Category Archives: Science & Technology

Hyderabad Global Hospital Performs Rare Liver Transplant

Records, All, Science & Technology
Mother and donor, Lavanya Jangam, kissing her kid, Sai Jangam, a 10-year-old boy who underwent a rare pediatric liver transplant at Global Hospitals in Hyderabad recently | Neeraj Murali
Mother and donor, Lavanya Jangam, kissing her kid, Sai Jangam, a 10-year-old boy who underwent a rare pediatric liver transplant at Global Hospitals in Hyderabad recently | Neeraj Murali

An unique and innovative pediatric liver transplant procedure performed by liver transplant surgeons at Global Hospitals here helped a mother save her ten-year-old son.

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Global Hospitals Group chairman and managing director Dr K Ravindranath and liver transplant surgeon Dr Thomas Cherian said that it was a very difficult and different kind of liver transplant.

“Such surgeries are not common in the world. It was challenging but things went off smoothly and the patient was saved,’’  Ravindranath said. “When 10-year-old Shiva Sai, who was suffering from liver failure, came to us he was suffering from jaundice. He was even found to be Hepatitis A positive and his condition was rapidly deteriorating. We had only 36 to 48 hours to save the boy and in such a short time getting a perfect donor was very difficult. His mother agreed to donate a part of her liver to save her child.

However, during the scan it was found that she had an unusual liver anatomy where a normal right hepatic vein was absent and out flow of blood in the hepatic veins of her liver was unusual. A standard donor operation would have put her life at risk,’’ Cherian said. As there was very little time the surgeons came up with an innovative idea of extracting the liver from the donor and also implanting into the recipient with minimum risk.

The surgeons used the right sided liver vein in the boy to reconstruct the lower portion of the middle liver vein in the mother’s liver graft. ‘’Our idea worked and both the mother and the child are doing well,’’ Cherian said.

Both the donor and the recipient, who were present at the press conference said they were feeling normal and were recovering fast.

Ravindranath said the cases of liver failures in the country are on the rise. He said if an acute liver failure patient gets a matching donor for transplant there is 90 percent chances of his survival.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / December 12th, 2013

Hyderabad to host 3-day global meet on millets

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Mumbai :

A global meet on millets for expert consultations on their promotion for health and nutrition security will be held in Hyderabad during December 18-20.

Organised jointly by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Directorate of Sorghum Research and Society for Millet Research, the three-day global meet will bring together experts from India and abroad (Africa, Australia, China, and the US).

Topics

They will discuss a range of topics including global millet scenario, genetic improvement, role of private sector in millet consumption, innovations in processing, supply chain management, nutrition and health implications as also government policies and programmes.

Scientists, nutritionists, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers and other stakeholders are participating.

Following the success of Green Revolution and emphasis on fine cereals rice and wheat, in recent decades, there has been a gradual reduction in consumption of millets such as sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, kodo millet, proso millet and barnyard millet, as staple food in the semi-arid regions.

Given the current health and nutritional challenge facing a large number of people, especially the poor, the global meet will attempt to once again evolve strategies to mainstream millets in the daily food of people.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Agri-Biz / by The Hindu Bureau / Mumbai – December 09th, 2013

Hyderabad boy wins All-India Cyber Security Hackathon

Records, All, Science & Technology
Rayaprolu Krishna Chaitanya receives Rs 5 lakh cheque at All-India Hackathon on Cyber Security held in Bangalore.
Rayaprolu Krishna Chaitanya receives Rs 5 lakh cheque at All-India Hackathon on Cyber Security held in Bangalore.

Hyderabad :

City boy Rayaprolu Krishna Chaitanya was adjudged winner at the All-India Hackathon on Cyber Security, EMC Defenders League, held in Bangalore.

Featuring 4,000 contestants from across India, ethical hacker R.K. Chaitanya walked away with a  prize money of Rs 5 lakh.  An  IT specialist, he has worked as a vulnerability research analyst and penetration tester in his previous organisations.

After three weeks of intense online challenges,  30 finalists were picked  from  a mix of experienced developers and students from the industry.

EMC Defenders League was held to reward skills and knowledge on real-world Internet security and to share expertise on cyber security and surveillance, and establish the foundation for future discourses.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Currrent Affairs / DC / December 10th, 2013

Researchers claim development of diabetic-friendly rice varieties

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology
Vice-Chancellor of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University A. Padma Raju addressing farmers and rice millers in Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district on Saturday. / Photo A.V.G .Prasad / The Hindu
Vice-Chancellor of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University A. Padma Raju addressing farmers and rice millers in Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district on Saturday. / Photo A.V.G .Prasad / The Hindu

Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University takes up research on developing the new varieties

Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University has taken up research on development of diabetic-friendly rice varieties in collaboration with private industries, University Vice-Chancellor Alluri Padma Raju disclosed here on Saturday.

Mr. Raju was speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a meeting of rice millers, peasant representatives and agricultural scientists conducted by the Agricultural Research Station (ARS) at Maruteru for popularising new paddy varieties.

“Scientists are on the job of building glycemic indices (GIs) with the data on how much carbohydrates in each existing rice variety raises a person’s blood glucose levels after consuming the particular variety,” he said. As of now, 40 rice varieties were available with the researchers and 14 of them were found to be having anti-diabetic properties. Of them, BPT-5204, popularly known as Samba Masuri, was found to be more friendlier to diabetics, Mr. Raju explained.

The research strategies involved collection of anti-diabetic genes from different varieties and introduced them in the select varieties by way of selective breeding through the marker identification method.

Diabetes was fast spreading and people even below 30 years were falling prey to the disease, of late. The breakthrough, if achieved in the on-going research, would be a boon for the people prone to diabetics caused by food habits, among others, in a country where rice consumption accounted for more than 80 per cent, he hoped.

The Samba Masuri was identified as an ideal variety for projection as more diabetic friendly given its ‘admirable’ strains such as easy to cook and preservation without becoming stale for a long time after cooking and non-sticky in nature, Mr. Raju said.

The V-C informed that the gale-resistant paddy varieties, need of the hour in the cyclone-prone Godavari delta region, were likely to be released in April next, facilitating sowing for the next kharif. The research had been in progress for the last 4-5 years and it was currently under trial in different stages, he added. If these new breeds hit the markets, the paddy growers would be relieved of the miseries caused by the predominant variety of Swarna in view of its susceptibility to lodging at times of cyclones, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by  G Nagarajan / Tadepalligudem (West Godavari Dist.), December 22nd, 2013

Reacting in time on sea crucial: official

Education, Science & Technology
Director of Centreal Institute of Fisheries Nautical & Engineering Training R.C. Sinha and his colleagues of CIFNET Visakhapatnam at the conclusion of training programme for inspectors of Marine Police of the State in Visakhapatnam on Friday. / Photo: C. V. Subramanyam / The Hindu
Director of Centreal Institute of Fisheries Nautical & Engineering Training R.C. Sinha and his colleagues of CIFNET Visakhapatnam at the conclusion of training programme for inspectors of Marine Police of the State in Visakhapatnam on Friday. / Photo: C. V. Subramanyam / The Hindu

Marine Police undergo training in vessel navigation

Sea conditions change drastically but the training provided to senior officers -Inspectors – of the AP Marine Police by the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training (CIFNET) would keep them in good stead and help tackle the difficult conditions, CIFNET Director R.C. Sinha said at the valedictory function of the training programme here on Friday.

Maintaining security was one aspect and reacting in time on the sea was another. Sea was not like a road on which one could stop or start easily and this required the right people with good training, Mr. Sinha told the police officers. Everyone in the Marine Police must be on the sea for at least 10 days in a month, he said.

Referring to the Marine Police, he suggested that some of its boats could be kept with CIFNET by turns for maintenance and training since maintenance was a difficult job.

Fifteen Inspectors of the Marine Police from different police stations along the AP coast received certificates after completing their short-term training programme on vessel navigation and engineering.

Surveyor in-charge cum DDG (tech) of Mercantile Marine Department Jayant Mukhopadhaya wanted the Marine Police to also take up protection of marine life as they were also responsible for taking action against polluting vessels.

Chief Technical Officer of Coast Guard Commandant Manish Bahl professional excellence was required more while discharging duty on the sea. Head of Office of CIFNET’s Visakhapatnam unit A.K. Choudhury said this was one of the best courses designed by his organisation and set a benchmark. Home Guards and some constable attended the training in the first batch. The present batch of police officers evinced keen interest and came up with good queries, he said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police of Marine Police K.V.R. Prasad said 15 Marine Police stations became operational from October last year and the force has now 500 personnel drawn from the civil police. Retired Navy and Coast Guard personnel were recruited as the crew and IG of Marine Police Srinivasa Reddy was planning to take in CIFNET trained youngsters, Mr. Prasad said.

He also said some of the Home Guards trained in the earlier batch had recently caught Sri Lankan fishermen along with their boat off AP coast for illegally entering the Indian waters.

One of the trainees Rudrasekhar said the training helped them understand more about navigation and marine engineering.

Senior Instructors H. Bisoyi and S.B. Rangari and Instructor M. Rangaraju also spoke about the training programme.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Special Correspondent / Visakahapatnam – December 07th, 2013

Hyderabad lad wins hackathon

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

 Hyderabad :

Rayaprolu Krishnachaitanya of Hyderabad emerged winner in the all-India EMC Defenders League that tested 4,000 contestants nationwide for their cyber security skills.

Krishnachaitanya, an ethical hacker, walked away with a prize of Rs 5 lakh, beating about 30 short-listed participants.

“After three weeks of intense online challenges, the event culminated in a faceoff. The 30 finalists were a mix of experienced developers and students from the industry. All the finalists received an iPad Mini tablet each,” an EMC statement said. Krishnachaitanya has worked as a vulnerability research analyst.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Info-Tech / by The Hindu Bureau / Hyderabad – December 06th, 2013

UoH Graduate Develops Coin-operated Laundry

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology
The affordable laundry system, made of three washing machines and coin acceptors from China on display at the University of Hyderabad campus on Monday. (Inset) Surendra Kesana | EXPRESS PHOTO
The affordable laundry system, made of three washing machines and coin acceptors from China on display at the University of Hyderabad campus on Monday. (Inset) Surendra Kesana | EXPRESS PHOTO

Tired of washing your own clothes? One would probably think of buying a washing machine. For 25-year-old Surendra Kesana, an MBA graduate from University of Hyderabad, this was a business opportunity. He developed a coin-operated laundry system, which provides laundry services at affordable rates and is reliable too.

A native of Vijayawada, Surendra developed the unique laundry system as part of his major project in MBA. Making use of his technical expertise of electronics and instrumentation engineering from his B. Tech days and management skills acquired during the MBA course at UoH, Surendra set out to achieve his aim of becoming an entrepreneur. In September, he opened his first coin-operated laundry outlet in the university and proudly claims a customer base of over 1,000 users till date.  “What I have done is basically to indigenise similar systems available abroad. But, what makes my system different is the cost involved and the fact that I was able to convert a domestic washing machine for commercial purposes,” says Surendra who graduated from university in 2013. While a laundry system used commercially would cost anywhere between `3 -4 lakh, Surendra’s systems come for a mere `20,000.

He bought three 4 kg washing machines on EMIs and used his savings to set up laundrette – his outlet in the university. “We  got the coin acceptors from China as they are not available in India and assembled the systems. We use a custom made copper coin for each cycle of 4 kg of clothes,” he said. He charges `50 per cycle.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / December 17th, 2013

Hyderabad Biotechnologist in Marquis Who’s Who

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Zahoorullah S MD, assistant professor of biotechnology at JBR Engineering College, showing the letter received from Marquis Who’s Who in the World informing him of his name’s inclusion in the 2014 edition of the book at a press conference in Hyderabad on Monday. | RVK Rao
Zahoorullah S MD, assistant professor of biotechnology at JBR Engineering College, showing the letter received from Marquis Who’s Who in the World informing him of his name’s inclusion in the 2014 edition of the book at a press conference in Hyderabad on Monday. | RVK Rao

City-based biotechnologist and scientist Zahoorullah Shaikh Mohammed’s biography has been selected and enlisted for publication by Marquis Who’s Who in the World for year 2014.

The 29-year old is currently working as an assistant professor of biotechnology at Joginpally BR Engineering College here. A resident of Aziz Bagh Colony in Tolichowki, Zahoorullah has taught 27 subjects in engineering, presented 20 national and international research papers, attended 20 workshops and authored seven books. His lectures are available on the Internet and are being shared by many foreign universities, according to a press release issued here on Monday.

Marquis Who’s Who, established in 1899, is a renowned American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies of individuals who are achievers in their respective fields. A subsidiary of News Communications Inc, the books are usually titled, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering, Who’s Who in American Politics, etc.

An M.Tech and Ph.D in biotechnology, Zahoorullah became an assistant professor at a young age of 23 and his appointment was ratified by JNTUH. He was also a teacher certified by Dale Carnegie Training Institute, USA in high-impact teaching skills.

He sent his biography in January and, after several stages of screening, its enlistment has been confirmed recently. “I want to become a very well-known scientist and motivate youngsters towards research. Despite having several good laboratories, our students are lagging behind in research. My only aim is to establish myself through innovation in science and engineering, and motivate others,” Zahoorullah told Express.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / December 03rd, 2013

Women shine in green business

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology

 

Picture for representational purpose only.
Picture for representational purpose only.

Hyderabad:

Planning to become a woman entrepreneur? Young women from the state are setting up new businesses and are doing pretty well for themselves.

Several women entrepreneurs came together at the three-day international conference on ‘Green Enterprises and Green Industrial Parks’ organised by ALEAP. The international conference brought women entrepreneurs, sponsors and government officials on a common platform.

Present at the conference was Anusha Barrela, 23. She is the founder and president of three different firms — Bio Conservation Foundation, Saatyaki Foundation and Siaa Enterprises. “The Bio Conservation Foundation aims at rehabilitating endangered flora and fauna. We are currently working on saving the Olive Ridley sea turtle.

In our hatcheries along the east coast of the Bay of Bengal, we store turtle eggs and nourish the hatchlings, which are then released into the sea with the help of the forest department,” she explained. Elephants and sparrows are on the list too.

She is also the founder of Apple Tree (Saatyaki Foundation), a pre-primary school that brings an international curriculum for pre-primary education to South India. Siaa Enterprises deals with publishing children’s books.

Aishwarya, 26, who had a stall at the show, started Tint and Tones, her textile business, about six months ago. The firm deals in organic, hand-woven textiles. A graduate of the Parsons’ School of Design, New York, Aishwarya says, “We work with weavers to develop different kinds of fabrics.”

Speaking about business parks for women entrepreneurs, Rajat Kumar, the commissioner of industries, said, “APIIC is identifying land for these parks. Currently, three such parks at Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Nellore are being developed by ALEAP. Others will begin soon.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Current Affairs / DC / Kruthi Gonwar / July 19th, 2013

TinkerTank Technologies wins ISB’s iDiya Challenge

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology

The student-driven competition aims to stimulate, enable and develop high-impact, self-sustaining social businesses in India.

Tinker Tank Technologies, a ready-to-go-operational start-up venture, has emerged winner of the fifth edition of  iDiyaChallenge, a one-week-long social venture competition that concluded at Indian School of Business (ISB)’s Hyderabad campus on Saturday.
The student-driven competition aims to stimulate, enable and develop high-impact, self-sustaining social businesses in India. Sponsored by ISB, this year’s programme has received 40 applications from participants across the state.
TinkerTank , which has developed Doopica, a low-cost semi-automated incense-stick machine that eliminates hard labour while producing more with less effort, helping women produce four times more incense sticks and increasing their monthly income by Rs 5,000, received an investment support of Rs 2 lakh from ISB.
While Bodhi Health Education, another ready-to-go-operational start-up that aims to provide affordable medical education to health workers in rural and semi-urban areas of India, was the first runner-up, standing in the third place was Rematerials, which makes housing roofs out of waste material for people in villages and slums.
“It is not important to have great technology in order to innovate. It is important to make incremental changes and scale them up,” Jayaprakash Narayan, member of the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh and founder of Loksatta party, said in a release.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business> Companies> News / by K Rajani Kanth / Hyderabad – December 01st, 2013