NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES
A new study in Pune has revealed that nearly 85% of the people who had been found infected with novel coronavirus in a serosurvey, conducted earlier, had developed neutralising antibodies.
About:
- Immunity from a disease-causing virus comes from what are known as “neutralising” or “protective” antibodies.
- Neutralising antibodies, like other antibodies that are created to fight the disease, are nothing but proteins.
- These are a small subset of the disease-specific antibodies that are generated once an infection has occurred.
- The neutralising antibodies become special because they have the ability to thwart the entry of the same virus inside human bodies in the future. The other antibodies help in fighting off the virus once the infection has already happened.
RORIDOMYCES PHYLLOSTACHYDIS
A mushroom documentation project in the forests of Northeast India has led to a new discovery: a bioluminescent — or light emitting — variety of mushroom.
About:
- The new species — named Roridomyces phyllostachydis — was first sighted on a wet August night near a stream in Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong in East Khasi Hills district and later at Krang Shuri in West Jaintia Hills district.
- It is now one among the 97 known species of bioluminescent fungi in the world.
- Significance:
- The new species was important because it was the first mushroom in the Roridomyces genus to be found in India.
- it was the only member in its genus to have light emitting from its stipe or stalk.
IN-MDL CUP, NATIONAL YACHTING CHAMPIONSHIP
The Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre (INWTC), Mumbai is organising the commencement of sailing activities in Mumbai harbour with the Maiden IN-MDL Cup, National Yachting Championship.
About:
- At the behest of the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh, as Patron of the Indian Naval Sailing Association, the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has stepped up to sponsor an annual IN-MDL Cup to promote sailing in the country.
- The maiden IN-MDL Cup 2020 is being conducted under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India (YAI) for all Senior Olympic classes as the YAI Senior National 2020.
- The regatta will be a ranking event and will be conducted from 22- 27 Nov 20 near the Sunk Rock lighthouse.
- The IN-MDL Cup will see participation from 12 sailing clubs from across India.
DELIRIUM
A new study supports evidence that delirium can predict coronavirus infection in older patients who show no other typical symptoms of Covid-19.
About:
- Delirium is a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment. The start of delirium is usually rapid — within hours or a few days.
- Delirium can often be traced to one or more contributing factors, such as a severe or chronic illness, changes in metabolic balance (such as low sodium), medication, infection, surgery, or alcohol or drug intoxication or withdrawal.
FISHERIES SECTOR AWARD
On the occasion of World Fisheries Day, Department of Fisheries awarded best performing States in Fisheries Sector for the first time to promote healthy competition among States.
About:
- For the first time in Fisheries Sector, the Government of India awarded best performing States for 2019-20 namely, Odisha (amongst Marine states), Uttar Pradesh (amongst Inland states) and Assam (amongst Hilly and NE states).
- The Govt. also awarded best Districts for 2019-20 namely Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh as best Marine District; Kalahandi, Odisha as best Inland District; Nagaon, Assam as Best Hilly and NE District.
WORLD TELEVISION DAY
World Television Day was observed on November 21, 2020.
About:
- In December 1996 the United Nations proclaimed 21 November as World Television Day commemorating the date on which the first World Television Forum was held in 1996.
- The United Nations adopted a resolution in recognition of the increasing impact of the audio visual media on the decision-making and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues.
- Television was thus acknowledged as a major tool in informing, channelling and influencing public opinion and represents communication and globalization in the contemporary world.
SENTINEL-6 SATELLITE
The Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, designed to monitor oceans, was launched from the Vandenberg Air Force base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on November 21.
About:
- This is a part of the next mission dedicated to measuring changes in the global sea level. Other satellites that have been launched since 1992 to track changes in the oceans on a global scale include the TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1 and OSTN/Jason-2, among others.
- The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite has been named after Dr. Michael Freilich, who was the Director of NASA’s Earth Science Division from 2006-2019 and passed away in August this year.
ONLINE GAMES
Tamil Nadu Governor promulgated an ordinance that banned online gaming in the state , with a fine up to Rs 5,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.
About:
- In the ordinance banning the game, the Governor said that due to online gaming, innocent people, mainly youngsters, are being cheated, and some people have committed suicide.
- The state has thus decided to ban online gaming to “avoid such incidents of suicide and protect the innocent people from the evils of online gaming”.
- Any form of wagering or betting in cyberspace by using computers or any other communication device, common gaming houses, and any electronic transfer of funds to distribute winnings or prize money has also been banned.
- This effectively means that players in the state will not be able to purchase any add-on for the games they play, go to gaming arcades or participate in online gaming tournaments. Some multiplayer games such as Counter-Strike host weekly tournaments with a buy-in of up to Rs 10,000.
BOOKER PRIZE
Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the 2020 Booker Prize for fiction with his debut novel Shuggie Bain, which described a boy growing up in Glasgow in the 1980s with a mother battling addiction.
About:
- Name: The Booker Prize for Fiction, formerly known as the Booker–McConnell Prize and the Man Booker Prize, is a literary prize.
- Background: The Booker Prize was established in 1969.
- Objective: to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English.
- Eligibility:
- The Booker Prize awards any novel originally written in English and published in the UK and Ireland in the year of the prize, regardless of the nationality of their author.
- The novel must be an original work in English (not a translation)
- It must be published by a registered UK or Irish imprint; self-published novels are not eligible.
- The Booker Prize awards any novel originally written in English and published in the UK and Ireland in the year of the prize, regardless of the nationality of their author.
- Prize Money: The winner receives £50,000 as well as the £2,500 awarded to each of the shortlisted authors. In this case, thanks to the award being shared, the prize money would be split between the two winners.
- Organizations involved:
- Man Group: Man Group is an active investment management firm founded in 1783. It has sponsored the Man Booker Prize since 2002
- The Booker Prize Foundation: It is a registered charity established in 2002. Since then it has been responsible for the award of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and for the Man Booker International Prize since its inauguration in 2005.
ANANDA
LIC of India has launched a New Business digital application named ANANDA.
About:
- ANANDA will enable an agent to complete a policy even without physically meeting the customer.
- This application has evoked tremendous response from all intermediaries of the Corporation.
- LIC has come up with this initiative to facilitate the process of proposal completion which is totally paperless and completely digital. The process of new business completion has been re-engineered by converting physical formats into digital ones.
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