Novel bi metallic joining process can create a composite from copper and steel for engineering applications (GS Paper 2, Health)
Why in news?
- Recently, researchers have developed a novel bi-metallic joining process to create a bimetallic composite made from copper and steel.
- It has high thermal and electrical conductivity for engineering applications, such as heat exchangers, hydraulic pump components, cooling staves, guide plates, and hot-work tooling applications.
Applications:
- The bimetallic structures offer a unique combination of individual material properties, making them highly customizable for a range of applications.
- Research in this area has significant implications for various engineering applications where the thermal conductivity and strength of the components play a critical role.
Copper & steel:
- One such bimetallic composite, made from copper and steel, has high thermal and electrical conductivity, exceptional corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties.
- However, welding copper and steel together can be challenging due to the differences in their melting points, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion properties. This has made it difficult to join copper and stainless-steel bimetallic structures without defects.
New research:
- To address this challenge, researchers at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) have developed a novel bi-metallic joining process using a technique called laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) or selective laser melting (SLM) technique of metal 3D printing.
- This technique involves layer deposition by metal powder melting, which creates a small melt pool of stainless-steel powder with subsequent high cooling rates, limiting the intermixing of the stainless-steel melt on copper surface.
- The laser beam interaction with metal during the L-PBF process creates an impact on the degree of intermixing of both copper and steel.
- The researchers have successfully demonstrated the formation of the interfacial microstructure and bonding mechanism and investigated the reason for achieving a strong interfacial bond.
Outcome:
- Tensile behavior studies were conducted, which convinced the researchers of the strong copper-steel bimetallic bond at the interface.
- The micrographs obtained through high magnification imaging facility showed the limited intermixing of the copper and steel-rich regions across the interface.
- The diffusion of Fe, Cr, and Ni elements from the steel to the copper side led to solid solution strengthening of copper near the interface, with a gradient drop in hardness from the interface on the copper alloy side.
Way Forward:
- The bi-metallic joining process between stainless steel and copper alloy, using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) technique, has the potential to revolutionize the engineering industry by offering customizable and strong bimetallic structures with enhanced properties.
Why transgender female athletes can’t compete in female events
(GS Paper 2, Social Justice)
Why in news?
- Transgender women have been barred from competing in the female category by World Athletics (WA), the international governing body for track and field.
- WA has followed the path of FINA, the international swimming federation, which enforced a similar ban in June 2022.
What does the ban mean?
- Transgender women who have experienced male puberty will not be able to compete in the female competition after March 31, 2023. However, the World Athletics Council has set up a working group to conduct research “to further consider the issue of transgender inclusion”.
- The former double Olympic gold medalist in the 1,500 metres emphasised on “fair and meaningful” female competition.
Why have transgender women been barred?
- In its ‘Eligibility Regulations for Transgender Athletes’, WA focuses on the physical advantages men have over women post-puberty.
- The substantial sex difference in sports performance that emerges from puberty onwards means that the only way to achieve the objectives set out is to maintain separate classifications (competition categories) for male and female athletes.
- The debate has raged since New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard competed in the women’s 87-kg class at the Tokyo Olympics, although she had participated in the men’s category earlier.
- NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas used hormone replacement therapy and moved from the men’s category to the women’s category. She started breaking records in the IVY League competition before FINA stepped in.
What were the rules for transgender women before WA’s ban?
- Under the previous rules, there was no blanket ban, but transgender women had to reduce the amount of blood testosterone to 5 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) and maintain this level for 12 months in order to participate.
What had WA initially proposed?
- In January, WA had come up with the ‘preferred option’ for transgender women. Instead of a complete ban, WA said it would allow transgender women to compete in the female category but would reduce the blood testosterone limit to below 2.5nmol/L for two years — basically cutting it down by half, and doubling the time period before they become eligible to compete.
Which other sports have banned transgender female athletes?
- The International Olympic Committee’s Framework on Fairness released in November 2021 stated that “athletes are not excluded solely on the basis of their transgender identity or sex variations”.
- But the IOC had put the onus on sports federations to put in place rules. FINA implemented a ban in 2022.
- However, it was World Rugby in 2020 which became the first international sports federation to bar transgender women from the female competition.
- Following this, Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union also banned transgender women from the female competition.
- In 2022, British Triathlon implemented a similar ban.
Did WA also change other rules?
- DSD (Differences in Sex Development) athletes ; those who have genes which are generally associated with one sex but whose reproductive organs may not be atypical will now have to keep their testosterone below 2.5 nmol/L for 24 months to participate in the female category across events.
- Earlier, DSD athletes were not required to maintain a testosterone limit unless they wanted to participate in restricted events — 400 metres to a mile.
- For restricted events, DSD athletes had to keep their testosterone below 5 nmol/L for six months before being eligible to participate.
One World TB Summit 2023 in Varanasi
(GS Paper 2, Health)
Why in news?
- Recently, Prime Minister of India inaugurated the One World TB Summit 2023 in Varanasi.
Vision:
- The event reiterated India’s commitment to eliminate the high-burden infectious disease by 2025, five years ahead of the global goal of 2030.
- This vision was first articulated by the Prime Minister at the Delhi End TB Summit in March 2018.
New launches at the event:
- The Prime Minister unveiled the “Annual India TB Report 2023” which is a compilation of the country’s efforts towards making India TB-free by 2025.
- He launched a Training module on Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis. The module is developed for training the healthcare workers of secondary and tertiary levels of public and private sector in India.
- He also launched the TB-Mukt Panchayat initiative to leverage the support of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats to raise awareness about TB, eliminate the stigma attached to the disease and help monitor and improve uptake of services.
- A new Treatment Preventive Therapy was also launched to prevent the development of active TB – thereby stemming the spread of the disease. Alongside, a family-centric care model was also announced to ensure the wellbeing of families affected by TB.
- He also laid the foundation stone of the National Centre for Disease Control & High Containment Laboratory and inaugurated the site for the Metropolitan Public Health Surveillance Unit in Varanasi.
Awards:
- States and districts were also awarded by the Prime Minister for making significant progress on key programmatic indicators.
- Karnataka and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir were awarded in the category of states/UTs and the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu), Pulwama (J&K) and Anantnag (J&K) were given the district level awards.
Health priorities under India’s G20 presidency:
- He appealed healthcare workers to continue the good work and asked them to adopt the same 5T approach (Trace, Test, Track, Treat & Technology) for TB as was done during the COVID pandemic.
- India identified concerns of global importance as health priorities under its G20 presidency. These include improving effectiveness and reach of health services using digital solutions; strengthening cooperation to enhance pharmaceutical development and manufacturing capabilities; dealing with anti-microbial resistance; focusing on “One Health” – and all of these have strong resonance with India’s and the world’s fight against TB”.
What is being done to try to achieve TB elimination target?
- India is the only country in the world to implement a Sub-National Certification (SNC) exercise, a novel scientific method through which districts are verified for their progress of elimination.
- An online Ni-kshay portal has been set up to track the notified TB cases. It is a community engagement programme where Ni-kshay mitras can adopt TB patients and provide them monthly nutritional support.
- Ni-kshay Mitras provided additional nutritional and emotional support to patients for overcoming TB, by contributing over Rs 1,000 Cr, making it possibly the world’s largest community initiative for TB.”
Background:
- In March 2018, the Prime Minister, made a commitment to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) from India by 2025, as the rest of the world aimed to achieve the TB-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets by 2030.
- Soon thereafter, the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) revised its strategy and introduced various patient-centric schemes and initiatives.
- In 2022, India achieved its highest ever notification of TB patients; in 2022, over 24.22 lakh TB cases were notified, compared to 14 lakh patients in 2013, indicating the effectiveness of India’s programme in reaching every patient.
- Strategies such as private sector engagement, active case finding, decentralization of services through Health and Wellness Centres, community engagement and Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana have transformed India’s TB management efforts and made it patient centric.
Way Forward:
- The One World TB Summit, organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Stop TB Partnership, provided an opportunity to showcase India’s TB learnings for the world at a time when the country leads the G20 nations.
