10 PM Current Affairs Quiz : May 9, 2018

Pyrogen testing is carried out on rabbits in the course of animal testing for manufacturing drugs. The Pyrogen test is carried out to check impurity or the presence of any substance that can cause adverse side effects. During the test, the rabbit is injected with the drug and is closely monitored for feverish symptoms. Recently, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission has replaced the Pyrogen test with bacterial endotoxin test or a monocyte activation test. This step would spare the animals from suffering during drug testing.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports. The NSG first met in November 1975 in London, and is thus popularly referred to as the “London Club” .European Union is a permanent observer of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.In order to become a member, the country must fully comply with the obligations of one or more of the following: the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaties of Pelindaba, Rarotonga, Tlatelolco, Bangkok, or an equivalent international nuclear nonproliferation agreement

A mineral that requires the presence of water to form has recently been discovered in a lunar meteorite.The find suggests that hidden caches of water ice potentially useful for human exploration might be hidden under the surface of the moon.The mineral, called moganite, was discovered in a lunar meteorite that hit the desert in northwest Africa.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In humans, it can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Some infected persons, however, may have no symptoms at all.

Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.

Currently there is no preventive vaccine for humans that are available in market.

The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), known for its cutting edge R&D knowledgebase in diverse S&T areas, is a contemporary R&D organization. It is an autonomous organisation which receives funding mainly from the Ministry of Science and Technology. . It operates as an autonomous body registered under the Registration of Societies Act of 1860.

The Prime Minister is the Chairman of the CSIR.It was recently awarded the Intellectual Property Award for the year 2018 in the category “Top R&D Institution/Organization for Patents and Commercialization”.

Instituted in 1991, the Saraswati Samman award recognises an “outstanding” literary work every year written in any Indian language and published during the last 10 years. It is awarded by K.K Birla Foundation.