Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 11, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Maillard Reaction explains about complex chemical mechanism regarding flavours, aromas, and textures of foods. 

• It was named after the early 20th-century French scientist Louis-Camille Maillard.
• The Maillard reaction is a chemical process that occurs when amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, and sugars are heated. The process affects the flavours, aromas and textures of foods. 
• This reaction is a form of non-enzymatic browning of food, which means that the colour change occurs without the activity of enzymes. 

How does the Maillard reaction cause browning of food? 

• It is a complex chemical mechanism that leads to the formation of multiple products through the process. Chemist J.E. Hodge in 1953 was the first to break down the reaction into steps for simplification. 
• A variety of foods, including meats, bread, vegetables, coffee beans etc., contain both sugars and protein units.
• When food is heated, these sugars and proteins undergo a condensation reaction to form a protein-sugar compound called unstable Schiff base. 
• When the Schiff base is rearranged and dehydrated, various intermediate compounds form. These compounds react further to produce important flavour compounds and contribute to the development of characteristic aromas in the food. 
• Some of the intermediate compounds undergo a rearrangement, which results in the reorganisation of the atoms in the Schiff base, creating a more stable product. These products are important precursors for melanoidins, which are responsible for the brown coloration of the food. 
• These compounds undergo further changes like condensation and polymerisation, leading to the formation of melanoidins — nitrogen-containing compounds that give food the distinct brown colour. 
• Factors affecting the reaction
• The rate and extent of this reaction depend on several factors, including temperature, acidity, moisture content, and the types and concentrations of proteins and sugars in the food.
• Ideal Temperature: These are in the range of 110 degrees C and 170 degrees C, and temperatures higher than that can burn the food and render bitter flavours. 
• Generally, higher temperatures accelerate the reaction while acidic conditions and the presence of water can inhibit it.
• This is the reason that foods brown more quickly at higher temperatures and dry foods, such as bread crusts, can develop a deep brown colour during baking. 

Hence both statements are correct.

According to a new study a huge Batagay crater in Siberia's permafrost, is growing by 35 million cubic feet every year as the frozen ground melts.

• It is also called as "gateway to the underworld," by some locals in Russia's Sakha Republic.
• Location: It is located in Russia's Far East that forms the world's biggest permafrost crater.
• It is a crater or megaslump, features a rounded cliff face that was first spotted on satellite images in 1991 after a section of hillside collapsed in the Yana Uplands of northern Yakutia in Russia.
• Scientists believe that the crater is the result of a melting permafrost land, which was frozen during the Quaternary Ice Age 2.58 million years ago.

What is Permafrost?

• It is any ground that remains completely frozen—32°F (0°C) or colder—for at least two years straight.
• Global Distribution
• These permanently frozen grounds are most common in regions with high mountains and in Earth’s higher latitudes—near the North and South Poles.
• It covers large regions of the Earth. Almost a quarter of the land area in the Northern Hemisphere has permafrost underneath.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer

Recently, Ludhiana’s Punjab Agricultural University has come up with biocontrol agent Trichoderma asperellum to combat ‘foot rot’ disease, prevalent in Basmati rice varieties and registered it with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC).

• It is a fungal disease that affects Basmati rice crops particularly at the seedling stage.
• It might also cause infection after transplantation in case infected seedlings are transplanted.
• It is caused by the fungus Fusarium verticillioides, a soil-seed borne pathogen which spreads the infection through the root of the plant, and eventually leads to the colonisation of the stem base.
• Infected seedlings first turn pale yellow, then elongate and dry up, and eventually (usually) die.
• Currently, seedlings are treated with Trichoderma harzianum before sowing and transplantation.
• Seeds are also treated with fungicides such as Sprint 75 WS (carbendazim + mancozeb) before sowing. But these are the chemical treatments which are harmful for the soil and can be toxic for consumers of the rice.
• The fungicide carbendazim is already banned in Punjab because it leaves behind high residues.

What is Trichoderma asperellum?

• It is a biocontrol agent offers a non-chemical alternative to traditional pesticides, aiding in disease management while minimising environmental harm.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, a 12-year-old boy from USA, became the first person in the world with sickle cell disease to begin a commercially approved gene therapy that may cure the condition.

About Sickle Cell Disease (SCD):

• It is an inherited blood disorder.
• It is marked by flawed hemoglobin. 
• Hemoglobin is the molecule in Red Blood Cells (RBCs) that carries oxygen to the tissues of the body.
• People with SCD have a typical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort RBCs into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
• SCD interferes with the delivery of oxygen to the tissues.
• How does it affect blood flow?
• Normally, RBCs are disc-shaped and flexible enough to move easily through the blood vessels.
• In SCD, RBCs become crescent- or “sickle”-shaped due to a genetic mutation.
• These sickled RBCs do not bend or move easily and can block blood flow to the rest of the body.
• What causes it?
• The cause of SCD is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene.
• A person will be born with SCD only if two genes are inherited—one from the mother and one from the father.
• Symptoms:
• Early stage: Extreme tiredness or fussiness from anemia, painfully swollen hands and feet, and jaundice.
• Later stage: Severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infections.
• Treatments:
  • A bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) can cure SCD.
  • However, there are treatments that can help relieve symptoms, lessen complications, and prolong life.
  • Gene therapy is also being explored as another potential cure.
  • The UK recently became the first country to approve gene therapy treatment for SCD.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) recently introduced a new high-yielding wheat seed variety, HD 3386.

About Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI): 

• It is India’s largest and foremost institute in the field of research and higher education and training in agricultural sciences.
• The Institute is situated in Delhi and is administered by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• History:
• IARI, popularly known as Pusa Institute, began in 1905 at Pusa (Bihar) with a generous grant of 30,000 pounds from an American philanthropist, Henry Phipps.
• The institute was then known as the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), which functioned with five departments, namely Agriculture, Cattle Breeding, Chemistry, Economic Botany and Mycology. Bacteriology unit was added in 1907. 
• The name of ARI was changed to Imperial Institute of Agricultural Research in 1911 and in 1919 it was renamed Imperial Agricultural Research Institute.
• Following a devastating earthquake in 1934, the institute was shifted to Delhi in 1936.
• Post-independence, the institute has been renamed IARI.
• Mandate of IARI:
• Basic, strategic, and anticipatory research in field and horticultural crops for enhanced productivity and quality.
• Research in frontier areas to develop resource-use efficient integrated crop management technologies for sustainable agricultural production systems.
• Serve as a centre for academic excellence in the areas of post-graduate and human resources development in agricultural science.
• Provide national leadership in agricultural research, education, extension, and technology assessment and transfer by developing new concepts and approaches and serving as a national referral point for quality and standards.
• It attained the status of a Deemed University in the year 1958.
• The IARI was responsible for the research leading to the "Green Revolution in India" of the 1970s.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) has adopted a work plan focused on assessing country landscapes, drafting policy frameworks, and conducting biofuel workshops, petroleum and natural gas ministry officials said recently.

About Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA):

• GBA is a multi-stakeholder alliance of Governments, International Organizations, and Industries.
• It is an initiative by India, bringing together the biggest consumers and producers of biofuels to drive the development and deployment of biofuels.
• It was launched on the sidelines of the 2023 G20 summit in New Delhi.
• The initiative aims to position biofuels as a key to the energy transition and contribute to jobs and economic growth.
• Significance of the alliance:
• It will place emphasis on strengthening markets, facilitating global biofuels trade, developing concrete policy lesson-sharing and providing technical support for national biofuels programs worldwide.
• It intends to expedite the global uptake of biofuels through facilitating capacity-building exercises across the value chain, technology advancements, and intensifying the utilization of sustainable biofuels through the participation of a wide spectrum of stakeholders.
• GBA will facilitate the development, adoption, and implementation of internationally recognized standards, codes, sustainability principles, and regulations to incentivize biofuel adoption and trade.
• The alliance will also act as a central repository of knowledge and an expert hub.
• 24 countries and 12 international organizations have already agreed to join the alliance.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently asked Assam’s Chief Secretary to provide details of officers who let polling stations, schools, and other construction activities in Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is a protected area located in the north-western area of Sonitpur district of Assam.
• It is located along the foothills of the Great Himalayan Range.
• The area was declared a sanctuary in 1998. 
• Climate: The sanctuary experiences a sub-tropical type of climate with hot and humid summers, with heavy summer rains often causing floods and river overflows. 
• The Burhi dihing River traces its course through the sanctuary.
• The Namchang River, flowing from the State of Arunachal Pradesh, enters this region and joins the Burhi dihing River. 
• Flora: It mostly comprises evergreen forest. However, grasslands are also common in this region.
• Fauna:
• The main attractions of the sanctuary are elephants and Indian bison. The other animals found in the sanctuary are deer, one-horned rhinoceros, leopard, tiger and some rare species of cats.
• Avifauna includes endangered species like White Winged Wood Duck. Other birds commonly found here are Woodpecker, Hill Myna, Indian Roller, Nightjar, Horned Owl, etc.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently asked the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to submit within two weeks an additional report on pollution of the Hindon River including action it has taken against offending municipal bodies.

About Hindon River:

• It is a tributary of the Yamuna River and is primarily a rain fed river.
• Course:
• It originates from the lower Shivalik ranges in Saharanpur District of Uttar Pradesh.
• It flows across the industrial belt of Western Uttar Pradesh for 400 kilometres before discharging into the Yamuna River in Noida.
• Tributaries: The Kali (West) River and Krishni River are the main tributaries of River Hindon.
• Due to urban, agricultural and industrial waste which is being released without sufficient treatment into its waters, the Hindon is now one of the most polluted stretches in the Ganga basin.
• In 2015, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) found that the Hindon’s pollution levels were so severe that it was declared a ‘dead river’ and ‘unfit’ even for bathing in several sections of the river.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

The recent study found that the dice snakes can fake their own death when being attacked by predators by putting on a theatrical display which includes oozing  “mouthfuls” of blood.

• It is a nonvenomous snake belonging to the family Colubridae, subfamily Natricinae. It is also called water snake.
• Females of this species are bigger than males.
• Distribution: They are mainly found in much of Eurasia and are also present in Egypt.
• Habitat: They live near rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, and the surrounding grasslands.
• They can also be found in coastal areas and frequent plantations and urban areas.
• Unique character:
• They fake their own death to avoid being eaten by predators, as it is a good tactic for the prey to create a distraction and escape. 
• This behaviour depended on various factors like the sex of the individual,  injuries, body temperature, size, age, presence of food in the stomach, presence of eggs in females, and previous experience with a predator.
• When feeling threatened, they spread a very bad-smelling secretion from their cloaca or play dead.
• Threats: They suffer from loss of the wetland habitat in some areas of their range, pollution, roadkill, persecution by people, and collection for the pet trade.
• Conservation status
• IUCN Red list: Least Concern

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, Apple company debuted the M4 chip with the iPad Pro and the most prominent change in this chip is the 16-core Neural Engine, which is Apple’s term for Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

• It is a dedicated processor designed specifically for accelerating neural network processes.
• A neural network is essentially a type of machine learning algorithm that mimics the human brain for processing data.
• It is highly capable for handling machine learning operations that form the basis for AI-related tasks, such as speech recognition, natural language processing, photo or video editing processes like object detection, and more.
• In most consumer-facing gadgets such as smartphones, laptops and tablets, the NPU is integrated within the main processor, adopting a System-on-Chip (SoC) configuration.

How is NPU different from Central Processing Unit (CPU)?

• CPUs employ a sequential computing method, issuing one instruction at a time, with subsequent instructions awaiting the completion of their predecessors.
• In contrast, NPU harnesses parallel computing to simultaneously execute numerous calculations. This parallel computing approach results in swifter and more efficient processing.
• NPU is also able to learn based on accumulated data in order to deduce optimal solutions.

Hence both statements are correct.