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Kolar boy’s long and successful search for bone marrow exposes its less number in the country
Sam, a 10-year-old boy from Kolar was recently evaluated for bleeding from the nose and gums.
Bengaluru :
A month ago, a 10-year-old boy, Sam, got a life-saving bone marrow transplant from a German donor after his parents had to scour the Indian bone marrow registry with no luck in finding a match. The number of donors on the Indian bone marrow registry is just three lakh compared to the German registry, which has 75 lakh, and the US, which has one crore donors registered. Due to such shortcomings, parents look up to their child’s siblings to donate or doctors resort to half-match donors where the parents themselves donate but are only a 50 per cent match.
Sam, a 10-year-old boy from Kolar was recently evaluated for bleeding from the nose and gums. Upon examining his bone marrow, doctors confirmed that he had aplastic anaemia and his only chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant. He did not have a matching donor available and he continued to have recurrent bleeding and fever.
Doctors frantically searched for a donor in all the Indian registries and finally found a donor in the German registry. This donor was willing to donate bone marrow (taken from the blood in the hip) rather than peripheral blood stem cells (taken from the vein of the forearm). Four weeks later the boy fully recovered and was discharged.
Suresh B, Sam’s father, a daily wager at Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), a Kolar PSU, told The New Indian Express, “We have an ESI card and hence we could pay the bill worth `10 lakh. My wife is a homemaker and I am the sole breadwinner. Sam’s brother is only seven years old and is not a match. We would get Sam platelet infusions every week. According to the rules, after a year, we will be able to contact this German donor and thank him.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / November 22nd, 2018
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EURAXESS Science Slam India award for Bengaluru-based researcher
Won contest for communicating science through theatre
Neuroscience is a complex subject, but Prabahan Chakraborty, a graduate student from National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru, has an entertaining and simple method to get his message across: musical theatre. The 28-year-old uses this art form to help people understand his research.
For this unique fusion of art and science, Mr. Chakraborty won the EURAXESS Science Slam India competition held in the city recently. The contest — organised in collaboration with the embassy of France, Alliance Francaise Bengaluru, India Bioscience, Global Innovation and Technology Alliance and Indo-German Science and Technology Centre — offers a platform for young researchers to showcase their work outside their labs in a way that can be easily understood by everyone. He competed with five other researchers from across the country in the finals.
As part of his PhD, Mr. Chakraborty has been researching the effects of stress on the brain. “My thesis is on what happens to the amygdala and hippocampus when a person is stressed. My research shows that during times of stress, the amygdala, which regulates anxiety and fear, becomes stronger. The hippocampus, which processes and stores short-term memory, becomes weaker. As a result, a person suffers from mental health issues, including depression and memory impairment. But, communicating this to everyone is not that easy,” he said
When he got to know about the contest, he saw a perfect opportunity to combine two of his passions. “It is a challenge to communicate science in a fun way. But, theatre is an effective tool. My presentation on stress and ways to combat it was in the form of multiple songs and enactments,” he said.
He enacted a scene involving a patient suffering with clinical depression caused due to stress. As he told the audience about his condition, his anxieties and memory loss, he broke into a song to explain what was happening in his brain — in the amygdala and hippocampus. He then went back to dialogue form to talk about solutions. “I presented the topic in a musicial theatre format, which combines words, music and movement,” he said.
As part of winning the contest, Mr. Chakraborty will be going on a trip to Europe, where he will interact with other researchers in top institutes.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – November 22nd, 2018
Bridging the Gap
Bengaluru ByDesign promises handmade and cutting-edge innovation
Writer UR Anathamurthy was instrumental in Bangalore becoming Bengaluru. In November 2006, when the city symbolically made the shift, his intent, he wrote in an essay, was to give the city “the ability to belong to the world at large even as one is rooted in one’s Kannadaness”. Even as Bengaluru ByDesign takes over the city from November 23, the focus of the 10-day festival will be on transformations, from the handmade to technology and sustainable interventions.
From installations and exhibitions, to workshops and conferences, the festival at multiple venues in the city, hopes to bridge the gap between what is design and what people imagine to be design. Some of the highlights:
Choose Flight
Kavya Madappa’s Bluecat Paper presents Unchained Symphony – Birds, a site-specific installation. At the grand marble stairs of UB City, abstract forms of paper birds will rise towards the high-vaulted ceiling and soaring arches of the mall, symbolic of freedom and flight. “We make handmade paper from cotton, coffee and corn husks. We have nearly a 1,000 birds for the 80 steps there,” says Madappa.
Closing the Loop
At St. Mark’s Circle, Total Environment will display its strength in sustainable practices through green installations and landscaping. Designed as a twirling ribbon, the green pods will house various stages of construction, from plumbing to electrical wiring. “As a company that provides experiences in sensitively designed structures, we hope these pods will help people see the craft involved in making a home,” says Founder-Chairman, Kamal Sagar.
Everyday Design
A pop-up called “Museum of Everything” at Kafnu, curated by Sarayu Hedge, will have everything — from origami lamps to recycled cork décor, glass jewellery to organic garments.
Total Recall
London-based designer Karolina Merska honours the traditional pajaki (pah-yonk-ee) paper chandeliers, famous for drawing inspiration from architecture, costumes and flowers. “I will visit Bengaluru’s flower markets and decorate my installation at UB City with fresh marigolds instead of paper flowers,” she says.
It’s a Wrap
Bengaluru’s Town Hall has become synonymous with protests. Festival Founder Suprita Moorthy wants to change that with a makeover that will drape handmade textiles from Aadhyam around its Tuscan columns. “With pure ikats and Banarasi brocades, we will play with colour and contrast. We hope it will direct people’s gaze to its architecture and purpose,” she says.
Rajshree Pathy,
Director of the festival
What are the changes you have seen in the design industry since the inception of the India Design Forum (IDF) in 2012?
When we started IDF in Delhi, it was something very new for the city. People were aware of art but not design and conversations on design thinking were very new. Now there are several design exhibitions, events and talks, all of which is very good for designers as it allows them to present their works outside their own studios.
How has design made a difference to your life?
Design is really a way of thinking about how to make a product or create an experience. Design is not about decoration, it’s about ease of living, minimising wastage and being sustainable and affordable, otherwise design is meaningless. For me, starting IDF has been the most fulfilling experience, as I am passionate about spreading this message and removing the idea that design is elitist or about luxury.
What are the three things to watch out for at the Bengaluru ByDesign festival?
Bengaluru ByDesign is a city-wide, all-inclusive event that makes people stop and think differently about their city and its spaces. It opens up new dialogues on preservation, conservation and celebrates the city for its architecture, craft and so much more. The Town Hall pillars dressed in fabric, the UB city mall stairway clad in beautifully cut paper collage and the workshops everywhere are amazing.
How do you think design can become mainstream?
With the growth of the automotive industry, the real-estate boom, the lifestyle industry like furniture, household products, jewellery, clothing and IT, design is already mainstream, though people are not aware of it. Designers are wanted for all the above businesses. More schools need to come up across India for our fast-growing requirements.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle / by Shiny Varghese / November 21st, 2018
Benglauru boy makes mark in national racing circuit once again
Adding that the competition was tight with eight participants fighting for the top spot, his biggest challenge was having to race against his coach and mentor.
Bengaluru :
After winning the MRF National Racing Championship, 17-year-old Sohil Shah has turned heads in the racing circuit once again by winning the 21st JK Tyre National Rookie competition in the LGB-F4 category. The four-round competition finale was held in New Delhi, with Sohil taking the seventh place in the championship.
“There were eight national champions racing with me. I was fighting with them for the top spots in all three races. In race one, I started in the sixth spot and finished the race in third place. In race two, I started in the sixth place and finished in seventh place, while in race three, I started seventh according to the finishing order of race two, and finished in seventh place. All the points that I earned allowed me to win the championship. There were a total of 26 participants in the national championship, and 15 of them were part of the rookie championship,” says Sohil, who attends Delhi Public School (East) here.
Adding that the competition was tight with eight participants fighting for the top spot, his biggest challenge was having to race against his coach and mentor. “It can mess with your head,” he says, while adding that his role model is his coach. Telling us his most memorable moment during the race, he says that winning round three and four with a bronze medal was something he will always cherish, as this is the first time a rookie has been able to stand on that podium.
The competition started in July and ended last Sunday. Sohil received a `1 lakh cash award for the rookie competition. He will be continuing practice sessions for next year until dates are finalised, he says. It has been only a year since Sohil first rode in a 2-stroke Rotax go-kart, which inspired him to start racing — something he wants to make a career out of.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Preeja Prasad / Express News Service / November 21st, 2018
Rabbit farmer sees ray of hope at Krishi Mela
One particular stall at the four-day Krishi Mela 2018, which ended on Sunday, drew crowds wi th watering mouths and a fair degree of curiosity.
Bengaluru :
One particular stall at the four-day Krishi Mela 2018, which ended on Sunday, drew crowds with watering mouths and a fair degree of curiosity. The stall run by Anand Kumar H, was selling rabbit meat. He owns a restaurant in Benagluru’s Sahakar Nagar, that sells a variety of rabbit meat dishes, which he claims is the first such eatery to dole out specialised rabbit meat dishes in India.
“Rabbit meat is much healthier than other varieties of meat. It is rich in protein and has less fat compared to other meats. It is also tastier,” said Anand, who has named his Sahakar Nagar restaurant as Rabbit Paradise.
Incidentally, for Kumar, getting a licence from Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to set up his eatery was not difficult, but marketing the rabbit meat to the public has been the bigger challenge. It has been three months since the restaurant has been set up, but it has been observed that rabbit meat is not usually preferred over other meat dishes. The restaurant barely gets five to six customers a day. At Krishi Mela, however, he managed to attract a large crowd.
“The restaurant is under loss, and I would have shut down the business had I not invested a huge amount,” said Kumar, explaining that the opportunity offered by the Krishi Mela to make people aware about the benefits of rabbit meat consumption could open avenues for him and his business. At the four-day mela,Anand offered his rabbit meat dishes, which were displayed at the food court. A large number of visitors who were seen at the stall also included young students. Even as they relished the dishes, they enquired about rabbit meat consumption, its safety and health benefits.
Anand, along with nine others, have gotten together to set up a rabbit farm in Chikkaballapur, where rabbits are bred. He gets his supplies for his restaurants from here. To even out the present loss that they have incurred in the last three months, Anand said they are planning to give a boost to his business and improve marketing. The outlet, Rabbit Paradise, has started taking orders on Zomato and Food Panda. He has also planned to include new dishes and improve the taste and quality of them to attract more customers.
Low demand for rabbits
There are very few rabbit farms in the state. Currently, rabbit meat dishes are served at very few restaurants in Bengaluru. Rabbits are known to be fast breeders and the supply of rabbit meat piles up if the demand does not match it. This is the challenge that most rabbit farmers face in the sector — to make people accept a change in preference to up the demand through consumption.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Aarthi M, Express News Service / November 19th, 2018
Yediyur to become city’s first BESCOM power-free ward, solar plant to be inaugurated today
Bengaluru :
As part of the mission to make Yediyur Bengaluru’s first Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) power-free ward, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has set up a roof-top solar power plant. In a press statement, Poornima Ramesh, corporator of Yediyur ward in Jayanagar, South Bengaluru, said the solar plant, and quarters for gardeners and pourakarmkas who maintain 13 parks in the area, will be inaugurated on Monday.
“An amount of `15 lakh has been spent on the rootftop solar power plant, which will be the first-of-its-kind by BBMP. It will generate 10 kilo watt of electricity per day. We will save ` 38,000 per month by not having to pay for BESCOM power. The power generated through solar energy will power the streetlights within Sanjeevini Vana and Dhanavantari parks,” Poornima said.
The solar power plant will bring light to 150 streetlights within the two parks, and the quarters for workers, which are within a radius of less than one kilometre from the plant, BBMP said. The corporation has spent `50 lakh on the quarters. “The solar power plant will be expanded in the next three months to generate 25 kilo watt of power. The biogas plant, which is already in place, will expand to generate 250 kilo watt of power by the end of this month. With all these measures, we will save `3.10 lakh per month, and don’t have to purchase power,” she said.
CE had previously reported on the bio-gas unit generating electricity in the same ward, which powers several government buildings, including an anganwadi, the primary health center, a tailor training center, the ward office, a school, a computer training centre, a dialysis centre, the Samudaya Bhavan, the Yediyur shopping complex and seven parks, all of which are within a radius of three kilometres from the unit. This initiative has saved BBMP `1.75 lakh per month.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / November 18th, 2018
Bengaluru boy beats the world to win science prize, Rs 2.9 cr
Bengaluru boy Samay Godika (in picture) has emerged as the winner of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge with $400,000 (over Rs 2.9 crore) as the prize money.
While Samay, 16, a student of National Public School-Koramangala, will receive a $250,000 (over Rs 1.8 crore) college scholarship, his ninth and tenth grade science teacher, Pramila Menon, who encouraged his interest in life sciences and tutored him after school to encourage his curiosity about scientific ideas, will win a $50,000 (over Rs 36 lakh) prize.
In addition, his school will receive a state-of-the-art science lab valued at $100,000 (over Rs 72 lakh).
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a global science video competition designed to inspire creative thinking about fundamental concepts in the life sciences, physics, and mathematics. Students between 13 and 18 years are invited to create original videos (up to three minutes) that illustrate a concept or theory in the physical or life sciences. The submissions are evaluated on the students’ ability to communicate complex scientific ideas in the most engaging, illuminating, and imaginative ways. Samay’s video, submitted in the life sciences category, focused on circadian rhythms, the 24-hour biological processes that can affect simple daily experiences such as waking up for school or jet lag.
As he has family members who suffer from Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases, Samay is particularly interested in the correlation between circadian rhythms and the effectiveness of medical treatments.
Samay was, on Sunday, recognised alongside some of the world’s top scientists and mathematicians Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, Samay said, “It feels amazing and unbelievable. I’m very happy to be among these great scientists. Our school is very science-centric and laid the foundation right from the beginning, shaping and guiding me to be the person I am today.”
“Participating in and now winning the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is life-changing, thrilling and such an honour. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to be recognised. I thank my teachers and family, and my little sister Sia, for shaping me,” he added.
Nikhiya Shamsher, 16, a student of Greenwood High school won this year’s Popular Vote. Her video on space-time and gravity garnered more than 25,000 likes, shares and positive reactions on the Breakthrough Facebook page. She received automatic entry into the final round of judging. Last year, Samay had won the Popular Vote contest. “I didn’t win last year, but I came back this year, and I am fortunate to be here,” he said, crediting sheer perseverance for his success.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / by Bangalore Mirror Bureau / November 05th, 2018
Krishi Mela 2018: Small farmer makes it big, is now tapping online market
Yogesh from Mysuru district earns about ₹50,000 a month by growing exotic vegetables
At a time when highly educated farmers with large tracts of land are finding it difficult to earn a profit, a farmer who has not passed SSLC and has about three acres is earning a steady income of nearly ₹50,000 a month. The innovative farmer has now started exploring the online market.
Yogesh T.M., 31, from Taluru in Mysuru district, used take up small jobs in Bengaluru and Mysuru, and had not given a serious thought to farming as his family had only 3.15 acres of land.
But, fed up with his work in the city, he returned to his village seven years ago to take up farming. He began growing exotic vegetables like red cabbage, yellow cherry tomato, table radish, broccoli and turnip that have high value. He sells his produce to malls in Mysuru, Bengaluru, Goa and Hyderabad besides big vegetable shops. Now, he grows nearly 25 such varieties and has started exploring the online marketplace. “We have created two clusters of farmers for growing foreign vegetable varieties organically. The intention is to ensure their availability at the doorsteps of consumers in Bengaluru and Mysuru through online markets,” he says.
The University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru (UAS-B) on Friday honoured him with district-level best farmer award at Krishi Mela.
Another farmer to be honoured by the UAS-B on Friday was Siddappa. The 31-year-old hails from Taggaluru of Gundlupet taluk. He grows cotton, jowar, sugarcane and banana. But his innovation lies in maximising profit by taking up related works, including a plant nursery which fetches him about ₹15,000 a month. He has also set up a flour mill that works on his diesel-run tiller so that villagers need not depend on power supply for grinding grains.
Maximising farm income
G. N. Suma from Kalpura village of Chamarajanagar district was cynosure of all eyes at the UAS-B’s Krishi Mela on Friday not just because she received the district-level best farm woman award, but due to her innovative ways of increasing income.
She not only looks after an 8-acre farm with her husband, but also runs a plant nursery, which yields about ₹50,000 per month. While sericulture fetches another ₹10,000 a month, her dairy farming brings in ₹10,000. This innovative farmer wants her children, especially her daughter, who is pursuing BSc., to become a farmer.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by B.S. Satish Kumar / November 17th, 2018