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- Indian Railways has once again demonstrated its engineering prowess with the completion of the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first-ever cable-stayed rail bridge.
- About Anji Khad Bridge:
- The Anji Khad Bridge is India’s inaugural cable-stayed rail bridge, situated in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. A crucial part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project, this bridge forms an essential link between Katra and Reasi. The primary goal of the project is to significantly improve connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. It is built over the Anji River, a tributary of the mighty Chenab River. Built in the rugged Himalayan landscape, the bridge navigated numerous engineering challenges, including seismic risks and unstable rock formations. Indian Railways worked in partnership with IIT Roorkee and IIT Delhi to carry out extensive site-specific investigations to ensure the structure's safety and resilience.
- Features:
- The bridge is an asymmetrical cable-stayed design, supported by a central pylon. Spanning 725.5 meters, it boasts a towering 193-meter-high main pylon, which rises 331 meters above the riverbed. The design is engineered to endure wind speeds of up to 213 km/h and is capable of handling train operations at speeds of up to 100 km/h. The bridge consists of four main sections: a 120-meter-long approach viaduct on the Reasi side, a 38-meter approach bridge on the Katra side, a 473.25-meter-long cable-stayed segment crossing the valley, and a 94.25-meter embankment that connects the main structure to the viaduct.
- The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced it is significantly increasing its appeal for Syria, raising it from $30 million to $73.2 million, following the urgent need for humanitarian support.
- About the International Organization for Migration (IOM):
- Founded in 1951, IOM is the leading intergovernmental body dedicated to migration, working closely with governments, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental partners worldwide. As a related organization within the United Nations system, IOM plays a key role in global migration governance. The organization is driven by the belief that migration, when managed in a humane and orderly way, benefits both migrants and society at large. IOM works to ensure the safe and orderly management of migration, fosters international cooperation on migration issues, seeks practical solutions to migration challenges, and provides humanitarian aid to migrants, including refugees and internally displaced persons. IOM is the UN agency responsible for migration and labor mobility issues. The organization’s Labor Mobility and Human Development Division offers policy and operational guidance on labor migration, diaspora engagement, and migrant integration. IOM also serves as the coordinator for the UN Network on Migration, a platform of UN agencies supporting migration-related efforts. IOM played a key role in the negotiation and adoption of the UN Global Compact for Migration, a comprehensive international framework for migration adopted in 2018. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland. Member States: IOM has 175 member states and 8 observer states. Publications: Notable publications include the World Migration Report and Migration Health Annual Report.
- Researchers have recently developed the first-ever nanobody-based inhibitors designed to target the Ebola virus.
- About Ebola:
- Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease caused by a group of viruses known as Ortho ebola viruses (formally ebolavirus). These viruses were first discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa. The virus is named after the Ebola River, near the village in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the disease was first identified. Ebola can affect humans as well as other primates, including gorillas, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
- Transmission:
- It is believed that fruit bats from the Pteropodidae family serve as natural hosts for the Ebola virus. The virus is transmitted to humans through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, organs, or secretions of infected animals, such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope, or porcupines that are sick or dead, typically found in rainforest environments. Human-to-human transmission occurs when an individual comes into direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person, whether they are alive or deceased.
- Symptoms:
- Symptoms of Ebola typically appear 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus. These symptoms can include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding, and, in many cases, death. The average fatality rate for Ebola is approximately 50%.
- Treatment:
- Currently, there is no known cure for Ebola. While experimental treatments have been tried, none have undergone comprehensive testing for efficacy and safety. For example, two monoclonal antibody treatments have been approved by the FDA for treating the Ebola Zaire strain: Inmazeb and Ebanga. Recovery from Ebola largely depends on factors such as the amount of virus initially contracted, how soon treatment is administered, as well as the individual’s age and immune response. Ongoing treatment mainly focuses on maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance and using blood transfusions or plasma to manage bleeding.