Weekly Brief 20-26/05/2024

1. Balancing two forms of SNCA protein could help manage Parkinson:

Current Treatments and the Potential of SNCA Protein in Parkinson’s Disease

Today, Parkinson’s disease is typically managed by either increasing dopamine levels or through the more drastic measure of grafting new neurons to replace dead ones. A solution involving the SNCA protein is more desirable as it promises a more sustainable resolution.

Synuclein Alpha (SNCA) Protein

SNCA, or synuclein alpha, is an enigmatic protein found in healthy cells, though its exact function remains unclear. It is infamous for its role in age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers first linked SNCA to Parkinson’s disease 27 years ago. In Parkinson’s patients, the neurons that use dopamine as a neurotransmitter are lost in a specific brain region. These dopaminergic neurons often contain aggregated masses of proteins known as Lewy bodies, primarily composed of SNCA. SNCA aggregates have also been observed in other neurodegenerative diseases, but their presence is most pronounced in Parkinson’s.

SNCA is prevalent in neurons, particularly dopaminergic ones, and is located near the cell nuclei and at neuron junctions. This protein is capable of misfolding and forming filamentous structures, unlike most proteins that assume predictable three-dimensional shapes. Misfolded SNCA proteins malfunction, but the dynamics of these aggregates and their impact on neurons remain poorly understood.

Two Populations of SNCA

Recent studies have identified two forms of SNCA aggregates in cells: one that disrupts the structural integrity of cell nuclei and another that aids in the degradation of misfolded proteins. The former is associated with disease, while the latter is crucial for cellular health. Balancing these two SNCA populations could be key to managing Parkinson’s disease.

In laboratory-grown neurons, researchers artificially induced Lewy body-like structures by introducing misfolded SNCA. Over time, they observed two SNCA populations: filamentous structures resembling Lewy bodies and smaller clumps called aggresomes. Aggresomes act like a trash corner, localizing misfolded proteins for further processing.

Impact on the Nucleus

Lewy-body-like structures formed slowly, with aggresomes initially preventing their growth. However, repeated seeding with misfolded SNCA accelerated the formation of Lewy-body-like structures, eventually overwhelming the aggresomes. These enlarged structures damaged the nuclear envelope and sometimes entered the nucleus itself.

The nucleus, as the cell's control center containing genetic material, becomes dysfunctional when overwhelmed by misfolded SNCA, ultimately leading to cell death. Moreover, Lewy-body-like structures can transfer between cells, potentially causing a cascade effect.

Therapeutic Approaches

Many researchers aim to reduce SNCA levels in neurons as a treatment strategy for Parkinson’s disease. This involves either halting SNCA gene expression or destroying the SNCA protein within cells. However, these interventions must be targeted, as removing all SNCA would be fatal. Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 have shown promise in cell cultures and animal models, but crossing the blood-brain barrier remains a significant challenge.

Another approach is to prevent SNCA from forming large aggregates by balancing its presence between aggresomes and Lewy bodies. Increasing the proportion of SNCA in aggresomes would reduce its availability for Lewy body formation, though the exact method to achieve this balance is still under investigation.

2.Analysing local environmental footprints: While climate change is a global issue, problems like water scarcity and air pollution tend to be more localized or regional. Addressing these local environmental challenges is essential, highlighting the importance of understanding household environmental footprints.

Household Environmental Footprints in India

A recent study sheds light on the environmental impact of affluent individuals, particularly those who consume beyond their basic needs. It examines the CO2, water, and particulate matter (PM2.5) footprints associated with luxury consumption choices among different economic classes in India. The study compares these luxury consumption footprints—covering activities such as dining out, vacations, and social events—with those of non-luxury consumption.

Key Findings

The study reveals that environmental footprints increase with household wealth. The richest 10% of households have footprints nearly double the overall population average. The transition from the ninth to the tenth decile shows a significant surge, especially in air pollution, which rises by 68%, while water footprint increases by 39%, and CO2 emissions by 55%. This suggests that affluent Indian consumers are still in a 'take-off' stage, with the wealthiest exhibiting the largest increases in consumption-related environmental footprints, driven by luxury items.

Major Contributors

Eating out is a major factor contributing to the rise in environmental footprints among the top decile households across all three categories. Additionally, the consumption of fruits and nuts significantly drives the water footprint in these households. Luxury items such as personal goods, jewelry, and dining out significantly increase CO2 and air pollution footprints. Although transitioning from biomass to LPG reduces direct footprints, affluent lifestyle choices result in higher PM2.5 and CO2 footprints. The per capita CO2 footprint of the top decile in India is 6.7 tonnes per year, higher than the global average of 4.7 tonnes in 2010 and the 1.9 tonnes required to meet the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C. This discrepancy highlights the need for policymakers to focus on reducing consumption levels among the wealthy.

The study underscores that while global climate change efforts are crucial, local and regional environmental issues exacerbated by luxury consumption disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Water scarcity and air pollution, for example, affect marginalized groups more severely, while affluent sections can afford protective measures like air-conditioned cars and air purifiers. This highlights the importance of a multi-footprint analysis to address environmental justice and ensure equitable sustainability efforts

3.Nucleosynthesis is the process by which new atomic nuclei are created from preexisting nucleons (protons and neutrons) and nuclei. According to current theories, the first nuclei were formed a few minutes after the Big Bang, through nuclear reactions in a process called Big Bang nucleosynthesis.

 After about 20 minutes, the universe had expanded and cooled to a point at which these high-energy collisions among nucleons ended, so only the fastest and simplest reactions occurred, leaving our universe containingmostly hydrogen and helium.

The rest is traces of other elements such as lithium and the hydrogen isotope deuterium.

Stellar nucleosynthesis is the nuclear process by which new nuclei are produced. It occurs in stars during stellar evolution. It is responsible for the galactic abundances of elements from carbon to iron.

Stars are thermonuclear furnaces in which H and He are fused into heavier nuclei by increasingly high temperatures as the composition of the core evolves. Of particular importance is carbon because its formation from He is a bottleneck in the entire process. Carbon is produced by the triple-alpha process in all stars.

4.Project Astra:  Project Astra has two main areas of focus:

• AI Assistant: Developed by Google DeepMind, Project Astra is an experimental AI assistant that aims to be more helpful in everyday life [1]. It builds on previous models like Gemini and explores how AI assistants can process information from various sources (text, video, images, speech), understand your surroundings, and respond naturally in conversation

• Methane Detection: Project Astra is also a collaborative effort focused on reducing methane emissions  This project is developing a sensor network to continuously monitor methane emissions across oil and gas facilities Their goal is to create a scalable and cost-effective way to track methane leaks throughout the industry

5.Jointness 2.0--Jointness 2.0 is a concept introduced by General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India, in the context of reforming the Indian Armed Forces

It refers to a new level of collaboration and cultural integration between the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force as they move towards a structure of Integrated Theatre Commands .

Here's a breakdown of Jointness 2.0:

• Goal: To create a more unified and efficient fighting force by fostering a مشترک (mushtarak, meaning "joint" or "common") culture among the services .

• Evolution from Jointness 1.0: General Chauhan describes Jointness 1.0 as focusing on better cooperation and consensus-building between the individual services . Jointness 2.0 aims to go beyond this by creating a new, shared identity that respects the unique strengths and traditions of each branch of the military

• Importance:  This cultural shift is seen as crucial for the success of the Integrated Theatre Commands initiative, which involves reorganizing the armed forces into geographically unified commands that can better integrate air, land, and sea operations

Overall, Jointness 2.0 represents a significant step towards a more modern and integrated Indian military.

6. International Criminal Court (ICC): The International Criminal Court (ICC), also referred to as the ICCt, is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands

Purpose:

• Investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of the most serious international crimes:

• Genocide

• Crimes against humanity

• War crimes

• Crime of aggression (added in 2017) [International Criminal Court]

• Acts as a "court of last resort," complementing national judicial systems and only stepping in when national courts are unable or unwilling to prosecute [International Criminal Court]

Background:

• Established in 2002 by the Rome Statute, an international treaty [Wikipedia: International Criminal Court]

• First and only permanent international court with jurisdiction over these specific crimes [Wikipedia: International Criminal Court]

• Currently has 124 member states (as of November 2023) [Wikipedia: International Criminal Court]

Jurisdiction:

• Investigates and prosecutes crimes committed within member states, by nationals of member states, or in situations referred to the Court by the United Nations Security Council [Wikipedia: International Criminal Court]

• Doesn't have universal jurisdiction, meaning it can't intervene in any situation anywhere in the world
  

Overall Significance:

• Plays a crucial role in holding individuals accountable for grave international crimes and promoting international criminal justice

• Aims to deter future atrocities by ensuring those responsible are brought to justice

7. Combating Oil Spills: Oil spills are leaks of oil into the environment, typically occurring in large bodies of water like oceans or seas, but can also happen on land.  These spills can have devastating consequences for the environment.

Causes of Oil Spills:

• Ship accidents:  Tanker collisions or groundings are a major cause of oil spills.

• Offshore drilling accidents:  Equipment malfunctions or blowouts during oil exploration and production can lead to spills.

• Pipeline leaks:  Corrosion or damage to pipelines used to transport oil can cause leaks.

• Urban runoff:  Improper disposal of used oil products can lead to spills that eventually reach waterways.

Effects of Oil Spills:

• Damage to marine life: Oil coats and suffocates birds, fish, and marine mammals.

• Habitat destruction: Oil can smother shorelines and wetlands, destroying ecosystems.

• Economic disruption: Oil spills can cripple fishing industries and tourism.

Combating Oil Spills:

• Containment: Booms are deployed to restrict the spread of the oil slick, limiting the area affected.

• Skimming:  Specialized vessels skim oil off the water's surface for collection and disposal.

• Dispersants:  Chemical dispersants can break up oil slicks into smaller droplets, promoting faster natural degradation by microbes. However, dispersants can also be toxic to marine life.

• Sorbents:  Pads or sponges made of absorbent materials can soak up oil from the water's surface.

• Natural bioremediation:  Microorganisms naturally break down oil over time. This process can be aided by adding nutrients to the affected area.

Preventing Oil Spills:

• Stricter regulations:  Enacting and enforcing regulations on oil transportation, storage, and drilling helps prevent accidents.

• Improved ship design:  Double hulls and other design features on tankers can minimize oil spills in case of accidents.

• Regular maintenance:  Properly maintaining pipelines and oil rigs reduces the risk of leaks.

• Public awareness: Educating the public on proper disposal of used oil helps prevent spills on land.

8.Kaamya Karthikeyan-   at 16, became the youngest Indian and second youngest girl in the world to scale Mt. Everest - 8849 meters - from the Nepal side. She was accompanied by her father, Commander S Karthikeyan of the Indian Navy, and both successfully summited Mt. Everest.

9.eVTOL: An eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft is a type of aircraft that uses electric motors and propellers to take off and land vertically, similar to a helicopter.  Unlike helicopters, eVTOLs typically have multiple sets of rotors or tilting wings to achieve vertical flight. 

This technology is still under development, but it has the potential to revolutionize transportation, particularly in urban areas.

10.BSF Celebrates Its 21st Investiture Ceremony :

Border Security Force- BSF is celebrating its 21st Investiture Ceremony on Friday. In an exclusive interview with the Akashvani News on this occasion, Director General of BSF Nitin Agrawal said the BSF is committed to bolster border security and counter anti-terror activities across the fences. He added the BSF is using high-end technology to check the use of drones for illegal activities across the Indo-Pak border.

He informed 107 drones sent by Pakistan were shot down by the BSF in 2023.

DG BSF described in detail the commendable role played by local communities in helping the BSF to counter unlawful activities across the border.  

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Source: The Hindu. News on AIR , Indian Express .