WE WILL PROBABLY NEED BOOSTER SHOTS FOR COVID 19 Subject: Science & tech Context: As the nation edges closer to President Joe Biden’s goal of a 70% vaccination rate, many people are beginning to wonder how long their protection will last. Concept: For now, scientists are asking a lot of questions about COVID-19 […]
WHY DO AIRCRAFT RUN INTO TURBULENCE? Subject: Science & tech Context: Eight passengers on board a Vistara flight from Mumbai to Kolkata on Monday, June 7, suffered injuries after the Boeing 737-800 encountered severe turbulence during its descent. Concept: Air turbulence means disruption of airflow over the wings of an airplane, which causes […]
FDA CONDITIONALLY APPROVES ALZHEIMERS DRUG Subject: Science & tech Context: The U.S.’s pharma regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), made a much anticipated ruling on Monday, in conditionally approving the use of an Alzheimer’s drug, called aducanumab, the first such approval since 2003. Concept: The drug, which goes by the brand name […]
NICLOSAMIDE FOR COVID TREATMENT Subject: Science & tech Context: Recently, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with Laxai Life Sciences began the phase-II clinical trials of the Niclosamide drug for treatment of Covid-19. Concept: Niclosamide It is an orally bioavailable chlorinated salicylanilide, with anthelmintic and potential antineoplastic activity. It […]
T CELL IMMUNITY IS NOT MEASURED IN THE RECENT STUDY Subject: Science & tech Context: T cell immunity was not measured in the recent study of healthcare workers (HCW) in India. Concept: T cells (also called T lymphocytes) are one of the major components of the adaptive immune system. Their roles include directly […]
ISRO DEVELOPS 3 TYPES OF VENTILATORS Subject: Science & tech Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation has developed three types of ventilators, and has come forward to transfer the technology to industry for clinical usage as the country battles the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Concept: PRANA A low-cost and portable critical care […]
MORE ANTIBODIES PRODUCED BY COVISHIELD THAN COVAXIN : STUDY Subject: Science & tech Context: Seropositivity rates to anti-spike antibody were significantly higher in Covishield recipients compared to Covaxin after the first dose, the study claimed. Concept: This ongoing, Pan-India, Cross-sectional, Coronavirus Vaccine-induced Antibody Titre (COVAT) study is being conducted amongst HCW, with or […]
NEW VARIANT T478K: MOSTLY FOUND IN MEXICO ALSO FOUND IN EUROPE Subject: Science & tech Context: An analysis of more than one million SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences has led to the identification of a new variant that, over the past weeks, has been spreading mostly in Mexico but has also been found in Europe. […]
ASPAGNII(TM) – INDIGENEOUS TUMOUR ANTIGEN Subject: Science & tech Context: DBT-NII Receives Trademark for India’s First Indigenous Tumour Antigen SPAG9. Concept: India’s first indigenous tumour antigen SPAG9 was discovered by Dr Anil Suri in 1998 who is heading the Cancer Research Program at the New Delhi-based National Institute of Immunology (NII), an Autonomous […]
BOSE EINSTEIN CONDENSATES Subject: Science & tech Context: Emergence of order from chaos in turbulent systems and Bose-Einstein condensation. This ordering leads to aeroelastic flutter and thermoacoustic instabilities as observed during the failure of the F1 engine of Apollo rocket during trials. Concept: Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) — the existence of […]