Category Archives: Records, All

Kolar boy’s long and successful search for bone marrow exposes its less number in the country

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Sam, a 10-year-old boy from Kolar was recently evaluated for bleeding from the nose and gums.

Now 18 years old, Tarun (left) underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2004 as a four-year-old; Master Sam received bone marrow from a German donor last month | Express
Now 18 years old, Tarun (left) underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2004 as a four-year-old; Master Sam received bone marrow from a German donor last month | Express

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

EURAXESS Science Slam India award for Bengaluru-based researcher

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Prabahan Chakraborty is a graduate student of the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Benglauru. | Photo Credit: the hindu
Prabahan Chakraborty is a graduate student of the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Benglauru. | Photo Credit: the hindu

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

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Bengaluru ByDesign promises handmade and cutting-edge innovation

Karolina Merska Ola O Smit
Karolina Merska Ola O Smit

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

Records, All, Sports

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.

Sohil (in blue) after the MRF National Racing Championship
Sohil (in blue) after the MRF National Racing Championship

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

Yediyur to become city’s first BESCOM power-free ward, solar plant to be inaugurated today

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technology

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

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Samay Godika.
Samay Godika.

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

Sanjana gets a big boost

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Sanjana Ramesh...set for bigger things.
Sanjana Ramesh…set for bigger things.

She was named the MVP of girls’ division at Basketball Without Borders Asia

Indian teenager Sanjana Ramesh has signed for the Northern Arizona University women’s team, becoming the second India-born female player to receive a North American Division I college basketball scholarship.

Sanjana, 17, will be an incoming freshmen for the 2019-20 season. The Bengaluru player captained the Indian team in the 2017 FIBA U-16 Asia Cup. Averaging 6.5 points and seven rebounds per game in the tournament, Sanjana helped India win Division ‘B’ and earn promotion to Division ‘A’.

Sanjana caught the eye of college recruiters when she was named the Most Valuable Player of the girls‘ division at Basketball Without Borders Asia. The three-day development camp had featured top male and female prospects from Asia.

“Everything is managed professionally in U.S. colleges. Every day there will be training with the Indian senior team. The competition is very tough, so this will help improve my game. The aim is to get a WNBA professional contract, and to also represent India at the highest level,” Sanjana said.

Improvement

A 12th standard student of Delhi Public School (South) here, Sanjana said her game has improved considerably in the last couple of years.

“The 2017 u-18 Nationals was the turning point for me. I played well for Karnataka, which gave me great confidence. Before that, I was not part of the starting five,” she said.

Northern Arizona University women’s basketball coach Loree Payne said: “Sanjana is an athlete who has international and national experience. We’re trying to get our foot in the door of the international recruiting scene. So for us, Sanjana is everything we’re looking for. Her potential is limitless.”

In 2017, Chhattisgarh hoopster Kavita Akula enrolled at Grand Canyon University, and became the first India-born female basketballer to receive a full scholarship from a Division 1 college.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by Ashwin Achal / Bengaluru – November 15th, 2018

KVS temple in Kalasipalya documented for conservation

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
Kote Venkataramana Swamy temple on KR Road in Bengaluru | Photo Credit: Bhagya Prakash K
Kote Venkataramana Swamy temple on KR Road in Bengaluru | Photo Credit: Bhagya Prakash K

All aspects of the temple have been recorded, including body and columns

Before it became an important religious place for Vaishnavas, the place where the over five-century-old Kote Venkataramana Swamy temple stands today in Kalasipalya, housed a small shrine with a Basava (idol of a sacred bull).

This shrine was in a dilapidated condition and the Basava is believed to have been shifted to Mamulpet, and an idol of the main deity (Lord Venkataramana) installed there.

This and many other historical details about the temple, which is a heritage tourist destination, are not very well known.

In an attempt to document the history, patronage and the architectural style of the 17th century temple, historian and architect Yashaswini Sharma has prepared a detailed report, which will be released by Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, scion of the erstwhile royal family of Mysore, on November 19.

According to Ms. Sharma, very little has been written about the temple in history and architecture books. But, the temple is significant because it is the first example of Wadiyar-style architecture in the city.

“The temple has not been documented as a heritage structure; it should have been. This lack of documentation can hamper preservation and future restoration of a heritage structure,” she said, adding that the documentation will be a preliminary step in its conservation.

Ms. Sharma has taken up the documentation under the EA Samrakshaney project through her architectural firm ‘Esthetique Architects’ in association with the Archaeological Survey of India, the Muzrai Department and the temple trust.

“This is a community initiative. Under this, we have taken up projects such as Janata Bazaar darshana, and this is our third work for the community,” she said.

All aspects of the temple have been documented, including the plinth measurement, body, and the columns.

Along with the documentation, a replica of a Kottanur inscription of Kanteerava Narasaraja Wadiyar II, which credits his father, Chikkadeva Raja Wadiyar, with installing the deity, will be unveiled. “The stone replica will be placed on the temple premises,” she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / November 15th, 2018

Six professors win Infosys Prize 2018 for science and research

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

InfosysPrizesBF13nov2018

Navakanta Bhat, Kavita Singh, Roop Mallik, Nalini Anantharaman, S.K. Satheesh and Sendhil Mullainathan are the winners out of the 244 nominations received in six categories

Six eminent professors have been awarded the Infosys Prize 2018 across different categories of science and research , the software major’s science foundation announced on Tuesday.

The annual award includes a pure gold medal, a citation and a prize purse worth $100,000 (or its equivalent in Indian rupees), the Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) said in a statement.

“India needs to cement its place as a hub for innovations across various fields of science,” said Narayana Murthy, Trustee ISF and Founder, Infosys.

“The Infosys Prize seeks to honour the efforts of some of the brightest scientists and researchers and highlight the country’s ongoing quest for science excellence,” Mr. Murthy said.

A six-member jury of renowned scientists and professors selected the winners from 244 nominations received in six categories, ISF said.

By recognising these researchers and celebrating their achievements, the Infosys Prize aims to inspire young minds to explore science as a career option and advance innovation in the country, the foundation said.

“With improving synergies between the scientific community and industry we are poised for cutting-edge science and research innovation. The science of today is, after all, the technology of tomorrow,” said K. Dinesh, President of ISF.

Engineering and Computer Science

In the field of Engineering and Computer Science, Navakanta Bhat, Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore was awarded for his work on the design of novel biosensors based on his research in biochemistry and gaseous sensors that push the performance limits of existing metal-oxide sensors.

Mr. Bhat has devised gas sensors with ultra-precise detection accuracies necessary for space and environmental monitoring, especially useful for India’s growing space, atomic energy and security programmes, ISF said.

Humanities

In the Humanities category, Kavita Singh, Professor and Dean, School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi was awarded for her study of Mughal, Rajput and Deccan art.

Ms. Singh’s work shows the significance of museums in highlighting the social impact of art, and thereby relates visual culture to large contemporary questions of secularity, modernity, and political conflict, the foundation said.

Life Sciences

The prize for Life Sciences was awarded to Roop Mallik, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai for his work on molecular motor proteins, which are crucial for the functioning of living cells.

Mr. Mallik has identified and measured forces needed to transport large particles inside cells, and demonstrated their role in fundamental processes such as targeting pathogens for their destruction and moving lipid droplets for fatty acid regulation in the liver.

Mathematical Sciences

Nalini Anantharaman, Professor and Chair of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Study, University of Strasbourg, France was awarded the prize in Mathematical Sciences for her work related to “Quantum Chaos”.

The quantum world is the one of the deepest secrets of the universe and mathematics is the language that helps us understand this world, ISF said.

Mathematicians and physicists have been trying for decades to unravel the mysteries of this subatomic world.

Physical Sciences

In the field of Physical Sciences, S.K. Satheesh, Professor, Centre for Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, was awarded for his pioneering scientific work in the field of climate change.

His studies on black carbon aerosols, the dark, light absorbing, microscopic particles in air which greatly influence the energy balance of the atmosphere over the Indian subcontinent, have enabled a better understanding of the role of these particles on climate change, precipitation, and, human health in the Indian subcontinent.

Social Sciences

The Infosys Prize 2018 for Social Sciences is awarded to Sendhil Mullainathan, Professor of Computation and Behavioral Science, the University of Chicago in the U.S. for his path-breaking work in behavioural economics, ISF said.

Mr. Mullainathan’s research has had substantial impact on diverse fields such as development, public finance, corporate governance and policy design.

A significant part of this work is relevant to India, ISF said.

“We hope the work of all our winners bears fruit and helps improve societies and economies across the world,” said Mr. Dinesh.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Science / by PTI / Bengaluru – November 13th, 2018

Seva Rathna awarded to Bhujang Shetty

Records, All, Science & Technology

The award was presented by Kadamba Cultural Association for the Disabled as part of their state level cultural programme.

Bengaluru :

Recognising his significant contribution to the field of ophthalmology and eye donation, Dr. K. Bhujang Shetty was conferred with the Seva Rathna award in memory of Helen Keller by drama writer Dr. K. Marulasiddappa. The award was presented by Kadamba Cultural Association for the Disabled as part of their state level cultural programme.

Dr. K. Bhujang Shetty, Chairman and Managing Director, Narayana Nethralaya, said, “There are two types of blindness – curable and incurable. We as doctors cannot do much for incurable blindness. But if there is even a single person with curable blindness, it will be our fault. Our vision is to work towards eradicating curable blindness. As Helen Keller once said ‘If there is anything worse than blindness it is to have sight and no vision’.”

“In the last two years, Narayana Nethralaya has given over `9.35 crore in subsidy and free surgical care for the poor throughout the state. Our KIDROP programme, a Public Private Partnership with the National Health Mission (NHM), Government of India, is a telemedicine programme to prevent and treat blindness in infants caused by Retinopathy Of Prematurity in rural areas,” Shetty added.

In less than a decade, the hospital has screened over 1 lakh infants and prevented blindness in over 1,900 pre-term babies, saving `450 crore in blind-person-years. Narayana Nethralaya has an eye bank with over 65,000 donors who have pledged their eyes.

“In the past five years, over 750 camps have been conducted across the state, close to 1.75 lakh people screened and over 8,000 free surgeries have been performed. In the same period, over 250 camps have been conducted in schools,” added Shetty.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / November 12th, 2018