Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Latest News

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have developed a stable Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that allows a paralysed person to control a robotic arm using only their thoughts, over 7 months, with minimal recalibration.

What is a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)?

• A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a system that enables direct communication between the brain and an external device, such as a computer or robotic limb.
• It decodes brain signals and translates them into commands to control machines, bypass damaged neural pathways, and restore lost functions in persons with neurological disorders.
• Earlier BCI systems could only translate brain signals into text, and that too with limited vocabulary, slow processing speed, and reduced accuracy.

How Does It Work?

• Sensor implantation: Electrodes were surgically placed on the motor cortex (brain region controlling movement).
• Signal interpretation: The system decodes neural signals of imagined movement, using machine learning to predict changes over time in signal patterns.
• Virtual training: The user was first trained using a virtual robotic arm, allowing refinement of mental control.
• Real-world application: The participant performed complex tasks like picking up blocks, opening a cabinet, and holding a cup under a water dispenser, indicating precise, consistent control.

Applications of BCI Technology

• The BCI also has potential for restoring speech in individuals with conditions like brainstem stroke or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
• Fine electrodes and artificial neural networks can decode intended speech and generate text output, Audible speech, and a speaking avatar.
• One study showed a patient with ALS communicating at 62 words per minute, 3.4 times faster than previous BCI systems.

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) FAQs

Q1. What is a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)?
Ans. A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a system that allows direct communication between the brain and an external device by interpreting brain signals, often for assistive technologies or medical applications.

Q2. What are the main applications of BCI?
Ans. BCIs are used in neuroprosthetics, communication for disabled individuals, gaming, cognitive training, and even military research.

Source: TH

Rabies Latest News

A six-year-old girl who was bitten by a stray dog died of rabies recently despite receiving preventive vaccination in Kerala's Malappuram district.

About Rabies

• It is a deadly zoonotic disease caused by the Rabies virus (RABV) that attacks the nervous system. 
• RABV is an RNA virus of the rhabdovirus family that can affect the body in one of two ways.
  • It can enter the peripheral nervous system directly and migrate to the brain. 
  • It can also replicate within muscle tissue, where it is safe from the host’s immune system. From here, it enters the nervous system through the neuromuscular junctions.
  • Once inside the nervous system, the virus produces acute inflammation of the brain. 
• Transmission:
  • The virus spreads through the saliva of infected animals. 
  • Infected animals can spread the virus by biting another animal or a person.
  • In rare cases, rabies can be spread when infected saliva gets into an open wound or the mucous membranes, such as the mouth or eyes. 
  • In up to 99% of the human rabies cases, dogs are responsible for virus transmission. 
• Symptoms:
  • The incubation period for rabies is typically 2–3 months but may vary from one week to one year, depending on factors such as the location of virus entry and the viral load. 
  • Initial symptoms of rabies include generic signs like fever, pain, and unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensations at the wound site. 
  • As the virus moves to the central nervous system, progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord develops. 
  • Once the virus infects the central nervous system and clinical symptoms appear, rabies is fatal in 100% of cases.
• Clinically, it has two forms: 
  • Furious rabies – characterized by hyperactivity and hallucinations.
  • Paralytic rabies – characterized by paralysis and coma.
• It is one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTD) that predominantly affects already marginalized, poor, and vulnerable populations. 
• Rabies is most common in rural parts of Asia and Africa, though it’s found on all continents except Antarctica.
• Prevention:
  • It is a vaccine-preventable disease.
  • Vaccinating dogs, including puppies, is the most cost-effective strategy for preventing rabies in people because it stops the transmission at its source.
• Treatment:
  • Medical care following a rabies exposure is called post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP.
  • PEP includes wound care, a dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and a series of four or five rabies vaccines, which must be administered as soon as possible after exposure. 
  • This care is vital to prevent the disease from developing. It is nearly 100% effective if administered promptly.

Rabies FAQs

Q1. Is rabies 100% preventable?

Ans. Although fatal once clinical signs appear, rabies is entirely avoidable; vaccines, medicines and technologies have long been available to prevent death from rabies.

Q2. Rabies is caused by which type of virus?

Ans. RNA virus

Q3. How is rabies primarily transmitted to humans?

Ans. Through the saliva of infected animals.

Source: PTI

Phthalates Latest News

A recent study found that a daily exposure to phthalates is linked to 3.5 lakh, or 13 percent, of deaths in the world due to heart disease in 2018 among people aged between 55 and 65 years of age.

About Phthalates

• Phthalates are a family of chemical compounds primarily used in plastic products (most commonly in the specific type of plastic named polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC or vinyl). 
• Phthalates are the most commonly used plasticisers in the world and are categorised as high and low phthalates depending on the molecular weight. 
• Applications:
  • Phthalates may beblended as an additive into special plastics in order to increase the performance of the material. 
  • Phthalates are used to soften plastics, making them more flexible or more durable. 
  • Phthalates are sometimes used to decrease the melting temperature of plastics to aid the moulding process. 
  • Phthalates are used in hundreds of products, including vinyl flooring, adhesives, detergents, lubricating oils, automotive plastics, plastic clothes (raincoats), and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hairsprays, and nail polishes). 
  • Phthalates are used widely in polyvinyl chloride plastics, which are used to make products such as plastic packaging film and sheets, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood storage containers, medical tubing, and some children’s toys.
  • There has also been a wide application in screen print, heat transfer inks, and plastisol inks.
• Since phthalates are not chemically bound to the polymer molecule, they can be released from products or dissolve when in contact with liquids or fats.
• As a result, phthalates may migrate out of a material, resulting in exposure to humans and the environment.
• Health Impacts:
  • Some phthalates are endocrine disruptors, a class of potent chemicals that interfere with our hormone systems. 
  • Some of the health harms associated with phthalates are changes to fertility, early puberty and risk of low birth weight, obesity, diabetes, impacts to the immune system, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, some cancers, and neurological and behavioral problems. 

Phthalates FAQs

Q1. What is meant by phthalates?

Ans. Phthalates are a family of chemical compounds primarily used in plastic products.

Q2. In which type of plastic are phthalates most commonly used?

Ans. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Q3. Why can phthalates migrate out of plastic materials?

Ans. They are not chemically bound to the polymer molecule.

Source: INDIATV

Special 301 Report Latest News

India has yet again been placed on the ‘priority watch’ list of the US Trade Representative (USTR) office’s Special 301 Report on intellectual property rights.

About Special 301 Report

• It is an annual report by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) under the Trade Act of 1974.
• It identifies countries that are considered by the US as not providing adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) or fair and equitable market access to IP rights holders from the US. 
• The report has been issued every year since 1989. 
• It designates countries as “priority foreign country”, “priority watch country”, and “watch list country”. 
• Designation as a priority foreign country initiates an investigationand possible application of sanctions on the foreign country, while designation on a Priority Watchlist suggests serious IPR deficiencies that require greater US attention.
• Other countries that are considered to have serious IPR deficiencies but are not designated for greater US attention are placed on a Watchlist. 
• The report includes both developed and developing countries.
• The targeting of countries in the Section 301 Report is arbitrary. 
• The report lacks empirical evidence and objective analysis and is biased to the concerns raised by segments of the industry of the US with regard to the protection and enforcement of IP rights abroad.

Special 301 Report FAQs

Q1. What is the Special 301 Report related to?

Ans. It identifies countries with inadequate protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs).

Q2. The Special 301 Report is issued by which entity?

Ans. United States Trade Representative (USTR)

Q3. What does designation as a "priority foreign country" in the Special 301 Report initiate?

Ans. An investigation and possible sanctions

Source: THBL

WAM! and WAVES 2025 Latest News

Finalists from 11 cities were selected through months of regional contests and will participate in the WAM! national finale at WAVES 2025.

About WAM!

• WAM! (WAVES Anime & Manga Contest) is India’s first national initiative focused on discovering, nurturing, and promoting original Indian Intellectual Properties (IPs) in anime, manga, webtoons, and cosplay.
• It is being organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with the Media & Entertainment Association of India (MEAI).
• The initiative will culminate in the WAVES 2025 national finale, which will be held from May 1–4, 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai.

About WAVES 2025 

• WAVES (World Audio-Visual & Entertainment Summit) 2025 is a pioneering event designed to promote India's strength in the AVGC-XR sector — Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality.
• WAVES is being hosted under the central theme: “Create in India, Create for the World”, emphasising India’s ambition to become a global creative hub.
• The summit brings together global leaders, innovators, studios, and creators, providing a collaborative platform for India's media and entertainment economy.
• WAVES features the Create in India Challenges (CIC) — an initiative that received over 1 lakh registrations, including 1,100 international participants, reflecting global interest in India’s creative ecosystem.
• The summit includes discussions and showcases on Broadcasting, Films, Print Media, Radio, Digital Media, Advertising, Social Media Platforms, and Generative AI.
• It also highlights technological advancements in Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

WAM! and WAVES 2025 FAQs

Q1. What does WAM! stand for?
Ans. WAM! (WAVES Anime & Manga Contest) is India's first national initiative aimed at discovering and promoting original Indian Intellectual Properties (IPs) in anime, manga, webtoons, and cosplay.

Q2. What is WAVES 2025?
Ans. WAVES 2025 is an innovative event aimed at showcasing India's strength in the AVGC-XR sector: Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality.

Q3. Who organises WAM!?
Ans. It is being organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with the Media & Entertainment Association of India (MEAI).

Source: PIB

Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL) Latest News

An international team of solar physicists, including scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), has mapped dynamic plasma currents in the Sun’s Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL), revealing patterns that correlate with the Sun’s 11-year magnetic activity (sunspot) cycle.

About Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL) & Key Findings

• The Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL) is a crucial region located just beneath the Sun’s visible surface, extending to a depth of about 35,000 km.
• In the NSSL, the Sun's angular velocity (rotation speed) decreases rapidly with radius, creating a rotational shear that varies with depth, latitude, and solar magnetic activity.
• The study revealed surface plasma flows converge towards sunspot latitudes but reverse midway in the NSSL and flow outward, forming large circulation cells.
• These flows are shaped by the Sun's rotation and the Coriolis force, which also influences Earth's hurricanes. This connection helps explain how the Sun's spin behaviour varies with depth.
• Despite being dynamic, these localised flows do not drive the Sun's large-scale zonal flows, known as torsional oscillations, implying the presence of deeper unknown forces in the Sun’s interior.

Techniques Used

• Scientists employed helioseismology, a method that uses sound waves travelling inside the Sun to map internal structures and dynamics.
• They used over a decade’s worth of data from:
  • NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), specifically the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), and
  • The Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) of the National Solar Observatory (NSO), USA.
• The research confirmed the findings using 3D velocity maps of sunspot regions, showing matching surface inflows and deeper outflows.

Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL) FAQs

Q1. What is the Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL)?
Ans. NSSL is a thin zone beneath the Sun’s surface where the rotation rate of solar plasma changes rapidly with depth, affecting solar dynamics and sunspots.

Q2. Why is NSSL important in solar physics?
Ans. NSSL helps scientists understand solar magnetic fields, solar cycles, and space weather phenomena like solar flares.

Q3. Which mission has studied the NSSL recently?
Ans. The Solar Orbiter (ESA) and NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory have provided key data to study the NSSL.

Source: PIB

AIM4NatuRe Initiative Latest News

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations recently launched a significant new initiative, Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Nature Restoration (AIM4NatuRe).

About AIM4NatuRe Initiative

• It is an Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-led global initiative aimed at enhancing the capacity of countries to monitor and report on ecosystem restoration.
• It is a US$ 9 million programme funded by the United Kingdom, with a contribution of GBP 7 million, and is set to run from 2025 to 2028.
• AIM4NatuRe will leverage cutting-edge technology, standardized data frameworks, and capacity development to support global efforts to restore at least 30 percent of degraded ecosystems by 2030, as outlined inTarget 2 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
• By fostering transparency, accountability, and data interoperability, the initiative will enable countries to track restoration efforts across forests, wetlands, grasslands, marine ecosystems, and agricultural landscapes.
• AIM4NatuRe is part of FAO’s AIM4Forests Programme, expanding the scope beyond forests to provide a holistic approach to nature restoration monitoring.
• The initiative prioritizes a comprehensive approach to ecosystem restoration, encompassing a wide range of activities, from reforestation, restoration of degraded agricultural lands, and wetland rehabilitation to the recovery of grasslands and marine ecosystems. 
• AIM4NatuRe will also develop practical guidance documents and technical solutions, namely the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring (FERM), to support countries in data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensuring that information is readily available and usable.
• Notably, the initiative will support Indigenous Peoples in the monitoring of biocentric nature restoration, a holistic approach that prioritizes the well-being of all living things within an ecosystem.

AIM4NatuRe Initiative FAQs

Q1. What is the primary goal of the AIM4NatuRe initiative?

Ans. To monitor and report on ecosystem restoration

Q2. Which organization leads the AIM4NatuRe initiative?

Ans. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Q3. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Ans. AIM4Forests

Source: KRISHI

New Approach for Green Hydrogen Production Latest News

Researchers at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have developed new insights into proton adsorption on catalyst surfaces, paving the way for more efficient green hydrogen production.

Key Scientific Findings

• A novel heterostructure, combining Copper Tungsten Oxide (CuWO₄) and Copper Oxide (CuO), has been created to exploit the Built-In Electric Field (BIEF) effect for enhanced hydrogen evolution.
• The structure is formed by growing CuWO₄ nanoparticles over a Cu(OH)₂ precursor, leading to a p-n heterojunction that creates an asymmetric electronic environment.
• This BIEF plays a crucial role in modulating proton adsorption and desorption, directly influencing the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) efficiency.

Mechanism of Proton Adsorption

• The interface between CuO and CuWO₄ shows variation in Gibbs Free Energy (∆G), especially near the depletion region.
• A gradient in ∆G across this interface enhances hydrogen adsorption at CuO and desorption at CuWO₄, making the system more favourable for HER.
• This showcases "negative cooperativity", where increased proton binding at one site reduces affinity at other sites, facilitating proton desorption, a key step in alkaline hydrogen production.

What is Green Hydrogen?

• Green Hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or hydropower, releasing no greenhouse gases.
• It is a clean, sustainable, and flexible energy carrier, with water vapour as its only by-product.
• Unlike grey hydrogen (from fossil fuels), green hydrogen contributes to zero carbon emissions.

Green Hydrogen Production Methods

• Alkaline Electrolysis: Mature, low-cost method using KOH/NaOH; needs nickel/platinum electrodes.
• Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Electrolysis: High efficiency, fast, but expensive due to precious metal catalysts.
• Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOEC): Works at 700–1000°C, enables co-electrolysis of H₂O and CO₂, but involves complex materials and high costs.

New Approach for Green Hydrogen Production FAQs

Q1. What is green hydrogen?
Ans. Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources like solar or wind, without emitting carbon dioxide.

Q2. What is the new method recently developed for green hydrogen production?
Ans. Scientists have developed methods like photoelectrochemical water splitting, solid oxide electrolysis, and enzyme-assisted electrolysis, improving efficiency and scalability.

Source: PIB

Egypt Latest News

India and Egypt are enhancing bilateral ties through strategic cooperation in the field of skill development, as part of their broader Strategic Partnership established in 2023.

Key Facts of Egypt

• Egypt’s Location: Located in northeast Africa, extending into southwest Asia through the Sinai Peninsula. It is a transcontinental country.
• Bordering Nations: Shares borders with: Libya (west), Sudan (south), Israel and the Gaza Strip (northeast)
  • Coastlines along the Mediterranean Sea (north) and the Red Sea (east).

Key Geographical Features

• The Nile River, the longest river in the world, flows from south to north through Egypt.
• Aswan High Dam: Inaugurated in 1971, it is one of the world’s largest embankment dams. Functions:
  • Controls annual Nile flooding.
  • Provides water storage for irrigation.
  • Generates hydroelectric power.
  • Created Lake Nasser, one of the largest artificial lakes, extending into Sudan.

Egypt FAQs

Q1. Where is Egypt located and why is it geopolitically important?
Ans. Egypt is located in Northeast Africa and controls the Suez Canal, a vital global trade route linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

Q2. What is the significance of the Suez Canal for India?
Ans. Around 12% of India’s global trade passes through the Suez Canal, making Egypt a crucial partner for India’s maritime and trade interests.

Source: PIB

National Archives of India Latest News

The National Archives of India (NAI) has significantly enriched its repository of historical records with the acquisition of the private papers of former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

About National Archives of India 

• The NAI, which functions under the Ministry of Culture, is the repository of all non-current government records, holding them for the use of administrators and scholars.
• It is the custodian of the records of enduring value of the Government of India.
• It is the biggest archival repository in South Asia. 
• History:
• It was originally established as the Imperial Record Department on 11 March 1891 in Kolkata (Calcutta). 
• It was transferred to New Delhi in 1911, and the present building, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was completed in 1926.
• The complete transfer of records from Calcutta to New Delhi was finalized in 1937. 
• The NAI also serves as the nodal agency for implementing the Public Records Act, 1993, and the Public Record Rules, 1997.
• Currently, the National Archives of India holds over 34 crore pages of Public Records, including files, volumes, maps, treaties, rare manuscripts, cartographic records,parliamentary debates, censuses, travel accounts, proscribed literature, and government gazettes. 
• A significant portion of its oriental records is in Sanskrit, Persian, Odia, and other languages.
• Access to the records in the NAI is governed by the provisions of the Public Records Rules, 1997.
• The NAI keeps and conserves records of the government of India and its organisations. It does not receive classified documents.
• It has one regional office at Bhopal and three Records Centers at Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, and Puducherry.
• Abhilekh PATAL:
• The Abhilekh PATAL (Portal for Access to Archives and Learning) is an initiative of NAI to make its rich treasure of Indian archival records available to all online.
• It is a full-featured web portalto access the NIA’s reference media and its digitized collections through the internet.
• It contains more than 2.7 million files held by the National Archives of India. The Digitized Collections contains over 71,792 digitized records for online access.

National Archives of India FAQs

Q1. Where is the National Archives of India situated?

Ans. New Delhi

Q2. The National Archives of India (NAI) functions under which ministry?

Ans. Ministry of Culture

Q3. In which year was the National Archives of India transferred to New Delhi?

Ans. 1911

Source: DDN