Foodcrops related
#1: Trombay Crop varieties
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by BARC scientists.
Using radiation induced mutation and cross-breeding.
Agro. Ministry has permitted their commercial cultivation.
In the 70s, BARC started with Trombay Groundnut (TG-1) for Guj-Maharashtra region
Crop
No. of Trombay varieties
Groundnut 15- large seeds, drought resistant, no sprouts/germination during storage
Mustard 3
Soya
2-more resistant to bacteria
Sunflower 1
Mooong 8- can survive salinity, disease-resistant, early maturing
Tuvar
4
Urad
5
Chouli
1
Rice
1
Jute
1
Total
41
Benefits: individual crop variety’s feature may vary but by and large…
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takes less time to mature
drought/ pest tolerant
longer shelf life
#2: Navara Rice
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Navara is a medicinal rice variety.
Red colored.
Grown in Kerala.
used in Ayurveda remedies for rheumatisms, neuro muscular disorders and body
rejuvenation.
enjoys geographical indication (GI) status. (Pokkali rice=another Kerala rice that enjoys
GI status=Pokkali rice)
but Navara rice cultivation is almost extinct. Why?
o pure seeds not available
o low yield, high production cost
Now farmers trying to revive this via concept of Navara Eco Farm- with organic farming
Pesticides not used. Instead, they plant Tulsi and marigold to repel the insects.
#3: Rice-Fish-Poultry Integrated Model
In this model, farmer uses
% of his
To grow
land
90%
Paddy (rice)
5%
Fishes – carp, roghu, cutla etc.
Poultry cage. Erected in such a way that one part is over the fishes and one part over
5%
the paddy crop. This way, bird dropping help as fish-feed + farm-manure.
Benefits
1.
2.
3.
4.
Recycling waste products-using them as fish feed and manure
Additional income from poultry and fishes
bio-control of pests: fish feed on the pests and insects attacking the rice plant
Similar triple-income model can also be constructed with silkworm rearing, or apiary.
Madurai malli
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Flower in TN
Enjoys GI status (click me for earlier article)
Why in news? Because they’re looking for exprort potential in Malaysia
Problem: rainfall scarcity, Labor shortage because of MNREGA,
Cotton Duty
(Although not really a sci-tech topic)
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Currently, duty-free cotton exports are permitted (after registering contracts with the
Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
Textile minister wants to impose 10% duty on overseas sale of cotton.
But Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said “not a
good idea sir-ji”
Reasons:
o India’s cotton production has been increasing every year.
o In such a situation, there should be no restrictions on export of raw cotton and no
duty on export.
o any quantitative restriction or export duty would penalise farmers
Milk/Meat/Fish related:
#1: Poultry Meat to Biodiesel
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Namakkal district of TN= leading producer of poultry. (for more on [food processing]
click me)
Avg. 4000 birds die here every day and discarded in the open=>foul smell, contamination
of ground water, health hazards, house flies and diseases.
Now a TN researcher designed method to extract bio-diesel out of dead poultry.
Each dead chicken weighs about 1.5 kg and ~15% of its body has fat.
Using solvent extraction method, we can extract this fat and turn it into body diesel. This
way six birds=1 litre of bio-diesel. This bio-diesel can be blended with regular diesel in
20:80 ratio and can be used in regular vehicles.
#2: Sea Ranching
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Sea ranching is a process of releasing artificially cultured juvenile fishes into the sea or
estuarine waters=> let them mature=>fishing.
can be used for shrimps, sea cucumber, sea urchin, variety of fishes.
New sea ranching project in Kozikode- 4 lakh larvae of tiger prawns released.
This would help inland fishermen of the district- who are negatively affected by
overfishing practices and climatic changes
“Economies” of sea ranching=> 4 lakh larvae = only 20% survive= 1,600 kg of prawn,
and at an average Rs.250 a kg, this will amount to Rs.3 lakh to Rs.4 lakh in returns.
#3: TMR (Total mixed ration)
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New type of cheap cattle feed being tested in Kerala.
Uses mixture of ground nuts, sesame, red gram, molasses, toxin binder, salt and vitamin
mineral mixtures.
Cheaper than commercial feeds
Can also be given to goats, sheep etc.
Reduces the green fodder requirement
Increases milk output.
#4: FMD outbreak in South India
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In [Food Processing] Milk sector article, we’ve already seen “theory” Foot and Mouth
disease (FMD) and how it affects the supply line of milk/meat industry. click me
FMD is in news because of outbreak reported in Andhra.
There are four type of FMD virus: A, C, O and Asia1.
Indian cattle is given vaccines against all these FMD viruses- twice a year.
Sheep and goats (cloven hoofed animals) are also susceptible to the FMD viral disease.
FMD is not a public health hazard. It doesn’t spread to humans.
Public Health/Policy related
#1: B.Sc (Community Health)
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Union cabinet approved this new degree course.
3 years course in state university => Community health officer under health ministry.
Syllabus designed by National Board of Examinations (NBE). (and not the medical
council of India MCI)
Will help in: diarrhea, pneumonia, vaccination, TB, fever, skin infection, normal delivery
etc.
will act as a bridge between village midwife/ASHA work vs a doctor
Opposition
MBBS lobby
parliamentary standing
Committee on Health and
Family Welfare
Why?
1. Course Syllabus not designed by MCI= such graduates
cannot be expected to provide professional diagnosis and
treatment.
2. This B.Sc course will create two tiers of medical
professionals.
1. these half-baked doctors will endanger the lives of the
patients.
2. Instead of such fancy new courses- better make it
mandatory for new MBBS to serve in rural areas for the
first few years.
3. 12th FYP already proposed setting up medical colleges in
every district. So doctor shortage will be removed soon,
then why are you making new degree?
#2: Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013
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By Department of Pharmaceutics under ministry of Chemical and fertilizer. (and not
health ministry).
To fix ceiling price of essential medicines on the basis of market-based pricing.
DPCO 2013 empowers the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (“NPPA”) to
regulate prices of 348 essential drugs.
How?
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Make a list of all pharma companies – with marketshare of atleast 1% or more.
observe their prices for given drugtake simple average of those prices
+local taxes and 16% profit margin for retail chemist.
Decide ceiling price based on that.
Sounds well and good, what’s the problem?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Patented drugs not covered. So most of the MNC pharma brands are out of the scope.
AYUSH drugs are not covered.
Only applies to 348 drugs. There are total ~900 allopathic drugs in India.
Companies can still evade price ceiling by adding / changing a few ingredients in their
drug formulation.
5. Doesn’t not apply to newly patented within India (for first five years). =companies might
file frivolous patents by slightly modifying existing mixtures-to evade price ceiling.
6. Even within ceiling, Doctors can still prescribe most expensive variety of drug and
patient will buy it. (and doctor mints commission from pharma company.)
Anyways, but why in News?
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become Some NGO filed court case- alleging that
DPCO encourages profiteering. Government prince regime guided by market-driven
forces= bad idea.
National List of Essential Drugs consists of only 348 drugs and left out many essential
medicines from price control.
Drugs in news (DIN?)
MycidacC
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Cadila’s new New drug
For non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Price: 40000 for 10 injections (still cheaper than its rival “Avastin” by
Roche pharma.)
Got permission from to sell in India
used for treatment of type II diabetes.
Metformin
some researchers believed It also helps in heart-diseases-even in non-diabetic
patients. But the clinical trials have been inconclusive so far.
Indian drug company Ranbaxy Laboratories used “fraudulent” data to approval from
Ranbaxy USA’s FDA to sell generic drugs in America. (according to its whistleblower
employee.)
#3: Brainmapping, Lie Detection and Narco Analysis
Popularly called Lie detection test. Been used since 1920s.
Lie detection instrument connected with suspect’s body. He is asked series of
questions.
Polygraph
Principle: deceptive/wrong answers produce physiological responses different than
true answers e.g. BP, pulse rate, respiration and skin temperature.
Thus you can find lie by monitoring his physiological indices.
Suspect is given injection of truth serum e.g. sodium thiopental/ Sodium Pentothal/
Sodium Amytal. (one type of barbiturate derivate.)
Narco
Analysis
Brain
Mapping
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Principle: truth serums act on the central nervous system (CNS). They reduce
anxiety and self-control. Suspect becomes woozy/ trance/half-unconscious. Then
you ask questions, he’ll (most likely) tell the truth.
Sensors attached to Suspect’s head. He is shown audio/video/images related to
crime scene.
Principle: suspect’s brain recognizes things from a crime scene and produces
different type of brain waves (while innocent person who has no knowledge of
crime scene- will not produce those brain waves).
In a typical criminal investigation, suspects first undergo a lie detection test, then brain
mapping and narco-analysis.
As per an expert committee of NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and
Neuro Sciences) says Brain mapping = unscientific and should be discontinued as an
investigative tool and as evidence in courts.
As per Supreme court directive: police cannot do Brain mapping, polygraph and brainmapping tests without consent of the accused person.
fine but Why in news? Because LeT bomber Abdul Karim Tunda refused to give consent
for brain mapping, citing his old age and health problems. (September 2013 news)
#4: Eye Donation
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National Eye Donation fortnight was held in Aug-September period.
India has around 20 lakh people with corneal blindness – they can see again with eye
transplantation.
eye donation does not disfigure the dead body and the procedure takes only about 10 to
15 minutes.
shelf life of a retrieved eye is 12 days- it is given to needy patient based on waiting list.
We have to motivate people to donate eyes. but only signing ‘forms’ alone is not
sufficient. A person must inform his friends and relatives. (that if I die, contact this xyz
number to get my eye donated)
World Sight Day= celebrated on second Thursday of October. This year it was on 10th
Oct.
Disease/Anatomy related
#1: Wifi Pacemaker
Normal heart beat 60-90 times per minute. (72 to be exact)
bradycardia
heart beats at a slower rate than 60 beats per minute
Tachycardia
Heart rate >100 beats per minute.
arrhythmias
irregular heartbeat
 Group of cells- that generate electrical signal . This signal controls
heartbeat rate.
 Faulty electrical = arrhythmias=irregular heartbeat.
sinoatrial (SA)
node.
During Tachycardia (too fast heart beats), upper chambers of heart cannot fill up blood within
the fast beat= blood flow become irregular=>fatigue, dizziness, fainting, and/or chest pain even
death.
Implantable Cardio Defibrillator.
(ICD)
Generates low energy electrical impulses= to make same. but not just impulse- it can also
the heart beat at normal rate.
give an electrical ‘high-shock’ during
emergency.
Pacemaker runs on a battery- need replacement
@4-5 years.
same
Pacemaker
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Latest models of pacemaker even have wififeature. It can directly send messages to the
doctor, about patient’s heart rate.
same
ok but Why in news?
Because ex-Vice President Dick Cheney had turned off wifi feature in his defibrillator- because
of fear that terrorists could hack it to kill him, via wifi!
Speaking of fancy heart gadgets:
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AED
Holter
Monitor
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Automated External Defibrillator
Shocks the heart back to its normal rhythm. You may have seen this in many
Hollywood movies.
Anyone can use AED device on the patient during emergency.
But need to educate people and need to place AEDs @commonplaces like
railway station, bus complex, and a shopping malls.
A small, portable ECG. Can be worn over chest to track your heart rate for
24 hours and doctor can use this data for diagnosis.
#2: Rabies
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is a zoonosis disease (transmitted from animals to humans) other examples of such
diseases are Anthrax, Bovine tuberculosis, Plague, Ringworm.
Virus is present in the salivary glands of rabid animals. When rabid animal bites human=
virus transmitted.
Raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, dogs, and cats, among other smaller animals can spread
rabies through their bites.
Rabies virus infects the central nervous system. Causes hypersalivation (increase in
saliva), hydrophobia (fear of water), partial paralaysis, hallucinations and finally death.
(India: >20,000 per year)
Louis Pasteur (French)= pasteurization, anthrax vaccine, rabies vaccine.
earlier, you had to get 16 injections of anti-rabies vaccine on the abdomen. Today, with
advanced care, just 4-5 injection sufficient.
No treatment is required if a person feeds or touches a rabid dog.
No treatment required if rabid dog licks intact skin of human.
But if the rabid dog causes a skin injury or licks the mucus membrane like in the mouth,
eyes and nose, vaccination is must.
#3: Kala Azar
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Also known visceral leishmaniasis. caused by Parasite: Leishmania
Spread by female sand-fly (it bites for blood meal)
Affects spleen, liver and bone marrow. (Parasite cannot synthesize iron containing haem
molecule on its own. So, it attacks those organs in search of hemoglobin.)
In terms of death record by parasitic diseases: #1 Malaria and #2 is Kala Azar.
Our national health policy aims to eliminate Kala-azar by 2015 i.e. less than 1 case per
10,000 population at sub-district level.
We’ve also signed Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nepal and
Bangladesh to eliminate Kala-azar from the South East Asia region by 2015,
Drugs used: Miltefosine capsule, Amphotericin B injection. (brandname Fungisome) By
and large, Kala Azar drugs are toxic and expensive. No vaccine has yet been licensed.
ok but why in news? Because an American institute testing vaccine in India.
#4: Goose bumps
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Goosebumps are caused by extreme cold or intense emotions
How? electric impulse passing thru tiny muscles below skin=>skin contracts and the
hairs get erect.
Fur animals use goose bumps for insulation against coldness. (because erect hairs trap
more air=more insulation)
in cats and rats- goose-bumps make their bodysize appear bigger= to frighten their
enemies.
ok but what is the use of goosebumps in humans? Nothing. It’s just a vestigial reflex.
Other examples of vestigial traits=appendix, tailbone, wisdom teeth and tonsils.
#5: Pediatric TB
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1997: Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) started
Limitation?
Passive
approach
Children
neglected
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RNTCP waits for the patient to come to the clinic and get his sputum tested.
But in the meantime, he’d have infected dozen more.
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WHO recommends that if an adult has TB, then all children (below 5 years
age in his house must be tested for TB. Because children are particularly
susceptible to TB bacteria. But RNTCP doesn’t do this.
DOTS workers don’t inquire about children living in TB patient’s house
either.
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Result? Highest number of TB patients found in India- ~3.5 million and >10% of them
are children.
TB in Children: detection problems?
Unlike adult, children donot product sputum= hard to diagnose in lab.
Smear microscopy and other traditional methods to detect TB= don’t give conclusive
result when used on children.
Solution? Use Xpert MTB test on children to detect TB. (we already saw this test under
“GeneExpert” device click me)
Xpert MTB is a rapid molecular test.
WHO recommends it for diagnosing Multi-drug resistant TB (MTB)
this test can give result within two hours.
even if very few TB bacteria present in the sample.
Limitation: barely ~30 Xpert diagnostic machines in India.
Brighter side: if Child is infected but has not yet developed TB disease, just give him
isoniazid drug for six month and problem solved.
Medical research related
Nano capsule vaccine
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Nanocapsule vaccines give better protection than normal vaccine
Doesn’t require injection /needle.
Mucosa tissues= found in Human respirator track, alimentary canal, and the reproductive
tract.
If Nano-capsule vaccine is delivered to any of these one sites- it gives immunity to all
other sites as well.
e.g. if future HIV vaccine is given through inhaler in nose= will grant immunity to
genitals (from where HIV virus can enter body.)
Thus nanocapsule vaccines delivered through inhalers=future of medicine- especially
HIV, human papillomavirus (Cervical cancer), herpes, influenza and tuberculosis and
other diseases that pass through mucosal tissues.
Regenerative Medicine
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It is a branch of medical science which studies the replacement or regeneration of human
cells, tissue and organs.
This helps in chronic (long term) diseases.
Involves use of stem cells and now 3D printing (for example: 3d printed liver, kidney,
ears etc.)
Latest in this area is 4D printing.
4D printing
4D printing=3D printing + time / place dimension.
For example,
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A soldier’s uniform that can alter its color pattern depending on time/season/surrounding
place
A soldier’s armor that can alter its defense-mechanism based on type of attack:
bullet/acid/fire/radiation/chemical etc.
An artificial organ that can adapt based on lifestyle, diet, blood group, and infection etc.
of the patient.
In-vivo iPS cell
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Adult cell (e.g. from skin, muscle etc)=>reprogram=> becomes iPS cell (induced
pluripotent stem cells)
Use this iPS stem cell to grow liver, heart, kidney etc. in lab.=>organ transplant.
Last year, Nobel was given for this iPS research.
So far, iPS cells could be grown only in labs (in-vitro)
But now researcher working on how to grow iPS cells right inside the body (in-vivo)
Benefit? They’ll have more uses as regenerative medicine than lab grown iPS cells (invitro)
3 parent baby
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already covered in june-july-august series click me
same story repeated in October edition as well. Anyways, let’s check
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Mitochondria= powerhouse of cell, help oxidizing food and generate energy. Also help
coordinating several molecular events.
During fertilization
Embryo gets mitochondria DNA from mother side.
Father’s sperm also contain mitochondria in its tail- but not given to the embryo.
If mother has Defective mitochondria=> baby likely to have liver, heart and respiratory
disease.
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What is the solution? In mother’s egg, replace mitochondria with healthy from a donor
lady. Then use this modified egg in the fertilization with father’s sperm.
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Thus three-parent baby is born:
Father
Gave sperm
Mito-mom Donor lady, Gave mitochondria DNA
Geno-mom Gave the egg
UK gave permission for clinical trials.
USA still contemplating over the biological, ethical and legal issues involved in this technology.
1978 Invitro fertilization
1996 Dolly ship clone
2013 Three parent baby
Exact years not important but chronology is. Incase UPSC asks an like they did in CAPF-2013
for plasma, LED and CRT televisions’ chronology.
DNA’s half life
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New research found DNA has a half-life of 521 years.
That means that after 521 years, half of the bonds between nucleotides in DNA would
have broken; after another 521 years half of the remaining bonds would have gone.
ok but how is that even relevant?
Because in Hollywood sci-fi movies, you may have seen how scientist would use DNA
sample from dinosaurs and ancient insects are trapped in amber and breed a new dinosaur
or some other massive creature.
This is implausible because dinosaurs died 65 million years ago. And given that DNA’s
half-life is just 521 years- their DNA has become junk- there is no way you can decode it
and create new dinosaur.
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Cytoskeleton
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Botulism
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Polonium
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This material in our cells, determines the mechanical properties of
the cell.
If the cytoskeleton is damaged, cell-division is affected, too.
Cancer damages this cytoskeleton, rendering cells softer and
smoother.
Thus, by studying cytoskeleton we can detect cancer. Research on
going in this area.
Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic bacteria=can only grow in
the absence of oxygen.
Botulinum = toxin produced by this bacteria.
It can enter human body through contaminated food, wounds,
water=> botulism=death if untreated.
ok but why in news?
Scientists have discovered a new strain of this bacteria- its toxin has
no antidote.
They’ve not published all details- otherwise terrorists can use it for
making bioweapons.
Polonium (Po) is a radioactive element. Marie Curie had discovered
it and named after her homeland- Poland.
Polonium is deadlier than cyanide.
ya but why in news?
A Swiss scientist found high levels of Polonium on blood-saliva
stains on Yasser Arafat’s clothes- suggesting that someone
(=Israelis) had poisoned him.
DEET ( N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the most widely used insect
repellant
DEET
Problem: costly, dissolves plastics and synthetic fabrics, But now scientists
looking for natural alternative made from grape.