Science & Technology - Current Affairs for September, 2015

Definite signs of liquid water have been found by the high-resolution camera on Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on the surface of the red planet. Scientists discovered waterlogged molecules — salts of a type called as perchlorates — in orbit readings. That's a direct detection of water in the form of hydration of salts. In 2011, scientists discovered in photographs from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter dark streaks descending along slopes of craters, canyons and mountains. The streaks lengthened during summer, faded as temperatures cooled, then reappeared the later. Streaks were named recurrent slope linae, or RSLs, and scientists hold that water played a critical role in the phenomenon, akin to the way concrete darkens when wet, with no change in the shape of the surface, and returns to its original colour when drying.

ISRO on 28th September 2015 launched the first dedicated satellite for astronomy research in India called ASTROSAT. This satellite was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, AP by PSLV C-30 which is the tenth flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in XL Configuration. The satellite aims to understand high energy processes in binary star systems containing neutron stars and black holes and estimate magnetic fields of neutron stars. It will also study bright X ray sources in the sky and star birth regions. It is carrying 4 x-ray payloads, one UV telescope and a change particle monitor. Its life span is 5 years and it is capable of performing UV, optical, low and high energy X ray wavebands observations simultaneously. The satellite weighing 1513 kg was placed in 650 km orbit inclined at an angle of 6 degree to the equator around the Earth.

India’s first dedicated multi wavelength space observatory Astrosat to be launched with six small satellites from Sriharikota

PSLV C-30 carrying the Astronaut, Astrosat, India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, and six small satellites will be launched from Sriharikota on 28th September 2015. Countdown commenced following clearance from MRR committee and LAB. The satellite weighs 1153 kg and its main goals are as follows:
- To understand high-energy processes in binary systems containing neutron stars and black holes
- Estimate magnetic fields of neutron stars; study star birth regions and high-energy processes in star systems beyond our galaxy
- Detect briefly bright X-ray sources in the sky
- Perform a limited deep-field survey of the universe in the ultraviolet region.

This launch also marks the first commercial launch of 4 US nano satellites by ISRO. PSLV-C30 will also transport Lapan-2, an Indonesian microsatellite from Indonesia and NLS-14, a Canadian nanosatellite to be used for maritime surveillance.

China successfully launched a new model of carrier rocket the Long March-11 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in NW Gansu carrying 4 micro satellites into space for testing. The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology along with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation has developed this solid propellant rocket to be used for the launch of micro satellites. Long March 11 is the 211th launch of the Long March series. The first rocket, Long March 1 was launched in April 1970 when China’s first satellite Dong Fang Hong 1 was placed in orbit. Long March 11 is the eighth launch of China following the sending of Gaofen-8, Gaofen-9 and Yaogan Weixing-27 earth observation satellites into space. Long March 6 recently lofted 20 small satellites on 20th September 2015.

Sachin Dev Duggal, an Indian origin entrepreneur has launched new photo sharing app Shoto which makes curation easy. A trillion pictures were taken on smartphones in 2014. Smartphone users are interested in high quality photos, which this app ensures. Shoto also tells how many photos were taken with friends or family members from times spent together and easily lets users share photos and create private and/or public albums. The app collects metadata from the phone asks users to share photos or not. App is available in Google Play store and App store in 120 countries in multiple languages such as Mandarin, French, Hindi and Spanish. The app company Shoto was formed in 2013 with funding of $1.5 mn from investors like Real Ventures and Kunal Nayyar, the Indian-origin actor of popular TV series "The Big Bang Theory”. This app company is also partnering the UN foundation since June 26, 2015.

A complete lunar eclipse will occur along with a supermoon on 27th/28th September 2015 and the combination has not been observed since 1982. It will not occur till 2033 again. A supermoon is a full or new moon making its closest approach to earth. While it will be 220,000 miles away, the moon will look larger and brighter. But this supermoon will be the closest full moon of the year close to 20,000 mobiles than average distance. This is because the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle. The eclipse marks an end of tetrad or series of 4 total lunar eclipses set 6 months apart. The series commenced in April 2014. Eight of the tetrads will be observed in the 21st century while there were none from 1600 to 1900.

Researchers have come up with chip based technology which can be included in portable instruments for use in the field to detect Ebola. System is sensitive and accurate enough to provide valuable clinical assay. Current standard for Ebola virus detection is based on the PCR method/polymerase chain reaction to amplify the genetic material of the virus for detection. PCR works on DNA molecules and Ebola is an RNA virus. This is why the reverse transcriptase enzyme is used to make DNA copies of the viral RNA before PCR amplification and detection. But the PCR detection system is more complex and requires use of labs against current method Schmidt's lab at UC Santa Cruz worked with scientists at Brigham Young University and UC Berkeley for setting up the system. Virologists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio put together the viral samples for testing. System included a microfluidic chip for sample preparation and an optofluidic chip for optical detection.

Apart from being located in the high seismic Zone V, Assam is situated in a frequent flood and landslides prone area. DRA app can also be used in the event of other disasters like fire.

The app also enables users to send distress messages. Billed as the first of its kind mobile android application, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) launched "Disaster Ready Assam" (DRA.) will be available for downloading in the ASDMA website and Google Play Store, officials said. Hologram, a Guwahati IT firm engaged by ASDMA has prepared the mobile app.

After successfully completing one year of the mission life around Mars, a large data set has been acquired by 5 payloads of Mars Orbiter Mission/MOM. This marks the first anniversary of Mars Orbit Insertion released an atlas containing photos taken by the colour camera on board the spacecraft and results obtained by other payload results in a form of scientific atlas.

Information regarding genetic sequence of 3024 rice types can be accessed through Amazon Web services system, according to International Rice Research Institute, Database will also make it easier to develop HYV and pest, disease, drought or flood resistant rice varieties in the face of increasing world population and climate change. Rice varieties have to be developed for a second green revolution. The first green revolution occurred between 1960s and 1990s. Genetic sequencing and initial analysis for the new database was funded by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.

US airlines have started testing new software TAP developed by NASA to make traffic aware strategic aircrew requests (TASAR) and this software directly connects to aircraft avionics information hub on the aircraft. It reads the current position and altitude of the aircraft, its flight route and other real-time information that defines the plane's current situation and active flight plan.

Following this, it automatically looks for numerous routes or altitude changes to save fuel and flight time and display solutions straightaway to flight crew. It also scans nearby air traffic signals to avoid conflicts in flight path changes. TAP can also obtain information for airlines with internet connectivity in the cockpit.

Stanford engineers Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering, research associate Aaswath P Raman and doctoral candidate Linxiao Zhu at Stanford University in US, have found a solution which is based on a thin, patterned silica material laid on top of a traditional solar cell to boost its efficiency and cool the solar cells. As the heat of the solar cells increases, they become less efficient at covering photons in light into electricity with can be used. Material of the coating is transparent to the visible sunlight powering solar cells, yet captures and emits thermal radiation or heat from infrared rays. In 2014, the same researchers developed an ultrathin material radiating infrared heat directly back toward space without atmospheric warming. For a typical crystalline silicon solar cell with an efficiency of 20 per cent, minus 5 degrees Celsius of cooling would improve absolute cell efficiency by over 1 per cent, a figure that represents a significant gain in energy production. The transparent thermal overlay works best in dry environments.

CM T.R. Zeliang has launched the official website aimed at increasing contact between government and citizens. The introduction of an interactive page where the people can interact with the CMO is also on the anvil. State Cabinet also decided that all government departments would provide details and list of all government employees through the State Data Centre and the State Portal set up by the Department of Information Technology and Communication. All government depts have been asked to maintain separate website hosted by Nagaland State Data Centre and set aside 3% of budget allocation for IT related activities

Innovative e-teaching initiative Rad Guru Dot Net has been launched to offer online radiology education to post graduate radiology graduates across the nation. There is currently acute shortage of radiologists with only 10,000 for a population of 1.2 billion. Rad Guru Dot Net is a learning platform which includes guest lectures from eminent university professors from Yale, Harvard etc apart from live case studies and quizzes.

American space agency NASA is teaming up with Honeybee Robotics as part of its Asteroid Redirect Mission to develop the first space shotgun. This shotgun will test the strength of asteroids and space rocks to assess if they are sturdy for sampling. The Asteroid Redirect Mission focuses on chipping off a massive chunk of the asteroid and shifting it into the Moon orbit. The objective is then to send the manned spacecraft to collect samples for preparing a Mars Mission. Gun will work through dislodging of asteroid chunks out of orbit and bringing them closer to the moon. The strength of a space rock can be measured by the gun by firing a bullet at the surface of the boulder to enable physicists to work out the solidity of the rock by measuring its rebound speed. NASA has identified this as a key step towards human exploration of Mars.

A global team of scientists have identified a protein which aids heart muscles cells to regenerate after an attack. Patches using this protein could prevent heart attacks. Researchers identified the protein called Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1), which can stimulate cultured heart muscle cells to divide. The protein embedded in the path caused heart muscle cells already present within the heart to multiply and re-build the damaged heart and reduce scarring.Heart muscle regeneration and scarring are two major issues that current treatments for heart attacks do not resolve.
After a heart attack, the organ is damaged and scarred, making it harder to pump blood. Sustained pressure causes scarring to spread and ultimately causes heart failure.The researchers therefore developed a therapeutic patch made out of collagen, which was cast with FSTL1 at its core.

Draft National Encryption policy has been introduced under Section 84A of the IT Act and rules for encryption of electronic information and communication will be introduced under it. Policy aims to ensure confidentiality of information in cyberspace for persons, protection of sensitive or proprietary information for persons and groups and ensuring reliability of critical information systems and networks. VPNs and secure messaging apps are examples of encryption technologies. Sensitive departments of the government are exempt from the policy.

A 260 million year old cow sized pre-reptile Bunostegos akokanensis was the earliest known creature to stand upright on all fours. Most of the known pareisaurs roving the super continent pf Pangea in Permian era a quarter of billion years ago were sprawlers. Their limbs jut out from the side of the body and continue to slant down from the elbow( much like modern lizards). Though the Bunostegos akokanensis was expected to be a sprawler too, bones of the animal’s forelimb pointed to a different direction. Its anatomy is sprawling precluding and directed underneath its body.

French start up Kallistem has collaborated with the government to create in vitro human sperm through breakthrough in infertility treatment. The sperm has been developed from immature spermatogonial cells which are prevalent in males and develop into sperm cells with the insect of puberty. Technology has to be clinically tested and genesis of research stems from declining male fertility. The researchers developed a bioreactor using a viscous fluid made partly of substances found in the walls of mushrooms or in crustacean shells to reproduce the conditions within the body . The main issue was reproducing in the lab a complex physiological development process that usually lasts 72 days in a human, from immature cell to sperm. In all cases, the entire path taken in the testicle were also taken in the in vitro system.

30,000 year old Mollivirus Sibericum discovered in soil sample around 98 feet below in the Siberian permafrost is a member of a new viral family. This virus which is the fourth family of virus ever found has a diameter wider than other giant viruses. It has a diameter of 600 nanometres as against 500 in other giant viruses. The virus also has a genome of 600,000 base pairs with genetic instructions to generate 500 proteins. This 30,000 year old giant virus has the capacity to infect its host single celled amoebas only.

Researchers found that beneath its icy crust, Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a global ocean and the magnitude of its slight wobble as it orbits the planet can only mean its outer icy shell is not frozen solid. This implies spray of water vapour, icy particles and organic molecules observed from the south pole of the moon is being fed through this large water reservoir. Previous Cassini data analysis suggested presence of lens shaped body of water under the south polar region of this moon. Cassini has been orbiting Saturn since 2004. Saturn has 53 named moons and an additional 9 which are currently being studied. Some of its moons are even larger than planets. For example moon Titan is larger than planet Mercury.

Dr. T.R Insel has left the NIMH to pursue development of technologies for early detection and treatment of health problems at Google Life Sciences. Google is currently in the process of organising into a fresh company called Alphabet. Intel seeks to lower untreated psychosis in the US from an average of 74 weeks to 7 weeks by 2020. Power of data analytics will be used to understand how to cope with mental health issues.

Zerodha has started its online trading platform Kite in 10 languages including hindi. It was founded by 35 year old Nithin Kamath. Kite uses 175th of internet bandwidth as against conventional trading platforms and uses an advanced behavioural analytics and visualisation platform called Quant for making investment decisions. Start up was founded in Bengaluru in 2010.

India American researchers from Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California has developed a new way to activate the brain and other cells of the body using ultrasonic sound waves called sonogenetics which is similar to optogenetics, light based technologies for activating neurons and other cells in the body.This technology will be applied to human therapeutics effectively. So far, sonogenetics has only been applied to C. elegans neurons and researchers want to study if it could work for the mammalian brain.

Scientists have found viruses in intestines of new born babies dispelling the notion that only bacteria invade and colonise the baby's gut after birth. The study was carried out by Washington University of Medicine on 8 healthy infants. Researchers noted that some of the viruses they identified are known to infect cells of the human host, but others actually infect the bacteria.They also found that the kinds of viruses that infect bacteria, not human cells, were the most rich and diverse earliest in an infant's life and then their numbers fell.

They also showed that strains of bacteria did the opposite, starting out with low numbers early and becoming more diverse as the babies grew into toddlers. The researchers also observed a relatively large diversity of a kind of virus that infects human cells called anellovirus which seems to reflect a person's immune status, with more viruses present when the immune system is weaker. Nearly all of the anelloviruses identified in this study were previously unknown.

Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru has obtained the top spot among Indian counterparts bagging 147th rank in the QS University Rankings. Another institute to make it to the top 200 is IIT-D ranked 179th this year. As per QS World University Rankings 2015, there are 14 Indian institutions in the World University Rankings and half of them are among the global 400. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the world's top university, followed by Harvard.

The University of Cambridge has along with Stanford University tied for the third place. London is the only city in the world with four universities in the top 50, more so than Boston and New York (3) Paris, Sydney, Hong Kong and Beijing (2), with the LSE making the top 40 for the first time. 34 countries are represented in the top 200 with US being the dominant nation with 49 institutions.

Argentinian scientists have produced embryos of endangered species such as Bengal cat, tiger and Asiatic cheetah to avoid the extinction of the species. Indigenous as well as exotic species are produced to prevent extinction of the species. Agreement with zoo however, restricts the scientists to only work on embryos.

Proton M took off at 19:10 GMT from the desert launch site according to Russian space agency Roscosmos. Russia had also successfully launched a Proton rocket, carrying a British satellite, in late August. In May, Russia lost a Mexican satellite after a Proton-M rocket crashed shortly after the launch.Based on a Soviet-era design, the Proton-M is viewed as a veteran workhorse of the space industry. Russia is developing a new generation of rockets to succeed it.

The galaxy cluster discovered by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope is the first to demonstrate that gigantic galaxies at the centre of massive clusters made of stellar fossil old red/dead stars can expand considerably by feeding off gas stolen from remaining galaxies. The new galaxy at the heart of the cluster is churning out new stars at a rapid rate.

There is a phenomena called wet merger when gas rich galaxies collide so that gas is converted into new stars. The latest discovery is one of the first instances of wet merger at the cluster core of the galaxies.

Newly discovered exotic nuclei are a result of study to develop new methods of synthesis for super heavy elements. Other participants included scientists from Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA and the joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia. This new technique will pave the way for advancement of a field of science called experimental physics

A biometric measures unique human characteristics and Indian researchers J. Visumathia and P. Jesu Jayarin have discovered a new keystroke algorithm which uses unique online human typing patterns to make authentications online reliable. Internet use entails obstacles like loss of password, capabilities of hackers and easy access to methods such as bots and phishing, which can be eliminated through the use of keystroke dynamics as a biometric. Keystroke template algorithm measures existing models to improve precision and can be used as a viable e-security measure.

Cryonics from greek world kryos meaning icy cold, is a preservation of animals and humans at freezing temperature for future healing in case a treatment is developed. In case future science can lead to a condition of perpetual youth, cryonics would be successful. Cryonics was a neologism developed by Karl Werner in 1965 in association creation of Cryonics Society of New York. The first person to be frozen with the aim of revival was James Bedford frozen in early 1967.
Major advancement in tissue preservation came in 1990s end with vitrification, chemicals being added to tissue to freeze as glass rather than ice crystals. As of 2011, over 200 people have been cryopreserved to date using this method.

A new antibody called banks has been promoted to prevent HIV infection associated with AIDs. bNAbs has been found in blood samples of HIV patients whose immune system has naturally contained the infection. Antibodies protect the patient through recognition of protein called envelope spike present in surface of HIV strains and neutralising the impact of this virus. CalTech researchers have discovered one bNAb which may recognise the rapidly changing signature protein during the course of the HIV infection making it easier to detect and neutralise.

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer NASA spacecraft has found neon which is a gas commonly used in electric signs in the thin lunar atmosphere. Its existence on the moon has been speculated since the Apollo Mission, and scientists have now solid proof of the existence of neon in relatively abundant qualities in the lunar atmosphere. The neon is not sufficient to make the moon glow as the latter’s atmosphere is around 100 trillion times less dense at sea level than earth’s atmosphere. A dense atmosphere results in gravity and it is rare in our solar system.

Airbnb is a peer to peer accommodation platform which has acquired trip planning tool Vamo. The staff and technology of Vamo will be taken on by Airbnb in what is known as a Acqui-Hire. The tool that uses Big Data for finding travel deals will be shut w.e.f October 1st 2015. The founder and CEO of Vamo is former Facebook exec Ari Steinberg. California based Airbnb raised USD 1.5 billion in new capital this year with a value of USD 25.5 billion. Company was launched in 2008 and currently has 40 million users internationally.

Team from the French National Centre for Scientific Research has discovered a prehistoric virus called Mollivirus sibericum. It is named so because it is located underground in NE Siberian permafrost. Mollivirus sibericum means “soft virus from Siberia”. It is a giant virus as it is visible through light microscopy.

A patient in Spain has received the world’s first 3 D printed titanium sternum and rib implant for curing chest wall sarcoma. The research team from Salamanca University Hospital created this new type of implant which could be completely customised to replicate intricate structures of sternum and ribs. Melbourne based company Anatomics designed and manufactured the implant for the research team. They created a 3D image of the body parts allowing surgeons o define resection margins with precision. The implant was created using a USD 1.3 billion Arcam printer which works by directing an electron beam at a bed of titanium powder in order to melt it, layer-by-layer until you have a complete implant.

Microsoft is promoting Hindu through Bhasha along with local languages, as the IT giant has developed user friendly inscript and phonetic Hindi keyboards. A Hindi search engine version of Bing has also been created by the IT and computer systems major. This is part of the Skill India initiative as well.

National Web Portal has been launched for apprenticeship training benefits. The scheme is implemented through Board of Apprenticeship Training, BOPT in Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai and Kolkata. Portal offers doorstep service deliver besides saving time and addressing grievances for apprentices. The National Web Portal engages with users in 4 languages currently-Marathi, Bengali, Tamil and Hindi.

Maharashtra government will expand its e-services interface to bring process for issuing caste, birth and death certificates online from the birth anniversary of Gandhiji, October 2nd. The state government will provide 50 of 150 notified services under RTS/ Right to Services Act online. RTS Act will also be linked to the grievance redressal portal of the government called Aaple Sarkar. 150 services have been identified under RTS Act for time bound delivery. MP was the first state to enact RTS on August 18, 2010. Bihar was the second to enact the Bill on July 25, 2011. Other states like Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan have also implemented this legislation. RTS aims to encourage the weeding out of corruption and the increase in accountability of public servants.

Team of researchers from NCBS/National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru have produced the first draft genome of the Tulsi plant. Tulsi, the queen of herbs was studied by the researchers to identify genes needed for production of compounds with potential medicinal properties. Tulsi has medicinal properties because of specialised compounds which are part of its defence mechanism. The researchers used 5 varsities of Tulsi for collecting the genetic data. The results were compared to well studied species such as Arabidopsis thaliana (a flowering plant). This aided them discover the unique compounds found in tulsi Krishna subtype. The researchers also found Tulsi contains Ursolic acid and it can be used for generation of this acid which has many medicinal properties. Tulsi is known by the botanical name ocimum tenuiflorum and has been in cultivation in India for 3,000 years. It is believed to have originated in India. The herb is anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-pyretic and has many medicinal attributes. It is used for curing respiratory and stomach ailments as well.

Apple Inc has launched the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus on 9th September 2015. This is the latest iteration of a lucrative smartphone that offers 3D touch. This means that the screen of the smartphone responds differently based on how hard it is pressed by the user. The new phone comes in 4 metal finishes. The phone has an improved 12 Megapixel camera and it will record 4K videos. Its price is around USD 149 and it was launched with the Apple YV product complete with an app store and voice controlled remote control. Siri, the digital assistant of Apple TV is behind the voice control and can switch on subtitles and rewind videos for 15 seconds.

Members of the genus Homo comprise Homo habilis (Handy Man), Homo rudolfensis (Rudolf Man), Homo ergaster, Homo erectus (Upright Man), Homo floresiensis (Flores Man), Homo heidelbergensis(Heidelberg Man), Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthal Man), Homo rhodesiensis (Rhodesia Man) and Homo Sapiens (The Thinking Man). Scientists have discovered a new human family tree member through fossilised bones discovered in South Africa. The create is a mix of human and more primitive characteristics. The discovery presents intriguing mysteries such as the age of the bones and how they reached the chamber which has passages as narrow as 7 inches. Researchers have named the creature Homo naledi. This reflects the Homo evolutionary genus and the local world for star as the fossils were discovered in the Rising Star Cave System. The site where the fossils were recovered was close to 30 miles northwest of Johannesburg. This has yielded close to 1550 specimens since its discovery in the year 2013. Fossils represent close to 15 individuals. The discovery was made by Professor Lee Berger and his team from University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg who indicated naledi's anatomy suggest that it arose at or near the root of the Homo group, which would make the species some 2.5 million to 2.8 million years old. The discovered bones themselves may be younger, scientists have estimated. The Homo naledi has shoulders and small brains like ape ancestors but hands like humans.

Indian Bank has launched Indpay, a new mobile app offering online banking to people through mobiles. Indpay is compatible with Android, Windows and IoS as well.

State Bank Buddy was launched by FM Arun Jaitley on 18th August 2015 in the presence of SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya. The solution was launched by the bank in Delhi. It is the latest revolution in the field of e-banking.

EVC of Electronic Verification Code promotes paperless e-filing whereby EVC is a 10 digit alpha numeric code generated to verify IT returns while taking the e-filing route. Code is unique for each PAN number. It can also be generated using Adhaar card, mobile number, and net banking or registered email.

The third phase of digitisation programme is in progress under which all the cities of with population of more than one lakh shall be covered by end of this year.