Facts in News

Facts in News

Minervarya Pentali

• Recently, Delhi University researchers discovered a new frog species in the Western Ghats and named it after former DU Vice-Chancellor and plant geneticist Deepak Pental.

Key Points

• The new frog species, Minervarya Pentali, was discovered from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, extending along the southwest coast of the Indian Peninsula.
  • It is endemic to the southern Western Ghats.
• The new frog species belongs to the family of Dicroglossidae.
• The new species was identified based on multiple criteria, such as external morphology, DNA and calling pattern. 
• This species is also among the smallest known Minervarya frogs.

                                   Image Courtesy: IE

Western Ghats

• The Western Ghats of India is one of the global biodiversity hotspots owing to its endemism of flora and fauna.
• The northern part of this biodiversity hotspot, along with the Konkan region, is considerably different from its southern and central parts on account of lesser precipitation and extended dry season.
• They are spread through states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• The Ghats are often called the Great Escarpment of India and are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science (SPOCS)

• The Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science (SPOCS) is operated by the Ministry of Culture.
• Aim: To set up Science Cities and Science Centres in all the States of the country subject to the availability of funds for the purpose. 
• States willing to avail of this Scheme have to provide land and share the cost of setting up of facility and corpus for upkeep and maintenance.

• Currently, 25 Science Museums/Science Centres in the country are functioning under the administrative control of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture.

Purchasing Managers’ Index

• The IHS Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 55.3 in July from 48.1 in June, well above the 50-level separating growth from contraction. 
  • Factory activity in June had slipped into contraction for the first time in 11 months.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

About

• It is an indicator of business activity both in the manufacturing and services sectors.
• The data is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is constructed.
• It is a survey-based measure that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the earlier month.
• It is derived from a series of qualitative questions usually released at the start of the month.

Purpose: 

• It aims to provide information about current and future business conditions to company decision-makers, analysts and investors.
• It is compiled by IHS Markit for more than 40 economies worldwide.
  • IHS Markit is a London based global leader in information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide.

Calculation of PMI:

• It is indicated by a number from 0 to 100.
  • A print above 50 means expansion while a score below 50 denotes contraction.
  • A reading at 50 indicates no change.
  • If the previous month PMI is higher than the current month PMI, it represents that the economy is contracting.

Kuthiran Tunnel

• The Kuthiran Tunnel is the first road tunnel in Kerala. 
• It is a twin-tube tunnel, with three lanes in each tube, located at Kuthiran in Thrissur district of Kerala.
• It is located on National Highway 544, owned and operated by the National Highways Authority of India.
• The 1.6 km long tunnel is designed through Peechi- Vazhani wildlife sanctuary.
• The move will help improve connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Skyglow

• Researchers have been able to prove that city lights limit the ability of nocturnal animals to navigate by natural light in the night sky.
• Instead, they are forced to use street lamps, neon lights or floodlights to orient themselves.

About

• Findings confirm that beetles exposed to light pollution (direct light and skyglow) are forced to change strategy. They abandon their sky compass and rely instead on earthbound artificial lights as beacons.

Skyglow Phenomenon

• Globally, nights are becoming ever brighter. This light floods directly into the eyes of animals that are active at night and also into the skies. 
• There a proportion of it is redirected back downwards towards an earthbound observer. This is known as ‘skyglow’, an omnipresent sheet of light across the night sky in and around cities that can block all but the very brightest stars from view.

Impact of Light Pollution

• Disrupting the ecosystem and wildlife
  • Many species that rely on compass references also suffer from the loss of the stars like Migratory birds have a magnetic compass, with which they check latitude and magnetic North, but use their sky compass to calibrate their magnetic compass to geographic North.
• Wasting energy has huge economic and environmental consequences.

Reasons

• Increasing urbanisation and the installation of new streetlights, security floodlights and outdoor ornamental lighting.

Solutions 

• Turning off unnecessary lights at night.
• Shielding where lights cannot be turned off.
• International Dark-Skies Association has certified more than 130 ‘International Dark Sky Places’, where artificial lighting has been adjusted to reduce skyglow and light trespass.

Zika Virus

• The Union Health Ministry has rushed a multidisciplinary team to Maharashtra to monitor the Zika virus situation and support the State government in management of infections. 
• Recei, a case of Zika has been reported in Pune district.

Zika Virus

About:

• Mosquito-borne virus transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which also transmit 3 other vector-borne diseases – Chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever.
• It also spreads through blood transfusion and sexual contact.
• First identified in 1947 in Zika Forest, Uganda from where it derives its name.

Symptoms: 

• They are similar to other viral infections such as dengue.

Threats:

• Pregnant women infected with Zika virus may give birth to babies with severe brain damage or serious birth defects i.e. neurological disorders and foetal deformation known as Microcephaly in which infants are born with abnormally small heads.
• Besides there is also possible link between virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome (a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the nervous
• system) is also suspected.

Treatment and Prevention: 

• There is no specific treatment or vaccine currently available to treat Zika.
• WHO declared the Zika virus and its suspected link to birth defects as an international public health emergency.