemolytic activity is important for any anti-microbial agents for its medicinal applications

DEFENCE SECTOR

WITNESS – 129 Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has unveiled an attack drone, capable of carrying missiles and described as the unit’s “most sophisticated” so far. Dubbed Shahed-129, or Witness-29, can fly up to a distance of 1,700 km, which puts much of West Asia within its range. It says the drone has a 24-hour non-stop flight capability, can carry eight bombs or missiles, and hit both fixed and moving targets. Iran has claimed to have captured several U.S. drones, including an advanced RQ-170 Sentinel CIA spy drone in December 2011 and at least three ScanEagle aircraft.

 ARROW ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM – WILL IT BECOME A GAME – CHANGER IN ONGOING MIDDLE EAST GEOPOLITICAL CRISISINTRODUCTION The Arrow or Hetz  is a family of anti-ballistic missiles designed to fulfill an Israeli requirement for a theater missile defense system that would be more effective against ballistic missiles Jointly funded and produced by Israel and the United States Following the construction and testing of the Arrow 1 technology demonstrator, production and deployment began with the Arrow 2 version of the missile. The Arrow is considered one of the most advanced missile defense programs currently in existence

It is the first operational missile defense system specifically designed and built to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles

Sparrow missile system Rafael’s “Black Sparrow” is an airborne ballistic target missile The “Black Sparrow” is a single stage missile, boosted by a solid rocket motor, and is steered by 4 aerodynamic fins located in its rear section Arrow is the long-range segment in Israel’s three-tier missile shield. This also includes the successfully deployed “Iron Dome”, which targets short-range rockets and projectiles, and the mid-range “David’s Sling”, still under development. They can be deployed alongside other U.S. systems.

GREEN PINE AND SUPER GREEN PINE RADAR The EL/M-2080 Green Pine is Israeli ground-based missile-defense radar produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, to operate mainly with the Arrow theater missile defense system of Israel, which is jointly funded and produced with the United States. Green Pine was exported to India, and its advanced version, the Super Green Pine, is also to be delivered to South Korea The Israeli Air Defense Command within the Israeli Air Force (IAF) of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operates both Green Pine radars and Super Green Pine radars as an integral part of the Arrow system. An advanced version of the radar, called Super Green Pine

WHY RECENTLY IN NEWS Israel carried out a successful test of its upgraded Arrow interceptor system on Monday, which is designed to destroy in space the kind of missiles held by Syria and Iran, the Israeli Defense Ministry said. The U.S.-backed Arrow III system deploys “kamikaze” satellites that target ballistic missiles above the earth’s atmosphere, hitting them high enough to allow for any non-conventional warheads to disintegrate safely

 ELECTRONICS

ATTENTION POWERED CARIntroduction While driving a car, we may loss our attention. It leads to road traffic accidents and loss of life etc To solve this problem of inattention while driving, West Australian car makers came up with an idea called Attention powered car. When we lose our attention,  The car detects it via neuroheadset and lowers the speed of car to 9mph.

How it works The so-called Attention Powered Car features a neuroheadset made by Emotiv, creator of a range of electroencephalography-based monitoring gear. When worn, the headset, known as the EPOC, measures electrical activity in the brain to gauge how focused the driver is on driving. The headset interfaces with custom software installed in the car, with any lapses in concentration resulting in the vehicle slowing down safely to about 9 mph as a way of alerting the driver to his or her inattention. Factors measured include blink rate and duration, eye movement, and head tilts.

Significance of this car It can reduce accidents due to low attention, Drunken drive etc.

 DEEP UV LASER DEVICE TECHNOLOGYWHAT IS LASER? A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation

HOW LASER IS PRODUCED

WHAT IS DEEP UV LASER DEVICE? A DUV wave refers to the light wave whose wavelength is shorter than 200nm.Synchrotron radiation and gas discharge are among the main non-coherent light

sources to produce DUV lasers. A KBBF prism coupling device-based DPL source features a smaller size, higher energy resolution and higher photon influx density.

APPLICATIONS OF DEEP UV LASER Ultraviolet laser technology will spawn a new generation of applications in nanotechnology, material sciences, biology, chemistry, plasma physics and a myriad of other uses of UV. Lasers are becoming the building blocks of various industries and even humanity with lasers controlling just about every aspect of our lives. From UV lasers to red laser pointers and beyond, photonics will always be a fundamental achievement of mankind as Ultraviolet lasers are becoming as common as the rising sun.

APPLICATIONS OF DEEP UV LASER DEVICE  Improved detection of airborne chemical and biological agents. Enhanced detection of explosives and explosive residuals. Significant improvement in the ability to inspect microchips with solid state metrology. Advanced research and development of new semiconductor materials and applications. Deep ultraviolet (UV) light can be used to sterilise bacteria and viruses, decontaminate drinking water and in fluorescence sensors to detect chemicals.

WHY RECENTLY IN NEWS The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on 10 September 2013 launched aDeep UltraViolet (DUV) solid-state laser device. The Deep UV Laser Device would help to detect the biological, chemical agents and explosives. The device marks the world’s first-ever output of 1064-nanometer’s 6 harmonic frequency multiplication, shortening the diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPL)’s wavelength to 177.3 nm. China is the first-ever country in the world to possess such technology.

TERMINATOR POLYMERWHAT IS POLYMER A polymer is a large molecule composed of many repeated subunits, known as monomers. Because of their broad range of properties, both synthetic and natural polymers play an essential and ubiquitous role in everyday life.

ROLE OF POLYMER IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE Polymers range from familiar synthetic plastics such as polystyrene (or styrofoam) to natural biopolymers such as DNA and proteins that are fundamental to biological structure and function. The polymers play very important role in our daily life as 1- polyethene in shopping bags.2-nylon in suit cases, purses, school bags.3-polyvinylchloride in waste pipes, electric

wiring pipes.4-polyvinylacetate in plastic bottles, in utensils etc. all the plastics are polymers. The backlite plastic is used to make the body of electronic devices as T.V the inner part of passenger compartment of aeroplane is mostly composed of backlite.

WHAT ARE SMART MATERIALS Self-healing materials are a class of smart materials that have the structurally incorporated ability to repair damage caused by mechanical usage over time. The inspiration comes from biological systems, which have the ability to heal after being wounded.

WHAT IS TERMINATOR POLYMER Recently scientists have for the first time created the world’s first self-healing polymer that spontaneously and independently repairs itself without any intervention. The researchers, from the CIDETEC Centre for Electrochemical Technologies in San Sebastian, Spain have dubbed the material a “Terminator polymer” in tribute to the shape-shifting, molten T-1000 terminator robot from the Terminator 2 film.

IMPORTANCE OF TERMINATOR POLYMER Terminator polymer could be used to improve the security and lifetime of plastic parts in everyday products such as electrical components, cars and even houses.

 ENERGY SECTOR

PLUSENERGY CONCEPT PlusEnergy is a coined concept developed by Rolf Disch that indicates a structure’s extreme energy efficiency so that it holds a positive energy balance, actually producing more energy than it uses. PlusEnergy is more than just a new energy standard, but it is also an integrated ecological and architectural concept. To reach its positive energy balance PlusEnergy harnesses a variety of techniques to both minimize energy use and maximize renewable energy generation. Disch then developed his concept, PlusEnergy, simply making it a permanent goal for his buildings to produce more energy than they consume in order to sell the surplus solar energy back into the grid for profit.

 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

INTEGRATED OCEAN DRILLING PROGRAMME [IODP] JOIDES resolution is the name of sophisticated scientific drilling vessel By using this vessel, scientific team of integrated ocean drilling project drilled the ocean and took sample of muddy and sandy sediments of rocks on the seafloor and drilled

into the hard crustal rocks themselves in order to understand how microbes can ‘breathe’ and get energy necessary to live in the remote environment.

Objectives of drilling IODP gives scientists the opportunity to:1. recover geological records and rock samples;2. investigate and document ocean- and climate-change through time;3. explore the presence of primitive life below the seafloor;4. verify remote, near-seafloor observatories;5. gain understanding of how tectonic plates move and recycle themselves into the deep mantle

Method The team measured oxygen concentrations in sediment cores collected above the rocky oceanic crust, almost three miles below the sea surface, on the western edge of the remote Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Results These measurements then allowed the researchers to determine oxygen concentration in seawater circulating in the rocks of the oceanic crust itself. Researchers said that their computer models showed that the crustal oxygen concentrations in the region were most likely the result of microbial life forms scavenging oxygen in the crust as seawater moves through fractures and cracks deep in the rocks. Under the cold conditions of the crust in this area, purely chemical oxygen consumption is minimal, which suggests that microbes in the oceanic crust are responsible for using the oxygen that’s down there.

GENETIC EROSION Genetic diversity plays a crucial role in the stability of our ecological system, and what we retrieve from it is priceless. Every species fulfills a role in the earth’s biosphere and assures ecological survival. By self-regulation, biodiversity keeps the soil fertile, recycles all nutrients and cleans the air and water. Moreover, the richer the genetic baggage, the higher the capacity to fight different virus or bacteria, which are also species that evolve Today, approximately half of all species are found in tropical forests. This is known as mega diversity. These areas are often victims of human expansion and deforestation, which are problems related to overpopulation. It causes an important loss to the gene pool. This phenomenon is known as genetic erosion, which is a decrease of genetic diversity.

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, 926 km   west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part. People can now explore some of the stunning landscapes of Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands online on Google Street View.

The launch marks the 178th anniversary of the British scientist Charles Darwin’s visit to Galapagos Islands, which inspired his theory of natural selection. The high-definition 360 degrees pictures were clicked as a joint effort by Google, the Galapagos National Park and the Darwin Foundation.

 GREEN TRIBUNAL BANS DIGGING EARTH FOR MAKING BRICKS, ROADS Now nobody can dig the earth across the country for making bricks and roads without prior environmental clearance. Judgement given by National Green Tribunal [NGT] In a blow to brick-kiln industry and road contractors, the National Green Tribunal has banned digging of earth across the country for making bricks and roads without prior environment clearance (EC). “We restrain any person, company and authority to carry out any such digging activities of brick earth or ordinary earth against the directives issued by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) of June 24, 2013 in any part of the country without obtaining EC from the competent authority. – judge report  The ban on brick earth mining comes one-and-a-half months after the NGT banned sand mining from river beds, without environment clearance, across the country.

   

HEALTH & NUTRITION

REGENERATIVE MEDICINEWHAT IS REGENERATIVE MEDICINE? US National Institutes of Health defined regenerative medicine as ‘the process of creating living, functional tissues to repair or replace tissue or organ function lost due to age, disease, damage, or congenital defects’. Many of these processes involve the use of stem cells.

PROCESS OF REGENERATIVE MEDICINE Stem cells are collected during birth. when organ gets damaged due to aging, damage etc, stem cells are stimulated to produce a particular organ that is required.

ADVANTAGES OF REGENERATIVE MEDICINE1. This field holds the promise of regenerating damaged tissues and organs in the body by replacing damaged tissue and/or by stimulating the body’s own repair mechanisms to heal previously irreparable tissues or organs

2. Importantly, regenerative medicine has the potential to solve the problem of the shortage of organs available for donation compared to the number of patients that require life-saving organ transplantation.3. It aims to develop new stem cell based treatments that enhance the body’s own repair system

WHY RECENTLY IN NEWS A landmark study published today (Sept 12) in Nature shows that reprogramming of adult cells that behave like stem cells can be achieved right inside the body (in vivo). Till now, reprogramming of adult cells has been achieved only in labs (in vitro).

BED REST STUDY It is being conducted by NASA. It is designed to study the effects of prolonged exposure to MICROGRAVITY It requires participants to remain horizontal for a period of 70 days. Bed Rest Study’ is an ongoing effort to improve conditions for astronauts working in a weightless environment. Since large-scale studies are unfeasible in orbit, the effects of microgravity must be simulated on the ground. Head-down bed rest, it turns out, offers an excellent alternative to space flight. Watching the participants will help scientists learn how an astronaut’s body will change in weightlessness during space flight in the future The programme divides participants into exercising subjects and non-exercising subjects. The programme has three segments. First is the ‘Ambulatory Period’ in which both groups will be free to move around inside the bed rest facility and do normal things. Next comes the ‘Bed Rest Period’, in which participants will spend 70 days lying in bed, with their body slightly tilted downward (head down, feet up). The last is the ‘Recovery Period’ during the final 14 days of the study During all phases of the study, participants will take part in tests of their bone, muscle, heart and circulatory systems, and nervous systems, as well as their nutritional condition and their ability to fight off infections.

 IAIMS PROJECT

 INTRODUCTION IAIMS stands for Integrated Analysis for Impact, Impact and Sustainability It is a national project of CSIR [Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research]

Aim of IAIMS PROJECT

Climate change is influencing all aspects, including health and agriculture. CSIR wants to to develop sustainable mitigation strategies at local level through its network of institutions. Under this project, CSIR has been initiated to leverage multi-disciplinary expertise available at CSIR for developing suitable models by taking into account various geographical variations.

CLIMATE OBSERVATION AND MODELING NETWORK A network of 40 meteorological towers has been set up across the country in the form of Climate Observation and Modeling Network under IAIMS. Each of the 30-metre tall towers is equipped with three sensors at different heights to provide data on several parameters such as temperature, humidity, sub-surface temperature, wind speed, wind direction, soil wetness and +rainfall. The towers have devices to measure soil heat flux, cloud height, air temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed, water vapour and carbon dioxide.

INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT1. Indian Institute of Chemical Technology at Hyderabad2. Indian Institute of Chemical Biology3. Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants4. Bangalore-based 4PI

IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROJECT1. Through aerodynamic study of the mosquitoes, the scientists have been able to estimate the flight range and distance they cover. This in turn would help in mosquito control in the endemic zone.1.  For instance, the frequency rate of a male mosquito’s wing beats is 600 per second, while that of a female mosquito is 400 per second. With the female mosquito using less kinetic energy, it would travel greater distance. By estimating the distance travel, the residual spray could be taken up in the villages that fall along its flight path.  Such a measure would significantly reduce transmission rate of vector borne-diseases

QUINVAXEM It is the name of Pentavalent vaccine used in Vietnam. It is a combination vaccine that protects against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Hepatitis B and Hemophilus Influenza type Binfections. Recently Vietnam suspended Quinvaxem temporarily, following in the recent increase of adverse events following Immunization [ AEFI] & many infants died. Vietnam asked WHO to investigate the case.

PENTAVALENT VACCINE It’s a single vaccine that protects children against five potentially lethal diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitus B and Haemopghilus Influenzae B (which causes meningitis and pneumonia).

It’s currently used in around 170 countries, and is increasingly being given to children in poorer countries. In 2010, UNICEF bought 97 million doses. The vaccine is given at the age of 6 weeks, 10 weeks & 14 weeks of age to infants (total 3 doses). Having five vaccines in one is also a real help for the health workers who are doing the vaccinating It means they have fewer sorts of vaccines to carry and administer, so far less data to collect when they’re immunising children. This all means their efforts can reach more children Pentavalent Vaccine is provided as commodity assistance by Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) through UNICEF.

WHY RECENTLY IN NEWS Recently the Supreme Court sought a response from the Centre on a PIL seeking its direction to ban the use of pentavalent vaccine which prevents diseases such as Hepatitis-B and diphtheria in children. The PIL alleged that the vaccine has serious side-effects on children, causing the death of 21 minors so far in the country. The PIL pleaded that the use of vaccine should be stopped in the country as it has already been banned in various countries including the US, Japan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and others.

2012: YEAR OF INTENSIFICATION OF ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION India has declared year 2012 as the year of intensification of routine immunization. The present full immunization coverage of children is 61%. The key objective of this campaign is to improve full immunization coverage and reach all children, particularly in remote, inaccessible and backward areas as well as in urban slums.

SEALBIO TECHNIQUE It is an unique method developed by AIIMS research team to cure and regenerate an infected Root canal of teeth. 

It is considered as breakthrough technique because it uses stem cell activation method to cure dental loss. It is a field of Regenerative medicine. The chance of saving the infected tooth is greater, precluding the need for an implant or other artificial object in the mouth.

LATHYRISMWHAT IS LATHYRISM Lathyrism is a neurological condition in which victims suffer paralysis in the lower limbs. 

REASON FOR LATHYRISM Lathyrism or neurolathyrism is a neurological disease of humans and domestic animals, caused by eating certain legumes of the genus Lathyrus. This problem is mainly associated with Lathyrus sativus (also known as Grass pea, Kesari Dhal, Khesari Dhal or Almorta) 

WHY CONSUMING KHESARI DHAL LEADS TO LATHYRISM Khesari dhal contains neurotoxin ODAP. The toxicological cause of the disease has been attributed to the neurotoxin ODAP which acts as a structural analogue of the neurotransmitter glutamate.  It is the neurotoxin responsible for lathyrism.

WHY IT IS PREVALENT IN INDIA This disease is prevalent in some areas of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Nepal, and affects more men than women.

STATUS OF KHESARI DHAL PRODUCTION IN INDIA This was the reason why Khesari dal was banned in the country in 1955. However, there is no ban on sale of Khesari dal in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and West Bengal. Despite a ban, the legume is being cultivated in small quantities in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. WHY THERE IS A STRONG DEMAND TO LIFT THE BAN ON PRODUCTION OF KHESARI DAL Since Khesari dal (Lathyrus sativus) is a high-yielding and drought resistant legume, there has been a demand to lift the ban on its saleWHY KHESARI DHAL IS CONSUMED MORE IN MANY PARTS OF INDIA DESPITE BAN

International studies have shown that Khesari dal contains 31 per cent protein, 41 per cent carbohydrate, 17 per cent total dietary fibre, two per cent fat and two per cent ash, on a dry matter basis. [ less fat, more protein & dietary fibre à good for health, But Neurotoxin is the problematic area] Less price compared to other dhal varieties

WHY RECENTLY IN NEWS With a demand being raised to lift the ban on cultivation of Khesari dal in the country, the Planning Commission got an epidemiological study done. The study sponsored by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was carried out by the National Institute of Nutrition-Indian Council of Medical Research (NIN-ICMR) based in Hyderabad. According to the findings, Khesari dal consumed as gravy in small quantities is safe. Consuming large quantities, however, may result in lathyrism. 

ICT & COMPUTER SCIENCE

ETHICAL COMPUTING [CYBERETHICS] Ethical computing or Computer Ethics is a part of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct Computer technology brings about a whole new field of ethical dilemmas. From computer crime to privacy to the power of computer professionals, this technology has shifted the way the business world must think about ethical decisions. Because of its constantly changing nature, the area of computer technology is one that is difficult to assign a specific set of moral codes, although it is necessary that ethics be considered when making decisions in this area. Computing creates a whole new set of ethical problems, unique unto itself. Such problems include: “…the unauthorized use of hardware, the theft of software, disputed rights to products, the use of computers to commit fraud, the phenomenon of hacking and data theft, sabotage in the form of viruses, responsibility for the reliability of output, making false claims for computers, and the degradation of work.” To begin with, it seems that there are four big areas of computer ethics. They are “(1) computer crime; (2) responsibility for computer failure; (3) protection of computer property, records, and software; and (4) privacy of the company, workers, and customers” Computer Crime is intellectual, white-collar crime. Those that commit such crimes must be intelligent enough to manipulate a computer system and in such a position to access it in the first place. One example of computer crime is stealing funds via computer. Often the worst that can happen to such a thief is that he/she is merely required to return the stolen money. Many times that person will be fired, assuming he/she is an employee, but may be quickly hired by a competitor because of his/her skill. This creates practically no deterrent to committing computer theft because legal action is not often taken against the perpetrator. This crime goes along with the idea of hacking. Hacking is defined as “any computer-related activity which is not sanctioned or approved of by an employer or owner of a system

or network”  Such an activity deals with the ethical dilemma of who actually owns information and who should have access to that information. At many universities, Computer Science professors have their students hack into the university’s system to prove their skill and knowledge of computer systems. This poses a serious ethical dilemma. Since the students are not causing any harm to the system, is such an action morally reprehensible or acceptable? Many computer professionals feel that this act is not ethically sanctioned and the Computer Science professors must address the issue of computer ethics more fervently in their classes.   Another area of computer ethics regards privacy. The privacy issue focuses on the computer’s most basic functions, “its capacity to store, organized, and exchange records”. (Johnson 58)  A great deal of the concern has to do with the amount of information gathering that is made possible by computers. This puts people’s personal information in a vulnerable position. If someone hacks into a computer system, all this information is at his/her disposal. In this way, such crimes as identity theft can occur. There are many gray areas for which to account. Many times people chose to blame the computers when they run into trouble. In reality, however, it is the people that make the mistakes because they are the ones that created the technology. People merely use computers as scapegoats to avoid responsibility. This is why it is of utmost significance to educate people about the power, and potential abuses, of computer technology. It is only in doing so that society will acquire a firm grasp of computer ethics and handle moral dilemmas regarding computing in an ethical and proper manner.

COOKIES It is a small piece of data sent from a website and stored in a user’s web browser while the user is browsing that website. Every time the user loads the website, the browser sends the cookie back to the server to notify the website of the user’s previous activity Although cookies cannot carry viruses, and cannot install malware on the host computer, tracking cookies and especially third-party tracking cookiesare commonly used as ways to compile long-term records of individuals’ browsing histories—a potential privacy concern

 ROBOTICS

ROBONURSEIntroduction They are programmed robots that can do the job of nursing. They are being employed in hospitals of Japan and USA. It is also called as “Nursebot”

Applications1. It will remind the patients to take medication at right time through via telemedicine or video conferencing

2. They can work 24/7, ferrying drugs throughout the hospital without a human tagging along.3. Besides drugs, these robots can transport medical equipment, blood samples, meal trays, linens and other supplies. They’re not meant to replace humans, their makers and employers say, but rather to free them to do the work that only humans can do.4. The robot doesn’t get bored’ in routine jobs5. They are programmed with a map of the hospital, and onboard sonar, infrared and laser sensors prevent them from running into people and other obstacles. When they encounter closed-off areas, they can sound a doorbell-like chime to alert hospital staff to let them in.

  WHAT IS ROBOETHICS Roboethics is a field of robotic research that aims to ensure robots adhere to certain moral standards. Robotics is rapidly becoming one of the leading fields of science and technology, so that very soon humanity is going to coexist with a totally new class of technological artifacts: robots. It will be an event rich in ethical, social and economic problems. Roboethics is an applied ethics whose objective is to develop scientific/cultural/technical tools that can be shared by different social groups and beliefs. These tools aim to promote and encourage the development of Robotics for the advancement of human society and individuals, and to help preventing its misuse against humankind.”

WITH RESPECT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIELD OF ROBOTICS, FEW ETHICAL QUESTIONS ARE ARISING1. Whether Robots should be developed only in a society where aging population is high or robotics should be developed in all societies. Because development of robots may lead unemployment. India can’t afford to this situation where huge population belongs to the age group between 15- 35 years.2. If robots with reasoning ability are developed, then What is the surety that Robots will not harm  human / human interests in future3. As robots become increasingly intelligent and lifelike, it’s not hard to imagine a future where they’re completely autonomous.4. Military robots or killing robots should be prepared according to internationally prescribed moral norms and values5. If robots don’t respect humans, we’re in trouble. That’s why the researchers stress that autonomous robots will need to respect basic human rights, including privacy, identity, and autonomy.

 S& T ORGANIZATIONS

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SOLAR ENERGY In a bid to realize India’s solar energy potential through research and innovation, the government recently approved a proposal to set up an autonomous institution - National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) – in Gurgaon. The NISE is to be set up immediately by converting the Solar Energy Centre (SEC), Gurgaon as a world class institute in the field of developing solar energy technologies. Solar energy technologies are evolving continuously and the proposal to set up the National Institute of Solar Energy is an innovative idea which will accelerate the process to support induction of the latest technologies to ensure maximum cost benefit and lead to early commercialization  Setting up of an apex national centre for solar energy is a part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) which was considered by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change in August, 2009.

S&T PROGRAMMES & CONVENTIONS

INDIA – US COLLOBORATION IN CLIMATE CHANGE Recognising climate change as a “defining challenge”, India and US have announced the establishment of a joint working group to develop and enhance action-oriented cooperation in this key sector. In a joint statement after the summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama, the two leaders jointly announced the group to begin an enhanced dialogue focusing on working closely in developing anambitious climate change agreement for the post-2020 period and also on strengthening bilateral efforts in this regard. The two leaders agreed to immediately convene the India-US Task Force on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to discuss multilateral approaches that include using the expertise and the institutions of the Montreal Protocol to phase down the consumption and production of HFCs, based on economically- viable and technically feasible alternatives. The leaders also agreed upon including HFCs within the scope of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol for accounting and reporting of emissions. Both the leaders welcomed the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to mobilise political will through 2014 towards the successful adoption of a protocol, another legal instrument, or an agreed outcome with legal force under the convention applicable to all parties by 2015, during COP-21 scheduled to be hosted by France.

The leaders maintained that the US-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE), launched by the two leaders in 2009, is expected to pave the way for energy to millions of Indian households. To expand the availability of clean energy resources to more people, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh endorsed the proposal to launch Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy (PEACE), to rapidly deploy innovative renewable energy solutions to those who currently lack access to energy,” the statement said.

PACE INITIATIVE As part of the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on  November 24, 2009, creating the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE). It is the flagship program on clean energy between the U.S. and India, and operates a jointly managed set of activities related to energy security, clean energy and climate change issues. PACE focuses on accelerating the transition to high-performing, low-emission, and energy secure economies.  It aims to bolster joint efforts to demonstrate the viability of existing clean energy technologies,  as well as to identify new technologies that can increase energy access and security. PACE also focuses on engaging the private sector, local governments, industries, and other stakeholders in sharing best practices on sustainable low carbon growth. Since its inception, PACE has mobilized significant resources from both governments and the private sector to promote clean energy scale-up. Working under auspices of the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue, PACE is an inter-agency effort, which combines the resources of several U.S. agencies and GOI Ministries. PACE has two components: a research component, known as PACE-R, and a deployment component, known as PACE-D.

SPECIAL IMMUNIZATION WEEK AWARENESS INITIATIVE To create awareness on the urgency to vaccinate every eligible child and intensify efforts to improve RI coverage, the Government of India has launched Special Immunization Weeks. Four weeks, with one week each in the months of April, June, July and August will be used to hold special immunization sessions in high-risk areas across the country. Each year, full immunization prevents approximately 4 lakh under-five deaths from vaccine preventable diseases in India.But close to 75 lakh children every year miss the benefits of childhood vaccinations. A majority of those missing the opportunity are from among underserved and marginalized populations. The new communication campaign comprises a new RI logo, TV spot, radio spot and posters. The media event, organized in collaboration with UNICEF, was part of the first Special Immunization Week awareness initiative.

The Special Immunization Week lays sufficient importance on generating awareness about immunization and to reach marginalized populations in brick kilns, urban slums and other hard-to-reach areas. 

SCIENCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE

APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE1. Researchers are developing customized nanoparticles the size of molecules that can deliver drugs directly to diseased cells in your body.  When it’s perfected, this method should greatly reduce the damage treatment such as chemotherapy does to a patient’s healthy cells2. Nanotechnology holds some answers for how we might increase the capabilities of electronics devices while we reduce their weight and power consumption3. Nanotechnology is having an impact on several aspects of food science, from how food is grown to how it is packaged. Companies are developing nanomaterials that will make a difference not only in the taste of food, but also in food safety, and the health benefits that food delivers.4. Nanotechnology is being used to reduce the cost of catalysts used in fuel cells to produce hydrogen ions from fuel such as methanol and to improve the efficiency of membranes used in fuel cells to separate hydrogen ions from other gases such as oxygen.5. Companies have developed nanotech solar cells that can be manufactured at significantly lower cost than conventional solar cells. Nanotechnology can play an important role in achieving National solar mission targets6. Nanotechnology may hold the key to making space-flight more practical. Advancements in nanomaterials make lightweight spacecraft and a cable for the space elevator possible. By significantly reducing the amount of rocket fuel required, these advances could lower the cost of reaching orbit and traveling in space7. Nanotechnology is being used to develop solutions to three very different problems in water quality. One challenge is the removal of industrial wastes, such as a cleaning solvent called TCE, from groundwater. Nanoparticles can be used to convert the contaminating chemical through a chemical reaction to make it harmless.8. Nanotechnology can enable sensors to detect very small amounts of chemical vapors. Various types of detecting elements, such as carbon nanotubes, zinc oxide nanowires or palladium nanoparticles can be used in nanotechnology-based sensors.9. Current nanotechnology applications in the sports arena include increasing the strength of tennis racquets, filling any imperfections in club shaft materials and reducing the rate at which air leaks from tennis balls

 HOW LED IS CHANGING OUR LIFE

INTRODUCTION

LED means Light Emitting Diode A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for general lighting

HOW LED WORKS

  APPLICATIONS OF LED IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIFE1. Light-emitting diodes are used in applications as diverse as aviation lighting, automotive lighting, advertising, general lighting, and traffic signals2. Infrared LEDs are also used in the remote control units of many commercial products including televisions, DVD players and other domestic appliances.3. The low energy consumption, low maintenance and small size of LEDs has led to uses as status indicators and displays on a variety of equipment and installations. Large-area LED displays are used as stadium displays and as dynamic decorative displays. Thin, lightweight message displays are used at airports and railway stations, and as destination displays for trains, buses, trams, and ferries.4. One-color light is well suited for traffic lights and signals, exit signs, emergency vehicle lighting, ships’ navigation lights or lanterns5. The light from LEDs can be modulated very quickly so they are used extensively in optical fiber and free space optics communications. This includes remote controls, such as for TVs, VCRs, and LED Computers, where infrared LEDs are often used.

 

APPLICATION OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUID IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIFEIntroduction  A supercritical fluid is any substance at a temperature and pressure above its critical point, where distinct liquid and gas phases do not exist. It can effuse through solids like a gas, and dissolve materials like a liquid.

Applications of Super-critical fluid in our day to day life1. Super-critical fluid is useful in dry cleaning2. Supercritical water oxidation uses supercritical water as a medium in which to oxidize hazardous waste, eliminating production of toxic combustion products that burning can produce.[ useful in cleaning our environment]3. Supercritical hydrolysis is a method of converting biomass into cellulosic sugar by employing water under supercritical conditions4. Supercritical carbon dioxide is used to enhance oil recovery in mature oil fields.[ so it affects the price of petrol and diesel that we pay in our life everyday]5. Supercritical fluid is useful in Carbon capture and storage methods.6. Supercritical carbon dioxide is also an important emerging refrigerant, being used in new, low-carbon solutions for domestic heat pumps7. It is useful in power generation

HOW TELEMETRY PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIFEINTRODUCTION TO TELEMETRY Telemetry is the highly automated communications process by which measurements are made and other data collected at remote or inaccessible points and transmitted to receiving equipment for monitoring.

APPLICATIONS OF TELEMETRY IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE1. Telemetry is important for water management including water quality, groundwater monitoring, leak detection in water distribution pipelines. [ ensures quality, assured drinking water to you]2. Telemetry plays an important role in energy monitoring. [ here Telemetry benefits you by reducing your electricity bill in homes and factories and so on]3. Telemetry is important in resource distribution.4. If we are admitted to hospital because of any emergency, all vital parameters [ blood pressure, Pulse etc] should be monitored continuously.  Telemetry plays a crucial role by alerting nurses and doctors when vital parameters of a patient deteriorate in emergency care unit.5. Telemetry ensures sustainable management of fishery resources.6. Telemetry equipment is usually attached with cars and other vehicles. When your car is stolen by someone, telemetry equipment reports the location of the vehicle to the law enforcement agencies.7. Sometimes we have to monitor the hazardous places closely. For example – munition – storage facilities, volcanoes and radioactive sites. In these cases, telemetry equipment play an important role. Example – 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster – here telemetry equipment have played a significant role in monitoring the leakage.

SPACE SECTOR

INSIGHT It stands for stationary Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and heat transportation. InSight is a NASA’s Mars lander mission planned for launch in 2016.

OBJECTIVE OF INSIGHT

The mission’s objective is to place a stationary lander equipped with a seismometer and heat flow probe on the surface of Mars to study its early geological evolution. This would bring new understanding of the Solar System’s terrestrial planets — Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars — and Earth’s Moon. InSight will place a single stationary lander on Mars to study its deep interior and address a fundamental issue of planetary and Solar System science: understanding the processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner Solar System (including Earth) more than four billion years ago

WHY RECENTLY IN NEWS NASA has narrowed down to four potential landing sites for its next mission to Mars in 2016, aimed at studying the red planet’s interior. The mission will touch down at one of four sites selected in August from a field of 22 candidates. All four semi-finalist spots lie near each other on an equatorial plain in an area of Mars called Elysium Planitia Scientists will focus two of NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter cameras on the semi-finalists in the coming months to gain data they will use to select the best of the four sites well before InSight is launched. The mission will investigate processes that formed and shaped Mars and will help scientists better understand the evolution of our inner solar system’s rocky planets, including Earth.

 ELYSIUM PLANITIA Elysium is one of three areas on Mars that meet two basic engineering constraints for InSight. One requirement is being close enough to the equator for the lander’s solar array to have adequate power at all times of the year.

HS3  MISSIONINTRODUCTION NASA’s Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) mission. HS3 is a five-year mission. NASA’s Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with instruments to survey the overall environment of tropical storms and peer into the inner core of hurricanes to study their structure and processes. NASA’s Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel mission uses Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles to study tropical storms and hurricanesAIM OF THIS MISSION NASA scientists are using former military surveillance drones to help them understand more about how tropical storms intensify, which they say could ultimately save lives by improving forecast models that predict a hurricane’s strength.FOCUSING ON EFFECT OF THUNDERSTORM AND SAHARAN AIR LAYER ON INTENSIFICATION OF HURRICANE There are two questions on which NASA scientists primarily want the drone research to focus.

One is what role thunderstorms within a hurricane play in its intensification. Researchers aren’t sure if the thunderstorms are a driver of storm intensity or a symptom of it. The other is what role the Saharan Air Layer plays in the tropical storm development. The Saharan Air Layer is a dry, hot, dusty layer of air from Africa. Scientists have been at odds with each other over whether it helps hurricanes strengthen or does the opposite. One school of thought is that the Saharan Air Layer provides energy for storms to grow, while others have suggested it is a negative influence on storm growth because of the effect the dry air has on wet storms.IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROJECT More accurately predicting a storm’s intensity would help government officials and coastal residents decide whether an evacuation is needed, as well as avoid developing a false sense of security among residents who frequently cite failed storm expectations as a reason not to leave their homes when warned to do so.ADVANTAGES OF USING DRONES IN THIS MISSION The drones are considered advantageous over manned aircraft because they can fly for much longer periods of time than traditional research aircraft and at much greater altitudes. Global Hawks can spend up to 28 hours in the air at a time and reach altitudes up to 12.3 miles (19.8 kilometers), or roughly twice that of a typical commercial airliner.

LAGRANGE POINTS & THEIR SIGNIFICANCE IN SPACE EXPLORATIONINTRODUCTION  All of the orbiting bodies in the solar system (and throughout the universe, for that matter) are surrounded by special points where the forces on an orbiting object are balanced.  These points are called Lagrange points, and they can be used for many special space mission tasks.  They are, in fact, currently used in ongoing interplanetary missions, and future missions promise to further exploit their properties. There are five other locations around a planet’s orbit where the gravitational forces and the orbital motion of the spacecraft, Sun and planet interact to create a stable location from which to make observations. These points are known as Lagrangian or ‘L’ points, after the 18th century Italian astronomer and mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi Lagrancia).

WHY LAGRANGE POINTS ARE IMPORTANT   1. Special points, called Lagrange points, exist between orbiting bodies in the solar system.  At these points, gravitational forces are balanced, and a satellite can maintain position with minimal fuel expenditure.  Satellites can also begin trajectories (such as to the Moon) from Lagrange points with very little fuel.2. Lunar exploration and future lunar habitation missions can take advantage of Lagrange points in the Sun-Earth-Moon system to perform low-energy transfers.3. These points are especially trajectories that can be used to establish and support a permanent human presence on the Moon and eventually throughout the solar system.

SOME IMPORTANT LUNAR MISSIONS USING THE LAGRANGE POINTS1. Chang’e22. ARTEMIS mission extension of THEMIS3. GRAIL 4. Herschel  Space Observatory and others.Future1. James Webb Space Telescope2. Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope 3. LISA Pathfinder (LPF)4. Gaia and others.

LUNAR OPTICAL COMMUNICATION LINK PROJECT

It is the name of advanced laser system developed by European Space Agency [ESA]

It offers incredibly faster data speeds to link with spacecraft beyond the Earth has successfully passed a crucial ground test European Space Agency ESA’s observatory in Spain will use the laser to communicate with a Nasa Moon orbiter calledLunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), later this year. LADEE carries a terminal that can transmit and receive pulses of laser light. ESA’s Optical Ground Station on Tenerife will relay data at unprecedented rates using infrared light beams at a wavelength similar to that used in fiber-optic cables on Earth.

ADVANTAGES Laser communications at near-infrared wavelengths may be the way of the future when it comes to downloading massive amounts of data from spacecraft orbiting Earth, Mars or even more distant planets. These units are lighter, smaller and need less power than today’s radio systems, promising to cut mission costs and provide opportunities for new science payloads.

 SPECIAL ARTICLES

CYBER – POACHING — A NEW FORM OF POACHING

What is poaching?

Poaching has traditionally been defined as the illegal hunting, killing or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rightsWhat is Cyber-poaching? In cyber poaching, Cyber criminals hack the login ID and password of GPS wildlife tracking system [GPS collar] then by using wildlife tracking system, they can be able to find out tiger/animal’s location. Then cyber-poachers kill the tiger. This kind of poaching is called cyber – poaching

How Cyber – poaching is done?

Conservationists warn that, according to recent reports, cyber-poaching is on the rise. Specifically, it appears that poachers have taken up the habit of hacking GPS collar data, and use the information to locate the animals they wish to kill.

What is GPS wildlife tracking

GPS wildlife tracking is a process whereby biologists, scientific researchers or conservation agencies can remotely observe relatively fine-scale movement or migratory patterns in a free-ranging wild animal using the Global Positioning System and optional environmental sensors or automated data-retrieval technologies such as Argos satellite uplink, mobile data telephony or GPRS and a range of analytical software tools

What are the implications of cyber-poaching?

Conservationists explain that, in order to protect endangered species, they rely heavily on GPS collars and other similar pieces of equipment that allow them to track their movements through their natural habitats. The only problem is that, as poachers appear to have recently figured out, information collected in this manner can also be used to make hunting these animals way easier than it used to be.

Why recently in news

Recently cyber-poachers tried to hack into the satellite collar of a tiger at the Satpura-Bori reserve in Madhya Pradesh

 TITBITS

RAIJIN Australia recently unveiled its most powerful super computer Raijin. Raijin, is named after the Japanese God of thunder and rain Raijin is considered the 27th most powerful computer in the world. The supercomputer can perform the same number of calculations in one hour that 7 billion people with calculators could perform in 20 years.The key features of Rajin are as following: It has 57000 processing cores which is something like 15000 ordinary personal computers. It has 160 terabytes of memory which is equal to memory of 40000 ordinary PCs together. It has 10000 terabytes of disk which is like 10000 ordinary PCs.

ZALZALA JAZEERA [QUAKE ISLAND] It is the name of recently erupted new earthquake island in Arabian sea near port of gwador, Pakistan. The 7.7-magnitude quake that struck Balochistan remote Awaran district recently and killed over 260 people and affected some 300,000. Methane gas is emanating from a small island created in the Arabian Sea     

ONELINK TECHNOLOGY OneLink technology offers a dock and power connector that can transmit audio and video with a single connection. Onelink technology is used by Lenovo in its recently launched  ThinkPad Edge E431 model.

RAY DOLBY He is an american inventor & audio pioneer, died recently.

He founded Dolby Laboratories. Dolby founded his namesake company in 1965 and grew it into an industry leader in audio technology. His work in noise reduction and surround sound led to the creation of a number of technologies that are still used in music, movies and entertainment today. He was awarded the National Medal of Technology from President Clinton and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in the US and the Royal Academy of Engineers in the UK, among many more honors.

PCSK 6  Pro-protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 6 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PCSK6 gene. It is involved in determining the placement of body structures that are either right or left handed. It may also be involved in left and right handedness in humans. Recently Scientists have identified a specific network of genes [PCSK6] that influences whether a person is right-handed or left-handed.

LASKER AWARDS The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1946 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. They are administered by the Lasker Foundation, founded by advertising pioneer Albert Lasker The awards are sometimes referred to as “America’s Nobels”. Two scientists who illuminated how brain cells communicate, three researchers who developed implants that let deaf people hear and philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates have won prestigious Lasker Awards for medical research and contributions to public health

SIR2 GENE Sir2 (whose homolog in mammals is known as SIRT1) was the first gene of the sirtuin genes to be found. It was found in budding yeast, and, since then, members of this highly conserved family have been found in nearly all organisms studied. Sirtuins are hypothesized to play a key role in an organism’s response to stresses (such as heat or starvation) and to be responsible for the lifespan-extending effects of calorie restriction

TROJAN In astronomy, a trojan is a minor planet or natural satellite(moon) that shares an orbit with a planet or larger moon, but does not collide with it because it orbits around one of the two Lagrangian points of stability (trojan points), L4 andL5, which lie approximately 60° ahead of and behind the larger body, respectively. It is also sometimes called a Lagrangian object.

TROJAN ASTEROID The Jupiter trojans, commonly called Trojans or Trojan asteroids, are a large group of objects that share the orbit of the planet Jupiter around the Sun. Relative to Jupiter, each Trojan librates around one of the planet’s two Lagrangian points of stability,L4 and L5, that respectively lie 60° ahead of and behind the planet in its orbit.

EARTH TROJANS Earth trojans are asteroids that orbit the Sun on a similar orbital path as that of Earth in the vicinity of the Earth –Sun Lagrangian points L4 (leading 60°) and L5 (trailing 60°). They are named after the trojan asteroids that are associated with the analogous Lagrangian points of Jupiter.

MEAN TIME BETWEEN FIGURES [MTBF] •MTBF (mean time between failures) is a measure of how reliable a hardware product or component is. For most components, the measure is typically in thousands or even tens of thousands of hours between failures. For example, a hard disk drive may have a mean time between failures of 300,000 hours. The manufacturer may provide it as an index of a product’s or component’s reliability and, in some cases, to give customers an idea of how much service to plan for.

ENERGIEWENDE Energiewende  is the transition by Germany to a sustainable economy by means of renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. The final goal is the abolition of coal and other non-renewable energy sources Environmental activists recently urged India to adopt a policy like Energiewende to make our economy sustainable and greener.

 TAMU MASSIF  Single largest volcano discovered on earth One of the largest volcano in our solar system Located 1000 miles east of japan. Tamu Massif is the biggest single shield volcano ever discovered on Earth Tamu Massif is the largest feature of Shatsky Rise