TNPSC Current Affairs July 07, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs July 07, 2020 (07/07/2020)

Topic: Latest inventions on Science and Health

Raman Spectroscopy

Researchers have turned to Raman Spectroscopy to detect RNA viruses present in saliva samples. It has been reported that novel coronavirus is found in sufficient numbers in human saliva.

How was it carried out?

For the study, the researchers spiked saliva samples with non-infectious RNA viruses and analysed it with Raman Spectroscopy. They analysed the raw Raman Spectroscopy data and compared the signals with both viral positive and negative samples.

Statistical analysis of all the 1,400 spectra obtained for each sample, showed a set of 65 Raman spectral features was adequate to identify the viral positive signal.

Raman Spectroscopy is a non-destructive chemical analysis technique which provides detailed information about chemical structure, phase and polymorphy, crystallinity and molecular interactions. It is based upon the interaction of light with the chemical bonds within a material.

Raman Scatter:

It is a light scattering technique, whereby a molecule scatters incident light from a high intensity laser light source.

Most of the scattered light is at the same wavelength (or color) as the laser source and does not provide useful information – this is called Rayleigh Scatter.

However a small amount of light (typically 0.0000001%) is scattered at different wavelengths (or colors), which depend on the chemical structure of the analyte – this is called Raman Scatter.

Topic: Eminent Personalities in News

Rettaimalai Seenivasan Birth Anniversary – July 7

Tamil Nadu will celebrate the birth anniversary of Dalit icon and Mahatma Gandhi’s close associate Rettamalai Srinivasan as a government function.

Srinivasan, who had experienced the evils of untouchability in his school days, was instrumental in the father of the nation putting his signature in Tamil as ‘Mo.Ka. Gandhi,’ (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Tamil). He worked as a translator in a South African court when Gandhi was practicing there as an advocate.

Topic: Eminent Personalities in News

Thiru Mannar Mannan

Thiru Mannar Mannan, renowned Tamil scholar and son of Puratchi Kavignar Bharathidasan has passed away.

Thiru Mannar Mannan received Thiru.Vi.Ka Award, Kalaimaamani Award and also Puducherry govt’s Tamil Maamani Award.

Topic: International Diary of events, World Reports

Fourth highest opium seizure in 2018 reported from India: World Drug Report:

Findings of the latest World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC):

The fourth highest seizure of opium in 2018 was reported from India, after Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The maximum of 644 tonnes of opium was seized in Iran, followed by 27 tonnes in Afghanistan and 19 tonnes in Pakistan.

In terms of heroin seizure (1.3 tonnes), India was at the 12th position in the world.

Global area under opium poppy cultivation declined for the second year in a row in 2019. It went down by 17% in 2018 and by 30% in 2019.

The main opiate trafficking flows originate from three key production areas: Afghanistan, Myanmar-Laos and Mexico-Colombia-Guatemala.

Topic: Historical Diary of Events

Zardozi art

Zari work or Zardozi, an art which is considered quite popular amongst embroiders and designers, survives in the narrow alleys of the Old Town of Bhopal. Zardozi was introduced in India by the Mughal invaders in the 17th century. It came to India from Persia.

Its literal translation, ‘Zar’ means gold and ‘dozi’ meaning embroidery. Thus, Zardozi come from the Persian term meaning ’embroidering with gold threads.’

In this embroidery, gold coils and beads are tucked onto fabric using a needle and thread.

Metals like gold and silver are transformed into a zari (thin thread) that is used to adorn motifs onto rich fabrics like silk, velvet, organza, chiffon, etc.

In 2013 the Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) registration to the Lucknow Zardozi.

Topic: Places in News

Natanz

Recently, a fire broke out at Natanz, an Underground Nuclear Facility of Iran used for enriching uranium. Located in Iran’s central Isfahan province in Tehran, Natanz hosts the country’s main uranium enrichment facility. It is known as the first Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant of Iran.

It is among the sites monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal.

Topic: Public Awareness and General Administration

FAO locust warning

India should remain on high alert against locust attack for the next four weeks, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned amid the country facing the worst locust attack in 26 years.

Spring-bred locust swarms, which migrated to the Indo-Pakistan border and travelled east to northern states, are expected to return back to Rajasthan with the start of the monsoon in coming days.

The current locust attack (2019-2020) has been categorised as an upsurge.

Upsurge: If an outbreak or contemporaneous outbreaks are not controlled and if widespread or unusually heavy rains fall in adjacent areas, several successive seasons of breeding can occur that causes further hopper band and adult swarm formation. This is called an UPSURGE and generally affects an entire region.

Outbreaks are common, but only a few result in upsurges. Similarly, few upsurges lead to plagues. The last major plague was in 1987-89 and the last major upsurge was in 2003-05. Upsurges and plagues do not occur overnight; instead, they take many months to develop.

Topic: Latest inventions on Science and Health

4 Virus and Disease Surveillance

Recently, scientists have identified a new strain of Swine Flu (H1N1) virus namely, G4 EA H1N1. It has started infecting Chinese pigs and also has the potential of triggering a pandemic.

Risk Involved:

G4 EA H1N (also known as G4) replicates efficiently in human airway paths and so far, has infected a few people without actually making them ill.

Thus, greater vigilance in monitoring people is needed because humans have no inbuilt immunity against this new strain of the virus, much like SARS-CoV-2.