What is the News ?

Brent crude oil has recently surged to its highest point in 10 months, exceeding $93 per barrel.

Facts About:

• Brent Crude is the primary benchmark used to determine oil prices globally.
• The name "Brent" originates from the Brent oil field, which was discovered in the 1970s and became a major source of oil production.
• Roughly two-thirds of all internationally traded crude oil is priced relative to Brent, making it the most widely recognized benchmark.
• It's a type of light, sweet crude oil extracted from oil fields in the North Sea.
• Brent crude's special characteristics, such as its low density and low sulfur content, make it easier to refine into products like gasoline.
• Since it's transported by sea, it's convenient to move Brent crude oil to distant locations.
• The price of Brent Crude is influenced by several factors, including shifts in supply and demand, geopolitical events, production interruptions, and economic conditions.

What is the News ?

Recently, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal (IISER Bhopal) pinpointed a particular circular RNA (circRNA) named 'ciTRAN.' This circRNA plays a vital role in the replication of the HIV-1 virus, which causes AIDS, inside the human body.

Facts About:

• Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a molecule found in living cells that carries genetic instructions and aids in protein production.
• Most RNAs have a linear, open-end structure, but circular RNA, known as 'circRNA,' forms a closed loop.
• CircRNA plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression and is essential for various biological processes.
• Its involvement in the replication of HIV-1 was not well understood for a long time.
• Identifying circular RNA can be challenging because it is typically present in lower amounts, making it harder to detect in its natural form.
• During viral infections, the abundance of viral genetic material can make it difficult to isolate less common components like circular RNA.

What is the News ?

Biologists are working slowly and steadily to assist North America's biggest and most uncommon tortoise species.

Facts About:

• Bolson tortoises are the biggest and rarest land reptiles in North America.

                  They are also the rarest among the six Gopherus species that are found on this continent.

• Among Bolson tortoises, adult females are generally larger than males.
• These tortoises are land-dwellers and spend over 95% of their time in burrows they dig using their shovel-like front feet.
• They are most active from around April to October when they do everything like searching for food, nesting, and mating.
• While we don't know their exact lifespan, Bolson tortoises can live for more than a century.
• Currently, Bolson tortoises are found in a small area in north-central Mexico, specifically in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango.

                 However, they exist in separate groups within this region.

• In terms of conservation, Bolson tortoises are Critically Endangered according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

What is the News ?

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department carried out thorough operations in Mukurthi National Park and the nearby forest areas to prevent any unlawful entry of individuals and deter poaching activities.

Facts About:

• Mukurthi National Park is situated in the western part of the Nilgiris Plateau, in the northwest corner of Tamil Nadu.
• This park was established primarily to safeguard its key species, the Nilgiri tahr.
• The park is crossed by the Pykara and Kundah rivers, and it's home to several streams that originate within the park and flow into the Bhavani Puzha River.
• It holds the prestigious status of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• In terms of its vegetation, the park features high-altitude montane grasslands and shrublands with shola forests, in an area with ample rainfall.
• You can find various plants in the park, including fragrant shrubs like Gaultheria fragrantissima, Helichrysum, and Berberis. Other notable plants include Rhododendrons, Cinnamon, Mahonia, Satyrium, and Raspberries.
• As for wildlife, Mukurthi National Park is a sanctuary for endangered species such as the Nilgiri tahr, Indian elephants, Nilgiri Langur, Bengal tiger, and bonnet macaque, among others.

What is the News ?

Similar to how the oceans on Earth have tides at their shores, galaxies in the universe also go through tides, but on a much grander scale.

Facts About:

• Galactic tides are like gravitational pulls that objects within a galaxy, like our Milky Way, experience due to the galaxy's gravitational field.
• These tidal forces happen because of the gravitational interactions between celestial objects, such as stars and gas clouds, within the galaxy.
• Galactic tides have several effects on a galaxy's evolution.

They can change the shape of a galaxy by creating tidal tails and bridges, encouraging the birth of new stars, and disrupting smaller star systems.

• They also alter the paths that stars follow in their orbits, causing long-term changes in a galaxy's structure.
• Galactic tides even play a role in how nearby galaxies interact or don't interact with each other.

For example, when studying Andromeda, the closest galaxy to the Milky Way, researchers have noticed tidal streams near its edges.

• These streams may be signs of dwarf galaxies that were swallowed by Andromeda over time.
• Galactic tides also impact the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, leading to events that change how these cosmic giants interact with nearby stars.