Current Affairs

Using computational algorithms, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made the material manifestation of the SARS-CoV-2 protein audible.   Background Because of its small size, it is impossible to see the coronavirus with the naked eye, but it is possible to listen to it.  Details Ø   The over 1 hour 49 minutes long instrumental piece musically represents the amino acid sequence and the spike protein of the COVID-19 pathogen. Ø   The scientists represented the spike protein’s amino acid sequence, its secondary structure patterns and its three-dimensional folds in the form of a musical composition. Ø   Representing the protein in this form can help researchers find out new sites on the proteins, where drugs or antibodies may be able to bind themselves and stop the virus from infecting humans. Ø   Further, musically representing the spike protein is helping the researchers to understand its vibrational structure, which can be crit

The government has decided to ease its ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has garnered global interest in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Background US President Donald Trump tweeted about “retaliation” if India did not heed his request for the drug.  India said it would supply to countries that needed it the most, and to neighbours who were dependent on India’s capabilities. Details Ø It is an antimalarial drug option, considered less toxic than chloroquine, and prescribed in certain cases. Doctors also prescribe hydroxychloroquine for patients of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Ø Hydroxychloroquine had a market size of only around Rs 152.80 crore in the 12 months ended February 2020. However, several countries source the drug from India. Ø In a study last month in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (IJAA), French scientists reported that the patients treated with the drug showed a significant reduction of the vi

Astronomers have assumed for decades that the Universe is expanding at the same rate in all directions. A new study based on data from ESA's XMM-Newton, NASA's Chandra and the German-led ROSAT X-ray observatories suggests this key premise of cosmology might be wrong. Background Researchers set out to verify a new method that would enable astronomers to test the so-called isotropy hypothesis. According to this assumption, the Universe has, despite some local differences, the same properties in each direction on the large scale. Details Ø Widely accepted as a consequence of well-established fundamental physics, the hypothesis has been supported by observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Ø A direct remnant of the Big Bang, the CMB reflects the state of the Universe as it was in its infancy, at only 380 000 years of age. Ø The CMB's uniform distribution in the sky suggests that in those early days the Universe must have been expand

Global warming is about to destroy Earth’s delicate web of life. As some key species go extinct, entire ecosystems like coral reefs and forests will crumble, and some will collapse abruptly, starting as soon as this decade, a new study.  Background Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface. Details Ø Many scientists see recent climate-related mass die-offs, including the coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef and widespread seabird and marine mammal mortality in the Northeastern Pacific linked to a marine heat wave, as warning signs of impending biodiversity collapse. Ø Many species live in small geographic areas under a narrow range of climatic conditions. As global warming heats their habitat to the point that it is intolerable, many species have no place to go. Some will go extinct, with a domino eff

Researchers from the Australian Antarctic Program revealed that they had recorded temperatures as high as 9.2 degrees Celsius at Casey station in the continent east earlier this year, indicating a heatwave event. Background Heat waves are classified as three consecutive days with both extreme maximum and minimum temperatures. Between January 23 and 26, the station recorded minimum temperatures above zero degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 9.2 degrees Celsius. Details ➤ Scientists are concerned about the effect that the heat wave could have on Antarctica’s ecology,  both positive and negative. ➤ Most life exists in small ice-free oases in Antarctica, and largely depends on melting snow and ice for their water supply. ➤ Melted ice flooding can provide additional water to these desert ecosystems, leading to increased growth and reproduction of mosses, lichens, microbes and invertebrates. However excessive flooding can dislodge plants and alter the compos

The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has said that the unemployment rate shot up in March. The employment rate in the economy fell to an all-time low of 38.2 percent in March 2020. Background With the coronavirus outbreak severely affecting every country, its impact on an already hobbling Indian economy is set to be devastating if the latest data on unemployment rate is taken as an indicator.  Details   Ø The Labour Participation Rate (LPR) in March 2019 was 42.7 percent. This is the first time the LPR has fallen below 42 percent. Ø The monthly figures from the CMIE that were released recently also show a curious inversion. In urban India, unemployment among the uneducated is at a higher level than those with a graduate degree (13%), for the first time since early-2016. Ø Most of the people are employed in service sector jobs in construction, repair, or unorganized transport, all of which have come to a standstill due to the current lockdown.