Category Archives: Science & Technology

Scientist-turned-writer C Radhakrishnan awarded for his novel ‘Theekkadal Katanhu Thirumadhuram’

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Science & Technology
Malayalam author C. Radhakrishnan
Malayalam author C. Radhakrishnan

New Delhi: 

Eminent Malayalam scientist-turned-writer C Radhakrishnan has been selected for the prestigious Moortidevi Award for 2013 for his novel “Theekkadal Katanhu Thirumadhuram”.

The novel is a biographical account of Thunchat Ramaanujan Ezhuthachan, widely regarded as the father of Malayalam language.

The novel attempts to bring back to life the socio-cultural ambience of 15th century, according to a press release issued by Bharatiya Jnanpith which has instituted the award.

Radhakrishnan has also contributed to popular science and all branches of literature, mostly fiction.

Moortidevi Award carries a cash prize of Rs four lakh, a plaque and a statue of goddess Saraswati.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / PTI / June 13th, 2014

Now, robots take up prostate surgery

Science & Technology
The Rs 12-core Da Vinci robot is a three-unit piece which includes a remote-control console, a five-armed robot and a processing system. (Thinkstock Photos/ Getty Images for representation purpose only)
The Rs 12-core Da Vinci robot is a three-unit piece which includes a remote-control console, a five-armed robot and a processing system. (Thinkstock Photos/ Getty Images for representation purpose only)

Kochi :

Robot-assisted surgery has come to town and performed a procedure on 61-year-old for prostate cancer.

“We used a robot-assisted procedure to remove the prostate gland and the surrounding lymph nodes using a robot called Da Vinci. While hospitals are using open or laparoscopic procedure, this method is more efficient, both for the patient as well as the surgeon,” said Dr Kishore T A, consultant urologist and transplantologist, Aster Medcity, Kochi.

The Rs 12-core Da Vinci robot is a three-unit piece which includes a remote-control console, a five-armed robot and a processing system.

The surgeon sits on the remote control console which senses his hand movements and translates them electronically into scaled-down micro-movements to manipulate the tiny instruments.

It also detects and filters out any tremors in the surgeon’s hand which makes the surgery highly accurate and precise, say the doctors.

The robotic surgery, which has been performed in some of the major hospitals in the country, is expected to become popular in the state.

“We need just one nurse at the table to assist the surgeon to hand over the instruments to the ‘arm’ according to the surgeon’s instructions.

“The advantage of robotic prostatectomy is that it reduces pain and blood loss, tissue trauma, a shorter hospital stay, and a quicker recovery period than a traditional prostatectomy.

“You usually can return to normal activity with minor restrictions in two to four weeks after the surgery,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / June 03rd, 2014

Lessons in Alzheimer’s care from India

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technology, World Opinion
A team from Dubai with inmates at the Alzheimer's Centre in the city. / Photo: Vipin Chandran / The Hindu
A team from Dubai with inmates at the Alzheimer’s Centre in the city. / Photo: Vipin Chandran / The Hindu

The Indian model in Alzheimer’s disease care has attracted attention and is going on to become a model to be followed by other countries.

A three-member delegation from Dubai was here recently to learn from the Indian experience of care-giving for Alzheimer’s patients.

The disease affects the memory of the patient and caring for the person becomes an emotional trauma for the family. The disease is more prevalent among the ageing population.

The Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), over the last 20 years, has created a model for many others to follow. Learning from the ARDSI model, the Dubai health authority under the Dubai government has evinced interest in implementing programmes for the care of elderly.

“We have only begun the programme last year”, said Salwa Abdulla Alsuwaidi, director and specialist senior registrar (Geriatrics). “We have a very limited programme in geriatric care, but we want to expand it on a model that suits our culture,” she said. “Families take care of the elderly like in India whereas elderly care in the West is institutionalised,” she added. A support group for Alzheimer’s disease has been formed and through this group the government plans to educate people on how to handle patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

According to Dr. Alsuwaidi, the caregiver training programme being run by the ARDSI could be replicated in Dubai. The programme devised by the ARDSI equips caregivers with skills to handle patients.

Though the elderly in Dubai make only about 5 per cent of the population, the demographics indicate a rise in the population of the elderly to 19 per cent by 2050. Life expectancy has gone up to 77 years for females and 74 years to males. The Dubai government was proactive in learning about the needs of the future, she said.

The ARDSI was doing a lot of community research from which lessons could be learnt, said Mohammed Elnoamani, head of the medical department, Dubai Community Centre for the Elderly.

Jacob K. Roy, chairman of the Alzhiemer’s Disease International (ADI), told The Hindu that the exchange between the two countries was an initiative of the ADI and the initiative was bringing several countries together.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Shyama Rajagopal / Kochi – May 31st, 2014

Launch of Another ‘Pattoor Model’ Today

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Thiruvananthapuram  :

After popularising an organic waste convertor with the epithet ‘Pattoor model’, a mechanism to process non-biodegradable waste is making its appearance at Pattoor from Thursday onwards.

Named ‘Fire-ball Series Green Incinerator,’ the Rs five-lakh worth equipment converts materials made of leather and rubber into ashes at 500 degrees Celsius without consuming fuel or causing environmental pollution.

It is under the aegis of Pattoor Housing Accommodation Scheme Apartment Owners’ and Allottees Association that the initiative has been launched. The machinery is designed by 4 R Technologies in Thrissur.

Fumes emanating during the burning process will be passed through a water scrubber arrangement where toxic gases and particles will dissolve in water and the fumes leaving the chimney would be white in colour. The chimney is installed at a height of 100 feet not to cause atmospheric pollution. To make materials with high moisture content burn faster, an electric blower is also attached.   Getting inspired from the award-winning Malayalam movie ‘Perariyathavar’, the inauguration of the incinerator is to be performed by a Kudumbashree worker Sulochana, who has been engaged in collecting waste from the place for over a decade now. Director of the movie Dr Biju will be honoured by K Muraleedharan MLA. Biju will deliver the keynote address as well.

On the occasion, Mayor K Chandrika will honour three Kudumbashree workers, Sulochana, Mini and Ushakumari. The programme is at 5.30 pm at Pattoor EMS Nagar Apartment Complex.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / May 29th, 2014

Keen sense of smell not a ‘gift,’ says research team

Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technology, World Opinion

With training performance of olfactory system can be improved, as per the findings of a team which includes a researcher from Thrissur

The findings of a team of researchers at the University of Geneva, which includes a neuroscientist who hails from Thrissur, are shedding new light on olfactory perception abilities of human beings.

A team of international neuroscientists, comprising Nixon M. Abraham (India), Roberto Vincis (Italy), Samuel Lagier (France) and Ivan Rodrigues (Switzerland), working at Prof. Alan Carleton’s Lab, Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, has found that long-lasting plasticity occurred at the sensory periphery because of olfactory learning.

The olfactory perception abilities of common perfumers or winemakers are, thus, not a special gift, but a result of sensory drive.

On March 18, the findings were published in the reputed online journal e-Life (http://elife.elifesciences.org/content/3/e02109), edited by Randy Schekman, a Nobel Prize-winning U.S. cell biologist.

“Mammalian brain retains a significant degree of plasticity throughout life. The ability of brain remodelling allows adults to learn new things and adapt to new environment. The plasticity helps brain to recover lost functions after brain injuries,” said Dr. Abraham.

To facilitate new learning, information from the environment must be detected and encoded by sensory systems.

“Fragrant molecules, for example, activate specific receptors in the nose, which in turn, sends information to the anatomical structures — glomeruli — in a region of the brain called the olfactory bulb,” he said.

To determine how learning alters the representation of odours, the scientists used two groups of adult mice: one, trained to distinguish odours of banana, kiwi or clove, while the second was exposed to odours passively. When these two groups were tested with the same odours, the learned group of mice showed more activated glomeruli.

“In human beings, who have a very similar sensory system, this would mean that training may improve the performance of the olfactory system. Our noses are indeed powerful,” he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by K. Santosh / Thrissur – May 19th, 2014

T-TBI Gets Golden Peacock National Training Award

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Technopark Technology Business Incubator (T-TBI) has been chosen for the ‘Special Commendation’ for ‘Golden Peacock National Training Award’ for 2014. The  award instituted by Institute of Directors India has chosen T-TBI for the successful conduct of various training activities undertaken by it in the areas of entrepreneurship development, software engineering, software certification, students’ technical skill enhancement etc. T-TBI is the first business Incubator in India to receive the prestigious Golden Peacock Award.

The award will be presented to T-TBI by Governor of Maharashtra K Sankaranarayanan on May 23, at a function organised at Taj Vivanta here. T-TBI was chosen by the Awards Jury under the chairmanship of Justice P N Bhagwati, former  CJI and Co-Chairmanship of Justice Arijit Pasayat, chairman, Authority for Advance Ruling (Customs, Central Excise & Service Tax) & former Judge, SC of India & former chairman, Competition Appellate Tribunal of India.

“We started talking about innovation when it was literally a new terminology in the IT domain. Technopark-TBI in the last decade has incubated over 190 companies (virtually as well) with almost 95 per cent success rate. “The Golden Peacock Award is a recognition to our efforts in creating an entrepreneurial culture amongst youth in Kerala. Moreover the fact that we are able to inspire more homegrown companies is certainly satisfying,” Technopark CEO K G Girish Babu said.

“Winning Golden Peacock Award is a great honour in corporate excellence. The  award is a recognition for our initiatives to promote entrepreneurship among the youth in Kerala,” K C Chandrasekharan Nair, COO, secretary and Registrar T-TBI said. Earlier T-TBI won the Best Performing Incubator in India Award in 2006 (Govt of India DST), Best Performing  Incubator in Asia Pacific in 2011 (AABI, Shanghai), Best Global Science Based Incubator Award  2012 (Technopolicy Networks Netherlands) and Best CSR Practices Award 2013 (National Forum)

The other winners who shall be honoured with Golden Peacock Awards are: KIMS Hospital   (Quality), Terumo Penpol (Quality). The Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Leadership will be given to P N C Menon, Chairman Emeritus, Shobha Developers Ltd.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service – Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service – Thiruvananthapuram / May 15th, 2014