HOUSTON, Nov 2: The novel coronavirus is accumulating genetic mutations, one of which may have made it more contagious, according to a study involving more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients in the US.
The research, published in the journal mBIO, however, did not find that these mutations have made the virus deadlier or changed clinical outcomes.
The researchers noted that the mutation, called D614G, is located in the spike protein that pries open our cells for viral entry.
“The virus is mutating due to a combination of neutral drift — which just means random genetic changes that don’t help or hurt the virus — and pressure from our immune systems,” said Ilya Finkelstein, associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin, US.
The researchers noted that during the initial wave of the pandemic, 71 per cent of the novel coronaviruses identified in patients in Houston had this mutation.
When the second wave of the outbreak hit Houston during the summer, this variant had leaped to 99.9 per cent prevalence, they said.
This mirrors a trend observed around the world, according to the researchers.
The reason why strains containing this mutation outcompete those that didn’t have it may be that natural selection would favour strains of the virus that transmit more easily, the researchers said.
However, some scientists have suggested another explanation, called “founder’s effects.”
In that scenario, the D614G mutation might have been more common in the first viruses to arrive in Europe and North America, essentially giving them a head start on other strains, according to the researchers.
The spike protein is also continuing to accumulate additional mutations of unknown significance, they said.
The team also showed in lab experiments that at least one such mutation allows spike to evade a neutralising antibody that humans naturally produce to fight SARS-CoV-2 infections.
The researchers said this may allow that variant of the virus to more easily slip past our immune systems.
Although it is not clear yet whether that translates into it also being more easily transmitted between individuals, they said.
The scientists noted a total of 285 mutations across thousands of infections, although most don’t appear to have a significant effect on how severe the disease is. (AGENCIES)
Mutation in novel coronavirus may have made it more contagious: Study
Tata Power completes sale of its defence biz to Tata Advanced Systems
New Delhi, Nov 2: Tata Power on Monday said it has completed the sale of its defence business to Tata Advanced Systems.
Tata Advanced Systems is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons.
“The sale was completed as per a Scheme of Arrangement, which was approved by the National Company Law Tribunal at Mumbai and Hyderabad in December 2019 and March 2020, respectively,” Tata Power said in a regulatory filing.
The company said it is expected to receive an enterprise value of Rs 1,076 crore as an upfront payment.
Balance consideration is subject to completion of achieving certain milestones specified in the agreements, the company added.
Tata Power said the sale of defence business is part of the company’s ongoing strategic plan to monetise its non-core assets and reduce overall leverage.
“The sale proceeds will help the company to reduce leverage and increase focus in the core business areas like renewable generation, distribution and new service-led businesses which will bring greater value for our shareholders,” Praveer Sinha, CEO and Managing Director, Tata Power said.
Strategic Engineering Division (SED) is a non-core defence electronics division of the company, engaged in business of indigenous design, development, production, integration, supply and life cycle support of mission critical defence systems.
The key products include manufacturing and assembling missile launchers, electronic warfare, night vision systems and gun systems.
SED has three dedicated manufacturing units — Bangalore Electronic City, Vemagal in Karnataka (under construction) and a SEZ near Bengaluru (under construction). (PTI)
Protests in Brazil support president in anti-vaccine stance
Sao Paulo, Nov 2: Small groups of protesters gathered in Brazil’s two biggest cities on Sunday to demonstrate against any mandate for the taking of a coronavirus vaccine, supporting a rejection campaign encouraged by President Jair Bolsonaro.
People assembled in downtown Sao Paulo calling for the removal of Sao Paulo state Governor Joao Doria, who has said state residents will be required to take a vaccine, likely the one being developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac and the local Butantan Institute.
“Doria will fall!” the protestors chanted. “Out with Doria!”
The CoronaVac, as it is being called, has been a prime target for skepticism from Bolsonaro and others, with the president saying Brazilians will not be guinea pigs to the Chinese. The issue has become a talking point in mayoral and city council campaigns for elections later this month, and as most health professionals support vaccination, social media campaigns have raised questions about possible perils of vaccines.
Demonstrators supporting Bolsonaro on the question also protested on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
A PoderData poll said this week the percentage of Brazilians who say they would take a coronavirus vaccine dropped to 63 in October from 85 four months earlier. The percentage rejecting the idea of taking a vaccine rose to 22 from eight in July.
The Getulio Vargas Foundation think tank said an analysis of two million Twitter postings found that 24 per cent of profiles identified as pro-Bolsonaro and they accounted for 56 per cent of mentions against the vaccine. On the other side, 47 per cent of profiles identified as pro-vaccine and represented 32 per cent of the postings.
In October, Doria said vaccination would be mandatory in his state, and Bolsonaro’s health minister, Eduardo Pazuello, announced that the country had agreed to purchase CoronaVac doses produced locally.
The president quickly responded that he would not allow the import of vaccines from China. Though the health regulator later gave permission for Butantan to import six million doses, on Thursday the president said on his weekly live programme that he would not buy the vaccine and that the governor should “find someone else to buy your vaccine”.
On Friday, Vice President Hamilton Mourao told the magazine Veja that “of course” the country will buy the Butantan-Sinovac vaccine. Bolsonaro immediately responded that he is the one with the power and he will not spend on any vaccine that is not approved by the Brazilian health regulator.
Brazil has reported more than 5.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, and about 160,000 people have died from COVID-19, the disease that can be caused by the virus. While the spread of the virus has begun slowing, public health experts warn people not to let their guard down.
Health professionals are also speaking out in an effort to shore up support for vaccines.
“Vaccination en masse with high coverage would be the only mechanism we have to control the epidemic, at least in the medium-term,” Jesem Orellana, an epidemiology researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a scientific research institution, said in a written response to questions. “We have failed over the past eight months with non-pharmacological measures.”
Dr Paulo A Lotufo, a University of Sao Paulo epidemiologist, said national immunisation programmes have been well-received by the Brazilian public, which has seen the positive impact of vaccinations, including against meningitis and polio.
“The population will take the vaccine,” Lotufo predicted in a Skype interview. “More than 90 per cent of the population will vaccinate.” (AGENCIES)
Are ghosts causing damage to forests?
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
Under an order number CF/SGR/Estt/PS/425-29 dated 21.09.2020 a four member forest officers committee was constituted by the Conservator Forests Srinagar circle on the direction of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) who is the head of forest force in J&K. The team headed by Javaid Ahmad Sheikh Deputy Director Forest Protection Force (FPF) K-1 Srinagar along with other official members namely Maqbool Ahmad, Range Officer central forest control room Srinagar , Abdul Shakoor Assistant Director II Forest Protection Force (FPF) Ganderbal and Khazir Mohammad Bhat Forester Soil Range special forest division Tangmarg were directed to look into the damage that was caused to forests amid COVID 19 pandemic or even before that.
This author has constantly highlighted the forest loot through my weekly columns, social media posts and blogs. I didn’t highlight this loot sitting in my cozy office or bedroom, but I had gone to the forest area myself thrice this summer season and in the past as well . It was only after I saw the forests being brutally vandalized I started writing about it. I even made a 3 minute video as well deep inside the jungle called Char Jin located in Doodh Ganga forest range this summer. This is the worst affected part where forest looters have axed more than 300 trees in only 5 sq km area. As per the order the team was directed to listen to our complaint as well. Instead of giving the officers a written complaint we deemed it fit to visit the site and in fact we got a phone call as well from one of the visiting officers who asked us to accompany them to the site where a large number of trees had been felled in recent months. The area is not much far off from Yusmarg tourist resort.
Visit to Char Jin
On September 29th around 4 volunteers who reside in the territorial jurisdiction of Doodh Ganga forest range went to the site of destruction along with the visiting team of officers. It took the entire party hardly 2 ½ hours to reach the site. This clearly indicates that destruction in the area could have been easily controlled as it has better access with Yusmarg. There is even a Kuchha road from Yusmarg to Bakerwal Kabar area, and from that area the site of destruction is mere 40 mins walk. The vandalized site is locally called Charge or Charjin. Hundreds of Kail (Kairoo) trees have been axed in this area, in the valley and on the surrounding hills as well. Infact our team had already visited the site twice and during one trip I had personally gone to that area and made a video as well as discussed above. Instead of accepting the fact that many kail and fir trees had been axed the visiting team in order to shield their colleagues prepared a sham report which indicates that damage has been caused in the area much earlier and not during CIOVID 19 pandemic or last year’s lockdown (post 370 abrogation)
Confusing Report ?
With an aim of shielding forest officers the party assigned the job to check the damage in Doodh Ganga range have reported that damage caused in a particular area called Char Jin was caused 2 years back ie in 2018, but in the same para it is mentioned that damage has taken place between August to October 2019 when there was no mobile connectivity in J&K amid abrogation of article 370. If the report says damage is two years old why is it then mentioned it was caused during Aug to Oct 2019 which means the forests were looted only a year back ?
I have shot the videos wherein the bark of the trees is still fresh and that indicates that damage caused to some trees was as fresh as June or July 2020. The report also says our group showed ignorance about damage caused to forests in other areas other than Char Jin , this is completely a wrong statement which I refute.
I have myself seen damage caused in Frasnag and Liddermud areas and as far as Bargah forest as well. The checking party only went with our team on Sept 29th 2020 to Charjin, they should have themselves also seen the other areas like Frasnag and Liddermud ? What were they doing in Yusmarg for 3 to 4 days ? Why didn’t they move around the whole forest area voluntarily ? Is it necessary that people will first complain before the Conservator or Chief Conservator or PCCF and then only Forest officials will act ? The Govt is paying salaries to forest officers , we don’t get any salary or money. We do this good Samaritan work only to ensure our forest wealth is protected for future generations to come , but the way forest officials are working in spite of getting hefty salaries , it seems we are heading for a disaster. It is shameful that forest officers who were sent to prepare a factual report have demanded a road deep inside the Jungle from Yusmarg ? This is completely ridiculous. If forest officers who study ecology and the environment start demanding roads inside the woods what will happen to our forests ?
PCCF has to play a role
Government a few months back bestowed Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Honesty, Integrity & Meritorious Public Service for 2020 to Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Dr Mohit Gera. After getting this award PCCF Dr Gera has to be more vigilant and needs to act proactively. I appreciate his visit to Branwar forests on September 17th. On September 19th he spoke to me as well from his Jammu office and assured to initiate the probe which he did. We had been waiting for the report which was to be submitted within 10 days (Sept 30th 2020). The report was prepared after a month and even after such a long delay the team constituted by the Forest Department has tried their best to shield the officials of the forest department. It seems from the report that ghosts have caused damage in Doodh Ganga forest range.
Forest Protection Force
J&K Forest Protection Force (FPF) was created under a Cabinet order No. 12/7 dated December 2nd 1996. This was followed by enactment of J&K Forest Protection Force Act 2001 which provides for constitution of Forest Protection Force for better protection and security of forest property. Section-3(2) of the Act says that FPF shall be the department of the Government on the pattern of Police Department in the State. Some more posts were created in 2013. As of now FPF has more than 2400 posts but their existence is not at all seen on the ground. FPF officials get 2 ½ days extra salary like Police and Health Department officials. In Spite of all this the timber smuggling continues to destroy our forests.
Conclusion
Forest officers get a good salary. Their job is to be in the forests rather than sitting in offices like executives working in MNC’s or IT companies. Range Officers and Divisional Forest Officers (DFO’s) should at any cost spend two to three days a week in the forest area of their jurisdiction. I again request PCCF and Conservator Forests Srinagar circle to look into the matter. Both the officers are known for their integrity, but that must reflect through actions also. If the department does not act we will be forced to seek legal intervention by way of filing a complaint before the National Green Tribunal.
(The author is Founder & Chairman of Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement.)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
India’s manufacturing PMI rises for 3rd straight month; output rises at quickest pace since Oct 2007
New Delhi, Nov 2: India’s manufacturing sector activity improved for the third straight month in October with companies raising output to the greatest extent in 13 years amid robust sales growth, a monthly survey said on Monday.
The headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose from 56.8 in September to 58.9 in October, and pointed to the strongest improvement in the health of the sector in over a decade.
In April, the index had slipped into contraction mode, after remaining in the growth territory for 32 consecutive months. In PMI parlance, a print above 50 means expansion, while a score below that denotes contraction.
“Levels of new orders and output at Indian manufacturers continued to recover from the COVID-19 induced contractions seen earlier in the year, with the PMI results for October highlighting historically-sharp monthly rates of expansion,” said Pollyanna De Lima, Economics Associate Director at IHS Markit.
Lima further noted that “companies were convinced that the resurgence in sales will be sustained in coming months, as indicated by a strong upturn in input buying amid restocking efforts”.
Manufacturers indicated that the ongoing relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, better market conditions and improved demand helped them to secure new work in October.
On the employment front, the compliance of government guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic caused a further reduction in employment. The fall was the seventh in consecutive months.
“There was disappointing news on the employment front though, with October seeing another reduction in payroll numbers. Survey participants that noted job shedding mentioned having observed containment measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019,” Lima said.
Inflationary pressures, meanwhile, remained subdued as seen by a modest increase in input costs and only marginal rise in selling prices.
Meanwhile, hopes of an end to COVID-19 cases and the reopening of other sectors in the economy underpinned positive sentiment towards the year-ahead outlook for production. The level of confidence was at a 50-month high.
“Also, confidence towards the year-ahead outlook for production improved as firms hoped that fewer COVID-19 cases and the reopening of other businesses could boost output growth,” Lima noted. (PTI)
PhonePe hits 250 mn user mark, registers 925 mn transactions in October
New Delhi, Nov 2: Flipkart-owned fintech platform PhonePe on Monday said it has crossed the 250 million registered user milestone.
The company reported over 100 million monthly active users (MAU) and 2.3 billion app sessions in October, a statement said.
“PhonePe had a record month in October, processing 925 million transactions – its highest so far – with an annual TPV (total payment volume) run rate of USD 277 billion. PhonePe also processed 835 million UPI transactions in October, for a market leading share of over 40 per cent,” it added.
Sameer Nigam, CEO and founder of PhonePe, said the company has set a target of crossing 500 million registered users by December 2022.
“In line with our brand ethos of ‘Karte Ja. Badhte Ja’, we continue to launch new and innovative products for every strata of Indian society, as well as enable digital payment acceptance across every merchant in every village and town in India,” he added.
PhonePe – which competes with the likes of Paytm, MobiKwik and Google Pay – allows users to send and receive money, recharge mobile and make utility payments as well as buy gold and make investments.
It had also launched its ‘Switch’ platform that allows customers can place orders on over 220 apps including Ola, Myntra, IRCTC, Goibibo, RedBus and Oyo.
PhonePe is accepted at 13 million merchant outlets across 500 cities nationally. (PTI)
Paytm Postpaid aims to double postpaid service users to 1.5 cr by March
New Delhi, Nov 2: Digital financial services firm Paytm on Monday said it has acquired around 70 lakh Postpaid micro-credit service users and aims to close the current financial year with 1.5 crore customers.
The company is offering Paytm Postpaid service in partnership with two non-banking financial services companies (NBFCs) with an instant credit line for various payments to Paytm app users.
“The company has achieved 7 million users for the Postpaid service and is on its way to registering a total of 15 million users by the end of the current financial year,” Paytm said in a statement.
The financial technology firm said that it is now expanding its partnership with the developer’s community in the company’s new Android mini-app store.
“This will potentially benefit businesses as a consumer will have an additional option to opt for buy now and pay later service. In preparation for the upcoming festive season, Paytm Postpaid is also in the process of integration with over 2 lakh Paytm’s Android POS devices powering shoppers to buy on credit and benefitting the retailers across the country,” the statement said.
Paytm said that the Postpaid service is already available for recharges and bill payments on Paytm, online payments on internet apps and also for buying home essentials from kirana stores.
“We aim to expand our services to as many businesses that enable consumers to benefit from the convenience of buying now and pay later,” Paytm Lending CEO Bhavesh Gupta said.
The company offers credit limits in three slabs ranging between Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh per month. (PTI)
Nissan India starts SUV Magnite’s production
Mumbai, Nov 2: Nissan India on Monday announced the commencement of production of its B-segment SUV, Magnite, with the first vehicle rolling out from Chennai-based alliance plant Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL).
Unveiled on October 21, Nissan Magnite, which will be available in four trim models, is expected to be launched this month.
“RNAIPL is thrilled to commemorate the start of production of the all-new Nissan Magnite. We are also exploring opportunities to export this SUV,” said RNAIPL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Biju Balendran.
The model, which is powered by one-litre petrol engine, would compete with the likes of Kia Sonet, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300.
Built on the philosophy of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’, Magnite marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Nissan NEXT strategy for the Indian and global markets, the company said in a release.
Nissan Motor India Managing Director Rakesh Srivastava said, “The start of production of the all-new Nissan Magnite is a proud moment for all of us. With an array of first-in-class and best-in-segment features, each grade walk has been curated to meet the aspirations of the discerning Indian customer.”
In line with Nissan’s philosophy of continuous innovation to deliver enriching experiences, Nissan’s renowned technologies are provided at every grade, including the X-TRONIC CVT, cruise control, 360-degree round view monitor, and Nissan Connect, he said.
Tested at the Japanese car maker’s world-class facility at Tochigi Proving Ground, the new SUV has been designed in Japan keeping in mind the requirements of the Indian customers.
The compact SUV would come with various features like 60-40 split folding rear seats, 336 litre luggage space, around view monitor, tyre pressure monitoring system, eight-inch infotainment display and over 50 connected features.
The new SUV would come with manual and automatic transmissions and various safety features like vehicle dynamic control (VDC) and traction control system.
The company, in the release, claimed Magnite to be one of the most fuel-efficient SUVs in the market at present. (PTI)
Honda launches special editions of Amaze, WR-V
New Delhi, Nov 2: Honda Cars India on Monday said it has launched special edition trims of Amaze and WR-V models amid the ongoing festive season.
Based on top-grade VX in both diesel and petrol, these ‘Exclusive Editions’ offer an enhanced premium package, Honda Cars India said in a statement.
The manual petrol version of the Amaze Exclusive Edition has been priced at Rs 7.96 lakh while the CVT trim is tagged at Rs 8.79 lakh. Similarly, the diesel manual version is priced at Rs 9.26 lakh while the CVT trim is tagged at Rs 9.99 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi).
The company has also launched WR-V Exclusive Edition with both petrol and diesel trims. The manual petrol variant is priced at Rs 9.7 lakh while the diesel trim is tagged at Rs 10.99 lakh.
“During this festive season, our focus has been to enrich our models with a distinct premium package which will appeal to our discerning buyers,” Honda Cars India Senior Vice President and Director (Marketing and Sales) Rajesh Goel said.
The new editions of Amaze and WR-V are based on top-grade VX and aim to offer enhanced look with added features, he added. (PTI)
Ducati India launches new Multistrada 950 S at Rs 15.49 lakh
NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Italian superbike maker Ducati on Monday said it has launched an all-new version of Multistrada 950 S in India priced at Rs 15.49 lakh (ex-showroom India).
The new Ducati Multistrada 950, which comes with a 937-cc engine, takes things to the next level with a series of improvements, designed to make it safer and even more enjoyable, the company said in a statement.
“The Multistrada family has gained immense popularity in India considering the growing popularity of long-distance touring and our idea behind the new Multistrada 950 S is to make Sports touring more accessible, allowing riders to explore the beautiful terrain that India has to offer,” Ducati India Managing Director Bipul Chandra said.
The electronics package in the model now includes cornering ABS, traction control, vehicle hold control (VHC) and the iconic semi-active skyhook suspension, which continuously adjusts fork and shock absorber, the company said. (PTI)