TNPSC Current Affairs May 04, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 04, 2020 (04/05/2020)

 

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Topic: Current Socio-economic issues, Latest Diary of Events

New COVID- 19 symptoms

Alongside common symptoms, a new study has talked about “unexplained” skin manifestations in Covid-19 patients. Researchers have described five clinical patterns, including the so-called ‘covid toe’, that they observed in 19 per cent of the cases examined.

In a new study, researchers were able to describe five major clinical patterns:

Asymmetrical pseudo-chilblain lesions affecting the hands and feet. Over 19 per cent of the cases showed such a manifestation.

Nine per cent of the cases presented with vesicular eruptions on the trunk and limbs.

19 per cent presented with urticarial lesions, which can be characterised by itchy, swollen patches of different sizes on the skin.

47 per cent presented with maculopapular rashes, which comprises flat skin lesions and raised bumps.

Six per cent of the cases presented with livedo or necrosis, which is characterised by the discolouration of the skin and may be caused due to disturbance in blood flow and reduced oxygen tension to the skin.

What are ‘covid toe’ and chilblains?

It is a kind of rash being reported as a manifestation in some Covid-19 patients’ toes. The researchers have likened it to pseudo-chilblain lesions.

Chilblains are small, itchy, red patches that appear on the toes and fingers after a person has been exposed to the cold.

A person with chilblains may see their toes and fingers swell up and become red.

The condition occurs due to inflammation in the small blood vessels in the skin, a response to repeated exposure to cold air.

Chilblains usually clear up within one-three weeks on their own.

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Topic: Latest Inventions on Science and Health, Current Socio-economic issues

Bay of Bengal Boundary Layer Experiment or BoBBLE

A team from Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru and UK based University of East Anglia have created a blueprint for accurate prediction of monsoon, tropical cyclones and other weather-related forecast under the Bay of Bengal Boundary Layer Experiment or BoBBLE.

About BOBBLE:

BoBBLE is a joint India-UK project. It seeks to examine the impact of ocean processes in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) on the monsoon system. It is is a project funded by Union Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Natural Environment Research Council of UK.

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) plays a fundamental role in controlling the weather systems that make up the South Asian summer monsoon system.

Key processes in the southern BoB:

The saline Southwest Monsoon Current (SMC), a major control on the salt and SST distribution of the BoB, is shown to be controlled by both local (wind stress curl) and remote (equatorial wave propagation) factors, strongly linked to sub seasonal variability over the wider Indian Ocean basin.

The high salinity core (HSC) of the SMC is shown to have its origins in the western equatorial Indian Ocean, reaching the BoB via the Somali Current, the Equatorial Undercurrent and the SMC.

Seasonal reversals that occur at the Somali Current and SMC junctions act as ‘railroad switches’ diverting water masses to different basins in the northern Indian Ocean.

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Topic: Public Awareness and General Administration, Latest Diary of Events

Non-Aligned Movement summit

Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi will participate in a video conference meeting of non-alignment movement (NAM) on COVID crisis.

Significance: This is the first time PM Modi is taking part in a NAM meeting since taking 2014 when he first became the Prime Minister. The last time any Indian PM participated at Tehran NAM meet was 2012 with the then PM Manmohan Singh was present.

Both in 2016, 2018 summits of NAM, India was represented at Vice President level. The last NAM Summit happened in 2019 in Azerbaijan, before that it was 2016 in Venezuela.

Background:

Azerbaijan is the president of the grouping from 2019-2022 and the meet is being organised under the leadership of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The title of the summit is “We stand together against COVID-19”.

What is non- aligned movement?

Non-Aligned Movement is an idea that emerged in 1950. NAM is the second-largest platform globally in terms of country membership after the UN. It currently has more than 120 members.

The evolution of NAM:

During 1950s, the world was emerging out of the long, dark period of colonialism.

Newly independent nations dreamed they could make their way in this new world without hewing to either of the big powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, eschewing the icy hostilities of the Cold War and bask in the warmth of Third World (as it was then known) cooperation.

The co-founders were India’s Jawaharlal Nehru, Indonesia’s Sukarno, Egypt’s Gemal Abdel Nasser, Yugoslavia’s Josep Broz Tito, and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah were all figures of international consequence, and their collective charisma attracted lesser lights from around the world.

The Asian-African Conference of 1955 held in Bandung was the catalyst for the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The actual formation took place in Belgrade, where the Non-Aligned Movement was formally established by the leaders of 25 developing countries in 1961.

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Topic: Geographical Landmarks, Latest Diary of Events

Magnetosphere

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) have developed a generalized one-dimensional fluid simulation code capable of studying a wide spectrum of coherent electric field structures in near-earth plasma environment or earth’s magnetosphere which can be useful in planning of future space missions.

The study will help to plan the future space missions. The study will also lead to control fusion experiments to fulfill ever-expanding energy demands of humanity.

About Magnetosphere:

It is the region around a planet dominated by the planet’s magnetic field. Other planets in our solar system have magnetospheres, but Earth has the strongest one of all the rocky planets.

Significance:

The magnetosphere shields our home planet from solar and cosmic particle radiation, as well as erosion of the atmosphere by the solar wind – the constant flow of charged particles streaming off the sun.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

World Press Freedom Day 2020

World Press Freedom Day popularly known as World Press Day is one of the calendar events planned, organised and promoted by the United Nations, is observed annually on May 3.

The day is celebrated to raise awareness regarding the importance of freedom of the press. The day is reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.

The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020, “Journalism without Fear or Favour” and the sub-themes for this year are:

Safety of Women and Men Journalists and Media Workers.

Independent and Professional Journalism free from Political and Commercial Influence.

Gender Equality in All Aspect of the Media.

The day May 3 also marks the anniversary of Windhoek Declaration. The Declaration is a statement of press freedom principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991. It was a landmark document which set the stage for the development of the African media.

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Topic: Latest Inventions on Science and Health

eCovSens

It is a biosensor that can detect the novel coronavirus in saliva samples.

It has been developed by researchers from the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad.

The device gives results within 30 seconds using just 20 microlitres of the sample.

How it works? The device consists of a carbon electrode and the coronavirus antibody. The antibody is capable of binding with the spike protein found on the outer layer of the virus. An electrical signal is generated when the antigen and antibody binds.

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Topic: Current Socio-Economic Issues

USFDA approves emergency use of an investigational vaccine, Remdesivir

The United States Food and Drug Regulatory body recently allowed emergency use of anti-viral investigational vaccine Remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients.

Key facts:

The USFDA has approved the vaccine after an Indian-American physician, Aruna Subramaninan’s report on Remdesivir. According to the report, the vaccine shortened the recovery times of people that have fallen ill due to COVID-19 virus. The FDA has provided emergency use authorization of the drug.

Remdesivir was developed to treat Ebola virus and Marburg virus. However, it was found to be ineffective in treating these diseases.