Category Archives: Science & Technology

Mum’s the word

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She might be known as Sandalwood beauty Sree Leela’s mother now, but Dr Swarnalatha has always been a rockstar in her field of work.

Dr Swarnalatha with her daughter Sree Leela (right) and actor Radhika Pandit
Dr Swarnalatha with her daughter Sree Leela (right) and actor Radhika Pandit

Bengaluru :

She might be known as Sandalwood beauty Sree Leela’s mother now, but Dr Swarnalatha has always been a rockstar in her field of work. One of the most sought-after gynaecologists and fertility specialists in the city, she has helped many Kannada filmstars like Radhika Pandit and Yash welcome their bundles of joy. Swarnalatha is currently working on a book about the most common gynaecological issues. “The book will be like a handbook for women of all ages. It will have details about the changes a woman’s body goes through, right from puberty to menopause,” says the 51-year-old doctor who has been specialising in artificial reproductive methodology for 13 years.

With Sandalwood actors having consulted her for a long time, she says the biggest problem that women in the industry face is stress and erratic lifestyles, which affect their bodies directly. “Stress, constant weight gain or weight loss, etc are part of the job. But it has huge repercussions on your body which may lead to various gynaecological issues, including infertility,” she points out. Working with filmstars might sound like a fun job but she says it also comes with its own set of risks and responsibilities.

“They all come to me with trust. Although I keep all my patients’ cases confidential, stars also bring in a lot of curiosity among people. So I am always intimately involved with a case so that everything comes under my direct supervision,” she explains, adding, “Since their appearance is a critical part of their job, they are also constantly worried about the physical changes that their body goes through, so for any step that we take, we have to keep that into consideration too.”

Swarnalatha is also a hands-on mother, a fact that she says her daughter’s colleagues in the film fraternity can vouch for. “I know her routine by heart. I constantly check with the production team to know if she has had food, etc. I am sure she gets irked by that but later she comes around and says I was right. So that kind of makes up for everything,” says Swarnalatha, revealing that her only concern about her daughter joining the showbiz bandwagon was that Leela should finish her education. “She is currently in the final year of MBBS. Even both my older sons have finished their higher studies, so education is very important in the family,” says Swarnalatha.

Medicine may be her forte but she also nurtures a love for performing on stage, being a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and having performed on stage multiple times. “Even Leela says I should have been the first one in the family to enter the movie industry. I have never planned my life, so you might see me playing the role of a mother in future,” she laughs.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monika Monalisa / Express News Service / June 10th, 2020

H. Narasimhaiah: A legacy in Gandhian and rationalist thoughts

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File photo of H. Narasimhaiah going on a morning walk at Lalbagh in Bengaluru in June 1998.
File photo of H. Narasimhaiah going on a morning walk at Lalbagh in Bengaluru in June 1998.

Saturday marks the birth centenary of noted educationist, physicist, freedom fighter and rationalist H. Narasimhaiah. Given his simplicity — always clad in Khadi panche and jubba and living in a student hostel — he would have shunned any ostentation around the day if he were alive, say his long-time associates at the National Education Society (NES). HN, as he was fondly called by students, taught physics at National College at Basavanagudi, which was run by the society, and later headed it.

In a way befitting his memory, the society has decided to mark the centenary with a year-long expansion of laboratories for Internet of Things, Robotics, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence at National Colleges, said S.N. Nagaraja Reddy, secretary of NES.

Humble beginnings

Born into a poor family at Hosur, Kolar district, in 1920, the young Narasimhaiah walked to the city (over 85 km away) to join National High School in 1935. The school also became a platform for his interaction with Mahatma Gandhi the very next year, when the latter visited it and young Narasimhaiah was the translator for his speech. He became a lifelong Gandhian. He was jailed during the Quit India Movement. While he went on to do his Ph.D in nuclear physics at Ohio State University in 1960, he remained a strong votary of non-violence and peace and idolised Albert Einstein.

Since the day he joined National High School, he remained associated with NES till his last breath. He studied, taught at, and headed it for decades, and also expanded its horizons. He went on to be Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University in 1972-77, when he shifted it to the Jnana Bharati campus, and started many departments — Performing Arts, Psychology, Business Administration, and Mass Communication.

“He believed education and rational thinking were the means to uplift the masses. He started five schools and colleges in remote villages of Kolar district, including at his native Hosur, taking affordable public education to the underdeveloped district’s villages,” said H.V. Venugopal, a former principal at National College, Basavanagudi.

Fighting godmen

A firm believer in science, Narasimhaiah is best known for his campaigns against godmen and their so-called miracles. “He was a rare public intellectual — a sceptic and rationalist who questioned godmen and all claims of miracles. He influenced a generation of youngsters to question,” said Dr. Venugopal. Narasimhaiah instituted the first ever Committee to Investigate Miracles and Verifiable Superstitions within Bangalore University, when he was V-C.

The committee’s efforts to probe the miracles by Sathya Sai Baba, who often conjured sacred ash, lemons, watches, and gold ornaments out of thin air, led to a heated debate in the State. “If Sai Baba can create objects out of thin air, I request him to give me a pumpkin,” he once famously said.

Narasimhaiah resigned as Vice-Chancellor when Govind Narain, a Sathya Sai Baba devotee, took charge as Governor of the State in 1977. “I thought about it. The Chancellor is a devotee of Sai Baba, while the Vice-Chancellor is the chairman of the committee to investigate his ‘miracles’. I resigned to avoid any conflict,” he wrote in his autobiography Horatada Hadi (A Path of Struggle). The very next day, he returned to National College and resumed teaching. His work as chairman of the legislative committee that probed incidents of Bhanamati (black magic) in Kalaburagi and Bidar in 1980 played a key role in creating awareness that some of them were manifestations of mental health issues and were treatable.

“The rationalist movement in Karnataka was a low-key affair until he started creating ripples,” said Narendra Nayak, president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations. He was instrumental in starting Karnataka Rajya Vijnana Parishat and Bangalore Science Forum — two forums that have been working for decades to spread scientific temper.

Narasimhaiah was a lifelong sceptic with one motto — “never accept anything without questioning” — something he borrowed from Gautama Buddha. “His motto is all the more relevant now. In an age of cult following in every sphere of life, the only way we can rescue ourselves is by a simple act — questioning,” said Nagaragere Ramesh, former principal of an NES college.

Promoter of arts and Kannada

National College turned into a vibrant theatre hotspot in the city under the tutelage of Narasimhaiah. The annual inter-class drama competitions were where many lead actors of Kannada cinema took to stage for the first time in their lives. He had a keen interest in not only theatre but in all art forms. He started the Performing Arts course at Bangalore University and Bangalore Lalitha Kala Parishat. A passionate votary of primary education in Kannada, he also headed the Kannada Development Authority.

Sense of humour

Narasimhaiah once wrote a letter to the city’s civic body about the pathetic condition of vans transporting the dead, and ended it with the line, “The vans should be maintained so well that one should feel like going and sleeping in them”. The “Nale Baa” writing on doors to ward off ghosts become “Ivatte Baa” (come today only) on his hostel door. Even on his deathbed, he joked of his cremation, asking his students and colleagues to use only dried firewood as only that would ensure he did not wake up coughing.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by K.V. Aditya Bharadwaj / Bengaluru – June 05th, 2020

Move over NASA, IISc builds ventilator in just 60 days

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Indigenous prototype

A ventilator developed by IISc
A ventilator developed by IISc

A crash-course programme by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to develop a new ventilator model has resulted in a proof-of-concept prototype some 60 days later.

The development has been compared to a similar ventilator programme by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which churned out a working, high-pressure prototype in 37 days.

“What both projects have in common is utilising engineering know-how for different applications,” said Dr Gaurab Banerjee, of the institute’s Electrical Communications Engineering (ECE) Department and one of the core members of the development team.

Dr Banerjee insisted that the invention, dubbed “Praana” took just 35 days from the drawing board to the prototype stage. “The initial days of the project were spent ensuring that we could replicate ventilator mechanics,” he said.

But where the JPL device has a lifespan of three to four months, the IISc team said their unit is intended as a full-fledged alternative to existing ventilators.

“The technology will be transferred to interested manufacturers,” the IISc team said, adding that the new unit would probably be priced between Rs 1.5 and 2 lakh per unit. Existing commercial machines cost between Rs 5 to 7 lakh.

Before that happens, however, the unit still has to pass compliance tests to ensure that it stands up to field use.

Worst-case scenario

But is such a project needed? When the team first began their work, there was a serious shortage of ventilators in the country. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the country had roughly 14,000 ventilators, out of which 734 were in Karnataka.

The situation has now changed with a Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) spokesperson telling DH that the company is already churning out ventilators against a 30,000-unit order.

The IISc team, however, pointed to the recent surge in cases in Karnataka and in Mumbai, coupled with observations that the pandemic could rebound in winter, as a sign that we are not yet out of the woods.

“We will have this completely indigenous technology, built mostly out of water filter automotive parts, ready if things get worse,” they said.

The project began in the penultimate week of March, with staff from both the ECE and the Department of Aerospace Engineering, and joined over the internet by volunteers.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City> Top Bengaluru Stories / by Akhil Kadidal / DHNS, Bengaluru / June 03rd, 2020

KIMS doctors taste success with plasma therapy

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The medical team that performed plasma therapy. | Photo Credit: Kiran Bakale
The medical team that performed plasma therapy. | Photo Credit: Kiran Bakale

COVID-19 patient’s condition had turned to normal from critical

In a first, the doctors of Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital (KIMS) have tasted success with plasma therapy on a COVID-19 patient in Hubballi.

Director of KIMS Ramalingappa Antaratani and Medical Superintendent Arunkumar C. told presspersons in Hubballi on Tuesday that the patient’s condition had turned to normal from critical.

Dr. Ramalingappa said that the 65-year-old male patient (P-2170) was on oxygen support when they began plasma therapy on May 28. “We counselled the other COVID patients who have been discharged from the hospital. A 63-year-old male from Hubballi (P-373) agreed to donate plasma for treatment. We took the help of Dr. RB Patil Cancer Institute at Navanagar, Hubballi, for extraction of plasma. Subsequently 200ml of plasma was given twice to the patient and he started showing signs of recovery.”

The patient responded well to the therapy and his condition had improved drastically.

To a query, Dr. Ramalingappa clarified that plasma therapy was not the first line of treatment and would be given to only specific cases of moderate to severe symptoms. The doctors were contemplating to administer the same on severe cases from other districts. “But we need donors and that’s why we are trying to counsel the cured patients.”

He clarified that regular observation would be done of both the donor and receiver.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Corresondent / Hubballi – June 02nd, 2020

Biocon’s partner Mylan receives favourable ruling for device in U.S.

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Clears hurdle for patenting Biocon’s Insulin Glargine.

Biocon Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Appeal Board (PTAB) ruled in favour of Mylan, Biocon’s partner in inter-partes review (IPR) proceedings, finding all challenged claims of Sanofi’s Lantus SoloSTAR device patents unpatentable. The PTAB found three claims of patent unpatentable, and two claims to be patentable. However, Mylan and Biocon previously obtained a covenant not to sue from Sanofi on the patent and therefore this ruling does not impact Biocon and Mylan’s ability to commercialise Semglee (Insulin Glargine) upon final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The PTAB also found Sanofi’s proposed amended claims for the ‘486 and ‘844 patents unpatentable. Dr. Christiane Hamacher, CEO and Managing Director, Biocon Biologics, said, “We are extremely pleased with the U.S. PTAB’s ruling in favour of our partner Mylan for four device patents of Sanofi’s Lantus SoloSTAR. This strengthens our resolve to provide high-quality, affordable Insulin Glargine to diabetic patients in the U.S. and generate savings for their healthcare system. Our partner’s New Drug Application (NDA) for Semglee is under active review by the U.S. FDA and this favourable ruling further clears the path for the anticipated launch of our Glargine in the U.S. in mid-CY20..”

Last month, the PTAB held the sole challenged claim of another Lantus SoloSTAR device patent as unpatentable and in March, Mylan and Biocon announced that a U.S. court found the asserted claims of the ‘844 patent not infringed by Mylan’s Insulin Glargine product and invalid for lack of written description. Sanofi’s formulation patents were previously affirmed to be invalid by the Federal Circuit.

“The positive IPR developments are greatly encouraging as we believe greater competition in the U.S. insulins market will help rationalise the cost of therapy and generate savings for the healthcare system. Once approved and commercialized, our co-developed Semglee will expand access to insulin therapy. Lantus is a long-acting insulin used to treat adults with type-2 diabetes and adults and pediatric patients with type-1 diabetes for the control of high blood sugar. Our partner, Mylan’s New Drug Application (NDA) is under active review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”

Sanofi sells the product in vials (Lantus) and as a disposable injection pen (Lantus SoloSTAR®). Sanofi’s total IQVIA sales for the 12 months ending March 31, 2020, were approximately $1.71 billion for Lantus 100 Units/mL and about $4.32 billion for Lantus SoloSTAR.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> Industry / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – June 01st, 2020

Capgemini’s Delaporte to take over as Wipro CEO and MD

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Thierry Delaporte.
Thierry Delaporte.

Frenchman had spent 25 years with the consulting firm

Wipro Limited on Friday appointed Thierry Delaporte as its new CEO and MD. The appointment is effective from July 6.

In a regulatory filing, Wipro said: “Until recently, Thierry Delaporte was the chief operating officer of Capgemini Group and a member of its group executive board. During his 25-year career with Capgemini, he held several leadership roles including that of the CEO of the global financial services strategic business unit, and head of all global service lines. He also oversaw Capgemini’s India.”

Mr. Delaporte will be based in Paris and report to chairman Rishad Premji. The company’s current CEO and MD Abidali Neemuchwala will relinquish his position on June 1.

Commenting on Wipro’s new French connection, global analysts who know Mr. Delaporte, say: the new leader comes with a strong finance background and he will be able to bring operational and financial discipline at Wipro. They also said that culture too won’t be a big challenge for Mr. Delaporte as he worked with several companies of diverse cultures, although culture fit’ is a major `concern’ and `criteria’ for CXO selection for many family-driven businesses in India as well as globally.

Thierry is a global leader and has worked with multiple cultures, across different types of companies. He has experience in the international environment and worked in similar types of company cultures,’’ said Ray Wang, principal analyst, founder and chairman of Silicon Valley-based Constellation Research Inc,. Commenting on the appointment, Peter Bendor-Samuel, CEO, Everest Group, said, “[Mr.] Thierry is an interesting choice for Wipro, signalling its move to be a true multinational and global player. [Mr.] Thierry faces many challenges as he assumes Wipro leadership; the biggest amongst them is to get Wipro back to industry-leading growth. To achieve this, he must increase accountability, and streamline decision making.”

Phil Fersht, CEO and chief analyst at London-based HFS Research, said, “He is an ambitious business leader with a strong finance background. He will bring strong operational and fiscal discipline to Wipro and has a lot of energy and leadership capabilities.”

As per analysts, everything has quickly changed, in a post pandemic world, including market realities, business challenges, customer needs and work culture and with these also changed the role, priorities and focus of global tech leaders.

On the priorities in front of Wipro’s new leader, as per analysts, the challenges going forward are to bring the vast elements of Wipro together onto accounts. There are many opportunities for multiple teams to work with clients at the same time and gain synergies.

This requires a relook at how industries are organised as they get collapsed post pandemic. For example, manufacturing, retail, and distribution are very similar today just like telecom, media, entertainment, and technology. Those collapsed value chains will change how companies like Wipro service these industries,’’ added Mr Wang. According to Mr. Fersht, Thierry has an immediate challenge of creating a renewed strategy for Wipro and bringing in some new leadership in various areas. “He will likely look to restructure the firm as it seeks to develop a “digital workplace” delivery model for the post-COVID environment that caters for intense cost pressures, remote staff and rapid transformation that many clients demand.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> India / by Mini Tejaswi / Bengaluru – May 29th, 2020

Two Mangaluru hospitals get ICMR nod for COVID-19 testing

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ICMRbf23may2020

Experts from both hospitals have been trained at NIMHANS

Father Muller Medical College Hospital in the city and K.S. Hegde Hospital in Deralakatte have received approval from ICMR for conducting COVID-19 sample tests.

The laboratories at both the hospitals have begun conducting RT-PCR method of testing for COVID-19.

Experts from both the hospitals have undergone special training at NIMHANS, which is the mentor institute for COVID testing in the State, the hospitals said in separate press releases.

The release from Father Muller Medical College Hospital said that the test will be done only for suspected cases as per ICMR protocol on prescription by physicians with proper documentation using ICMR RT-PCR app.

A dedicated kiosk for sample collection is also available at the hospital for out-patients. Specimens are transported to the laboratory through proper cold chain and safety protocols, the release said.

K.S. Hegde Hospital said that Amit Kelgi from its Department of Microbiology has been appointed as the Nodal officer of the testing facility The Viral Transport Medium would be provided to all recognised health centres free of cost to collect the throat swab sample. Tests will be done at affordable cost as per government guidelines and test results will be reported by expert staff on the same day, the release said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by Special Correspondent / Mangaluru – May 23rd, 2020

ITI Ltd. makes face shields; to be provided to healthcare setups, local administration

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The company plans to provide face shields to airports, municipal corporations, police departments, state governments, corporates in the second phase

To strengthen the government’s Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and to prevent the spread of coronavirus, ITI Limited, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Communications, has started manufacturing face shields at its Bengaluru-based unit.

The 3D designed face shield provides protection to the facial area including eyes, nose and mouth from sprays and droplets. The indigenous face shield allows for hassle-free respiration.

Commenting on the steps taken by the company, R.M. Agarwal, Chairman & Managing Director, ITI Limited, said, “ITI has joined the fight against coronavirus as the number of positive cases in the country are increasing everyday and being country’s first PSU we have an obligation to extend help to corona warriors across the country. The company is now capable of producing half a million face shields a month which may be extended to 1.5 million face shields per month in the coming days”.

“In the first phase, the company is providing these face shields to various healthcare setups, educational institutes, NGOs and local administrations on complementary basis. In the second phase, we are planning to provide these to various organisations such as airports, municipal corporations, police departments, state governments, corporates etc.,” Mr. Agarwal added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – May 26th, 2020

Free app to help dementia patients and caregivers

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It has been developed by the Nightingales Medical Trust

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the restrictions accompanying it, have been especially taxing for people suffering from dementia and their caregivers, for whom this time has been physically and psychologically burdensome.

To ensure a support system for them, the Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT), an NGO working with the elderly and for those with dementia, has developed Demkonnect, a mobile application which is aimed at providing access to care and support related to dementia. This app is available on Android and iOS and is free of cost.

According to NMT, the nature of the disease tends to cause disorientation and makes those who are affected more vulnerable. This has a direct impact on the stress levels of caregivers. Family members, who have now turned into full-time caregivers, have noticed symptoms of dementia, like memory loss and behavioural changes, but are unable to visit a specialist and seek a formal diagnosis due to the lockdown and the fear of contracting the virus, a release said.

The application has options based on the need of the user.

“The Memory Screening option enables the user to assess their loved ones or themselves through a range of questions which would advise them on how to go forward based on the score. This could then be followed up with a consultation with a dementia care expert, through the chat option or through a video call. This is specially intended for those who are unable to visit a specialist for a diagnosis. Family carers, who are facing challenges at home or have queries regarding care of a person with dementia, can opt for the consult-an-expert option, which would enable the user to chat with a dementia care expert any time between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.,” the release explained.

Users can learn from the experiences of other family carers and share their own experiences through the Communities option.

With day care centres closed, the Demkonnect app has a few brain games to keep patients engaged and a Reminiscence album, which can help the user reminisce by discussing memories and past experiences using prompts such as photographs. The app aims to remove the stigma associated with dementia by educating users about the disease, the release added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / May 26th, 2020

UAS-B launches YouTube channel and toll-free telephone number

Agriculture, Records, All, Science & Technology

Both facilities are aimed at helping farmers, students

The University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru (UAS-B) has launched its official YouTube channel and toll-free telephone number to help farmers and students as well as the general public.

Both the facilities were launched by Vice-Chancellor S. Rajendra Prasad on Friday. The YouTube channel which can be viewed on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3_lfb8uL8gXMJtckT3Bq provides information on the university, agricultural education, research and extension, research stations and Krishi Vigyan Kendras of the university and various facilities available for agriculture.

The vice-chancellor said farmers could also get information on the services available from the university through this channel while students could get information on various agricultural courses that can be pursued after completing II PU.

Similarly, farmers could get technical information related to agriculture by calling the toll-free telephone No: 18004250571. Also, farmers could WhatsApp pictures related to diseases and pest attack to mobile No: 9482477812 to get accurate information related to remedial measures, the Vice-Chancellor said.

He called upon farmers to make use of the above facilities.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – March 22nd, 2020