MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Investigate the use of monoclonal antibodies in India for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. Write about its potential for treating disorders other than Covid-19. (250 words)
Paper & Topic: GS III àScience and Technology related topics
Model Answer:
Introduction:
- A monoclonal antibody is a protein manufactured in a lab that mimics the function of antibodies produced by the immune system in response to infection. A monoclonal antibody enhances or restores the immune response to infections by attaching to a specific molecule on the virus or bacteria, known as an antigen. For the Ebola virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as chronic disorders such rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and more, monoclonal antibody treatment has been utilised and evaluated.
Body:
In India, monoclonal antibodies are used to treat Covid-19 sufferers:
- The recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the country not only underlined the disease’s unpredictability, but also demonstrated how quickly the virus can develop from mild to severe infections.
- Success tales have also been heard in India, where a few hospitals have begun to administer the programme.
- Researchers discovered that a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab — two monoclonal antibody treatments with emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration — keeps high-risk patients out of the hospital when infected with mild to moderate Covid-19, according to an observational study.
- Monoclonal antibodies cut their chances of having a symptomatic infection by 80%.
- Certain monoclonal antibodies may minimise the risk of hospitalisation and death in persons with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19, according to research.
- During the second wave of Covid in India, the ‘pandemic tiredness’ was readily visible due to work overstretching. Monoclonal therapy would be extremely beneficial because it would minimise the pressure on hospitals and healthcare workers.
- The treatment is now believed to assist high-risk patients avoid hospitalisation, illness progression, and the use of steroids.
- Given the dismal status of healthcare in India, particularly in rural areas, this might be a game changer.
- Scientists are also investigating if this treatment can lessen the likelihood of someone infected with COVID-19 infecting others in their home.
- Merck has agreed to work with the Serum Institute of India (SII) and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) to create SARS-CoV-2 neutralising monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).
- Actemra (tocilizumab), a monoclonal antibody that lowers inflammation caused by COVID-19, is used to treat COVID-19 in hospitalised adults and children aged 2 and up.
Monoclonal antibodies’ potential for treating other diseases:
- The majority of monoclonal antibodies on the market are for noncommunicable disorders including rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.
- Cancer immunotherapies have saved the lives of millions of individuals around the world in recent decades. Monoclonal antibodies have revolutionised the treatment of a variety of diseases, notably breast cancer, where the medicine Herceptin has been a game changer.
- Monoclonal antibodies have the potential to revolutionise how we treat and prevent infectious diseases. And there are already indicators of progress.
- In the Democratic Republic of Congo, two experimental anti-Ebola antibody medicines are being used to excellent effect as part of an emergency access programme.
- In addition, many antibodies that can fight different strains of HIV are being developed.
Conclusion:
- Existing and developing monoclonal antibody treatments could benefit millions of individuals around the world, including those for Covid-19, which could help bring the pandemic to a stop.
- Monoclonal antibodies, on the other hand, should be made more affordable by I investing in innovative technologies that can reduce production costs;
- Developing new business models that allow for different market approaches in low-, middle-, and high-income countries; and,
- Forming partnerships between public, private, and philanthropic organisations to focus on the needs of developing countries.
Q2. Compare and contrast optical and radio frequency communication technologies. (250 words)
Paper & Topic: GS III àScience and Technology related topics
Model Answer:
Introduction
- Optical communication is information transmission over a long-distance using light.
- It can be done visually or with the help of electronic instruments. Information is transmitted over space utilising radio waves in radio communication systems.
Body:
Bandwidth:
- Metal cables have a substantially lower bandwidth than fibre optic lines. The most major
advantage of fibre over other transmission media is the amount of information that can be transmitted per unit time.
- Radio waves cannot travel above the horizon due to earth curvature, which prevents radio signals above 30 MHz from propagating above the horizon.
- There are expensive huge parabolic antennas and very powerful amplifiers required to have a viable radio link over 30 MHz over the horizon using troposcatter.
- Radio waves below 30 MHz can go over the horizon, however this propagation is not constant and varies during the day.
Loss of Power:
- The reduced power loss of an optical fibre allows for longer transmission distances. In a network, the longest acceptable copper distance is 100m, and the longest suggested fibre distance is 2km.
- The strength of radio waves deteriorates with distance, necessitating the use of repeaters/boosters to increase the signals.
- Repeaters, ground or satellite, or wired/fiber optical extensions are required for dependable broadband radio wave links above the horizon.
Interference:
- Electromagnetic interference is not a problem with fibre optic lines. It can even be used in electrically noisy areas because the fibre is unaffected by the noise.
- Radio waves have a hard time entering materials due to their size.
- A fibre optic cable has roughly 4.5 times the capacity of a wire cable and a cross sectional area that is 30 times smaller than copper.
- You may drive your automobile while listening to the FM radio thanks to radio waves.
Weight:
- Metal wires are substantially thicker and heavier than fibre optic cables. They also take up less space than wires with the same data capacity. Fiber is easier to install when it is lighter in weight.
Security:
- It’s difficult to tap optical fibres. Emissions cannot be intercepted since they do not emit electromagnetic radiation. Fiber is the most secure media available for conveying sensitive data because tapping the fibre requires a tremendous deal of ability to do so undetected.
Flexibility:
- The tensile strength of an optical fibre is higher than that of copper or steel fibres of the same diameter. It’s pliable, bendable, and resistant to the majority of corrosive elements that damage copper cable.
- Radio waves allow movement; for example, you can drive your car while listening to an FM radio station.
- Unlike copper, glass has a large supply of raw ingredients. As a result, glass is less expensive to produce than copper.
- It is less expensive to transfer information via radio waves than it is to send information via atoms.
Conclusion:
- When compared to radio equipment, optical communications systems are smaller, lighter, and use less power. Currently, the majority of NASA spacecraft relay data via radio frequency communications. Optical communications will allow for a 10 to 100-fold improvement in bandwidth over radio frequency technologies.