India Gets Its First Cloned Gir Female Calf, Named Ganga

Cloned Cow-calf:

• It is India''s first cloned Gir female calf named Ganga.
• To clone the Gir, oocytes are isolated from live animals using ultrasound-guided needles, and then, matured for 24 hours under control conditions.
• The somatic cells of elite cows are used as donor genomes, which are fused with OPU-derived enucleated oocytes. Following chemical activation and in-vitro culture, the developed blastocysts are transferred into recipient mothers to deliver the Gir calf.

Cloning

• The term cloning describes a number of different processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a biological entity.
• Cloning can be natural or artificial. Examples of cloning that occur naturally are as follows:
  • Vegetative reproduction in plants, e.g. water hyacinth producing multiple copies of genetically identical plants through apomixis
  • Binary fission in bacteria.
• Clones can also be produced through artificial means. Biotechnological methods are employed to produce such clones.
  • Molecular cloning, where copies of specific gene fragments are produced
  • Cellular cloning, where single-celled organisms with the exact genetic content of the original cell are produced in cell cultures.
  • Organism cloning, or reproductive cloning, where a multicellular clone is created generally through somatic cell nuclear transfer

Somatic cells

• The word “somatic” is derived from the Greek word soma, meaning “body”. Hence, all body cells of an organism – apart from the sperm and egg cells, the cells from which they arise (gametocytes) and undifferentiated stem cells – are somatic cells

Indian Naval Ship Sumedha enters Algeria

INS SUMEDHA:

• INS Sumedha is an indigenously built Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel deployed for multiple roles independently and in support of Fleet Operations.
• It is part of the Indian Navy''s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam and functions under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
• It is the third ship of the indigenousNaval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) Project to be inducted into the Indian Navy.
• The ship has been designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited.
• The primary role of the ship is to undertake EEZ surveillance, anti-piracy patrols, fleet support operations, provide maritime security to offshore assets and carry out escort operations for high-value assets.

Researchers reveal effectiveness of vaccination against specific types of cancer

Adjuvants:

• What is it? An adjuvant is a substance that is added to a vaccine to stimulate and enhance the magnitude and durability of the immune response.
• They are commonly used to improve the effectiveness of a vaccine.
• Adjuvants allow for lesser quantities of the vaccine and fewer doses.
• Generally, they are injected alongside an antigen to help the immune system generate antibodies that fight the antigen.
• Adjuvanted vaccines can cause more local reactions (such as redness, swelling, and pain at the injection site) and more systemic reactions (such as fever, chills and body aches) than non-adjuvanted vaccines.
• Example: Aluminum adjuvants are used in vaccines such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, diphtheria-tetanus-containing vaccines etc.

Pumas might be ''gardening'' to attract prey to hunting hotspots

• A recent study revealed that Puma is using a garden-to-hunt strategy; meaning they fertilise the soil in their hunting spots with their kills to attract more prey.
• The animal carcasses of their prey are helping the animals create nutrient-rich hotspots that may continue to improve their future hunting success over time.
• These nutrients in the soil increase plant quality and attract ungulates — large mammals with hooves.
• Decomposing ungulate carcasses deposits elevated nitrogen, carbon and other valuable elements that improve soil and plants’ chemistry and nutrient makeup.

Puma (Puma concolor):

• Puma is a member of the family Felidae and is also called mountain lion, cougar, or catamount (archaic).
• It is a large brownish New World cat comparable in size to the jaguar.
• Habitats: Pumas live in a variety of habitats, including desert scrub, chaparral, swamps, and forests but they avoid agricultural areas, flatlands, and other habitats lacking cover (vegetative or topographic).
• Puma has the widest distribution of any New World mammal, with a range extending from southeastern Alaska to southern Argentina and Chile.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Least Concern

Scientists Created a New Recyclable Plastic Not Made From Crude Oil

Recyclable Plastic:

• The new recyclable plastic is based on Poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) or PECA, which is prepared from the monomer used to make Super Glue.
• It is formed through a process of polymerization where single, repeating monomer units are strung together in a chemical reaction to make one long chain.
• It has comparable properties to existing plastics and is stable in hot, humid environments.
• The long polymer chains of the PECA plastic can be thermally ''cracked'' at temperatures of 210 °C and the resulting monomers distilled into a clean product to use again.

Ethyl cyanoacrylate

• Ethyl cyanoacrylate is a highly reactive monomer that has been used nearly exclusively to make Super Glue and related fast-setting adhesives
• It is produced on the ton scale from methanol, chloroacetic acid, and sodium cyanide, which themselves are sourced from hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide.

Polymerization

• It is a process in which relatively small molecules called monomers combine chemically to produce a very large chainlike or network molecule, called a polymer.
• The monomer molecules may be all alike, or they may represent two, three, or more different compounds.

James Webb Space Telescope finds no atmosphere on Earth-like TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet

• It is a hot rocky exoplanet orbiting an ultracool red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1.
• It is the innermost of seven known planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system.
• It has 1.4 times the mass and 1.1 times the radius of Earth.
• It orbits its star at a distance of 0.011 astronomical unit (AU), completing one circuit in just 1.51 Earth days.
• It receives about four times the amount of energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
• TRAPPIST-1b is tidally locked, meaning that one side of the planet always faces the star, and one side looks away.

Astronomical unit (AU)

• An AU is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, which is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometres.
• It is usually used to measure distances within our Solar System.

Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation recently informed that Polavaram Irrigation Project in Andhra Pradesh has a cost overrun of Rs 45,397 crore.

• It is an under-construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in the Eluru District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh.
• The project has been accorded National project status by the Union Government of India.
• Objectives:
• Development of Irrigation, Hydropower and drinking water facilities in East Godavari, Vishakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh.
• The project envisages the generation of 960 MW of hydropower, drinking water supply to a population of 28.50 lacks in 611 villages
• The ultimate irrigation potential of the project is 4.368 lakh ha.
• The project implements the Godavari-Krishna link under the Interlinking of rivers project. It envisages the transfer of 80TMC of surplus Godavari water to river Krishna which will be shared between Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Gadkari: Srinagar-Leh''s Z-Morh tunnel to be ready in April

• It is an under-construction 2-lane road tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg on the Srinagar-Leh Highway in Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is named for the Z-shaped stretch of road between Sonamarg and Gagangir that the tunnel will replace.
• Length: 6.5 km
• Elevation: 8,960 feet.
• The tunnel is designed for the flow of 1,000 vehicles an hour at an approved maximum speed of 80 km per hour.
• Importance:
  • At 8,960 feet, tourist destination Sonmarg is covered in snow during the winter season, forcing locals to shift to Srinagar. Z-Morh tunnel will ensure that Sonmarg town in Jammu & Kashmir remains connected as well as supplies are maintained all year round.
  • It will ensure all-weather connectivity between Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and Kargil in Ladakh.
  • Strategic Importance: Along with the 14.15 km Zojila Tunnel to its east, it aims to enhance the Indian military’s capabilities in Kashmir and Ladakh along both the Line of Control (LOC) to the north and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) further east.

Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) busts Drug syndicate in Delhi

• During the British East India Company Rule, collection of revenue from opium was made part of fiscal policy and various Opium Agencies such as the Bengal, Benaras, Bihar, and Malwa Agencies were formed over time.
• Before 1950, the administration of the Narcotics Laws, namely, the Opium Act of 1857 & 1878 and the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1930 vested with the Provincial Government.
• The amalgamation of these Agencies laid the foundation of the Opium Department in November 1950 which is presently known as the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN).
• All three enactments mentioned above were repealed by the Narcotics Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, of 1985 (NDPS Act, 1985).
• The headquarters of the Central Bureau of Narcotics was shifted from Shimla to Gwalior in 1960.
• Functions of the Central Bureau of Narcotics
  • License farmers to cultivate opium poppy.
  • Supervises and controls the cultivation.
  • Procures the opium produced by licenced cultivators.
• Nodal Ministry: Under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance
• India is a signatory to the UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961, UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971 & UN Convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988 which obligates member countries to monitor the implementation of the United Nations drug control conventions.
• CBN interacts with the International Narcotics Control Board, Vienna and the Competent Authorities of other countries to verify the genuineness of the transaction before authorizing the shipments.

British Challenger 2 tanks arrive in Ukraine to join fight against Russia

• It is the British Army’s main battle tank (MBT).
• It is a third-generation MBT, the same generation as the Russian T-80 and T-90 tanks.
• It is heavily armoured and highly mobile, designed for use in direct fire zones.
• Whilst its primary role is to destroy or neutralise armour, Challenger 2 can operate across a spectrum of high-intensity conflict, counter-insurgency and peacekeeping roles.
• Countries using: It is in service with the United Kingdom (386) and Oman (38).
• Features:
  • The armour of the Challenger-2 is called the Chobham armour or the Dorchester armour and is considered among the best in the world.
  • The tank is 27 feet long and eight feet tall.
  • It has a range of 547 kilometres with a maximum speed of 59 kilometres per hour.
  • It is armed with a rifled Royal Ordnance L30 120-mm main gun, which can deliver main armament rounds up to a range of around four kilometres.
  • The secondary armament consists of two 7.62 mm machine guns.