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Posted 06 Nov 2024

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Titanium (Ti)

India and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to establish Indo-Kazakh Joint Venture Company- IREUK Titanium Limited for production of Ti Slag in India. 

About Titanium

  • It is a hard, shiny, light and strong refractory metal.
  • It is 9th most abundant element on Earth. It occurs naturally in chemical combinations, usually with oxygen and iron. 
  • Ores of Titanium: Rutile (Ti02), ilmenite (FeTiO3).
  • Properties: Low Density; High strength, Low thermal conductivity, Non-magnetic; offer low level of toxicity; Resists corrosion. 
  • Uses: Ti alloys are used in aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, ships, etc., surgical applications like joint replacement, titanium (IV) oxide used in paints, sunscreens, toothpastes etc.
  • Tags :
  • Titanium
  • Rutile
  • Ilmenite
  • Titanium (IV) Oxide

IL-35 Protein

Researchers have discovered a specific protein IL-35 that protects against type 1 and autoimmune diabetes.

  • In type 1 diabetes body doesn’t produce enough insulin while in type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin, but it’s unable to use it effectively.
  • Autoimmune diabetes has characteristics of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

About IL-35 Protein 

  • Protects the immune system by lowering particular immune cells that produce inflammatory chemicals. 
  • It regulates macrophage activation, T-cell proteins, and regulatory B cells.
    • Macrophages form from monocytes (type of White blood cells (WBC) ), which themselves derive from the bone marrow.
    • T cells and B cells are types of WBC called lymphocytes.
  • Tags :
  • Autoimmune Diabetes
  • Type-I Diabetes
  • IL-35 Protein
  • Macrophages
  • T cells and B cells

Traditional Artisans' Upliftment Livelihood Programme (TULIP)

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has inaugurated ‘TULIP’ brand - A Digital Platform for Craft and Community Empowerment.

About TULIP

  • Its goal is to empower marginalized artisans (SCs, OBCs, sanitation workers, and persons with disabilities) by providing them with a platform for global exposure and sales of their products through e-marketing. 
  • TULIP Digital Platform for e-commerce will provide a platform for economic self-reliance and global exposure to artisans via an e-marketplace.
  • Tags :
  • TULIP

MAHASAGAR

Third edition of high-level virtual interaction MAHASAGAR was conducted by the Indian Navy.

About MAHASAGAR

  • Launched by Indian Navy in 2023, it is a bi-annual initiative promoting cooperation and high-level interactions among Indian Ocean Region (IOR) countries. 
  • It brings together naval leaders and maritime officials from Bangladesh, Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.
  • It aligns with India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision, launched in 2015 to strengthen economic and security ties with its maritime neighbors.
  • Tags :
  • SAGAR
  • Mahasagar

LignoSat

The world's first wooden satellite, developed by Japan, has been launched.

  • The satellite will study how wood withstands space's extreme conditions. 

About LignoSat

  • It is a small, palm-sized satellite made from honoki wood, a type of magnolia tree native to Japan.
  • It also incorporates traditional aluminium structures and electronic components.

Significance:

  • Wooden satellite is part of a plan to use renewable materials for space structures.
  • Wood can better withstand space conditions than metal, as there’s no water or oxygen to cause decay.
  • When decommissioned, wooden satellites burn up without releasing harmful pollutants, unlike metal ones. 
  • Tags :
  • LignoSat
  • Wooden Satellite

IUCN Red List

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) marks the 60th anniversary of the Red List.

About Red List

  • Established in 1964, it is the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. 
  • Red List include nine categories: Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct
    • Assessors place species into List, based on a series of assessment criteria.

About IUCN

  • Created in 1948, the IUCN is a membership union of over 1,400 government and civil society organizations. 
  • It works to develop best practices and approaches that enable effective conservation. 
  • Tags :
  • IUCN
  • IUCN Red List
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