UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 01-12-2020

Superinfections

• Researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet have tried to answer why influenza infections lead to an increased risk of bacterial pneumonia.
• They have described findings leading to so-called “superinfections”.
• They cite the example of Spanish flu, which was an influenza pandemic that swept across the world in 1918–20.
• Unlike many other pandemics, the Spanish flu hit young healthy adults, due to the superinfections caused by bacteria, in particular pneumococci.
• Researchers looked at mechanisms behind this increased susceptibility.
• They found that different nutrients and antioxidants leak from the blood.
• This creates an environment in the lungs that favours growth of bacteria.
• The bacteria adapt to the inflammatory environment by increasing the production of HtrA enzyme.
• HtrA weakens the immune system and promotes bacterial growth in the influenza-infected airways.
• The results of the research could be used to find new therapies for double infections between the influenza virus and pneumococcal bacteria.

Arunachal Kiwi

• Arunachal Kiwi got organic certification for Kiwi under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD-NER).
• [MOVCD-NER is a scheme for the north-eastern states by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare under the Central government.]
• Arunachal Pradesh is first in the country to get this certification for kiwi.
• These kiwis are grown Ziro Valley located in the Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal.
• An agricultural practice/product is considered organic when there are no chemical fertilisers or pesticides involved in its cultivation process.
• Such certifications can be obtained after scientific assessment done by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

Zebrafish Gene

• Scientists at Pune-based Agharkar Research Institute have identified Zebrafish’s genes that can promote heart regeneration.
• They have sought to decode the heart regeneration processes, which can illuminate strategies to improve human cardiac regeneration.
• Zebrafish is a tiny freshwater fish found in the tropical and subtropical regions.
• It is native to South Asia’s Indo-Gangetic plains, where they are mostly found in the paddy fields and even in stagnant water and streams.
• It can regenerate almost all its organs, including the brain, heart, eye, spinal cord within a short time period.
• Its unique characteristics lie in its transparency during its embryonic stages, allowing observing all organs.
• This is why the zebrafish is used as a model organism.

Source: The Indian Express