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Saturn’s Mysterious rings & Extreme tilt

Why in news:

• A new study suggests that a pre-existing moon called 'Chrysalis' may have contributed to Saturn's bright rings and extreme tilt.
• It is believed that Chrysalis had been orbiting Saturn for billions of years.
• Approximately 160 million years ago, Chrysalis came too close to Saturn and became unstable.
• As a result of this encounter, Chrysalis was either destroyed or pushed away from the planet.

Recent Research on Saturn's Tilt and Rings

Overview:

• Saturn is one of the four planets in our solar system known to have rings. Its rings, made of water ice particles, are the brightest among the four planets. In addition, Saturn has a tilt of 26.73 degrees, which is more significant than Earth's 23.45 degrees and Jupiter's 3 degrees. According to researchers, Saturn is unlikely to have had a tilt during its formation stages.

Saturn's Tilt:

• Gas giants Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus have a significant tilt, but Jupiter is an exception. The current tilt suggests that it did not arise during the formation stages. The well-known theory is that Saturn got its tilt due to gravitational interactions with its neighbor Neptune. However, the new study argues that Saturn is no longer under Neptune's gravitational influence.

Titan's Role:

• Saturn's largest satellite, Titan, may have played a significant role in its tilt, according to observations from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which orbited Saturn from 2004-2017. Titan's fast migration caused the planet to tilt further, reducing Neptune's gravitational influence on Saturn.

In summary, recent research suggests that Titan, not Neptune, may have been responsible for Saturn's tilt, challenging the well-known theory.

Saturn

Saturn is the sixth closest planet to the sun and the second largest planet in the solar system in terms of mass and size. It has a hazy yellow-brown appearance and its atmosphere is primarily made up of molecular hydrogen and helium. With 83 confirmed orbiting moons, Saturn's moons come in a wide range of sizes, from tiny moonlets of just tens of meters to the massive Titan, which is even larger than the planet Mercury.

Non-Communicable Diseases

• Why in news:
  WHO recently released a report titled “Invisible Numbers — The True Extent of Non-communicable Diseases and What To Do About Them”.
• The report highlights that one person under 70 dies of a non-communicable disease every two seconds.
• 86% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• Non-communicable diseases are chronic diseases that are not caused by infectious agents, but rather by risk factors like smoking, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets.
• Examples of non-communicable diseases include cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes.
• The report calls for urgent action to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries.

Key Highlights of the Report

• Globally, 1 in 3 deaths (17.9 million a year) are due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
• Two-thirds of people with hypertension live in low- and middle-income countries, and almost half of those with hypertension are unaware they have it.
• Diabetes causes 1 in 28 deaths (2.0 million people a year), and over 95% of diabetes cases globally are type 2.
• Cancer causes 1 in 6 deaths (9.3 million people a year), and 44% of cancer deaths could have been prevented.
• 70% of deaths due to chronic respiratory diseases could have been prevented or delayed.
• COVID-19 has highlighted the links between NCDs and infectious disease, and in the early months of the pandemic, 75% of countries reported disruption to essential NCD services.
• Only a handful of countries are on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal target to reduce early deaths from NCDs by a third by 2030.

What are Non-Communicable Diseases?

• NCDs are chronic diseases resulting from genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral factors.
• The main types of NCDs are CVDs, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.
• Risk factors include tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, and air pollution.

Status of Non-Communicable Diseases in India:

• Over 60.46 lakh people died due to NCDs in India in 2019.
• CVDs caused over 25.66 lakh deaths, chronic respiratory diseases caused 11.46 lakh deaths, cancer caused 9.20 lakh deaths, and diabetes caused 3.49 lakh deaths.
• National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) is being implemented under the National Health Mission (NHM).
• Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) Deendayal outlets have been opened at 159 Institutions/Hospitals to provide discounted cancer and cardiovascular drugs and implants.
• Jan Aushadhi stores provide generic medicines at affordable prices.

Global:

• As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, heads of state and government committed to reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one third through prevention and treatment (SDG target 3.4).
• WHO plays a key leadership role in the fight against NCDs.
• In 2019, the WHO Global Action Plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013-2020 was extended to 2030, with a call for the development of an Implementation Roadmap 2023-2030.
• The Implementation Roadmap aims to achieve a set of nine global targets towards prevention and management of NCDs.

Way Forward

• Robust health system programs are needed to promote health, detect and control risk factors, treat disease cost-effectively, and prevent untimely deaths.
• NCDs need to be given higher priority in financial allocation and health system-strengthening initiatives with a strong emphasis on primary care.

INSPIRE Award - MANAK

Context:

• Government presents INSPIRES Awards and Financial Support to Students

INSPIRE Scheme:

• Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India launched the 'Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) scheme in 2010.
• The scheme has five components that aim to inspire students to pursue science and research.
• The first component, INSPIRE Award, targets students aged 10-15 years in classes 6 to 10 to motivate them towards science and research.
• The government of India presented INSPIRES awards to 60 start-ups that are working on innovative ideas and products that can benefit society.

Financial Support to Students:

• 53,021 students received financial support through INSPIRE scholarships and fellowships to continue their studies and research in science and technology fields.

Impact of INSPIRE Scheme:

• The INSPIRE scheme has motivated a large number of young students to pursue science and research, and has helped to create a new generation of scientists and innovators in India.

Revamping the INSPIRE Award - MANAK Scheme

Aim and Objective:

• Building a critical human resource pool to strengthen and expand the science and technology system.
• Encouraging students from all government and private schools to send their original and creative technological ideas/innovations.
• Increasing the research and development base in the countr

Mechanism:

• Inviting students from all government or private schools to send original and creative technological ideas/innovations focusing on common problems]
• Solutions are expected to be developed independently by the students
• Ideas can be submitted to the Principal/Headmaster of the school

Award:

• Disbursement of INSPIRE Award of INR 10,000 to short-listed students
• Award amount transferred directly to bank accounts of students through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme

Final Thought:

• Scheme aims to foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among school children
• Scheme targets one million original ideas/innovations rooted in science and societal applications.

Nanomaterials' role in resolving environmental problems

• Modern society's urbanisation has led to the contamination of water bodies by hazardous substances, which has adversely affected the aquatic environment.
• Nanotechnology, which involves the application of contemporary technology, such as Carbon Dots (CD) or nanomaterials, has the potential to provide solutions to these environmental issues.
• With the help of nanotechnology, we can develop effective and sustainable ways to remediate the environment, particularly water contamination problems.

Nanotechnology Overview

• Nanotechnology involves the study and creation of novel materials and devices with sizes ranging from 1-100 nanometers.
• The impact of nanotechnology spans across various fields, including manufacturing, electronics, agriculture, medicine, environment, and energy storage.
• In India, government-led initiatives drive nanotechnology, and most research and development occurs in public universities and research institutions.

Introduction to Carbon Dots (CDs):

• Carbon Dots (CDs) are a type of carbon nanomaterial with an average diameter of less than 10 nanometers, discovered in 2004.
• The optical characteristics of CDs vary based on the synthesis precursor, making them attractive for applications such as sensing and bioimaging.
• CDs are also biocompatible, environmentally benign, and cost-effective.

Role of CDs in Managing Environmental Issues:

• CDs are useful for pollution detection through fluorescence and colorimetry and are commonly used as fluorescent nanoprobes for detecting environmental contaminants.
• CDs can be used for contaminant adsorption, as their small size and high specific surface area provide numerous adsorption sites.
• CDs have potential for water treatment through their use as promising nano-fillers in the construction of thin-film nanocomposite membranes.
• CDs can aid in pollutant degradation through subsequent-generation photocatalysis, where they serve as a photosensitizer.
• CDs have antimicrobial properties that can lead to bacterial death through various mechanisms.

Carbon Dot Green Synthesis Categorization:

• CDs can be synthesized using either a "top-down" or "bottom-up" approach.
• The top-down approach involves reducing large carbon structures into quantum-sized carbon dots, while the bottom-up approach involves creating CDs from small molecule precursors through pyrolyzing, carbonizing, hydrothermal processing, or microwave-assisted synthesis.

National Young Superintendents of Police Conference and Police Expo

Context:

• The fourth National Youth Superintendents of Police Conference and Police Expo was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in a recent event.

Key Highlights of the National Youth Superintendents of Police Conference and Police Expo

About the Event:

• The Police Expo showcases the latest technologies in areas such as Body Armour, Mine Protective Vehicles (MPVs), Advanced Weaponry, Latest Communication Equipment, Surveillance Equipment, Coastal Security, Cyber Security/Cyber Crime Management, and Big Data & Predictive Analytics for effective delivery of Police Services to citizens.

Theme:

• The theme of the event was "Innovation and Research in Cybercrime Management, Drones and Counter Drones."

Key Areas of Discussion

Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C):

• The I4C, approved in 2018, aims to deal with the increasing cases of cybercrimes in a coordinated and effective manner. The center has seven components, including the National Cyber Research and Innovation Center and a National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit.

Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS):

• The CCTNS is a plan scheme that automates the functioning of Police Stations, improves delivery of citizen-centric services through effective usage of Information Communication Technology, and facilitates investigation of crime and detection of criminals. It has been implemented in all 16,347 police stations across the country.

Usage of Drones:

• Drones can be useful in combat operations, surveillance, communication in remote areas for internal security, border security and security in remote areas. Drones can also be used for transportation of medicines, food and essential commodities and for search and rescue operations in areas affected by natural calamities and disasters. They can also help farmers and fishermen in timely delivery of their produce and in spraying pesticides on crops.

Digital mapping of property is being done with the help of drones, and in the near future, new avenues of employment can be generated by setting up soil testing laboratories in villages with the help of drone services.

Alzheimer Disease

Why in news:

• A drug called Lecanemab has been found by researchers to be effective in reducing cognitive decline in patients with early Alzheimer's disease, making it one of the first treatments to protect the nerves of the brain against damage caused by the disease.

Significance of the Findings

• Memory-improving pills have limited benefits for Alzheimer’s patients
• Need for neuro-protective drugs for dementia
• Several drugs in the pipeline to address this need
• Increasing lifespan and high prevalence of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension will lead to a rise in dementia cases in India
• Dementia is an umbrella term for disorders affecting memory, decision-making, and social skills
• The Dementia in India report 2020 estimates 5.3 million people over 60 living with dementia
• Prevalence projected to increase to 14 million by 2050.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

About:

• Neurological disorder causing brain cell degeneration and death
• Symptoms include memory loss, language problems, poor judgment, mood changes, confusion, etc.
• Symptoms worsen with time
• Most common cause of dementia in older adults
• Abnormal protein build-up, including amyloid and tau, believed to be a cause
• Incurable disease, with brain cell death irreversible
• Women at higher risk than men

Treatment:

• No known cure for Alzheimer’s disease
• Treatment focuses on maintaining brain health, managing behavioral symptoms, and slowing disease progression.