Supersolid and Quantum theatre
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Science and technology
Why in News?
A team of researchers from Italy, recently froze light into a ‘supersolid’ using ‘quantum theatre.’
- Supersolid - A super solid is an exotic phase of matter in which particles are arranged in a crystalline structure but also move like a non-viscous fluid, exhibiting properties of both a solid and a superfluid.
- First created in - 2017 in a laboratory, but Physicists predicted the idea of a super solid in the 1960s.
- It combines the friction-free flow of a superfluid with the ordered structure of a crystalline solid.
- Usually, solids do not move on their own, but super solids change direction and density depending on their particles’ interactions while maintaining an organised internal structure.
- Properties of light - Light always travels at 3 lakh km per second in a vacuum.
- It cannot be trapped and solidified because the particles of light, photons, have no rest mass and do not interact strongly with each other.
- Light exists only as a particle or a wave.
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- Recent Findings – It marks the first time scientists have managed to couple light with matter to create a supersolid.
- It used a quantum mechanical approach that relied on the properties of polaritons.
- These are hybrid particles that sometimes behave like light and sometimes like matter.
- They are created by coupling photons with packets of energy inside materials, like phonons (vibrational energy) or excitons (electron-hole pairs).
- The researchers used an aluminium gallium arsenide semiconductor platform as a waveguide, a channel through which waves can pass, fitted with a source of excitons and a laser.
- The waveguide had a microscopic structure with a periodic grating.
- The etched ridges influenced the polaritons’ motion, trapping them in a regular pattern.
- The team used a pulsed laser to maintain a dense polariton condensate at a temperature of about –269ºC.
- Quantum theatre - This framework uses concepts from quantum mechanics to analyse theatrical performances, exploring themes like identity, observation, and play.
- Potential applications - Through this experiment photonic supersolids become more accessible for experimentation.
- Helps in producing lossless optical energy transport and optical computing elements.
Reference
The Hindu| supersolid |quantum theatre
National Biobank
Prelims: Science and technology- Current events of National & International importance.
Why in News?
Recently Minister for Science and Technology inaugurated the National Biobank' and India's own Longitudinal Population Data study at CSIR-IGIB (Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology).
- A National Biobank is a large-scale repository designed to collect, store, and manage biological samples (like blood, tissues, DNA) and associated health data (clinical, lifestyle, genomic).
- Launched under - The Phenome India Project.
- Objectives- The Biobank will serve as the backbone of a nationwide cohort study, collecting comprehensive genomic, lifestyle.
- Collection of data - A long-term, data-rich study tracking the health trajectories of individuals over several years.
- Involves the collection of clinical data from 10,000 individuals across India.
- Tailored version - The Indian version is tailored to capture the country’s unique diversity, across geography, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds.
- Supports early treatment - This initiative will aid early diagnosis, improve therapeutic targeting.
- Treatment of complex diseases - In the fight against complex diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular ailments, and rare genetic disorders.
- Individualised treatment - Indian may receive individualised treatment tailored to their genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environment.
- Disease Recognition - It will help scientists uncover disease patterns, gene-environment interactions, and response to therapies within the Indian context.
- Self-reliance – A bold step toward India’s self-reliance in healthcare data.
- Prospect – It has the potential to evolve into a global benchmark like the UK Biobank.
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Phenome India project
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- Launched by -The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
- Launched on - December 7, 2023.
- Objective - To develop India-specific risk prediction models for cardio-metabolic diseases, including diabetes, liver diseases, and cardiac diseases.
- Participants - Around 10,000 individuals—primarily CSIR employees, pensioners, and their spouses.
- Data collected -Clinical questionnaires, lifestyle and dietary habits, anthropometric measurements, imaging and scanning data, and extensive biochemical and molecular data.
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Reference
PIB| National biobank
Oral Cancer
Prelims: Current events of National & International importance
Why in News?
Recently, it has been suggested that identifying oral cancer in Stages I and II can increase the 5-year survival rate to 80–90%, compared to significantly lower survival when diagnosed at an advanced stage.
- Oral cancer - Cancer that forms in tissues of the oral cavity (the mouth) or the oropharynx (the part of the throat at the back of the mouth).
Oral cancer in India
- Annual cases - Over 1,35,000 new cases reported annually, remains one of the most prevalent cancers in India.
- Disease burden - India accounts for nearly one-third of the global incidence of the disease, according to GLOBOCAN 2020 and the National Cancer Registry Programme.
- Major contributing factors - Use of smokeless tobacco, betel quid, and areca nut, especially in underserved communities.
- Precancerous conditions - Leucoplakia or oral submucous fibrosis.
- Early diagnosis - When diagnosed at an early stage, oral cancer is highly treatable, with five-year survival rates exceeding 80% for Stage I and II cases.
- Use of Advanced tools -VELscope and Oncodiagnoscope should be used to screen suspicious red or white patches in the oral cavity.
- Regular surveillance- High-risk patients who underwent biopsy should be placed under regular surveillance to monitor for any signs of malignant transformation.
- Advanced treatment- Each case is thoroughly evaluated and discussed by a tumour board.
- Individualised diagnosis - Treatment plans are individualised, following internationally recognised protocols.
- 3D printing -It is incorporated in preoperative planning and reconstruction.
- This allows for the creation of accurate anatomical models, simulate surgeries, and fabricates patient-specific surgical guides and reconstruction plates.
- Improvements - These advances have improved surgical accuracy, reduced operating time, and contributed to better postoperative function and aesthetics.
- Postoperative care - Speech therapy, nutritional support, physical rehabilitation, and psychological counselling
- Ongoing follow-up - Ensures early detection of any recurrence or secondary conditions.
- Trios of the treatment - Early diagnosis, tailored treatment, and holistic rehabilitation.
Reference
The Hindu | Oral cancer diagnosis
Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance
Why in the news?
Recently, Punjab government launched the “Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana”.
- About – It is a flagship health insurance scheme to provide cashless treatment to all residents of Punjab.
- Aim - To ensure universal health coverage and reduce out-of-pocket expenses for secondary and tertiary healthcare services.
- Cashless Treatment - Beneficiaries receive completely cashless treatment, including diagnosis, hospitalization, surgery, and medicines.
- Eligibility Criteria - All residents of Punjab, including farmers, labourers, and marginalized sections, are covered.
- Beneficiaries are identified through State Resident Data Hub (SRDH) and NFSA databases.
- Financial Coverage - Each eligible family is entitled to Rs.10 lakh per year for hospitalization and treatment under the scheme.
- Wide Network - The scheme covers over 1,500 procedures across a wide network.
- Empanelled Hospitals - Both public and private hospitals meeting quality and infrastructure criteria are authorized to deliver services.
- Digital Integration - The entire scheme is IT-enabled with a centralized e-card system, online authorization, and real-time monitoring.
- Special Focus - Special attention is given to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children, senior citizens, and those with chronic illnesses.
- Grievance Redressal - A robust system is in place for addressing grievances and ensuring timely redressal through helplines and district-level officers.
Reference
Hindustan Times| Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana
