Indias first indigenous Overhauser Magnetometer (GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
- Indian scientists have developed an Overhauser Magnetometer, one of the most accurate magnetometers extensively used by all magnetic observatories around the world.
- In order to reduce dependence on imports, the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) has developed the magnetometer as part of its technology development program.
OVH magnetometers:
- The sensor installed at Alibag Magnetic Observatory (MO) can absolve India’s dependence on commercial OVH magnetometers for performing geomagnetic field measurements.
- OVH magnetometers are known for their higher accuracy, higher sensitivity, and efficient power consumption and hence find applications in all magnetic observatories worldwide as well as in international space programs. It has so far been imported for such purposes in India.
- They used various spectroscopic tools and theoretical simulations to understand the working of the OVH sensor.
- They further performed various control experiments, such as varying the sensor composition and examined the sensor’s performance.
Results:
- Experiments with the sensor installed at the Alibag Magnetic Observatory (MO) for geomagnetic sampling found that the sensor reproduced the geomagnetic diurnal variations accurately and precisely showed the signatures of various space weather events such as geomagnetic storms, sudden impulses, etc.
- The performance of this indigenously made magnetometer is at par with a commercial OVH sensor that is currently installed at the magnetic observatories of IIG.
Way Forward:
- The sensor is currently being tested for its long-term stability. They are further excited to adapt their sensor for the outer space environment to support the existing Indian space research program.
- The understanding of this project, specifically the underlying mechanism of Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP), would also be of potential help to develop a sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instrument.
Ancient viral DNA in human genome protects against infections: Research
(GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
- According to new research, viral DNA embedded in human genomes from ancient infections acts as antivirals, protecting human cells from certain modern viruses.
Why it matters?
- Previous research has shown that endogenous retroviruses, fragments of ancient viral DNA found in the genomes of mice, chickens, cats, and sheep, provide immunity against modern viruses that originate outside the body by preventing them from entering host cells.
- Despite the fact that this research was done on human cells in culture, it shows that endogenous retroviruses have an antiviral effect on humans.
- The study is significant because it could discover a pool of natural antiviral proteins that could lead to treatments without autoimmune side effects.
How Retroviruses replicate?
- Endogenous retroviruses make up about 8 per cent of the human genome, which is more than four times the amount of DNA that makes up the genes that code for proteins.
- Retroviruses enter a host cell and introduce their RNA, which is converted to DNA and integrated into the host's genome. The cell then replicates the virus in accordance with the genetic instructions.
- To replicate itself, the virus hijacks the cell's transcriptional machinery.
- Retroviruses typically infect cells that do not pass from generation to generation, but some infect germ cells, such as an egg or sperm, allowing retroviral DNA to pass from parent to offspring and eventually become permanent fixtures in the host genome.
- To enter a cell, a viral envelope protein binds to a receptor on the cell's surface, similar to a key in a lock. For some viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, the envelope serves as a spike protein.
Way Forward:
- The research demonstrated how a human protein of retroviral origin blocks a cell receptor that allows viral entry and infection by a wide variety of retroviruses found in many non-human species.
- In this way, ancient retroviruses integrated into the human genome, provide a mechanism for protecting the developing embryo from infection by related viruses.
- The future research will examine the antiviral activity of other envelope-derived proteins encoded in the human genome.
Heat-related deaths up by 68% between 2000-04 and 2017-21
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- According a recent report launched by Lancet Countdown,heat-related deaths increased by 68 per cent between 2000-2004 and 2017-2021, while vulnerable populations were exposed to 3.7 billion more heatwave days in 2021 than annually in 1986-2005.
- The report focuses on the health effects of climate change amid the health, social and economic aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, global energy and cost-of-living crises brought about by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a persistent overdependence on fossil fuels.
Extreme events due to climate change:
- While floods in Australia, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Pakistan and other countries have caused thousands of deaths, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and caused billions of dollars in economic losses, wildfires have caused devastation in countries like Greece, Algeria, Italy, Spain and record temperatures have been recorded in many countries.
- The extreme weather events caused damage worth USD 253 billion in 2021, particularly burdening people in low human development index (HDI) countries in which almost none of the losses were insured.
- Food securitywas affected by climate change because higher temperatures threatened crop yields directly with the growth seasons of maize on average nine days shorter in 2020 and the growth seasons of winter wheat and spring wheat six days shorter than for 1981-2010 globally.
Health systems:
- Health systems are the first line of defence in an atmosphere where health impacts due to climate change worsen and compound other co-existing crises. However, just as the need for health care rises, health systems are being debilitated by the effects of the pandemic and cost-of-living crises.
- Urgent action is, therefore, needed to strengthen health system resilience to prevent a rapidly escalating loss of lives and to prevent suffering in a changing climate.
- In 2022, while marking the 30th anniversary of the signing of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), countries agreed to prevent dangerous anthropogenic climate change and it deleterious effects on human health and welfare.However, this has been followed up with little meaningful action.
Fossil fuel dependence:
- Fossil fuel dependence not only undermines global health through increased climate change impacts, but also affects human health and wellbeing directly, through volatile and unpredictable fossil fuel markets, frail supply chains and geopolitical conflicts.
- In low HDI countries, only 1.4 per cent of their electricity came from modern renewables, that is, wind and solar power in 2020.
- An estimated 59 per cent of healthcare facilities in low and middle income countries still do not have access to reliable electricity needed to provide basic care.
- On the other hand, oil and gas companies, are registering record profits, even as their production strategies continue to undermine people's lives and wellbeing.
Major concerns:
- The world's largest oil and gas companies, as of February 2022, have been understood to exceed their share of emissions consistent with 1.5 degrees Celsius of global heating by 37 per cent in 2030 and 103 per cent in 2040, continuing to undermine decarbonisation efforts.
- Making things even worse, governments continue to incentivise fossil fuel production and consumption.
- Simultaneously, countries failed to meet their commitment mobilising the considerably lower sum of USD 100 billion annually by 2020 as agreed at the 2009 Copenhagen Accord to support climate action in ‘developing countries’ and climate efforts are being undercut by a profound scarcity of funding.
- The Lancet Countdown indicators, after 30 years of UNFCCC negotiations, show that countries and companies continue to make choices that threaten the health and survival of people in every part of the world.
Way Forward:
- At this critical juncture, an immediate, health-centred response can still secure a future in which the world population can not only survive, but also thrive.
- Taking stock of the health impacts of climate action, Lancet Countdown brought out this report to help countries realise the ambition of making the Paris Agreement the ‘most important public health agreement of the century’.
The C-295 transport airplane to be manufactured in Gujarat
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Prime Minister announced that the Indian Air Force’s C-295 transport aircraftwill be manufactured by a consortium led by Tata group and Airbus in Gujarat’s Vadodara.
- For the first time, the Airbus C-295 aircraft will be manufactured outside of Europe. This is very significant for the domestic aerospace sector.
Salient Features of C-295:
- The C-295 is a new-generation tactical airlifter in the light and medium segment. This plane will replace the IAF’s ageing Avro Hawker Siddeley HS748 aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The Avro has been in the IAF fleet since the 1960s.
- The C295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft.
- It has a maximum speed of 480 kmph.
- Moreover, the C-295 Short take-off and landing (STOL) capability combined with a strong landing gear enable it to operate in the most austere locations with the worst conditions for take-off and landings. This means it can operate from short or unprepared airstrips.
Variants:
- The plane can be transformed into several variants, including a water bomber, an air tanker (for air-to-air refuelling), for transporting VIPs and for medical evacuation, making it a huge asset for the IAF.
- Moreover, the C295 can operate in day and night conditions as well as all weather extremes,from desert to maritime environments, from extremely hot to extremely cold temperatures.
The C-295 deal:
- The Tata-Airbus plan is seen as a significant gain for Prime Minister’s ‘Make-In-India’ campaign and will also take forward the agreement struck last year for 56 C-295MW aircraft.
- In September 2021, India had signed aRs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C-295 aircraft. As per the deal, 16 aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition and 40 will be manufactured in India at the Vadodara facility.
- The Vadodara facility will be India’s first private sector aviation manufacturing complex, breaking the monopoly of state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, the country’s sole aircraft producer thus far.
Schedule:
- The first 16 planes are scheduled to be received between September 2023 and August 2025.
- The first Made-in-India aircraft is expected in September 2026. The eight aircraft per year would be manufactured in India, starting 2026.
- More than 125 micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) suppliers in seven states will support the project and more than 4.25 million manhours of work will be generated.
- Apart from the 56 planes, the Vadodara facility, will be capable of meeting additional requirement of the Indian Air Force and also cater to export orders.
Way Forward:
- The project offers a unique opportunity for the Indian private sector to enter into technology intensive and highly competitive aviation industry.
- It will augment domestic aviation manufacturing resulting in reduced import dependence and expected increase in exports.
