Science & Technology Current Affairs by Pmfias.com – Nov & December 2020 Contents {S&T – Applications – 2020/11} Desalination Plants ...................................................................................................... 5 What are Desalination Plants? ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Reverse osmosis (RO) ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 {S&T – Bio – 2020/12} Bioweapons .................................................................................................................................. 9 Bacillus Anthracis (Anthrax) .................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Australia Group ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Multilateral Export Control Regime (MECR) ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 {S&T – Biotech – 2020/12} BBX11 Gene ........................................................................................................................ 11 {S&T – Biotech – 2020/12} Genome Sequencing .......................................................................................................... 11 Key Terms ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Difference between DNA vs RNA ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Genome ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Genome Sequencing ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 {S&T – BioTech – 2020/12} Intentional Genomic Alteration ....................................................................................... 15 What is Intentional Genomic Alteration? ........................................................................................................................................................ 16 {S&T – Computers – 2020/11} Param Siddhi Supercomputer ..................................................................................... 16 Param Siddhi ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 The speed of a Supercomputer ........................................................................................................................................................................... 17 {S&T – COVID – 2020/11} COVID-19 Related ................................................................................................................ 18 Tinnitus .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Dry Swab RT-PCR COVID-19 Test ...................................................................................................................................................................... 18 {S&T – COVID – 2020/11} Guillain Barre Syndrome ..................................................................................................... 18 What is Guillain Barre Syndrome? ...................................................................................................................................................................... 19 What is Autoimmune Disease? ............................................................................................................................................................................ 19 {S&T – COVID – 2020/11} Moderna and Pfizer vaccines .............................................................................................. 20 {S&T – COVID – 2020/11} Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine .............................................................................................. 22 Key points .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 How does it work? .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 1 {S&T – Defence – 2020/12} National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) ............................................................ 24 About National Command Control Communications and Intelligence Network (NC3I) ............................................................. 24 {S&T – Defence – 2020/12} S-400 Air Defence System ................................................................................................ 24 {S&T – Digital – 2020/12} RTGS ..................................................................................................................................... 25 {S&T – Digital India – 2020/11} eVIN............................................................................................................................. 25 What is eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) ........................................................................................................................... 25 {S&T – Diseases – 2020/11} Chapare Virus .................................................................................................................... 26 What is the Chapare Virus? ................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 {S&T – Diseases – 2020/11} Diabetes ............................................................................................................................. 26 Key Points .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 About Diabetes .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 {S&T – Diseases – 2020/11} Hepatitis C Drugs .............................................................................................................. 29 Hepatitis ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 29 {S&T – Diseases – 2020/12} Influenza and Bacterial Infection .................................................................................... 30 Superinfection ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 30 Pneumonia ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Influenza (Flu) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30 {S&T – Diseases – 2020/12} Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) ............................................................................. 31 Non-Communicable Disease ................................................................................................................................................................................ 32 {S&T – Diseases – 2020/12} Pneumosil .......................................................................................................................... 32 {S&T – Diseases – 2020/12} World Aids Day ................................................................................................................. 32 AIDS – Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome .........................................................................................................................................