Category: Science & Tech

• The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of three semiconductor facilities as part of an initiative to strengthen the country’s semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem. One is in Assam, while the other two are in Gujarat.

Need for a semiconductor hub in India:

• Currently, only a few countries in the world produce computer chips. Due of difficulties like as the COVID-19 epidemic and geopolitical tensions between countries, it has become evident that we need several countries to produce these chips rather than relying on a single country (the Taiwan issue).
• For example, the TATA Group, in collaboration with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) of Taiwan, is constructing a chip manufacturing facility in Gujarat. 

Efforts made by the Indian Government to build Semiconductor Ecosystem:

• The Indian government has made efforts to establish a semiconductor ecosystem through the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). The Indian government is aggressively encouraging semiconductor sector expansion through programmes and incentives, such as the establishment of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and a major funding package to stimulate semiconductor and display production.
• Efforts to boost domestic manufacturing: India is also attempting to attract overseas investment to strengthen local manufacturing. Micron Technology’s proposed Assembly, Test, Mark, and Pack (ATMP) plant in Gujarat, with a total investment of $2.75 billion, will manufacture the first “Made in India” chip by the end of 2024.
• International cooperation: The US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) have chosen to establish a cooperation, with the US already having a ‘Chip 4’ alliance with the world’s leading semiconductor manufactures – Taiwan, Japan

Conclusion

India’s semiconductor ecosystem is growing, thanks to government initiatives such as the India Semiconductor Mission and collaboration with global firms. Efforts to increase domestic manufacturing and international cooperation demonstrate India’s development as a major player in the semiconductor sector.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/what-is-the-technology-behind-manufacturing-a-semiconductor-chip-explained/article68040447.ece#:~:text=By%20taking%20a%20pure%20semiconductor,'printed'%20on%20the%20semiconductor.

• President Droupadi Murmu has announced ‘NexCAR19’, India’s first CAR T-cell therapy developed in-house for cancer treatment. 

What is CAR-T Cell Therapy?

What is it?	The term CAR-T cell therapy refers to chimeric antigen receptor T cell treatment.It is a sort of cancer immunotherapy in which the patient’s own T cells are genetically engineered in a laboratory to improve their ability to detect and destroy cancer cells.
How does it work?	T cells are white blood cells that identify and combat disease and infection.Each T cell contains a receptor that can recognise antigens.Cancer cells may include antigens that the immune system may not recognise as aberrant, allowing cancer to elude immune detection.CAR-T cells are genetically created in the lab to express a novel receptor capable of binding to and killing cancer cells.
Therapy Process	The procedure consists of multiple steps, including:1. T Cell Collection: Blood is collected from the patient’s arm and separated using an apheresis machine.2. Engineering T Cells: In a laboratory, T cells are transformed by inserting a produced CAR and allowed to replicate and expand.3. Infusing CAR-T Cells: Once the CAR-T cells have been manufactured, they are injected back into the patient’s arm.Chemotherapy may be used prior to CAR-T cell infusion to improve treatment efficacy.The procedure might take place in an outpatient infusion centre or in a hospital.
Cancers Treated	CAR-T cell therapy is beneficial in treating certain types of cancer, particularly when other treatments fail.It is now FDA authorised for the treatment of haematological malignancies such as leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

NexCAR19: India’s Self-Developed CAR-T Therapy

• NexCAR19 is intended to target cancer cells that express the CD19 protein, a cancer cell marker, thereby improving therapeutic accuracy.
• The Tata Memorial Centre and IIT Bombay collaborated in its development.
• Initially approved for patients aged 15 and older with B-cell lymphomas who did not respond to traditional therapies, resulting in relapse or recurrence.

Effectiveness and Unique Features

• Approximately 70% of patients react to NexCAR19 treatment, and some achieve complete remission.
• Lower drug-related toxicities, such as decreased neurotoxicity and Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), have been shown in laboratory and animal investigations.
• Trials for paediatric patients are under conducted at Tata Memorial Hospital, assuring wider applicability. 

Availability and affordability

• ImmunoACT is in the process of acquiring licences and forming partnerships with hospitals in numerous locations, including Tata Memorial, Nanavati, Fortis, and Jaslok.
• ImmunoACT, which is initially priced at Rs 30-40 lakh, seeks to reduce the cost to Rs 10-20 lakh over time, making the therapy more accessible. 

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2017169#:~:text=NexCAR19%20CAR%2DT%20therapy%20is,advanced%20cell%20and%20gene%20therapy.

• South Korean scientists at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) reached a critical milestone by reaching temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius for 48 seconds in the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) fusion reactor.
• KSTAR remained in high confinement mode (H-mode) for more than 100 seconds, proving plasma stability required for sustained fusion reactions.
• This is a worldwide record.

What is Tokamak Technology?

• Scientists use a tokamak, a donut-shaped reactor, to heat hydrogen variants to extremely high temperatures, resulting in plasma.
• This reactor mimics the Sun’s fusion reaction, producing enormous heat energy. 

What is Nuclear Fusion?

• Nuclear fusion is the fusion of hydrogen and other light elements to produce huge energy, similar to the process that drives the Sun and stars.
• It is a process in which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a significant amount of energy.
• This happens at extremely high temperatures, generally in the tens of millions of degrees Celsius, with pressures comparable to those encountered in the cores of stars.
• In a tokamak reactor, hydrogen variations are heated to extreme temperatures to form a plasma that mimics the conditions seen in the Sun’s core.
• A kilogramme of fusion fuel has approximately ten million times more energy than a kilogramme of coal, oil, or gas. 

The significance of KSTAR’s achievements

• Achieving continuous fusion reactions in a laboratory setting opens up the possibility of endless, zero-carbon electricity generation.
• By extending the duration of high-temperature fusion, scientists want to achieve plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees for 300 seconds by 2026, pushing the limits of fusion research.
• KSTAR’s fusion research advances international efforts by financing initiatives such as France’s International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). 

Benefits offered by Nuclear Fusion Energy

• Clean Energy: Fusion reactions produce significantly less radioactive waste than nuclear fission, which generates long-lived radioactive waste. Fusion also produces no greenhouse gases, making it an eco-friendly energy source.
• Fusion reactions are fundamentally safer than nuclear fission reactions. Fusion reactors are less likely to cause accidents and do not develop runaway chain reactions, like fission reactors do.
• Energy Security: Fusion generates a consistent and stable supply of energy, eliminating reliance on fossil fuels and fluctuating energy markets. It provides a sustainable option for meeting global energy needs.
• High Energy Density: In comparison to other energy sources, fusion reactions produce a tremendous quantity of energy. Fusion power’s high energy density makes it compact and efficient, allowing it to fulfil large-scale energy demands.
• Scalability: Fusion reactors can be constructed to scale up or down to meet changing energy requirements. They can act as base-load power plants or supplement renewable energy sources, giving flexibility in the energy mix.
• Minimal Environmental Impact: Fusion power plants have a compact footprint and do not require massive mining activities or fuel transportation, hence lowering their environmental impact. They also emit no air pollution or carbon dioxide during operation. 

Source: https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/us/artificial-sun-reaches-a-temperature-of-100-million-celsius-for-record-period-know-in-detail/articleshow/108949251.cms

• Astronomers are excited to establish a new window on the universe by deploying high-resolution telescopes on the moon and in orbit around it.

Why are astronomers looking forward to opening telescopes on the moon?

• Radio telescopes deployed into orbit around Earth compounded the problem of receiving radio noise from all around the world, as well as signals from space.
• The moon’s far side provides pure, airless conditions perfect for optical telescopes, resulting in crystal-clear visibility during the two-week lunar night. 

Global Initiatives to Install Telescope on the Moon:

• Global initiatives include NASA’s LuSEE Night Project, which aims to install a telescope on the moon. LuSEE Night, a joint NASA-Berkeley Lab project set to launch in December 2025, proposes to investigate the Dark Ages by landing on the moon’s far side while insulated from Earth’s radio frequency disturbance.
• ESA’s programmes: By 2030, ESA plans to launch a radio telescope to the moon’s far side atop its lunar lander, ‘Argonaut’, as well as other programmes focusing on gravitational wave detection and infrared observations.
• China’s Initiatives: China is also actively interested in lunar exploration, with plans to launch a moon-orbiting radio telescope in 2026 and to use the Queqiao-2 satellite, which has a radio telescope payload, as a communications relay between Earth and future missions. 

Indian Initiative

• PRATUSH: Indian scientists intend to put the PRATUSH radio telescope on the moon’s far side, which was created by the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation. 
• Deployment Process: ISRO will first place PRATUSH in orbit around Earth, then fine-tune it before launching it to the moon. Operating in Earth orbit will provide benefits such as free space operation and lower ionosphere influence over ground-based investigations.
• Observational Advantages: PRATUSH in lunar orbit will have optimal observation circumstances, operating in open space with little radio frequency interference (RFI) and no ionosphere, which is critical for investigating the signal from the Dark Ages.
• PRATUSH will have a wideband frequency-independent antenna, a self-calibrating analogue receiver, and a digital correlator to detect radio noise in the signal from the Dark Ages. 

Conclusion: 

The global movement to place telescopes on and around the moon seeks to overcome Earth’s radio disturbance and take use of the lunar far side’s pristine conditions for pioneering astronomical investigations, such as investigating the universe’s early Dark Ages.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/astronomers-optical-radio-telescopes-moon-far-side-pratush-india/article68023622.ece#:~:text=Astronomers%20are%20looking%20forward%20to,one%20from%20India%20called%20PRATUSH.

According to a recent IIM-A research, India should prioritise energy sector investment and infrastructure expansion.

Why should India prioritise investments in the energy sector?

India intends to become a developed country by 2047, and it is on track to attain net zero — or essentially zero — carbon dioxide emissions by 2070.  

Key conclusions of the report:

• Current Energy Mix: Solar energy accounts for 16% of India’s installed generation capacity, whereas coal makes for 49%. Nuclear energy now makes up only 1.6% of India’s energy mix.
• Significant increase in nuclear energy: The best-case scenario envisions emissions declining to 0.55 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2070, or ‘net zero’. This scenario envisions a large growth in nuclear power capacity, with 30 GW by 2030 and 265 GW by 2050. 
• Investment Requirements for Nuclear Energy: To achieve the proposed figures, investments in nuclear energy would have to be doubled. Between 2020 and 2070, India will need approximately ₹150-200 lakh rupees to finance energy sector reforms.
• Need for a technology-based solution: The authors emphasise that achieving net zero emissions necessitates the use of multiple technologies rather than a single solution.
• Transitioning from coal: Coal is likely to continue to play an important role in India’s energy system, functioning as the “backbone”. However, switching away from coal would need significant expenditure.

What are the Challenges for India’s Goal of Net-Zero Emissions?

• Uranium Factor: According to the Central Electricity Authority, solar energy accounts for 16% of India’s installed capacity. To achieve these unrealistic estimates for nuclear energy, investments would have to be doubled, as well as the premise that uranium, a crucial fuel but subject to an international embargo, is available in sufficient amounts.
• Coal represents 49% of India’s capacity. Coal is likely to be the “backbone” of the Indian energy system, and if the country is to phase out coal over the next three decades, it will need to build adequate infrastructure for alternative sources such as nuclear power, as well as flexible grid infrastructure and storage to support the integration of renewables.

Suggested measures by the Report are:

• Invest in research and development to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of renewable energy sources, as well as improvements in nuclear energy.
• Policy Support: Implement laws and regulations that stimulate private-sector investment in the energy industry, such as simplified approval processes, tax breaks, and renewable energy standards.
• International Cooperation: Engage in diplomatic efforts to gain access to nuclear fuel and remove international embargoes, as well as collaborate with other governments on energy-related research and development. 

Conclusion

According to an IIM-A analysis, India’s road to development by 2047 depends on prioritising energy sector investments. To achieve net zero emissions by 2070, India will require approximately ₹150-200 lakh crore between 2020 and 2070 to finance transformations.

Source: https://www.iea.org/reports/nuclear-power-in-a-clean-energy-system

On April 1, 2004, the Indian government introduced Free Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for People Living with HIV. This decision was one of the most successful. 

Emergence of HIV medicines

• The first antiretroviral medicine, AZT (zidovudine), was licenced by the US FDA in March 1987, bringing promise for treatment.
• Additional Drug Approvals: Three more antiretroviral medicines were approved shortly after in 1988, increasing HIV/AIDS patients’ treatment options.
• Introduction of Protease Inhibitors: In 1995, a new family of antiretroviral medications known as protease inhibitors was introduced, marking a significant milestone. 

The Evolution of Free ART

• Millennium Summit Declaration: At the Millennium Summit of the United Nations General Assembly in 2000, international leaders committed to halting and reversing HIV transmission.
• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria was founded in 2002 to promote universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services.
• High HIV prevalence in India: In 2004, India had an estimated 5.1 million PLHIV, with a population prevalence of 0.4%. However, just 7,000 people living with HIV were on ART by the end of the year.
• Free ART Initiative: In 2004, the Indian government made a revolutionary move to provide free ART to all individuals living with HIV. This effort sought to remove the barriers of cost and geographical access to treatment.
• Expansion of ART Facilities: Over the last two decades, the number of ART centres in India has increased substantially, from less than ten to over 700. In addition, 1,264 Link ART centres have delivered free ART drugs to over 1.8 million people living with HIV.
• ART Eligibility requirements Evolution: The requirements for commencing ART have evolved over time, beginning with a CD4 count of less than 200 cells/mm3 in 2004, progressing to less than 350 cells/mm3 in 2011, and less than 500 cells/mm3 by 2016. Finally, in 2017, the “Treat All” method was implemented, which initiated ART regardless of CD4 levels.
• Rapid ART Initiation Policy: In 2021, India implemented a policy of rapid ART initiation, with individuals beginning treatment within seven days of HIV diagnosis, and often on the same day. This rapid commencement was intended to improve treatment outcomes and reduce transmission.
• Complementary initiatives to combat the HIV epidemic include: providing free diagnostic facilities; focusing on HIV prevention from parent to child transmission (PPTCT) services; and preventing, diagnosing, and managing opportunistic infections, including co-infections such as tuberculosis (TB).

Goals of India’s National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) Phase 5 by 2025

Ambitious 95-95-95 targets: The NACP phase 5 sets aggressive aims known as the 95-95-95 targets, which are matched with UNAIDS’ global targets. 

• The aims aim to ensure that 95% of people living with HIV are aware of their status.
• 95% of patients diagnosed with HIV will undergo long-term antiretroviral medication (ART).
• 95% of all persons taking antiretroviral treatment for viral suppression.
• These goals are consistent with the worldwide targets established by the UNAIDS. 

Challenges

• Delayed Enrolment in ART Facilities: Late presentation makes it difficult to initiate therapy and manage the condition effectively.
• Missed dosages: Patients frequently begin feeling better after commencing ART, resulting in missed doses or termination of treatment, which leads to medication resistance

Measures  

• Sustained Supply and Availability of ART: Ensuring constant and uninterrupted access to ART medications across the whole country.
• Private Sector Engagement: Increasing collaboration with the private sector in the care of PLHIV.
• Training and Capacity Building: Continuous training and capacity building for healthcare workers is critical to ensuring high-quality service delivery.
• Integration into Other Health Programmes: Strengthening integration with other health programmes, such as hepatitis and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)

Conclusion

India’s ART project, which began in 2004, has been critical in eradicating HIV/AIDS. With changing criteria, rapid commencement policies, and high targets, obstacles remain, but initiatives such as sustained supply, private sector engagement, and training are being undertaken. 

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-art-of-indias-hivaids-response/article68013606.ece#:~:text=In%20two%20decades%20of%20free,living%20with%20HIV%20on%20treatment.

A Czech citizen detected a comet in a picture from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, and it has now been confirmed as the 5,000th comet discovered using SOHO data. 

Sun and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)

• The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA jointly operate the SOHO spacecraft.
• Launched in December 1995, its primary goal is to study the Sun, specifically its outer atmosphere, known as the corona, and the solar wind.
• SOHO examines the Sun at multiple wavelengths of light, allowing scientists to study phenomena such as sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections.
• SOHO orbits the Sun at Lagrange Point L1, which is about 1.5 million kilometres (almost 1 million miles) from Earth and provides an unobstructed view of the sun.
• Its observations have led to discoveries such as-

1. Identifying solar wind sources, 
2. tracking eruptions, and 
3. monitoring variations in the Sun’s activity during an 11-year cycle.

Source: https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/esa-nasa-solar-observatory-discovers-its-5000th-comet/

• Scientists at Nagoya University have discovered how a type of amino acid threonine (Thr881) regulates stomatal opening in plants, a step required for optimal photosynthesis.

What are stomatal openings?

• Stomata are small pores on plant leaves that allow for gas exchange.
• They specifically absorb the carbon dioxide required for photosynthesis. 

How does light cause stomata to open?

• In reaction to red and blue light, researchers discovered a unique regulatory mechanism that involves the phosphorylation of the plasma membrane proton pump’s 881st threonine residue (Thr881).
• Phosphorylation, the process of adding or removing a phosphate group from amino acids, serves as a regulatory switch that influences protein structure and function.
• The study concentrated on the phosphorylation of Thr881 and its significance in stomatal opening.
• They discovered phosphorylation in response to both red and blue light, emphasising the link between photosynthesis and light signalling.

The Significance of Thr881 Phosphorylation

• Mutant experiments established the importance of Thr881 phosphorylation in stomatal opening.
• Plants producing a mutant proton pump lacking Thr881 phosphorylation had lower stomatal aperture and transpiration rates, highlighting the regulatory importance of this amino acid residue.
• The study identified Thr881 and Thr948 as critical phosphorylation sites for the activation of the enzyme H+-ATPase, which is required for stomatal opening.
• Manipulating Thr881 may provide opportunities for improving plant growth, increasing carbon dioxide absorption, and lowering fertiliser use. 

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240326103923.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,key%20role%20in%20this%20process.

• We live in a world when treatment is just a text away. Natural language processing (NLP), a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI), allows computers to understand and interpret human language in a way that mimics human comprehension.
• In mental healthcare, we are already seeing a rapid expansion of AI use cases, including more economical therapy and greater clinician assistance.

Natural language processing (NLP)

• Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) and computational linguistics that studies the interaction of computers and humans using natural language.
• The goal of NLP is to allow computers to perceive, interpret, and generate human language in a meaningful and useful manner. 

How does this benefit patients?

• Privacy and Anonymity: These platforms provide privacy and anonymity, encouraging people to seek aid without fear of being judged or stigmatised.
• Support and Validation: Chatbots can help users reframe negative attitudes, validate their feelings, and give personalised care based on their requirements.
• Accessibility: Especially when human help is unavailable or inaccessible, virtual assistants provide quick assistance, potentially bridging the gap between patients and mental health care.
• Improved Health Outcomes: Research suggests that digital therapy tools can be as successful as in-person care in improving patient health outcomes, implying that chatbots can benefit mental health treatment.
• Continuity of Care: By providing ongoing support and resources, these tools assist patients in maintaining a comprehensive approach to their mental health treatment, potentially lowering the risk of relapse.
• Resource Pointers: Chatbots can link users to resources for dealing with various mental health issues, such as anguish, grief, and anxiety, allowing them to take proactive actions towards their own well-being.
• Scalability and Cost Effectiveness: Chatbots are scalable and cost-effective, allowing them to reach a large audience at any time, making mental health care more accessible to those who may not have access to traditional in-person treatments.
• Integrating chatbots into existing health programmes allows organisations to provide mental health treatment beyond traditional routes, ensuring that patients receive comprehensive care.

How does it benefit clinicians?

• Comprehensive Patient past: AI technologies can analyse large datasets, such as clinical notes, patient chats, neuroimages, and genetic data, to provide clinicians with a complete picture of a patient’s past. This saves time during sessions and ensures clinicians have access to all essential data.
• Predictive Capabilities: Recent advances in NLP programmes allow for the prediction of antidepressant and antipsychotic drug reactions by analysing a variety of data sources, including brain electrical activity, neuroimages, and clinical surveys. This predictive power enables clinicians to make better treatment decisions, lowering the chance of ineffective interventions.
• Streamlined Treatment Decisions: By offering insights into potential treatment outcomes, AI systems let clinicians customise interventions to each patient’s specific needs.
• E-triaging Systems: Some chatbots are developing e-triaging systems that can drastically reduce patient wait times while freeing up valuable clinical personnel hours. These systems prioritise patients depending on their level of urgency, ensuring that those who require emergency care receive it.
• Specialised Care for Severe Mental disorders: With increased bandwidth and the use of AI technologies, mental health clinicians can spend a greater amount of their time to severe mental disorders like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which require specialised care. This ensures that patients with complex needs get the care and assistance they need. 

What happens next?

• Diverse Population-wide Datasets: To reduce biases, companies should refine their applications by using more diverse population-wide datasets. This assures that the technology is effective and fair to all users, regardless of demographics or qualities.
• Incorporating Comprehensive Health Indicators: AI programmes can use a broader collection of health indicators to give a more complete patient care experience. This includes combining data from diverse sources such as wearable devices, lifestyle factors, and social determinants of health.
• Conceptual frameworks must be used to guide the creation and improvement of these applications with the goal of improving health outcomes. These frameworks can help ensure that technology is in line with the goals of improving mental health and providing effective care.
• Rigorous Testing and Evaluation: These programmes’ effectiveness depends on continuous testing and evaluation. Companies must extensively test their applications to guarantee efficacy, safety, and conformity with worldwide standards.
• Governments and organisations must prioritise user safety and well-being by implementing global compliance norms. This includes legislation governing data privacy, security, and the ethical application of AI in healthcare.
• Updating Laws and Regulations: As AI applications in mental health expand, it is critical to update governing rules and regulations to keep up with technical breakthroughs while protecting users’ interests.
• Demanding higher standards of care: Patients, healthcare providers, and advocacy groups should all push for higher standards of treatment in mental health. This involves pushing for the implementation of AI-powered solutions in healthcare systems that prioritise patient well-being and improve health outcomes.

Conclusion

AI, particularly NLP, benefits mental health by allowing patients to have more privacy, personalised support, and efficient care. It enables doctors to provide effective, data-driven treatment by leveraging varied datasets and adhering to safety guidelines. 

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/can-ai-help-in-navigating-mental-health/article67995754.ece#:~:text=Through%20text%2Dbased%20platforms%20and,the%20absence%20of%20human%20support.