Category Archives: Education

Mangaluru professor Dr Anurag Bhargava makes app for TB patients

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

A professor from Mangaluru has developed a first-of-its-kind mobile application for tuberculosis patients ahead of World Tuberculosis Day on Saturday (March 24).

An Android-based application ‘N-TB’ was developed by Dr Anurag Bhargava, professor of medicine, Yenepoya Deemed to be University, Mangaluru in collaboration with McGill International TB Centre, Canada, to calculate the body mass index (BMI) of patients with tuberculosis.

According to doctors, TB often results in significant weight loss, which can exacerbate under-nutrition. Under-nutrition in TB patients points toward a consistent risk factor. Such patients are also at a higher risk of side-effects of drugs, poor absorption of drugs, reduced ability to return to work, and recurrence of the disease.

The application will tell the users their BMI and will counsel them on an appropriate diet regime which includes daily caloric and protein intake based on their BMI.

“The application is currently intended to help healthcare providers to quickly assess the body mass index of patients with TB and how severely undernourished the patient is so that they can be guided accordingly,” said Dr Bhargava.

He added that the TB cards currently record the weight alone and not the height to assess the nutritional status of the person, whereas the new application assesses the height and weight to calculate the BMI of the person.

He said the new N-TB mobile application specifies the weight and height and raises a red alert if it is below the desired weight.

The application was launched on Thursday (March 22) and is yet to be rolled out. It can currently be downloaded from Playstore free of cost.

“Certain aspects for the application such as analysing nutrition component, counselling are to be improvised,” said Dr Bhargava.

The application, endorsed by Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and World Health Organisation (WHO), was included in the new initiatives unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the Delhi End TB Summit on March 13, 2018.

“We are glad that such as application was developed, but we are yet to receive information on the use and implementation of the application,” said Dr Ramachandra Bairy, Joint director, TB, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> States / DH News Service, Bengaluru- Mangaluru / March 24th, 2018

Karnataka : Manipal Professor’s tryst with Antartica

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

ManipalProfessorBF23mar2018

Balakrishna spent 95 days there as part of a research expedition

AManipal professor is back from Antarctica — what he calls a lifetime experience — where he spent 95 days at various Indian research bases such as Bharati and Maitri. Dr K Balakrishna, professor, Dept of Civil Engineering, was part of the 37th Indian Scientific Expedition to the coldest continent along with 40 other scientists from IMD, GSI, IIG, BARC, BSI, ISRO, NCAOR and logistics personnel from Army, Border Roads Organization and others.

He was the only scientist from a deemed private University for the expedition, organized by the National Centre for Antarctica and Ocean Research (NCAOR), a research institute of Ministry of Earth Sciences and based in Goa.

“The selection procedure was tough as it demanded not only research work but also physical fitness, including two weeks of snow acclimatization at the Mountain-eering and Skiing Institute of Indo-Tibetian Border Police in Auli, Uttarakhand. Acclimatization included mountaineering, trekking across the Himalayan terrains and rock-climbing,” Dr K Balakrishna said.

Describing the entire experience as thrilling and most unforgettable, Prof Balakrishna said, “It was a rewarding experience for me both professionally and personally. Though it was tough initially with temperature dipping -10 degrees, I acclimatized quickly and got down to my research.

The research was on obtaining a baseline of micro-pollutants like pharmaceuticals, personal care products and other naturally occurring metals in the seawater, sea-ice, lakes, sediments and soil of the region. He collected over 100 samples at different locations within a radius of 20 km from the Bharati station.

The samples are being analyzed at Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences lab here.

Prof Krishnamurthy Bhat is the co-investigator of the project. The sampling was done by travelling across the region through skidoo (snow scooter) and helicopter. Bharati station has 24×7 broadband internet access with comfortable rooms, , library, Indian food and so on. The Indian expedition also used MV Ivan Papanin, an Indian ship chartered exclusively for the Antarctica expedition.

His study: Effect of micro-pollutants

The professor is measuring the level of micro-pollutants in seawater, sea-ice, lakes, sediments and soil of the region. Talking about the experiment, he said, “The environment in Antarctica is pristine with minimal pollution. However, in that region there are three stations – India, Russia and China.

Whenever we go on field trips, we use sunscreen lotions and other personal care products to prevent us from UV radiation. In the stations, we use several other products like soaps/detergents. All these contents have low amount of antibiotics. There are chances that these products including medicines we eat, may go in low doses to the sea water and may affect the sensitive eco-system. The fauna may not die, but there could be side-effects.

I am trying to get the current status of the micro-pollutants- pharmaceuticals. They may be in very low concentration, but this can affect the sensitive fauna. I am measuring the level of micro-pollutants in seawater or lakes and so on.”

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> News> States / March 22nd, 2018

Dravidian language family is 4,500 years old: study

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The Dravidian language family’s four largest languages — Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu — have literary traditions spanning centuries, of which Tamil reaches back the furthest, researchers said.

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The Dravidian language family, consisting of 80 varieties spoken by nearly 220 million people across southern and central India, originated about 4,500 years ago, a study has found.

This estimate is based on new linguistic analyses by an international team, including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany, and the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun.

The researchers used data collected first-hand from native speakers representing all previously reported Dravidian subgroups. The findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, match with earlier linguistic and archaeological studies.

South Asia, reaching from Afghanistan in the west and Bangladesh in the east, is home to at least six hundred languages belonging to six large language families, including Dravidian, Indo-European and Sino-Tibetan.

The Dravidian language family, consisting of about 80 language varieties (both languages and dialects) is today spoken by about 220 million people, mostly in southern and central India, and surrounding countries.

The Dravidian language family’s four largest languages — Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu — have literary traditions spanning centuries, of which Tamil reaches back the furthest, researchers said.

Along with Sanskrit, Tamil is one of the world’s classical languages, but unlike Sanskrit, there is continuity between its classical and modern forms documented in inscriptions, poems, and secular and religious texts and songs, they said.

“The study of the Dravidian languages is crucial for understanding prehistory in Eurasia, as they played a significant role in influencing other language groups,” said Annemarie Verkerk of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

Neither the geographical origin of the Dravidian language nor its exact dispersal through time is known with certainty.

The consensus of the research community is that the Dravidians are natives of the Indian subcontinent and were present prior to the arrival of the Indo-Aryans (Indo-European speakers) in India around 3,500 years ago.

Researchers said that it is likely that the Dravidian languages were much more widespread to the west in the past than they are today.

In order to examine questions about when and where the Dravidian languages developed, they made a detailed investigation of the historical relationships of 20 Dravidian varieties.

Study author Vishnupriya Kolipakam of the Wildlife Institute of India collected contemporary first-hand data from native speakers of a diverse sample of Dravidian languages, representing all the previously reported subgroups of Dravidian.

The researchers used advanced statistical methods to infer the age and sub-grouping of the Dravidian language family at about 4,000-4,500 years old.

This estimate, while in line with suggestions from previous linguistic studies, is a more robust result because it was found consistently in the majority of the different statistical models of evolution tested in this study.

This age also matches well with inferences from archaeology, which have previously placed the diversification of Dravidian into North, Central, and South branches at exactly this age, coinciding with the beginnings of cultural developments evident in the archaeological record.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Science / by PTI / Berlin – March 21st, 2018

Medicine toppers vow to serve in rural areas

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Two of the gold medal winners at BMCRI convocation are from north Karnataka

Two gold medal winners at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) convocation held on Thursday said they would serve in their hometowns in north Karnataka.

Dr. V.M. Priya from Kalaburagi, who was awarded four gold medals on Thursday, was interested in engineering, but took up medicine on the advice of her elders. “I not able to express my happiness at winning four gold medals. I want to do my masters in paediatrics and serve the people of Kalaburagi. I also plan to provide free medical aid in my village once a week,” she said.

She plans to attempt the civil service exams for an opportunity to serve people better.

Another medal winner Dr. Prakash also expressed interest in pursuing masters in paediatrics and serving rural areas in Bagalkot district.

Former ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar, who presided over the convocation, said that students, after getting their medical degrees, often go abroad in search of better opportunities. “But our people must benefit from your education and expertise. Young doctors need to become pro-active in improving the quality of life in the country,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / March 15th, 2018

Here are innovators you wouldn’t want to miss in a science fair

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, Uncategorized
Ramanagara GWPTR College student Arpita B(Ext. Left) and her friends displayed their Invention Bio- Electrical Body Fat Analyser, at the three day 'Engineering Fair', at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, in Bengaluru on Thursday. DH photo
Ramanagara GWPTR College student Arpita B(Ext. Left) and her friends displayed their Invention Bio- Electrical Body Fat Analyser, at the three day ‘Engineering Fair’, at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, in Bengaluru on Thursday. DH photo

Arpita B enthusiastically clamps the sensors to the wrist. With deft plucking of the keys, she feeds her subject’s age, gender and body weight.

Then, five pairs of eyes excitedly watch the display of the gadget as it flashes some numbers. “Here’s your body fat,” 18-year-old Arpita said with a smile.

Know your body fat

The group of five girls from GWPTR College in Ramanagaram, which Arpita is part of, are proud of their invention – bio-electrical body fat analyser.

The model was one of several exhibits at the three-day engineering fair at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, which showed potential for future mass production.

The girls made this device in two months at Rs 15,500. “We’ve done successful tests on people and several doctors have verified the readings,” Arpita said.

Organised by the ministry of culture for industrial training students between the ages of 18 and 23, the fair displayed several simple innovations that had practical applicability.

Bomb-detection robot

Mohammed Nuhid’s bomb-detection robot is one such invention. The fourth-semester industrial training student from the Government ITI College came up with the solution as he was moved by the scenes of soldiers being ripped apart by IEDs and landmines.

The robot can detect metal, batteries and explosive substances from a distance, Nuhid said. The battery-operated device can crawl several miles, saving the user from harm. Nuhid put the device together in 10 days, spending Rs 4,000.

Wireless CNC tractor

The wireless CNC multi-purpose tractor was one more incredible piece of innovation that five boys from the MEI Polytechnic made for cash-strapped farmers.

“This tractor can perform multiple tasks like removing weeds, tilling land, and sowing and levelling the ground to prevent birds from eating the seeds,” said Dhanush S, who is part of the team that came up with the tractor.

“We designed this exhibit after learning about the troubles farmers go through to hire field hands. This will significantly cut down their labour cost,” Dhanush added.

The team tested the tractor, which they designed in a month and made with just Rs 17,500, at a farm in Hoskote.

Automated sericulture gadget

Three innovators proudly demonstrated the Sericulture and Automation Centre, which would allow farmers to double their silk produce while halving their workload. Works are automatically fed to the centre, where temperature and moisture are moderated. The farmer can monitor the progress on CCTVs or mobile phones.

Hemanth Kumar H A, co-inventor of the technology with fellow students of APS Polytechnic, said the model can also work well for poultry, livestock and pisciculture.

In all, the fair displayed 85 different models ranging from automated money transfers with debit/credit cards, accident safety chambers in aircraft (to ensure passengers do not die in crashes), laser-based thermocol cutters, mobile phone-based home-monitoring devices to automated helmet connector with motorbikes.

A special platform had been given to students from the Association of People with Disability.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DH News Service / Bengaluru – March 16th, 2018

The golden girls of Mysuru university

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Proud moment:Gold medallists at the 98th convocation of the University of Mysore on Monday.M.A. SRIRAM
Proud moment:Gold medallists at the 98th convocation of the University of Mysore on Monday.M.A. SRIRAM

With 13 gold medals and four cash prizes in her kitty, C.N. Shambhavi emerged the ‘golden girl’ at the 98th annual convocation.

Having graduated in MSc. Chemistry, Shambhavi is a native of Chikkabagilu village in Mandya district. She has been a topper all throughout and even won gold medals in her undergraduation.

Round of applause

She drew a round of applause from the audience when her name was called out. Her parents were delighted to witness their daughter’s academic excellence.

Most women achievers at the convocation belonged to rural parts of Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajnagar districts, and most were willing to take up research in their chosen subjects.

Vanaja K.G. was on cloud nine having won eight gold medals and four cash prizes in M.A. Kannada. Dhanalakshmi R. and Manasa D.P. won seven gold medals and nine cash prizes each in B.A. and B.Sc. respectively.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – March 13th, 2018

To UN, on mission menstruation

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MenstruationBF14mar2018

City-based 9th graders take discussion of tabooed subject to govt schools, distribute sanitary napkins

For most adolescent girls, menstruation is a hush-hush affair.

But Nina Reddy and Preethi Subbiah, 9th graders from The International School Bangalore (TISB), want to change this dismal scenario. They have started a project, Svaasthy, to spread awareness on menstruation to girls from underprivileged families. The two girls will also present their work to policy-makers at the UN headquarters in New York.

“We want to educate young girls who are unaware of menstruation because it is a taboo. One of the most integral parts of being a woman is a taboo, and we want to change that. It happens to half the world, why should we hide our feminine nature? What is there to be ashamed of? Being a woman? We think it is necessary to educate girls that menstruation is what makes us women and we need to be able to take care of our menstrual health with the right products and pride,” Reddy said.

“Young girls who cannot possibly ask women in their family about such a tabooed topic, need to know what’s going on inside of them and how to deal with it,” she added. These two girls have found a two-fold solution to the menstrual problem in Indian. “One, is to generate awareness about menstrual health and hygiene via workshops in rural areas as well as to underserved communities and second is to distribute sanitary napkins and the Menstrupedia comic as a guide to girls,” Reddy said.

The girls have been working on implementing their solution and in the last two months they have impacted the lives of 200 girls and handed out over 1,600 sanitary pads with the aid of Apollo Hospitals in three locations in Bengaluru- Government Higher School, Doddakanneli, Namma Mane Orphanage and Samarthanam High School.

They have also created a website (www.svaasthy.net).

About their next project, Subbiah said, “We plan to hold at least two workshops every month in various orphanages and government schools of Bengaluru and distribute more than 5,000 sanitary pads by the end of April, hold fundraisers like bake sales and walkathons and to decrease the overall hesitation around menstruation.”

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bengaluru> Others / by Kumaran P, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / March 14th, 2018

Indo-French centre of excellence

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The Indo-French Centre of Excellence in Electricity Automation and Energy was inaugurated by French Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation Frédérique Vidal on Monday at the New Horizon College of Engineering.

According to a press release issued by the Consulate General of France, this was an initiative of French company Schneider Electric, which would impart technical training to future professionals. It would have a combination of theoretical knowledge with practical use of tools and equipment, the release added.

At the same event, the Minister also witnessed the signing of a partnership between New Horizon College of Engineering and CMQ3M of Rouen, France, which is an institute specialising in electrical engineering and efficiency.

The Minister was on a three day visit to India. On Monday, she also visited the ISRO Satellite Integration and test establishment, and had a collective meeting with French companies which have research and development centres in the city.

She visited the Indian Institute of Science to focus on Indo-French collaborations in the field of scientific research undertaken at IISc. She met French scholars and students on the campus.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / March 12th, 2018

IIMB professor honoured

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G. Raghuram, director of the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, was recently honoured for lifetime achievement at the Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards 2017.

It is supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The award is in recognition of Prof. Raghuram’s work in the transport sector.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – March 12th, 2018

MIT scores hat-trick of wins at IIMB fest

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Students of Manipal Institute of Technology who took part in IIM Bangalore’s cultural fest. | Photo Credit: handout_mail
Students of Manipal Institute of Technology who took part in IIM Bangalore’s cultural fest. | Photo Credit: handout_mail

Students of Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) emerged with flying colours at the just concluded IIM Bangalore cultural fest, Unmaad. A press release issued by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) here on Tuesday said that it was a hat-trick of wins for MIT at the fest, which was held from February 2 to 4.

The students excelled in a number of literary and dramatics events to clinch the overall championship.

The MIT contingent comprised students from first year to the fourth. The performance this year was better than the previous years and what was encouraging was the fact that many first year students prevailed over more seasoned seniors from other colleges.

Aaina Dramatics of MIT managed to clinch the much coveted Curtain Call event, while also bagging the Best Direction and Best Actor awards.

Members of MIT’s Literary, Debate and Quiz Club swept most of the literary events, with Amandeep Singh Kalsi claiming the ‘Best Literary Award’ in addition to his many accolades.

While MIT’s students also shone in the Hindi poetry event, Nishit Singh Chauhan and Vidushee also claimed the elusive titles of Mr. Unmaad and Ms. Unmaad respectively.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by Special Correspondent / Manipal – February 07th, 2018