Also in News
Posted 16 Aug 2024
8 min read
Gross Environment Product Index
Uttarakhand has become the first Indian state to launch a Gross environment product Index (GEPI).
About Gross Environment Product Index:
- GEPI is a novel method to evaluate ecological development caused by human interventions.
- Four pillars of GEPI: Air, soil, tree and water.
- Formula:
- GEP index = (Air- GEP index + Water- GEP index + Soil-GEP index + Forest-GEP index.
Significance:
- Help assess the impact of anthropological pressure on our ecosystem and natural resources.
- Also Calculates what we put back into the environment.
- Quantifies contributions of natural ecosystems to the economy and overall welfare.
- Tags :
- Gross Environment Product Index
- Natural Ecosystem
Prokaryotes
Scientists have found that Prokaryotes are remarkably resilient to climate change and may dominate marine environment.
About Prokaryotes
- Microscopic single-celled organisms including bacteria, blue green algae, etc.
- Absence of a defined nuclear region, and membrane-bound cell organelles.
- Have a single chromosome.
About Eukaryotes
- Includes plants, animals and fungi.
- Have a well-defined nucleus as well as membrane- enclosed organelles.
- Eukaryotic cells may be either unicellular or multicellular.
- Have multiple chromosomes.
- All eukaryotic cells are not identical. Plant and animal cells are different as former possess cell walls, plastids and a large central vacuole are absent in animal cells.
- Tags :
- Prokaryotes
- Eukaryotes
Biosurfactants
Researchers highlight that biosurfactants can be produced using green substrates from agro-industrial waste.
Surfactants
- A surfactant (surface-active agent) is a substance that, when added to a liquid, reduces its surface tension, thereby increasing its spreading and wetting properties. E.g., Detergent.
About Biosurfactants
- They are active compounds that are produced at microbial cell surface or excreted, and reduce surface and interfacial tension.
- Produced by bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi.
- Microbial surfactants advantages over synthetic ones:
- Low toxicity and high biodegradability.
- Remain active at extreme pH and salinity.
- Tags :
- Biosurfactants
Articles Sources
DengiAll
Indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine, DengiAll has proceeded toward its phase-3 clinical trials.
- Trial would be conducted with collaboration of Indian Council of Medical Research and Panacea Biotec.
Dengue (Break-Bone Fever)
- Viral infection that transmits with bite of an infected female Aedes mosquitoes (also responsible for chikungunya, Zika).
- Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
- It can escalate to severe conditions like dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome in adults.
- Currently, there is no antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine against dengue in India.
- Tags :
- Dengue
- DengiAll
Articles Sources
Extremophile
New study highlighted that microwave ovens host thriving microbial communities and extremophiles.
About Extremophile
- Extremophiles are organisms with the ability to thrive in extreme environments under high pressure, temperature, radiation, salinity etc. E.g. Archaea thrive in extreme environment.
- Unique enzymes used by these organisms, called "extremozymes," enable these organisms to function in such forbidding environments.
- Plays crucial role in maintaining plant growth and crop productivity in regions with adverse conditions.
- Applications in biotechnology, biodegradation, bioremediation, biorefinery along with other industries like pharmaceuticals, food, agricultural, cosmetics, and textile.
- Tags :
- Extremophile
- Archaea
Gallantry Awards
President has approved 103 Gallantry awards to Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces personnel on Independence Day 2024.
About Gallantry Awards
- Order of precedence of awards: Param Vir Chakra, Ashoka Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra and Shaurya Chakra.
- Announced twice in a year - first on occasion of Republic Day and then on occasion of Independence Day.
- Wartime Gallantry Awards i.e. Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra were instituted in 1950.
- Ashoka Chakra Class-I, Class-II and Class-III were instituted in 1952. Later renamed as Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra respectively in 1967.
- These are Peacetime Gallantry Awards.
- Tags :
- Gallantry Awards
- Wartime Gallantry Awards
- Peacetime Gallantry Awards
Californium
A package suspected to contain Californium was seized in Patna.
About Californium
- Silvery white Synthetic radioactive element with Atomic Number 98.
- A synthetic element is an element of the Periodic Table that has been created in a lab.
- Discovered by Stanley Thompson, Kenneth Street et al. in 1950 and named after University of California.
- It is highly radioactive (very strong neutron emitter) and prohibitively expensive.
- Applications: Portable metal detectors, gold and silver ore identification, help start up nuclear reactors etc.
- Threats: Can damage genetic makeup, Hazardous to health(due to radioactivity) etc.
- Tags :
- Californium
- synthetic element
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
Dahisar and Kandivali in Mumbai have been added to the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
About Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
- Ministry of Railways
- Objectives: To develop/upgrade railway stations to provide enhanced and modern facilities to passengers.
- Intends to upgrade and modernize a total of 1275 stations.
- Involves a long term vision creating Master Plans like better accessibility, free Wi-Fi, promoting initiatives like 'One Station One Product', etc.
- Seamless multi-modal connectivity and to enable the station function as a city center, act as a driver of local economy and facilitate Transit Oriented Development.
- Tags :
- Amrit Bharat Station Development Plan
- Ministry of Railways
News Today (Aug 15-16, 2024)