Horripilation

• Feeling hair on your arms stand up on a chilly evening or felt shivers run down your spine. The colloquial name for this phenomenon is goosebumps. In scientific parlance, this is horripilation.
• Characterised by small bumps that develop on a person’s skin, underneath the hair follicles, horripilation is an involuntary reaction to cold weather.
• It has also been recorded in animals, such as when a cat raises its hackles.
• It is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. Specifically, horripilation happens when the brain sends signals to tiny muscles called arrector pili in hair follicles causing them to contract. This is what makes the hair stand upright.
• The most common cause of horripilation is cold air near the skin. But researchers have also documented intense emotions, such as fear, shock, anxiety, love, sexual desire and inspiration, as also having the same effect.
• In most cases, horripilation is temporary. But if it persists, it could be a sign of a medical condition, like keratosis pilaris. Its symptoms include lumps that feel rough and dry and mimic goosebumps. These lumps are dead skin cells; they appear on the cheeks, bottom and front of the thighs, and the upper arms. They go away on their own or can be made to with the help of dermatological creams.

Migraine: how it starts and how to treat it

One in two people suffer from a headache disorder, while around 15% of people globally suffer from migraines.

Migraine is caused by a hypersensitive brain

• Migraine is a disease of hypersensitivity: The migraine brain has abnormally sensitive neuronal connections.
• Compared to people who don’t get migraines, this leaves migraineurs more likely to respond to small changes in the environment, which can result in headaches or more serious migraine attacks. Migraine attacks are thought to originate from abnormal electrical excitability in sensory neurons in the meninges, layers of membrane that protect the brain.
• When sensitized, these neurons send signals to the brain which trigger headache pain, photophobia, and other migraine symptoms. These neurons are also close to blood vessels, which is why headaches can feel like they pulse along with your heartbeat.
• Other systems such as the immune, digestive and cardiovascular system contribute to migraine.

What triggers migraine?

• There are a huge range of migraine triggers and each person’s triggers can differ from the next. The most common triggers are:
• Bright lights and loud sounds. Strong smells like perfume, smoke, or certain smelly foods. Lack of sleep, poor quality sleep, or jet lag. Hunger or dehydration. Too much caffeine. Alcohol, especially red wine. Hormone fluctuations, such as before or during periods, pregnancy, or menopause. Foods and diet, especially diets containing ultra-processed foods and processed sugars. Stress.

Ways to help alleviate migraine symptoms

There are ways you can help to alleviate the severity of a migraine, or prevent a headache becoming a full-blown migraine.

• Drinking plenty of fluids or placing an icepack on your forehead can help, as can resting in a quiet, dark room to ease environmental stressors.
• Many patients learn to get migraine relief from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It’s unlikely to treat the disease, but it can teach you thought actions to cope with pain and understand migraine triggers.

How do you treat migraine?

Here are some of the most clinically successful migraine medications:

• Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies: These new migraine medications block the action of a protein called CGRP. CGRP plays an important role in the development of migraine symptoms, sensitizing neurons in the meninges.
• Triptans: A class of medications which bind to certain types of serotonin receptors in the body and causes pain-relieving effects. Analgesics like paracetamol or aspirin can be effective in reducing headache pain, but don’t tend to help reducing chronic migraine symptoms.
• The evidence for CGRP antibodies and Triptans as migraine treatments is particularly robust, with patients having dramatic improvements of life quality after taking the drugs.

RPF man held for killing 4 on train: What is this force, and how is it different from the GRP?

Railway Protection Force (RPF)

• The RPF is an armed force under the operational and administrative control of the Union Ministry of Railways, which is tasked with protecting and securing railway property, the passenger areas, and the passengers themselves.
• The RPF was set up as a consequence of The Railway Protection Force Act, 1957, enacted by Parliament “to provide for the constitution and regulation of an armed force of the Union for the better protection and security of railway property and for matters connected therewith”. The Act came into force after Parliament passed significant modifications to it through The Railway Protection Force (Amendment) Act, 1985 (Act No. 60 of 1985). Rules under the Act were notified in 1987.
• The RPF is led by a director-general.

How was the RPF created, and with what reasons?

• RPF has its origins in the ‘Watch and Ward’ set-up of the private railway companies during the time of the British Raj. “In the mid-forties, the portion of the Watch and Ward staff which remained under the control of these (private) Railways, was found inadequate to control thefts of their assets and consignments,”
• This led to the enactment of the RPF Act, 1957, which, after the amendments of 1985, “gave the RPF exposure to the other forces. It gained in maturity as it was regularly being deployed for assisting the State Police Forces”. In 2003, according to the website, the RPF Act and Railways Act were modified, and “the RPF partially took up the duties of escorting of passenger trains and access control at the railway stations”.

What is the Government Railway Police (GRP)?

• The GRP is a part of the district police force, reporting to the state government. It works alongside the RPF, and should, under ideal circumstances, complement and strengthen its operations.
• According to the Indian Railways website, “The Government Railway Police are responsible generally for the prevention and detection of crime on railways”. But their remit does not extend to protecting Railway property: “The protection of goods sheds, goods wagons at stations and parcel offices is not duty of the Railway Police, but of the Railway Protection Force of the Railway,” says the website.

GRP’s job?

According to the Railways website, “the duties of the Government Railway Police as regards the areas in their jurisdiction correspond in general to those of the District Police in the areas under their charge”. In addition, the GRP has some “special duties”, including:

(i) to maintain order at railway stations and in trains, wherein “order” refers to “control of passenger traffic within station premises, especially on platforms, in booking offices, waiting halls, at entrance and exit gates” etc., “control of vehicular and other traffic in station precincts”, “maintenance of order in passenger trains halted at stations and prevention of overcrowding in carriages”, “arrest of persons guilty of committing nuisance”, etc., and “to render assistance to railway officers and to the traveling public in so far as the rendering of such assistance is compatible with their own duties as Police officers”.

The Railways website says that “with the introduction of amendment in RPF and Railways Act, implications for GRP are:

• 36,600 GRP personnel of the country will be able to focus their attention on heinous crimes specially rape in trains and other crimes against women.
• While GRP will continue to do policing for Railways, it will get more time to concentrate on investigation of heinous crimes.
• GRP can be utilised for track patrolling and for effective investigation in cases of sabotage as defined in sections 150, 151 & 152 of The Railways Act.”

How do the RPF and GRP work together

As the Government Railway Police (GRP) is organised on provincial lines, there is no continuity of jurisdiction. For instance, for a distance of 70 kilometres involving travel time of about an hour, between Ambala to Kalka, four GRP units look after a passenger. A seamless line of control and a single chain of command is lacking because of the boundaries of States and therefore, of their Police Forces.”

The RPF points to the “dilemma” of passengers in the current system: “With a multiplicity of security agencies operating on the Railway i.e. the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the District Police, he is confused and not sure whom to report to in case of a crime on the railway. For an ordinary passenger every man in khaki on the platform is a policeman.”

Indigenous Destroyer INS Visakhapatnam Docks In Oman''s Muscat For Maritime Cooperation

• It is the lead ship and the first of the Indian Navy''s Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers.
• It was commissioned on November 21, 2021, is one of the largest destroyers in Indian Navy service.
• Features:
  • Size: It measures 163m in length, 17m in breadth.
  • Displacement: 7,400 tonnes.
  • Propulsion: It is propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines, in a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) configuration.
  • Speed: It is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots.
  • The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS) achieved through efficient shaping of hull, full beam superstructure design, plated masts and use of radar transparent materials on exposed decks.
  • The ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.
  • Named after the historic city of Andhra Pradesh on the east coast, Visakhapatnam, the ‘City of Destiny’, the ship has a total complement of about 315 personnel.

Sebi trashes reports of plans to curb retail participation in derivatives segment

Derivatives

• A derivative is a contract between two parties which derives its value/price from an underlying asset.
• The commonly used assets are stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities and market indices.
• These instruments allow investors and traders to speculate on the price movements of the underlying asset without owning it directly.
• The value of the underlying assets keeps changing according to market conditions. The basic principle behind entering into derivative contracts is to earn profits by speculating on the value of the underlying asset in future.
• Derivatives serve various purposes, including hedging against risks, providing leverage, and facilitating price discovery.
• The most common types of derivatives are:
  • Futures Contracts: A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price on a specific future date. The underlying asset can be commodities, financial instruments, or indices.
  • Options Contracts: An options contract gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call option) or sell (put option) an underlying asset at a specified price (strike price) on or before a predetermined expiration date.
  • Swaps: Swaps are agreements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on specific financial variables. Common types of swaps include interest rate swaps, currency swaps, and commodity swaps. Swaps are often used to manage interest rate risks, currency risks, or to change the nature of a debt obligation.
  • Forwards: Forwards are similar to futures contracts but are not standardized or traded on exchanges. They are customized agreements between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specified price on a future date.

India''s forex reserves fall by $1.9 billion to $607.03 billion

Foreign Exchange Reserves

• Foreign Exchange Reserves (also called Forex Reserves) are reserve assets held by a central bank in foreign currencies.
• These may include foreign currencies, bonds, treasury bills, and other government securities.
• Reserves are denominated and expressed in the US dollar, which is the international numeraire for the purpose.
• RBI is the custodian of the Foreign exchange reserves in India.
• India’s foreign exchange reserves comprise of;
  • Foreign currency assets (FCAs): These are maintained in currencies like the US dollar, euro, pound sterling, Australian dollar and Japanese yen.
  • Gold
  • SDR (Special Drawing Rights): This is the reserve currency with IMF.
  • RTP (Reserve Tranche Position): This is the reserve capital with IMF.
• The biggest contributor to India’s Forex reserves is foreign currency assets, followed by gold.
• Purpose:
  • They are used to back liabilities on their own issued currency, support the exchange rate and set monetary policy.
  • To ensure that RBI has backup funds if their national currency rapidly devalues or becomes altogether insolvent.
  • If the value of the Rupee decreases due to an increase in the demand of the foreign currency, then RBI sells the dollar in the Indian money market so that depreciation of the Indian currency can be checked.
  • A country with a good stock of forex has a good image at the international level because the trading countries can be sure about their payments.
  • A good forex reserve helps in attracting foreign trade and earns a good reputation with trading partners.

NASA''s spacecraft Voyager 2 ''unable to receive commands or transmit data back to Earth’

Voyager 2 Spacecraft

• It is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977.
• It is part of the Voyager program, which also includes Voyager 1.
• Primary mission: To study the outer planets of our solar system and their moons, and then continue on an interstellar mission.
• It is the second spacecraft to enter interstellar space. On Dec. 10, 2018, the spacecraft joined its twin—Voyager 1—as the only human-made objects to enter the space between the stars.
• It carries a Golden Record, a phonograph record containing sounds and images from Earth, intended to be a message to any potential extraterrestrial civilizations it might encounter in the future.
• Firsts:
  • It is the only spacecraft to study all four of the solar system''s giant planets at close range.
  • It discovered a 14th moon at Jupiter.
  • It was the first human-made object to fly past Uranus.
  • At Uranus, Voyager 2 discovered 10 new moons and two new rings.
  • It was the first human-made object to fly by Neptune.
  • At Neptune, Voyager 2 discovered five moons, four rings, and a "Great Dark Spot."

Interstellar Space

• Interstellar space, also known as interstellar medium or interstellar void, is the vast expanse of space that exists between stars in a galaxy.
• It is the region of space beyond the influence of any individual star''s gravity and magnetic fields.
• It is primarily composed of very low-density gas, dust, cosmic rays, and magnetic fields.

Traders'' body announces National Digital Nagrik Forum

National Digital Nagrik Forum

• It is an online platform that aims to advance the rights of traders and consumers and other sections of society, and shape policy to boost the digital trade economy.
• The forum aims to raise awareness about digital regulations and help build the capacities of citizens to engage with innovation via expert sessions and instructional materials.
• Objective: To shape policy discourse around digital economy trade in India with a view to contributing to the Government of India’s vision of creating a trillion-dollar digital economy while maintaining an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet ecosystem.
• It will conduct awareness camps, digital and physical dialogues and trainings, as well as targeted outreach to stakeholders from government, private sector and civil society,
• It will focus on five core themes.
  • The first pillar consists of consumer protection and online safety with a core focus on efficient grievance redressal.
  • The pitfalls of digital cartelisation and how a level-playing field is necessary to discourage discriminatory and anti-competitive practices in the online world are part of the second pillar.
  • Third, the potential of Indian digital technologies to not only transform retail and industrial trade but also boost employment and expand the investment footprint.
  • Fourth, a first principles-based taxation policy that encourages certainty and productivity, especially for sectors with high growth potential, while preventing illegal activities such as tax evasion and money laundering.
  • Finally, the forum will study emerging technologies, such as blockchain and artificial intelligence, to assess their impact on retail trade and, at the same time, safeguard consumers’ interests.

Two Indian military aircraft visit Australia’s strategic Cocos Islands

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

• The Cocos (Keeling) Islands lie in the eastern Indian Ocean, about 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) northwest of the Australian city of Perth.
• It comprises of coral atolls and islands, the archipelago includes North Keeling Island and the South Keeling Islands.
• The territory’s administrative headquarters are on West Island in the southern atoll.
• Climate: Warm and humid climate.
• Vegetation: The vegetation consists chiefly of coconut palms, which were formerly cultivated for copra on plantations.
• The northern atoll consists of Australia''s most remote Commonwealth National Park, the Pulu Keeling National Park.
• On North Keeling and Horsburgh islands, coarse grass serves as a ground cover.
• The inhabitants of this Island are predominantly the descendants of the original plantation workers, mostly of Malay origin.
• Administration: An administrator appointed by the Australian governor-general is the senior governmental official in the Cocos. The islands became an Australian territory under the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955.

Worldcoin | What is Sam Altman’s biometric project, and how does it work in India?

Worldcoin Project

• It is an initiative to create a digital network in which everyone can claim some kind of stake, and join the digital economy.
• This venture runs on a simple model: allow your eyes to be scanned in order to prove your human uniqueness, and receive some crypto and an ID (called a World ID) in exchange.
• Using a device called “Orb,” Worldcoin volunteers known as ‘Orb operators’ scan a person’s iris pattern to collect their biometric data and help them get a World ID through the World app.
• With the app, scanned participants can collect a cryptocurrency called Worldcoin [WLD] at regular intervals or make transactions with their World ID where possible.
• This process is called “proof of personhood” and makes sure that people do not sign themselves up multiple times in exchange for crypto.
• Worldcoin claims it is building the “world’s largest identity and financial public network” open to people worldwide.
• Worldcoin lists 18 locations — largely in Delhi, Noida, and Bangalore — where Orb operators are scanning people’s eyes.

Dengue cases in Delhi reach 5-year-high says report

Dengue

• It is caused by the dengue virus (DENV)
• It is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
• The severe form of dengue fever, also called dengue hemorrhagic fever, can cause serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock) and death.
• It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates.
• Symptoms: The most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash.
• Most will also get better in 1–2 weeks but in severe cases it can be fatal.
• Treatment:
  • There is no specific treatment for dengue.
  • Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1%.
  • The dengue vaccine CYD-TDV or Dengvaxia was approved by the US Food & Drug Administration in 2019, the first dengue vaccine to get the regulatory nod in the US.

Cell-free DNA promises to transform how we find diseases

Cell-free DNA

• In the human body, most of the DNA in a genome is neatly packed inside cells with the help of specific proteins, protecting it from being degraded.
• In a variety of scenarios, some fragments of DNA are ‘released’ from their containers and are present outside the cell, in body fluids. These small fragments of nucleic acids are widely known as cell-free DNA (cfDNA).
• It can be generated and released from a cell in a number of possible situations, including when a cell is dying and the nucleic acids become degraded.
• Since an array of processes modulates the degradation, the amount, size, and source of the cfDNA can vary across a range as well.
• This could occur together with a variety of processes, including those required for normal development, those related to the development of certain cancers, and those associated with several other diseases.

Applications of cfDNA

• One of the most widely used applications of cfDNA has been in screening foetuses for specific chromosomal abnormalities, an application known as non-invasive prenatal testing.
• It is useful tool to understand human diseases and to use the knowledge to improve diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis.
• It is useful in understanding why a body is rejecting a transplanted organ.
• This could be used as a biomarker for neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, neuronal tumours, stroke, traumatic brain injury,

Centre launches ULLAS mobile application to promote basic literacy

ULLAS Initiative

• The Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) initiative is poised to revolutionise education and literacy across the nation.
• It is done by fostering a learning ecosystem that reaches every individual, bridging the gaps in basic literacy and critical life skills.
• It imparts basic education, digital and financial literacy and critical life skills to citizens aged 15 and above who lost on the opportunity to go to school. It is being implemented through volunteerism.
• Slogan of the Initiative: ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram.
• For this purpose ULLAS app was launched which is user-friendly and interactive app available both on android and ios.
• It will serve as a digital gateway for learners to engage in diverse learning resources through the DIKSHA portal of NCERT.
• The ULLAS app can be used for registration of learners and volunteers either through self-registration or by surveyors.
• Significance
  • This app will focus on promoting functional literacy, vocational skills, and many important life skills like financial literacy, legal literacy, digital literacy, and empowerment of citizens to involve in nation-building of the country.
  • It also fosters a culture of continuous learning and knowledge-sharing in communities across India.