Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – January 31, 2019

The only known unequivocal biological role of vitamin K is as a cofactor for an enzyme that enables specific proteins to bind calcium (3, 4). The ability to bind calcium ions (Ca2+) is required for the activation of the seven vitamin K-dependent blood clotting (‘coagulation’) factors (e.g., prothrombin), or proteins, in the series of events that stop bleeding through clot formation (‘coagulation cascade’). Vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors are synthesized in the liver. Consequently, severe liver disease results in lower blood levels of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors and an increased risk of uncontrolled bleeding (‘hemorrhage’).

Waves can be classified as Transverse or Longitudinal waves.

Transverse waves are those where in the particles in the medium vibrate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the propagation of waves.

On the other hand, Longitudinal waves are those where particles in the medium vibrate in the same direction as that of the direction of propagation of waves.

EM waves are Transverse waves. EM waves are Non-mechanical waves. Waves which does not require medium for propagation of are known as Non-mechanical waves.

EM waves usually is used in applications like Spectroscopy. But it also finds application in communication technologies.

• GRAPHENE: it is a substance composed of pure carbon where the length of carbon bonds is 0.142nm. The atoms in Graphene are arranged in a hexagonal pattern similar to honey comb structure. The term Graphene was coined as a combination of graphite and the suffix “ene” by hans-peter Boehm.
• The Nobel prize in Physics for 2010 was given to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov for groundbreaking experiments regarding 2D material Graphene.
• Graphene conducts electricity faster than silicon. It can also resist temperature Upto 150 degc. Hence it has become favoritly used in IC’s and PC boards.

Remote sensing satellites are those satellites that are used as weather satellites. These are placed at an altitude of 800km. They measure EM radiation that is reflected, scattered from the Earth’s surface. India’s remote sensing satellites are world’s largest constellation of satellites now consisting of 12 satellites.

Applications of Remote Sensing satellites are

• In Agriculture, it is used for Crop forecasting, movement of locusts, flood warning.
• In Resources management, it is used to map forest cover, identify forest fires, mineral mapping, National wastelands maps are prepared using this data.
• In disaster management, it is used to warn about cyclones, floods and tsunami.
• In defence, it is used to identify troop movements.

Coliforms can be found in the aquatic environment, in soil and on vegetation; they are universally present in large numbers in the faeces of warm blooded animals.

While Coliforms themselves are not normally causes of serious illness, they are easy to culture, and their presence is used to indicate that other pathogenic organisms of faecal origin may be present.

coli), a rod-shaped member of the coliform group.

Most strains of E. coli are harmless, but some can cause serious illness in humans. Infection symptoms and signs include bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and occasionally, fever.

Statement 1 is correct:

• India unveiled Pratyush, an array of computers that will be used for weather and climate research
• Pratyush is the fourth fastest supercomputer in the world dedicated to weather and climate research and follows machines in Japan, USA and the United Kingdom
• It will also move an Indian supercomputer from the 300s to the 30s in the Top500 list, a respected international tracker of the world’s fastest supercomputers

Statement 2 is correct

A key function of the machine’s computing power would be monsoon forecasting using a dynamical model

This requires simulating the weather for a given month — say March — and letting a custom-built model calculate how the actual weather will play out over June, July, August and September