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Current Affairs – 21 May 2024

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Current Affairs – 21 May 2024

Psychedelics

Driven by surge in global trials and low success rate of current medications in treating mental health problems, researchers call for home-grown clinical trials of psychedelic drugs.

About Psychedelics:

  • These are drugs that induce states of altered perception, behaviour, consciousness and thought, often with increased awareness of the senses.
  • The term ‘psychedelic’ comes from two Greek words denoting mind or soul and manifesting. It is a subset of psychotropic substances that can alter a person’s thoughts and perceptions and elicit intense hallucinations.
  • These are categorised into two broad categories
    • Classical psychedelics: These are thought to trigger hallucinations by activating a receptor called serotonin 5-HT, which is widely present in the human body, from the gastrointestinal tract to platelets to the nervous system. Examples: LSD, psilocybin and DMT
    • Nonclassical psychedelics: These psychedelics bind to varied receptors. Examples: ketamine and MDMA
  • Globally, about five psychedelics are the subject of clinical research for use in treating mental health problems: psilocybin; lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD); 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA); ketamine and N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT).
  • Most psychedelics work by increasing the availability of serotonin—a mood stabilising hormone—in the brain by binding to serotonin receptors (a molecule on the cell surface that binds to a specific chemical, causing a specific effect).
  • The United Nations’ Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971, lists about 200 psychotropic substances under four schedules, with Schedule I substances having the most potential for abuse. The Convention does not specify which substances, or how many, are psychedelics. 

Pig Butchering Scam

An online financial fraud called the Pig Butchering Scam is increasing across the globe, including in India.

  • Definition:
    • Also known as “sha zhu pan” scam, it is an online investment fraud involving scammers creating fake personas to lure victims into fraudulent investment schemes.
  • Origin of the Term:
    • The term “pig butchering” reflects the scammers’ strategy of “fattening up” their victims by building trust over time before “slaughtering” them and stealing their money.
  • Execution:
    • Initial Contact: The scam begins with the “host” contacting people online through social media, dating apps, or deceptive messages.
    • Establishing Trust: The host builds a false sense of friendship with the target, referred to as the “pig.”
    • Encouraging Investment: The host encourages the victim to explore cryptocurrency trading.
    • Using Fake Apps: The host uses a fraudulent trading app to deceive the victim into believing they are making profits from fabricated trades.
    • Increasing Investment: As the victim’s trust grows, the host persuades them to invest more money, a tactic known as “fattening the pig.”
    • Revealing the Scam: When the victim attempts to withdraw their funds, the fake platform makes excuses or imposes substantial fees, ultimately exposing the scam.
  • Challenges in Fund Recovery:
    • Retrieving lost funds is exceedingly difficult due to the nature of blockchain transactions.

Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) Programme

As part of a multi-agency effort to locate a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that crashed in East Azerbaijan province recently, the European Union activated its Copernicus EMS rapid response mapping service at Iran’s request.

  • Overview:
    • Named after Nicolaus Copernicus, the programme is the earth observation component of the European Union’s (EU) space initiative.
    • Launched in 1998, it was originally known as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Programme (GMES).
  • Data Sources:
    • Utilizes global data from satellites, and ground-based, airborne, and sea-borne measurement systems.
    • Provides environment-related information to researchers, policymakers, public authorities, international organisations, and commercial and private users.
    • Addresses issues related to climate change, disaster management, agriculture, and more.
  • Components:
    • Space Segment: Utilizes a group of satellites called the Sentinels and the Contributing Missions.
    • Ground Segment: Includes in-situ sensors that provide access to data from the Sentinels and Contributing Missions.
  • Implementation:
    • Implemented by EU member states with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) for the space component and the European Environment Agency (EEA) for the in-situ component.
    • Data from the programme is freely available and accessible to all.
  • Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS):
    • Active since 2012, the EMS works on two models:
      • On-demand Mapping: Provides detailed information for specific emergencies.
      • Early Warning and Monitoring: Issues warnings, risk assessments, and information on the impact of disasters worldwide, before, during, or after a crisis.
    • Early warning provides critical geospatial data through monitoring and forecasts for floods, droughts, and forest fires.
  • Rapid Mapping:
    • Provides geospatial information within a few hours or days of a request to support efforts in the immediate aftermath of an emergency or disaster.
    • Acquires, processes, and analyses satellite images, geospatial data, and relevant social media in rapid mode.
    • Offers four products: one pre-event reference and three post-event (first estimate, delineation, and grading).
      • Each product includes delivery packages with maps and a vector package of spatial data.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Airbus Helicopters and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for financing the purchase of Airbus’ helicopters in India.

  • Establishment:
    • Set up on 2nd April 1990 under an Act of the Indian Parliament.
    • Acts as the principal financial institution for the promotion, financing, and development of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector.
  • Purpose:
    • Coordinates the functions of institutions engaged in similar activities related to MSMEs.
    • Aims to support MSMEs in acquiring funds to grow, market, develop, and commercialize their technologies and innovative products.
  • Jurisdiction:
    • Under the Ministry of Finance.
  • Ownership:
    • Initially a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI).
    • Currently, shares are held by the Government of India and 22 other institutions/PSBs/insurance companies owned or controlled by the Central Government.
  • Headquarters:
    • Located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Services:
    • Provides several schemes and financial services to meet the individual requirements of various businesses.
    • Offers indirect/refinance to banks/financial institutions for onward lending to MSMEs.
    • Provides direct finance in niche areas like risk capital, sustainable finance, receivable financing, service sector financing, etc.
  • Funds Administration:
    • Administers the Small Industries Development Fund and the National Equity Fund, previously managed by IDBI.
  • ‘Credit Plus’ Approach:
    • Besides credit, supports enterprise development, skill upgradation, marketing support, cluster development, technology modernization, etc.
  • Role in MSME Sector:
    • Facilitates the growth and development of MSMEs through financial and non-financial support, ensuring their sustainability and competitiveness in the market.

R21/Matrix-M Vaccine

Vaccines manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) recently said it has started exports of ‘R21/Matrix-M’ malaria vaccine to Africa as part of the global fight against the disease.

  • R21/Matrix-M Vaccine Overview:
    • New vaccine approved for the prevention of malaria in children.
    • Second malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), following the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine recommended in 2021.
    • Developed by the Jenner Institute at Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India with support from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), the Wellcome Trust, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
    • Low-cost, high-efficacy vaccine licensed by several African countries.
  • Mechanism of Action:
    • Vaccines introduce an antigen, a piece of the virus or bacteria, to our immune cells to trigger a response.
    • Targets the plasmodium ‘sporozoite’, the initial form of the malaria parasite entering the human body.
    • Few sporozoites (10–100) are injected by infected mosquitoes, making them an ideal target for a vaccine.
    • R21 is a subunit vaccine delivering parts of a protein secreted by the sporozoite, bundled with a part of the hepatitis B virus to trigger a strong immune response.
    • Contains Matrix-M, an “adjuvant” that boosts the immune system’s response to make it more powerful and long-lasting.
  • Key Facts About Malaria:
    • Life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
    • Five parasite species cause malaria in humans; Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax pose the greatest threat.
    • Common in tropical areas where it’s hot and humid.
    • Children under 5 years old are the most vulnerable group.
    • Cerebral malaria is the most severe form, potentially progressing to a coma, representing about 15% of deaths in children and nearly 20% of adult deaths.
  • Treatment:
    • Malaria is preventable and curable; early treatment ensures most people will fully recover.
    • Treatment often involves a combination of drugs, determined by the type of parasite.
    • Main antimalarial drugs include:
      • Chloroquine
      • Hydroxychloroquine
      • Primaquine
      • Artemisinin-based therapy
      • Atovaquone-proguanil

H5N1 Infection

Scientists believe that the H5N1 virus can be transmitted to humans via an infected cow’s milk that has not been pasteurised.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a disease that is highly contagious and often deadly in poultry, caused by HPAI A (H5) and A (H7) viruses. It is 1st identified in domestic waterfowl in 1996 in China.

  • H5N1 – It causes a highly infectious respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza or bird flu.
  • Transmitted by – Wild birds to domestic poultry and other bird and animal species through bird droppings.
  • New research shows a sub variant of H5N1 can transmit through Air while another study shows that some birds (poultry) as well as cats do show susceptibility to influenza virus infections via oral route.
  • Affected population – Both land and sea mammals have been affected and there are few instance of infection in humans as well.

Almost all human influenza virus infections are primarily respiratory infections unlike in some other mammals where gut infections have been reported.

H5N1 in humans

So far, close to 900 human infections have been reported since 2003, of which more than half were fatal.

  • Transmission – Almost all of those infected were farm workers who had come in close contact with infected animals.
  • Diseases – From mild to severe and in some cases, it can even be fatal.
  • Symptoms – Primarily respiratory, but conjunctivitis and other non-respiratory symptoms have also been reported.
  • India – It reported its first and only case of human avian influenza A (H5N1) in Haryana in 2021.
  • Vaccines – Current seasonal influenza vaccines do not protect against human infection with animal influenza A viruses.
  • Misconception – The notion of immunity against H5N1 virus can be developed by drinking raw milk containing viable viruses.

While Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) noted that H5N1 virus was detected in high concentrations in milk from infected dairy cattle, still no reports of viable H5N1 virus being found in raw milk samples.

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