CDC probes cluster of ocular syphilis cases

Syphilis

• It is a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI).
• It is caused by the bacteria, Treponema pallidum.
• After the infection happens, syphilis bacteria can stay in the body for many years without causing symptoms. But the infection can become active again.
• Transmission:
• Syphilis spreads from person to person through direct contact with these sores.
• It can also be passed to a baby during pregnancy, childbirth and sometimes through breastfeeding.
• Symptoms:
• Syphilis develops in stages. The symptoms vary with each stage and is often painless.
• During the first stage, one or more sores develop on the genitals, rectum, or mouth, and are often painless.
• During the second stage, people may get a rash and experience flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, fever, a sore throat and muscles aches.
• After the second stage, the symptoms of syphilis are hidden (latent stage).
• Without treatment, syphilis can damage the heart, brain, or other organs. It can become life-threatening.
• Treatment: Syphilis is curable with quick diagnosis and treatment. It is curable with the right antibiotics.

Clean Ganga mission signs pact with Mississippi river initiative

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

• It is a registered society under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, to take measures for prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution in the river Ganga and to ensure continuous adequate flow of water so as to rejuvenate the river Ganga.
• It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986.
• NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect from 2016, consequent to the constitution of the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred to as National Ganga Council).
• The aims and objectives of NMCG is to accomplish the mandate of the NGRBA:
• To ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management and
• To maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development.
• Structure:
• NMCG has a two-tier management structure that comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee. Both of them are headed by the Director General, NMCG.
• The Executive Committee has been authorized to accord approval for all projects up to Rs. 1000 crores.
• Similar to the structure at the national level, State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs) act as the implementing arm of State Ganga Committees.
• The Director General (DG) of NMCG is an Additional Secretary in the Government of India.

Inflation damper on Goldilocks Effect, RBI projects growth to hit 7 per cent this fiscal

Goldilocks Effect

• The Goldilocks Effect, or the Goldilocks Principle, is the premise that people are inclined to seek ‘just the right’ amount of something.
• People prefer something that is neither too extreme nor too moderate but falls within an optimal or desirable range, fitting their specific needs or preferences.
• The concept is derived from the children''s story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where Goldilocks preferred the porridge, chair and bed that were neither too hot nor too cold, too big nor too small, but just right.
• It has a place in several fields and disciplines. It applies to elements of psychology, hard sciences, economics, marketing and engineering, and each one has its own twist on how the principle is applied.
• Goldilocks Pricing:
• It is one of the effect''s more prominent applications. It’s a psychological pricing strategy that rests on the concepts of
• Product differentiation
• Comparative pricing
• Bracketing
• Product differentiation is the practice of distinguishing certain products from others.
• Businesses can only leverage the Goldilocks Effect if they can differentiate their own products from one another.
• This then needs to be combined with something known as comparative pricing where businesses offer multiple versions of a product simultaneously of varying quality, attached to corresponding price points.
• It ultimately informs a comparative pricing strategy involving three options. One that''s too high for most, one that''s too low for most, and one that''s just right.
• When done right, the strategy allows a business to appeal to various parts of the marketregistering with premium buyers, standard consumers and discount seekers.

Green turtles nesting range expands under warming climate

Green Turtle

• The Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)is one of the largest sea turtles and the only herbivore among the different species.
• They are in fact named for the greenish color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells.
• In the Eastern Pacific, a group of green turtles that have darker shells are called black turtles by the local community.
• They graze on seagrasses and algae, which maintains the seagrass beds and makes them more productive.
• These species migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatched.
• They are potentially particularly susceptible, as the sex of their offspring is dependent on incubation temperature.
• Distribution: Green turtles are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix 1
• Threats: Habitat loss, fisheries by catch and illegal trade etc.

Mediterranean Sea

• It is an intercontinental sea that is bordered by the continent of Europe in the north, by Asia in the east, and by Africa in the south.
• In the west, the Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the narrow Strait of Gibraltar.
• In the extreme northeast, it is connected to the Black Seavia the Dardanelles Strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus Strait.
• The Mediterranean Sea is also connected to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal in the southeast.
• Climate: The region is characterized by the prevailing subtropical climate known as the Mediterranean climate, with usually mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
• Mediterranean Sea waters are more saline compared to the waters of the Atlantic. There is a continuous movement of water from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean and vice versa through the Strait of Gibraltar.

Government Approves Cheetah Breeding Centre in Gujarat

Banni Grassland

• It is located along the northern border of Kachchh district in the State of
• It is one of the larget grasslands in the Indian subcontinent with an area of over 2500 sq. km.
• Many factors have served to shape Banni over time, including the damming of rivers, the introduction and spread of the invasive Prosopis juliflora tree, and the continually varying composition and density of livestock that have grazed these grasslands for many centuries.
• The Banni is also home to 22 ethnic groups, the majority of whom are pastoralists, spread across 48 settlements in 19 Panchayats, with a population of close to 40,000 people.
• It is home to great biological diversity, having 37 grass species, 275 bird species, and domesticated animals like Buffalo, Sheep, Goat, Horses and Camel, as well as wildlife.
• The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary which spans over an area of 380 sq. km and the recently notified 227 Sq. km Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve are part of the Banni Grasslands.
• Flora: The vegetation here mainly comprises Prosopis Juliflora, Cressa critica, Cyperus spp, Sporobolus, Dichanthium, and Aristida.
• Fauna:
• It is home to mammals such as the Nilgai, Chinkara, Blackbuck, Wild boar, Golden Jackal, Indian Hare, Indian Wolf, Caracal, Asiatic Wildcat and Desert Fox etc.
• The region also serves as a breeding ground for the Banni buffalo and the Kankrej cow.

Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has cancelled the compartment tests for the Class 12 board exams 2024.

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE):

• CISCE is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that supervises and controls the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE).
• It was established in 1958. Over 2,100 schools in India and abroad are affiliated to the CISCE.
• It has been designed to deliver an examination in the course of general education through the medium of English, in accordance with the recommendations of the New Education Policy 1986.
• CISCE conducts three examinations, namely, the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE –Class X); The Indian School Certificate (ISC - Class XII) and the Certificate in Vocational Education (CVE - Year 12).
• The subject choices and syllabuses prescribed for these examinations are varied and aimed at nurturing the unique gifts of individual pupils.
• It does not allow a private student to appear for the exam, which has not been studying in ICSE affiliated school.
• The Council has been so constituted as to secure suitable representation of: Government of India, State Governments/Union Territories in which there are Schools affiliated to the Council, the Inter-State Board for Anglo Indian Education, the Association of Indian Universities, the Association of Heads of Anglo-Indian Schools, the Indian Public Schools’ Conference, the Association of Schools for the ISC Examination and members co-opted by the Executive Committee of the Council.

UNICEF in collaboration with India to launch "Green Rising" initiative at COP28 Summit in Dubai today to mobilize youth to drive climate action

Green Rising Initiative

• This initiative focuses on engaging youth for impactful environmental actions at the grassroots level, aligning with the global effort to address the severe impacts of climate change.
• The global "Green Rising" initiative and the "Green Rising India Alliance" marks a collaborative effort involving UNICEF, Generation Unlimited, and a diverse network of public, private, and youth partners.
• The main goal is to mobilize millions of young people worldwide, encouraging their active participation in green initiatives addressing and adapting to the severe impacts of climate change on their communities.
• Through the YuWaah campaign in India, the focus is on engaging youth to drive impactful environmental actions at the grassroots level.

UNICEF

• The United Nations Children''s Fund was originally founded as the United Nations International Children''s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
• It was founded by the UN General Assembly on 11 December 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children and mothers in countries that had been devastated by World War II.
• It is a leading source of information on the situation of children around the world.
• It relies entirely on contributions from governments and private donors.
• The Executive Board is made up of 36 Member States, elected to three-year terms by the Economic and Social Council, with the following regional allocation: Africa (8 seats), Asia (7), Eastern Europe (4), Latin America and Caribbean (5) and Western Europe and Others (12).
• Headquarters: New York City.

Can electricity from electric eels transfer genetic material to nearby animals?

• The researchers'' findings add to what we know about electroporation, a gene delivery technique. Electroporation uses an electric field to create temporary pores in the cell membrane. This lets molecules, like DNA or proteins, enter the target cell.
• The researchers thought that if electricity flows in a river, it might affect the cells of nearby organisms. Cells can incorporate DNA fragments in water, known as environmental DNA. To test this, they exposed the young fish in their laboratory to a DNA solution with a marker that glowed in the light to see if the zebrafish had taken the DNA. Then, they introduced an electric eel and prompted it to bite a feeder to discharge electricity.
• The researchers discovered that 5% of the larvae had markers showing gene transfer. This indicates that the discharge from the electric eel promoted gene transfer to the cells, even though eels have different shapes of pulse and unstable voltage compared to machines usually used in electroporation. Electric eels and other organisms that generate electricity could affect genetic modification in nature.

Electric eel

• The scientific name of this species is Electrophorus Electricus which is a fish that only lives in freshwater areas.
• They can release up to 860 volts, which is enough to run a machine.
• They emit a weak electric signal, which they use like radar to navigate, to find a mate, and to find prey.
• Appearance:
• It has a slender, snake-like body and flattened head.
• It has three specialized electric organs—the main electrical organ, the Hunter’s organ and the Sachs’ organ which make up about 80 percent of this fish’s body.
• It can deliver a shock because its nervous system contains a number of disc-shaped electrogenic (electricity-producing) cells called electrocytes.
• Habitat: They dwell mainly on the muddy bottoms of rivers and occasionally swamps, prefering deeply shaded areas.
• Distribution: Its range spans across Brazil, the Guianas, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Least concern

Electroporation

• Electroporation uses an electric field to create temporary pores in the cell membrane. This lets molecules, like DNA or proteins, enter the target cell.

407-million year-old disease-causing fungus unveiled at Natural History Museum

Potteromyces asteroxylicola

• It was found infecting the ancient plant Asteroxylon mackiei, showcasing a predator-prey interaction that occurred while the plant was alive.
• The unique reproductive structures of Potteromyces, known as conidiophores, stood out with their unusual shape and formation, leading to its designation as a new species.
• Its reproductive structures, known as conidiophores, had an unusual shape and formation.
• Rhynie Chert site in Scotland is known for its well-preserved Early Devonian communities of plants and animals, including fungi and bacteria.

Devonian Period

• It is spanning between about 2 million and 358.9 million years ago.
• It is sometimes called the “Age of Fishes” because of the diverse, abundant and in some cases, bizarre types of these creatures that swam Devonian seas.
• Forests and the coiled shell-bearing marine organisms known as ammonites first appeared early in the Devonian.
• Late in the period the first four-legged amphibians appeared, indicating the colonization of land by vertebrates.
• During the Devonian, there were three major continental masses: North America and Europe sat together near the equator, with much of their current area covered by shallow seas. To the north lay a portion of modern Siberia. A composite continent of South America, Africa, Antarctica, India, and Australia dominated the southern hemisphere.

Union Raksha Rajya Mantri informed Lok Sabha that 16 defence technologies have been successfully developed/realised under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme.

Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme:

• It is a flagship programme of Ministry of Defence executed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• The main objectives of the scheme are:
• To provide Grant in Aid to Indian industries, including MSMEs and Start-ups, as well as academic and scientific institutions for the development of Defence and dual use technologies that are currently not available with the Indian defence Industry.
• To engage with the private industries especially MSMEs and Start-ups to bring in the culture of Design & Development of Military Technology and support them with Grant in Aid.
• To focus on Research, Design & Development of Niche technologies which are being developed for the first time in the country.
• To create a bridge amongst the Armed Forces, research organizations, academia and qualifying/certifying agencies with private sector entities.
• To support the futuristic technologies having a Proof of Concept and converting them into prototype.
• Funding Support:
• The funding will be through provision of grants to the Industry.
• The project cost of up to INR 10 Cr will be considered for funding, subject to a maximum of 90% of the total project cost.
• Industry may work in collaboration with academia or research institutions.
• The work involvement of academia cannot exceed 40% of the total project cost.
• Project Duration: Maximum development period will be two years.