Category Archives: Science & Technology

IDEEA scholarships for Hemophilia students to be launched on Tuesday

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

Mangalore:

Manipal University and Manipal Hemophilia Society will jointly launch the project ‘IDEEA’ (Identification, Diagnosis, Education and Empowerment for Action) and distribution of higher education scholarships for students with bleeding disorders in South India.

Dr Annamma Kurien, President of Manipal Chapter of Haemophilia Society said the launch be held at Shirdi Saibaba Cancer hospital and research centre in Kasturba Hospital Campus, Manipal on August 28 at 3 pm. IDEEA is supported by the grant from Novo Nordisk Hemophilia Foundation (NNHF), Switzerland.

Through this project the accredited social health activist (ASHA) will get the training to identify the suspected persons with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders in the community. The suspected people with bleeding disorders will undergo detailed tests in Kasturba Hospital, Manipal for the accurate diagnosis and the sub typing of bleeding disorders. A specialized hemostasis and thrombosis division, Kasturba Hospital, is being set up also supported by the Manipal University. Patients from the 4 districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shimoga and Chikmagalur with suspected bleeding disorders will get facilities for free testing.

This project will also aim to empower persons with hemophilia by education to improve their quality of life. As a part of empowerment, a scholarship distribution for the student with hemophilia to support their higher education will also take place during the function. This scholarship is sponsored by Save One Life (SOL) organization, USA. This year eight students are selected for the scholarship. Hemophilia is a genetic, life threatening bleeding disorder in which blood does not clot normally due to the deficiency or absence of clotting factors.

The Manipal Hemophilia Society, a registered chapter of Hemophilia Federation of India (HFI), affiliated to World Federation of Hemophilia, Canada (WFH) started its functioning in the year 1999 in Kasturba Hospital Manipal. It provides comprehensive medical services to the patients, who are suffering from hemophilia and related bleeding disorders. More than 250 patients from various districts of both Karnataka and Kerala are registered under Manipal Hemophilia society. It conducts regular hemophilia clinic once a month on every second Saturday for the persons with hemophilia, where a team of medical and allied health science professionals from various specialties trained in hemophilia care are available for the proper care and management.

The Society also provides anti hemophilic factor (AHF), a costly life saving medicine at an affordable rate to the persons with hemophilia. The support of Manipal University has sustained the care of hemophilia patients.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Education / by Stanley Pinto, TNN / August 27th, 2012

 

Integrated farming pilot begins in 1,000 villages

Business & Economy, Nature, Science & Technology

The department of agriculture, government of Karnataka, has launched a pilot programme to promote integrated farming in about 1,000 villages across the state. The government has earmarked a financial assistance of Rs 50 crore for the programme in 2012-13.

“The University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore has developed a model for an integrated approach to agriculture and the Karnataka Krishi Mission (KKM) had suggested to the government to adopt this model and introduce statewide. The government has accepted our recommendation and launched the programme from this crop year,” S A Patil, President, KKM said.

Under this programme, the department of agriculture would provide select farmers in 1,000 villages a package of best farming practices, good quality planting material, seeds and training to grow crops. They will also be given training on different branches of agriculture like horticulture, animal husbandry, poultry, fisheries and agro-forestry. They would also be given assistance from seed selection to marketing of their produce, he said.

Speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Technology as a Driver of Growth: Ensuring Farm Productivity’, organised by Delhi-based commodities’ research firm IndoAsiancommodities.com, Patil said a diploma course in agriculture has been introduced in the Universities of Agriculture Sciences in the state. The objective of the course is to prepare youth on various aspects of farming at the middle level and engage them in dissemination of knowledge to farmers.

The pilot programme will be in place for a period of five years and scaled up later based on the response from the farming community. Through this programme, the department will develop models of integrated farming in select villages for further replication in other villages over the years, he said.

The department of agriculture has also started working on identifying farmer leaders, engaged in integrated farming at village level to train the fellow farmers on modern, scientific methods of farming, he said.

source: http://www.Business-Standard.com / Home> Economy & Policy / by BS Reporter – Bangalore, Chennai / August 29th, 2012

Two-Day Conference on Ayur Nada from ‘Morrow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Mysore, Aug. 21

On the occasion of the 9th Chaturmasya of Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji, a two-day National Conference on Ayur Nada has been organised on Aug. 22 and 23 at Vishwa Prarthana Mandiram (Universal Prayer Hall) of Avadhoota Datta Peetham, Sri Ganapathi Sachidananda Ashram on Ooty Road in city.

The conference will be inaugurated by lighting of the lamp by Sri Ganapathi Sachidananda Swamiji and Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji, followed by the inaugural address by chief guest Prof. K.S.Rangappa, Vice-Chancellor, Karnataka State Open University.

Prof. K.V.Krishna Murthy, Chairman, I-Serve, will deliver the keynote address which will be followed by technical sessions from 11.45 am.

The valedictory session will be held on Aug. 23 at 4.15 pm. District In-Charge Minister S.A.Ramdas, who will be the chief guest, will deliver the valedictory address.

The two-day conference on Ayur Nada is intended to focus on the applied aspects of ancient Indian sciences and on the aesthetics of Indian Classical Ragas and their therapeutic implications.

The conference also aims at opening up new avenues of research in healthcare systems, new software and hardware in computers, disaster management with predictions on weather and earthquakes, scientific dating of ancient events and allied areas.

The conference is beneficial to research scholars, students, faculties and general enthusiasts in the disciplines of Healthcare Sciences, Astronomy and Cosmology, Physical and Chemical Sciences, Biological Sciences and allied sciences. Those who are in pursuit of Music, Musicology and Music therapy too can attend.

Registration is compulsory and limited and there is no registration fee. Interested participants can register their names in advance with the Conference Co-ordinator Dr. P.V.Phanishree, who can be contacted on 92435-08500 or by e-mail drphanishree@gmail.com.

Spot registration will begin at 9 am on Aug. 22, according to a press release.

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / General News / August 21st, 2012

Narayana Hrudayala gets international accreditation

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Jaipur:

Narayana Hrudayalaya hospital in the city has been awarded international accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI).

“This is the second JCI accreditation the group has got,” Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Hrudayalaya said here on Saturday.

Earlier, Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital in Bangalore had got the JCI accreditation.

Claiming that it was the first hospital of the state to get the accreditation, Shetty said, “The international accreditation is a testament to the excellent standard of medical services provided by the hospital”.

A four-member team surveyed the hospital for four days and evaluated 1,133 different areas and functionalities of the hospital which included nursing, medical facility, hospital services, patient safety, infection control among others before awarding the accreditation, he added.

JCI is an non-profit independent entity that accredits and certifies health care programmes and organisations in the United States, work with organisations in over 80 countries.

PTI

source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Home> Nation> Rajasthan / by PTI / Saturday, August 18th, 2012

Ex-IAS man to oversee digitization of records

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Bangalore:

The high court on Friday appointed retired IAS officer V Balasubramaniam as the court commissioner to oversee indexing , scanning and digitization of revenue records.
This includes the task of crosschecking the correctness of the data furnished. Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh passed the order while asking the authorities — DCs/Acs and revenue department — to extend all help, like police protection to the senior bureaucrat, at the time of field work/survey.
Balasubramaniam, who appeared in the court, gave his consent for the job. The judge said the government could lay hands on private lands based on public purposes and suitability so that misuse or abuse of discretion could be eliminated. Listing out the benefits of digitization of revenue records, he said having statistics of government land available in each village/taluk/district will help government take timely action if there is encroachment of land. It will also help in making use of land for industrialization /urbanization.
The court has fixed October 16 as the next date of hearing while granting time till October 8 to the authorities to complete the process of indexing/scanning and digitization of revenue records.

Order on hospital stayed

Adivision bench headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen has stayed the June 30 government order handing over the 100-bed General Hospital at Bailhongal in Belgaum to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College run by Karnataka Lingayat Education Society.  The petitioners, Rafeeq Mugud Sab Badiger and two others, said the people are happy with the services and handing over of the hospital was done upon a representation submitted to the CM on November 17, 2011, by an MLA representing Bailhongal constituency.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Bangalore / TNN / August 18th, 2012

Avnet’s X-fest Breaks Records in Bangalore

Records, All, Science & Technology

More than 300 engineers scramble to attend global technical seminar

Bangalore, India

Avnet’s X-fest 2012 ( http://www.xfest.avnetasia.com/ ) global seminar series, which took place in Bangalore on July 17, set a new country attendance record by attracting more than 300 engineers, more than doubling the number of attendees who attended the same event last time and significantly exceeding the expected 200 attendees. The X-fest series of one-day training events for FPGA, ARM MCUs, DSP and embedded system developers, was organized by Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia ( http://www.em.avnetasia.com/ ), a business region of Avnet, Inc ( http://avnet.com ) (NYSE: AVT ( http://ir.avnet.com/ )).

X-fest has attracted significant interest in sessions held in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou. Beijing X-fest also set a new breaking record with almost 1,000 people attending the event, while the Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou sessions also drew higher-than-expected numbers of Avnet customers. Planning is already underway for upcoming events in Singapore, Bangkok, Xi’an, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shenyang, where there are signs of equally healthy interest. The seminar series will continue until the end of August. Registration is open at Avnet’s online portal: http://www.xfest.avnetasia.com .

“The success and overwhelmingly positive responses for X-fest Bangalore demonstrate that engineers find the event truly helpful to their work. They learned a lot about how to design their products with new technology,” said Terence Tan, regional president, Avnet Electronics Marketing, South Asia and Korea.

“The record attendance at X-fest in India is a testimony to our ability to understand what our partners truly need and demonstrates our commitment to delivering added values,” said Tan.

His views were echoed by Ramani Sundaresan, managing director of Avnet Electronics Marketing India.

“Avnet is committed to bringing new technology to customers and at this year’s X-fest, we feature revolutionary technology – 28nm, Zynq-700 EPP and Xilinx 7-series as well as new applications. Through this event, we are also able to deliver system level solutions that facilitate time-to-market benefits for our customers. Our team of experienced engineers and our partners have come together to directly interact with their fellow engineers, showing them the best ways to integrate today’s leading technology into their designs,” said Sundaresan.

The X-fest 2012 program features twelve technical courses based on Xilinx’s new Artix(TM)-7, Kintex(TM)-7 and Virtex(TM)-7 FPGAs, as well as the new Zynq(TM)-7000 Extensible Processing Platform (EPP) family. Attendees have the ability to customize their day by selecting four courses from any of the three unique training tracks:

— The FPGA Fundamentals track features four courses aimed at common

design issues facing both new and advanced FPGA designers. Topics

around Xilinx 28nm 7 series FPGAs include power design,

optimizing memory interfaces, clocking and PCIe interface

implementations.

— The Applications track delves deeper into design methodologies

and techniques required in designing with the Zynq(TM)-7000 EPP

and 7 series FPGAs. Application-oriented topics include wireless

communications, motor control, video and real-world analog

processing.

— The Zynq(TM)-7000 EPP track provides four courses dedicated to

the ARM dual core Cortex(TM)-A9 MPCore(TM) based device. Topics

include an introductory overview of the Zynq-7000 EPP

architecture, Zynq-7000 EPP development tools overview and

software acceleration techniques using the Zynq-7000 EPP’s

programmable logic.

Connect with X-fest

Watch X-fest’s videos at www.em.avnetasia.com or Avnet OnDemand (http://avnetondemand.com/avnet-in-asia/channel/74/ )

Like X-fest on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/#!/xfest2012 )

Follow X-fest on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/AvnetXfest )

About Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia ( http://www.em.avnetasia.com/ )

source: http://www.equities.com / Home> News> Technology /Aug. 02, 2012 / PRNewswire-Asia/

Sequoia Capital invests $4.6M in online clinic management platform Practo

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Bangalore-based Practo Technologies Pvt Ltd., a web-based clinic management software developer, has raised Rs 25 crore (around $4.6 million) from Sequoia Capital in a Series A round of funding. Practo’s flagship product is Practo Ray, a web-based software tool which provides automated appointment scheduling and storage of healthcare records including X-rays, files, prescriptions and billing. Practo’s platform currently manages 10,000 appointments per day, with 8,000 doctors at 5,000 dental, wellness and other healthcare centres across India.

The money raised will be used to launch its various products globally and expand Practo’s 80-member team to around 350 over the next two years.

Shailendra Singh, managing director of Sequoia Capital India, said in a statement, “In a short span of time, Practo Ray has become the preferred platform for thousands of doctors to book appointments, issue prescriptions and store patient records, and millions of patients can now access their appointments and health records online or through their mobile devices.

“We believe Practo has the potential to become the dominant Cloud-based healthcare platform in India and we are excited about the new services that Practo is planning to launch on top of the robust platform it has already built,” he added.

Practo has recently launched Practo.com that helps patients find doctors and connect with them through their dedicated online interface. It provides customised search options and shares details on doctors and clinics. In addition, the company has also launched an online API for partners to launch other online services that doctors and clinics may use. Several pharma companies and healthcare vendors are currently building applications on the Practo API.

Practo’s founder Shashank ND said in a statement, “The idea to create Practo Ray – our online software for clinic management, came out of our understanding of the doctor’s pain in managing patient records, scheduling appointments, etc. This prompted us to initiate an easy-to-use, technology-driven service that allows efficient patient care.”

(Edited by Sanghamitra Mandal)

source: http://www.techcircle.vccircle.com / Home> Internet / by Nandita Das / July 30th, 2012

Wipro Technologies Wins Large Multi-Year Contract from Royal Philips Electronics

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Selected as Strategic Global Prime Partner

Wipro Technologies, the Global Information Technology, Consulting and Outsourcing business of Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT) today announced that the company has signed a large multi-year contract with Royal Philips Electronics as their Global Prime Partner in its Transformational program, towards enabling enhanced business growth and profitability.

As a part of this strategic global engagement, Wipro will work with Philips on their transformational roadmap towards optimizing and enhancing all their business processes of Idea to Market, Market to Order and Order to Cash across a wide spectrum of technology enabling platforms that include Integration, User Interaction and Security & Authorization. Wipro will also be the System Integrator for key initiatives across these Philips’ businesses and platforms.

Jeroen Tas, Chief Information Officer, Royal Philips Electronics said, “As Philips continues to drive performance improvements across its businesses, we would like to reiterate our commitment to invest in innovation and customer intimacy that are at the heart of our transformational Program. We are pleased to bring on board a valuable and like-minded partner like Wipro to help us drive our vision of sustainable growth and profitability.”

N S Bala, Senior Vice President and Global Head – Manufacturing and High-Tech, Wipro Technologies said, “We are delighted to have been chosen as a strategic global Prime Partner by Philips in their transformational journey. Wipro will leverage its strong understanding of the business domain and capability in new and emerging technologies, to enable Philips become more agile, deliver innovative products and solutions to its customers, faster and strengthen their leadership position in the market place.”

Wipro Technologies offers strategic business and technology solutions and advises customers on Business Process Optimization & Engineering, cutting across diverse functional and engineering areas such as Supply Chain Management (SCM), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions (MES). It also enables intuitive man-to-machine interactions, provides industry insights using analytics and drives innovation across intelligent – connected devices for better customer experiences.

source: http://www.wipro.com / press release / Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

State gets its largest solar power plant

Records, All, Science & Technology

The plant is built using crystalline silicon photovoltaic technology, which has the longest operational experience, the release said.

A 5-MW eco-friendly solar power plant has been commissioned by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) at Shivanasamudra near Mandya.

BHEL, which has been involved in the design, manufacture, supply, setting up and commissioning of the plant, will operate and maintain it for three years.

According to a release here on Wednesday, this is the largest solar power plant in the State and has been synchronised with the main grid. The solar power is stored as DC power, which is then converted into AC and fed into the 66 kV grid.

The plant is built using crystalline silicon photovoltaic technology, which has the longest operational experience, the release said.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Bangalore / by Staff Reporter / July 26th, 2012

Karnataka govt to start integrated medicine-and-music therapy in hospitals

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nature, Science & Technology

Bangalore:

Think about delivering a baby while hearing music of your choice in labour room, soon it will be a reality in hospitals run under the Medical Education Department of Karnataka. The government on Monday announced its plan to open the Centers of Integrative Medicine (CIM) in four hospitals in Karnataka including two hospitals in Bangalore.

Announcing the project, Medical Education minister S A Ramdas said that the pilot project will be initiated in Bangalore Medical College and Research Center, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli and a Music therapy center at Vanivilas Hospital in Bangalore and Cheluvamba hospital in Mysore

Hospitals attached to the Bangalore Medical college like Victoria General and Vani Vilas and the KIMS in Hubli will operate Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy and Homeopathy to treat the patients of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, HIV, Cancer and Infertility, said the minister.

“Karnataka is the first State in India to introduce integrative medicines in mainstream government hospitals. An expert committee including a physician, a psychiatrist and qualified practitioner of integrated medicines will train a team of 37 doctors and therapists in 4 hospitals from August 14 this year. The OPD will start from November 1, 2012,” said Ramdas.

Government will spend Rs. 1.25 crore in center every year to start the project. The decision to start  alternative medicine therapies in mainstream government hospitals was taken after a five-member committee appointed by the ministry submitted a report last week.

“Yoga and music therapy have worked in reducing stress during pregnancy. Music therapy is helpful for a woman to deliver a baby naturally,” said Dr R Nagarathna, a committee member and Dean, SVYASA University.

Dr Sudha, Director, Soukya and also a committee member said: “Non communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes can be controlled by alternative medicines. But proper diet, yoga and  Ayurveda also help in controlling CT4 counts of HIV patients. The study was conducted on a group of 20 HIV+ patients and it showed improvement in their mental and physical strength.”

sourc: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Bangalore / by Hetal Vyas, TNN / July 23rd, 2012