The Department of Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its new guideline on the use of lower-sodium salt substitutes.
About the LSSS
- Composition: They contain less sodium than regular salt and often include potassium chloride, with or without other agents, to achieve a flavour similar to regular salt.
- Advantages: Help in limiting sodium intake to below 2 g/day to reduce non-communicable diseases such as blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
- Concerns: LSSS with potassium can be harmful as too high a level of blood potassium (hyperkalaemia), can affect individuals with impaired kidney function.
A recent study discovered F11 bacteria (Labrys portucalensis) that degrades at least 3 types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
About F11 Bacteria
- It is an aerobic bacteria from the Xanthobacteraceae family.
- It may aid Bioaugmentation in wastewater treatment etc.
- Bioaugmentation is the addition of microorganisms that can biodegrade recalcitrant molecules in a polluted environment.
About PFAS
- PFAS are toxic chemicals that resist grease, oil, water, and heat. They are called ‘forever chemicals’ due to their almost indestructible nature.
- Uses: Nonstick cookware, grease-resistant food packaging, and waterproof and firefighting clothing etc.
Scientists Create First Adult Mouse With Two Male Parents.
- It was made possible through targeted imprinting gene edits in Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC) .
- ESC are pluripotent cells which give rise to all somatic cell types in the embryo.
- Researchers targeted 20 imprinting genes to overcome barriers in unisexual reproduction using different techniques, including CRISPR, frameshift mutations, gene deletions, and regulatory region edits.
- This demonstrates the potential for overcoming barriers to unisexual mammalian reproduction and improving regenerative medicine.
China’s DeepSeek AI models named DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1 performed on par with ChatGPT challenging western dominance in AI.
About Deep Seek AI Models
- They are advanced open sourced AI language models and more efficient in reasoning, coding, and mathematical computation.
- They are also cheaper to use. DeepSeek-R1 is reported to be 20 to 50 times cheaper than OpenAI’s models.
- It leads to Jevons paradox - Technological progress that makes a resource cheaper or more efficient to use often leads to an increase in demand for that resource.
Quick commerce unicorn Zepto has completed a reverse flip from Singapore to India ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO).
About Reverse Flip
- Reverse Flip is the term used to describe the trend of overseas start-ups shifting their domicile to India and listing on Indian stock exchanges.
- Reasons: To capitalize on India's large and growing economy, access to deeper pools of venture capital, favourable tax regimes, better intellectual property protection, young and educated population, and favourable government policies.
- The Economic Survey 2022-23 suggested measures to accelerate reverse flipping: simplifying the processes for tax vacations, decreasing tax layers, etc.
An elephant has been spotted in Namdapha Tiger Reserve after over a decade.
About Namdapha Tiger Reserve
- Location: It is India’s easternmost tiger reserve located in Changlang District (Arunachal Pradesh).
- River: Namdapha River flows through the National Park.
- Vegetation: Evergreen Forests, Moist deciduous forests, sub-tropical forests, Temperate Forests and Alpine.
- Fauna: It is the only reserve in India to host all four big cats—tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, and snow leopard.
- Flora: Pinus merkusi and Abies delavavi (Exclusive to this), Mishimi Teeta (Copti teeta).
Nagoba Jatara, a holy pilgrimage event of Mesram clan Adivasi Gonds, started in Adilabad district, Telangana.
- Tribal people from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh belonging to the Mesram clan offer prayers at the festival.
- The Gusadi Dance performance by dancers from the Gond tribe is a major special attraction of the event.
About Gond Tribe
- A community of around four million people spread all over central India, they have a recorded history of 1400 years.
- The word 'Gond' comes from the Dravidian expression 'Kond' which means 'green mountain'.
Researchers have extracted silicon carbide from (simulated) moon soil, which could lead to the making of silicon carbide-based composites for building lunar habitats.
About Silicon Carbide (SiC)
- Also known as carborundum, silicon carbide is a synthetically produced crystalline compound of silicon and carbon.
- Properties: Extremely hard, high thermal conductivity, excellent resistance to wear and oxidation, resistance to chemical reaction etc.
- Application: In electrical, mechanical, structural, and ballistic fields and armor industries.
