UV-C Air Duct Disinfection System
- The UV-C air duct disinfection system developed by CSIR-CSIO (Central Scientific Instruments Organisation) will be installed in Parliament for the mitigation of airborne transmission of SARS-COV-2.
- This system is designed to fit into any existing air-ducts and the virucidal dosages using UV-C intensity and residence time can be optimised according to the existing space.
- Uses - This system deactivates the virus in any aerosol particles by the calibrated levels of UV-C light (wavelength 254 nm).
- It can be used to disinfect the air in auditoriums, malls, educational Institutions, AC buses, hospitals, laboratories, and in railways.
- But these conventional germicidal treatments are done in unoccupied rooms as they can cause health problems.
- Because viruses and bacteria are much smaller than human cells, far-UVC light can reach their DNA and kill them.
- Finding - When exposed to 222 nm UV-C irradiation at 0.1 mW/cm2 for 30-seconds, 99.7% of SARS-CoV-2 viral culture was killed.
Ultraviolet Radiation
- Ultraviolet (UV) is a type of light or radiation naturally emitted by the Sun. It covers a wavelength range of 100-400 nm.
- UV is divided into three bands - UV-A (315-400 nm), UV-B (280-315 nm) and UV-C (100-280 nm).
- UV-A and UV-B rays from the Sun are transmitted through our atmosphere and all UV-C is filtered by the ozone layer.
- UV-A rays can penetrate the middle layer of your skin or the dermis and can cause aging of skin cells and indirect damage to cells’ DNA.
- UV-B rays can only reach the outer layer of our skin or epidermis and can cause sunburns and are also associated with skin cancer.
- UV-C radiation from man-made sources has been known to cause skin burns and eye injuries.
Re-wilding of Wild Animals
- Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) attempted to reintroduce into the wild an abandoned tiger cub after rearing it in ‘captivity’ for two years.
- Re-wilding is systematic, scientifically planned re-introduction of viable populations of lost animals to natural environments.
- It is a form of environmental conservation and ecological restoration that has significant potential to increase biodiversity, create self-sustainable environments and mitigate climate change.
- SOP - National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) laid down the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)/Guidelines under Section 38(O) of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- As per these SOPs, there are three ways to deal with orphaned or abandoned tiger cubs.
- First way is to make an effort to reunite the abandoned cubs with their mother.
- If a reunion of the cub with its mother is not possible, then shift the cub to a suitable zoo.
- Reintroduction of the cub into the wild after a certain time when it appears that the cub is capable of surviving in the wild independently. This is what is known as ‘re-wilding’.
- NTCA stresses that the tiger cub should be reared in an in situ enclosure for a minimum of two years, and during this time, each cub should have a successful record of at least 50 ‘kills’.
- Tiger cubs should be in prime health, and of dispersing age (three/four years). There should be no abnormality/incapacitation.
- Challenges - Failures of re-wilding led to deaths of many tigers due to illness, injuries and territorial fight. as well as serious livestock depredations, and even man-eating problems.
- Besides, the re-wilding process is very costly.
- Choosing the location - There is a need to protect more habitats strictly, so that the prey densities rise and more tigers can thrive.
- Reintroduction of captive animals in protected areas, which already have the presence of the same species, results is territorial fights.
- If these animals are released in a protected area, which requires a particular species, then there are chances of survival.
National Commission for Backward Classes
- The Union Cabinet has approved the Eleventh Extension of the term of the Commission constituted under Article 340 of the Constitution by 6 months beyond 31st July 2021 up to 31st January 2022.
- [Article 340 deals with the need to identify those socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs), understand the conditions of their backwardness, and make recommendations to remove the difficulties they face.]
- This Commission examines the issue of Sub-categorization within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central List.
- This Commission is called the National Commission for Backward Classes, which was established under the 102nd Amendment Act, 2018.
- Click here to know more about the National Commission for Backward Classes. Also, click here to know about the earlier Commissions on BC.
E-coli and Chemotaxis
- E.coli, bacterial resident of the human intestine, show chemotaxis in response to different chemicals present in human gastrointestinal tract.
- [Chemotaxis is the directed motion of an organism toward environmental conditions it deems attractive and/or away from surroundings it finds repellent.]
- Scientists have now found the condition that is most suitable for getting the best chemotactic performance. This finding will help track behavior of E-Coli bacteria in response to chemical signals.
- The response of E-Coli to chemicals in the intestine bacteria plays a crucial role in the functioning of the human intestine.
- E.coli uses its run-and-tumble motion to migrate towards the region with more nutrients. The nutrient molecules bind to the chemo-receptors present on the cell membrane.
- This input signal is processed by the sensing module of the signaling network, finally modulating the run-and-tumble motion of the cell.
- One important aspect of signaling network of chemotaxis is the cooperativity or clustering tendency of the chemo-receptors, which helps amplifying the input signal.
- As a result, E.coli can respond to very weak concentration gradient. Thus receptor clustering was known to increase the sensitivity of the cell.
- A recent study has shown that there is an optimum size of the receptor clusters at which the E.coli cell shows the best-directed motion guided by chemical signal received from its environment.
- As cluster size increases, sensing is enhanced, which improves chemotactic performance. But for large clusters, fluctuations also increase, and adaptation comes into play.
- The signaling network is now controlled by the adaptation module, and sensing plays a less significant role which brings down the performance.
Chemotaxis in other Organisms
- A sperm cell finds the ovum using chemotaxis.
- White blood cells that are needed for healing injuries find the site of injury or inflammation by chemotaxis.
- Butterflies also track flowers, and male insects reach their targets by using chemotaxis.
- Understanding chemotaxis involves how it is affected by various conditions present inside the cell or in the environment.
Immunity Debt
- As countries start lifting curbs imposed on societies due to the pandemic, there are higher rates of respiratory infections, even unseasonal diseases such as influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
- This is known as the “immunity debt” and it was brought on by non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) put in place during the pandemic like social distancing, use of masks, and hand hygiene.
- The NPIs have been employed to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and have succeeded at varying levels in countries.
- However, they have had unintended consequences for other directly transmitted, endemic respiratory diseases as well.
- The constant exposure to infectious agents boosts the immune response in the human body.
- In the absence of this, there is a possibility that there could be unseasonal outbreaks with greater severity than usual.
- Disruptions to the seasonal transmission patterns of these diseases may have consequences for the timing and severity of future outbreaks.
Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
- The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has demanded an additional $200 billion fund flow to developing countries from various sources to manage nature through 2030.
- It is one of many demands and targets that have been set through 2030 in the official draft of a new Global Biodiversity Framework.
- The post-2020 global biodiversity framework builds on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
- This new framework will be the global guiding force to protect nature and to retain its essential services for humans from 2020 to 2030.
- Goals - The new frameworks have four goals to achieve by 2050.
- To halt the extinction and decline of biodiversity,
- The rate of extinctions has been reduced at least tenfold and
- The risk of species extinctions across all taxonomic and functional groups is halved and
- Genetic diversity of wild and domesticated species is safeguarded, with at least 90% of genetic diversity within all species maintained.
- To enhance and retain nature’s services to humans by conserving.
- To ensure fair and equitable benefits to all from use of genetic resources.
- To close the gap between available financial and other means of implementation and those necessary to achieve the 2050 Vision.
- The framework document says that the adequate financial resources to implement the framework are available and deployed, progressively closing the financing gap up to at least $700 billion per year by 2030.
- Targets - The new framework has the same 21 lofty targets agreed earlier to meet by 2030.
- To bring at least 30% of land and sea under the world’s protected areas,
- To redirect, repurpose, reform or eliminate incentives harmful for biodiversity, in a just and equitable way, reducing them by at least $500 billion per year.
- This framework ensures the right capacity building of the communities /governments to take up conservation measures to meet the goals.
- These include the contentious technology transfer to countries that don’t have it currently and also a wide scientific cooperation among countries.
Source: PIB, The Indian Express, Down To Earth
