current affairs for ias exam 2011 science technology defence environment october 2011
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7/31/2019 Current Affairs for IAS Exam 2011 Science Technology Defence Environment October 2011
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B E G -8
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Boeing’s first long-range maritime
reconnaissance and anti-submarinewarfare aircraft P-8I for the
Indian Navy completed its initial
flight at the Boeing Field in
Seattle,USA on 29 September
2011.Test pilots performed
airborne systems checks including
engine accelerations and
decelerations and autopilot flight
modes during the flight.
The plane was taken to an altitude
of 41,000 ft and stayed airborne
for two and half hours .India
awarded a $2.1-billion (around
Rs9450 crore) contract to Boeing
in January 2009 for eight such
planes to replace the ageing fleet
of Soviet-era Tu-142s.Poseidon is
internationally acknowledged as
the benchmark in maritime
patrol.It marries a tried and tested
sensor and weapons suite with a
specially developed Boeing 737
aircraft. Given that reliability and
endurance are crucial, it was
logical to base the Poseidon on
the world’s most widely flown
airliner (a 737 lands or takes off
somewhere in the world every
three seconds). The Poseidon is a
737-800, specially modified with
a 737-900 wing.
The P-8I is built by a Boeing-led
industry team that includes CFM
International,Northrop Grumman,
Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems,
BAE Systems and GE
Aviation.The CFM-56 enginespower the Poseidon. These are
modified with larger generators
that churn out the power needed
for the MMA’s sensors and
control systems. In addition, there
is an auxiliary power unit that
provides electricity even when the
main engines are switched off .
Boeing was instructed by the
Indian Navyto install certain
capabilities not provided for the
P8A.
This includes aft-looking radar ,
custom-designed by US company
Telefonic, which functions like anelectronic rearview mirror ,
scanning the water behind the
aircraft.
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India is experiencing a rapid healthtransition with a rising burden of Non Communicable Diseases
(NCD s). Overall, NCD s areemerging as the leading causes of death in the country accountingfor over 42% of al l deaths(Registrar General of India).
NCDs cause significant morbidityand mortality both in urban andrural population, withconsiderable loss in potentiallyproductive years (aged 35–64
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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years) of life.It is estimated thatthe overall prevalence of diabetes,
hypertension, Ischemic HeartDiseases (IHD) and Stroke is62.47, 159.46, 37.00 and 1.54
respectively per 1000 populationof India. There are an estimated
25 Lakh cancer cases in India.
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Considering the rising burden of
NCDs and common risk factors to
major Chronic Non –
Communicable Diseases ,
Government of India initiated anintegrated National Programme
for Prevention and Control of
Cancers, Diabetes, Cardiovascular
Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).
The focus of the programme is on
health promotion and prevention,
strengthening of infrastructure
including human resources, early
diagnosis and management and
integration with the primary health
care system through NCD cells at
different levels for optimal
operational synergies. National
Cancer Control Programme, an
on-going programme, has been
integrated under NPCDCS.The
programme is being implemented
in 100 districts spread over 21
States during 2010-11 & 2011-
12) at an estimated outlay of Rs.
1230.90 crore (Rs.499.38 crorefor interventions on diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases & stroke
and Rs.731.52 crore for cancer
control) on a cost sharing basis
between the Centre and the
States at the rate of 80:20. These
districts have been selected
keeping into account their
backwardness, inaccessibility &
poor health indicators.
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8 Common diagnostic
services , basic surgery,
chemotherapy and palliativecare for cancer cases at 100
district hospitals.
8 Support for Chemotherapy
drugs at each district hospital
8 Day care Chemotherapy
facilities at 100 district
hospitals.
8 Facility for laboratory
investigations including
Mammography at 100district hospitals
8 Home based palliative care
for chronic, debilitating and
progressive cancer patients
at 100 districts.
8 Support for contractual
manpower and equipment
for management of cancer
cases at the 100 district
hospitals.8 Strengthening of 65 centre
Tertiary Cancer Centres
(TCCs)
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(C D), D &
8 A Cardiac care unit at each
of the 100 district hospitals.
8 NCD clinic at 100 district
hospitals and 700
Community Health Centres
(CHCs) for diagnosis and
management of
Cardiovascular Diseases
(CVD), Diabetes & Stroke.
8 Provision for availability of
life saving drugs, to each
district hospital in 100
districts.
8 Opportunistic Screening for
diabetes and high blood
pressure to all persons above
30 years including pregnant
women of all age groups at
20,000Sub
Centres
.
8 Home based care for bed
ridden cases in 100 districts.
8 Support for contractual
manpower and equipments
at the 100 district hospitals
& 700 CHCs for
management of NCD s
including health promotion
activities.
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8 Human Resource under
National NCD Cell in place.
8 Human Resource under State
andDistrict level in process.
8 Signed MOU Received from
11 States.
8 Setting up of State and
District NCD cells in process
8 Operational Guidelines
developed.
8 Training Modules developed
for Health Workers and
Medical Officers.
8 Funds for implementation of
NPCDCS in 27 districts
across 19 states were
released in March 2011 for
opportunistic screening ,
establishment of ‘NCD clinic’at CHCs and District
Hospitals.
8 Funds for conducting training
workshops were released to
NIHFW and Indian Nursing
Counsel.
8 Pilot Project on School based
Diabetes Screening
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Programme initiated in 6
districts
8 Proposal for surveillance of
NCD risk factors is under
submission
8 Efforts are being taken to
increase awareness for promotion of healthy
lifestyle through Mass
media.
The programme, thus, attempts toachieve behaviour change in thecommunity to adopt healthy lifestyles including dietary patterns,
enhanced physical activity andreduced intake of tobacco andalcohol resulting in overall
reduction in the risk factors of common Non-CommunicableDiseases in the country.
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A new laser developed by the
researchers at Michigan State
University, which can accurately
detects roadside bombs and helps
identify Improvised Explosive
Devices(IEDs).The laser
combines short pulses that cause
molecules in the explosive to
vibrate.Every kind of molecule has
different vibrational frequencies
that uniquely find the
substance.However , the new
laser can make these distinctions
even for quantities as small as a
fraction of a billionth of a
gram.The laser has the sensitivity
and selectivity to look into large
areas and detect improvised
explosive devices, which cause 60
percent of coalition soldiers’
deaths in Afghanistan.
F
NASA’s Kepler mission made the
first unambiguous detection of acircumbinary planet - a planet
orbiting two stars - 200 light-
planets in our galaxy.Previous
research has hinted at theexistence of circumbinary planets,
but clear confirmation proved
elusive.Kepler detected such aplanet by observing transits,
where the brightness of a parent
star dims from the planet crossingin front of it.Kepler is the first
NASA mission capable of finding
Earth-size planets in or near thehabitable zone, the region in a
planetary system where liquid
water can exist on the surface of the orbiting planet.Scientists
detected the new planet in the
Kepler -16 system , a pair of orbiting stars that eclipse each
other from our vantage point onEarth. When the smaller star partially blocks the larger star , a
primary eclipse occurs, and a
secondary eclipse occurs whenthe smaller star is occulted, or
completely blocked, by the larger
star . This showed the third bodywas circling, not just one, but
both stars, in a wide circumbinary
orbit.This discovery confirms that
Kepler -16b is an inhospitable, coldworld about the size of Saturn and
thought to be made up of abouthalf rock and half gas. The parent
stars are smaller than our sun.
One is 69 percent the mass of thesun and the other only 20
percent. Kepler -16b orbits around
both stars every 229 days, similar to Venus’ 225-day orbit, but lies
outside the system’s habitable
zone, where liquid water couldexist on the surface, because the
stars are cooler than our sun.
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NASA’s Wide-field Infrared
Survey Explorer (WISE) captured
years from Earth,on 15
September 2011.The planet is
cold, gaseous and not thought to
harbor life, but its discoverydemonstrates the diversity of
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rare data of a flaring black hole,
revealing new details about these
powerful objects and their blazing
jets.Scientists study jets to learn
more about the extreme
environments around black holes.
Much has been learned about the
material feeding black holes,
called accretion disks, and the jets
themselves through studies using
X -rays, gamma rays and radio
waves.But key measurements of
the brightest part of the jets ,
located at their bases, have been
difficult despite decades of work.
WISE is offering a new window
into this missing link through its
infrared observations.The blackhole, called GX 339-4, had been
observed previously. It lies more
than 20000 light-years away
from Earth near the center of our
galaxy. It has a mass at least six
times greater than the sun. Like
other black holes, Observing the
jet ’s variability was possible
because of images taken of the
same patch of sky over time, a
feature of NEOWISE, theasteroid-hunting portion of the
WISE mission.
WISE data enabled the team tozoom in on the very compactregion around the base of the jetstreaming from the black hole. Thesize of the region is equivalent tothe width of a dime seen at thedistance of our sun.The resultsshowed huge and erratic
fluctuations in the jet activity ontimescales ranging from 11
seconds to a few hours. Theobservations are like a dance of infrared colors and show the sizeof the jet’s base varies. Its radiusis approximately 15000 miles(24140 kilometers) with dramaticchanges by as large as a factor of
10 or more.The new data alsoallowed astronomers to make thebest measurements yet of theblack hole’s magnetic field, whichis 30000 times more powerfulthan the one generated by Earthat its surface.
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NASA’s twin lunar Gravity
Recovery and Interior Laboratory
(GRAIL) spacecraft lifted off
from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station in Florida on 10 September
2011 to study the moon in
unprecedented detail.
GRAIL-A is scheduled to reach
the moon on 31 December 2011,
while GRAIL-B will arrive on 1
January 2012. The two solar -
powered spacecraft will fly in
tandem orbits around the moon tomeasure its gravity field. GRAIL
will answer longstanding questions
about the moon and give scientists
a better understanding of how
Earth and other rocky planets in
the solar system formed. The
straight-line distance from Earth
to the moon is approximately
250000 miles (402336
kilometers).The science collection
phase for GRAIL is expected to
last 82 days. JPL manages the
GRAIL mission.
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A team of Scientists from Rutgers
University in Brazil discovered atiny plant which they say bowsdown and sows its own seeds.
The plant has pink and whiteflowers. Scientists found the plantin rural northeastern Bahia, Brazil,
one of the world’s mostbiologically diverse areas. The
discovery was reported in Live
Science.When the plant’s fruitsform, the plant slowly bends itssmall, fruiting branches down,
depositing the seed capsules
carefully onto the ground. The
plant sometimes buries them inthe soft cover of moss. The teamof scientists named the newspecies Spigelia genuflexa,
because of the plant’s dexterity.
E
Scientists discovered fossilisedremains of a large predatory fish
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with a fearsome mouth whichprowled North Americanwaterways some 375 millionyears ago. The fossil was foundon Ellesmere Island in theNunavut Territory of ArcticCanada. The findings are
published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
The lobe-finned fish, now calledLaccognathus embryi, grew toabout five to six feet long and hada wide head with small eyes androbust jaws lined with largepiercing teeth.
The predatory fish preyed on
armoured placoderms and lungfish.
The beast was likely a bottom-
dweller , waiting on the seafloor topounce at prey passing by, the
researchers said.In the past, theresearchers also discoveredTiktaalik roseae, a transitionalanimal considered a missing linkbetween fish and the earliestlimbed animals, side-by-side withL.embryi at the same site. Thatsuggests the two lived side-by-
side as well, the researchersbelieve.
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Scientists discovered genetic
factors that make frog immune to
the fungal disease
chytridiomycosis . This couldimprove captive breeding
However , the frogs from the
other two locations survived and
fought off the infection
completely.The researchers traced
the difference back to regions of
DNA that form part of the immune
system called the Major
H istocompatibility Complex
(MHC).It is likely that the two
populations whose members
survived infection in the lab are the
ones that had been most strongly
exposed to the fungus in the wild
since it was detected in Arizona
in the 1970s.
A composite herbal formulation
named ‘Perfomax’ launched, that
has been developed by DRDO
and has been found to improve
physical and mental performance
in High Altitude and Hypoxic
Conditions at a function held in
Leh, Ladakh today. The
formulation is rich in antioxidants
and other bioactive compounds
that improve performance of brain, heart, kidney and lungs and
improves blood circulation.
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Planetary Scientists discovered
that the universe is bound by
cosmic thread. Scientists have got
evidence of the vast filament of
material connecting the MilkyWay galaxy to nearby clusters of
galaxies , which are similarly
interconnected to the rest of the
universe .According to the
scientists, there were two types
of matter that made up the
Universe; the dominant, enigmatic
dark matter and ordinary matter
schemes. Chytridiomycosis is
slowly spreading across the world
and has already sent a number of
species extinct.Chytridiomycosis
kills by damaging the skin of the
living being, which eventually
results into cardiac arrest.
Frogs and other amphibians that
had no resistance succumbed
quickly. For their experiment,
Scientists collected lowlandleopard frogs (Lithobates
yavapaiensis) from five places in
Arizona.
In the lab, they infected the
animals with the chytrid fungus
(Batratochytrium Dendrobatidis,
or BD). All the frogs collected
from three of the locations died.
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in the form of galaxies, stars and
planets.Unlike a sponge, however ,
gravity draws the material over
these interconnecting filaments
towards the largest lumps of
matter , and the scientific findings
show that the globular clusters
and satellite galaxies of the Milky
Way trace the cosmic filament.
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Scientists stated that the two
powerful collisions with a dwarf
galaxy in the past two billion years
was the cause of the spiral arm
structure of the Milky Way.In
trying to explain the shape of our
own galaxy, the Milky Way, with
its prominent spiral arms rooted in
a central bar , scientists had earlier
dismissed the influence of outside
forces .However , in the new
study, scientists focused on the
nearby Sagittarius dwarf galaxy,
much of which had been ripped
apart by the gravitational pull of
the Milky Way, leaving debris
that formed a large but very faint
stream of stars around our
galaxy.This dwarf galaxy might
have once been 100 times more
massive .This dwarf galaxy’s
collision with the Milky Way
triggered the formation of our
galaxy’s spiral arms, caused the
flaring seen in the outermost disk
and influenced the growth of its
central bar .The impact could have
generated ringlike structures
wrapping around the Milky Way,
similar to ones actually seen in our
galaxy, such as the Monoceros
ring.
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