Monthly Archives: July 2013

Suven secures two more product patents

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

With the new patents, Suven has a total of six patents from Japan and 12 from USA

Hyderabad-based Suven Life Sciences  Limited (Suven) has secured two product patents, one from Japan and another from the US, corresponding to its new chemical entities (NCEs) for the treatment of  neurodegenerative diseases. The patents are valid through 2028 and 2029.

The granted claims of the patents include the class of selective 5-HT compounds discovered by Suven and are being developed as therapeutic agents that are useful in the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with disorders like Alzheimer’s, attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Huntington’s disease, Parkinson  and  Schizophrenia , the company stated in a release on Friday.

With the new patents, Suven has a total  of six patents from Japan and 12 from the US. These patents are stated to be exclusive intellectual property of Suven and are achieved through the internal discovery research efforts. Products out of these inventions may be out-licensed at various phases of clinical development like at Phase I or Phase II.

“We are very pleased by the grant of these patents to Suven for our pipeline of molecules in CNS (central nervous system) arena that are being developed for cognitive disorders with high unmet medical need with huge market potential globally”  Suven chief executive officer, Venkat Jasti, said.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / by BS Reporter / Hyderabad – June 28th, 2013

Postman turns into a Good Samaritan

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Inspiration /Positive News and Features

 

Postman R. Ramachandra Rao / The Hindu
Postman R. Ramachandra Rao / The Hindu

An act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted. Postman R. Ramachandra Rao lives by this lofty maxim.

A modest grade of a postman has never been a barrier for him to rise to the dire needs of the less privileged people around him.

The headmaster of the S.B.S.R.K. Girls High School at Gandhinagar was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Rao approached him expressing his desire to help a few students in his small way. He distributed school bags, uniforms, books and other stationary material to eight students. “I told the students to wait for a few more days to get their uniforms stitched as I needed little more time to mobilise money for it,” he says in a matter-of-fact way.

Earlier, in a similar gesture, Mr. Rao extended help to Ch. Yesubabu, a boy from Singhnagar, who was born with a hole in his heart. “I gave him clothes, bedsheets and a small amount of money,” he says.

A dwarf boy pursuing a degree course in SRR & CVR Government Degree College also attracted his attention. In yet another similar case, responding to a newspaper advertisement by a mother seeking financial help for treatment of her young son suffering from a bone-related ailment, Mr. Rao promptly contributed his mite.

Winner of the Dak Seva Award from Andhra Pradesh last year, Mr. Rao earlier made news for wearing his loyalty to his Department on his sleeve.

In open display of his loyalty to the Department of Posts, he moves around in his uniform, riding a red bicycle. The cycle is equipped with a red bag and a red colour box affixed to the rear. “Even my water bottle and lunch box are also red in colour,” he informs, pointing to the two articles.

A native of Kothapalem village under Muthukur mandal in Nellore district, Mr. Rao came to this city in 1974 and discontinued his studies after he failed in SSC exams and managed to find himself a menial job.

He also has a rare achievement. The Department of Posts, Vijayawada, has released an exclusive postcard with his photograph printed on it.

“My retirement date is due next year. But I don’t want to stop so early,” he says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by P. Sujatha Varma / June 26th, 2013

Indian Maritime University students sail high with solar-powered trimaran

Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology

Visakhapatnam :

Even as the city battles with persistent pollution, students of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) have built a prototype of a solar-powered, single-seater trimaran to make sailing an eco-friendly affair. What’s more, this green trimaran is also highly affordable as it has been built at a cost of just Rs 69,000!

Initial tests indicate that when charged for nearly three hours, this three-metre long and 0.6 metre broad fibre-glass boat, which is powered by a 12V 40AH solar battery weighing 13 kg to feed the four thrusters (two mounted on the main hull and one each on either side of the outriggers), can sail for 70 minutes at a speed of about 8 knots.

A trimaran is a multi-hulled boat that comprises a main hull and two smaller outrigger hulls (floats) which are attached to the main hull with lateral beams. While these are mainly used as sail-driven yachts designed for recreation or racing, there are a few trimaran ferries and warships.

The solar powered trimaran has been designed by IMU’s bachelor of technology students – Soumya Ranjan Subudhi, Avala Venkata Karthik, Asish H Nair and Prathamesh Sakharam Chari – under the guidance of project guide Eswara Arun Kishore. They spent nearly 1000 collective man hours in the last five months to build this boat as part of their final year project in the naval architecture and ocean engineering at IMU Vizag. According to Avala Venkata Karthik, they had built the single-passenger boat from scratch, including the design and construction using fiberglass. “We built the boat keeping lake waters in mind so that it can be ideally used by tourists, but eventually we tested it in the rough conditions of the sea and succeeded. We tested the boat for about half-an-hour on the sea and it performed really well in terms of speed, manoeuvrability and stability,” Karthik explained.

“We got major support from the college, which funded the project. It cost us just around Rs 69,000 to develop the model and thanks to director’s (S C Misra) support we were able to complete the project. He had stressed on the need for developing renewable energy sources models so that we could have a zero-emission boat,” said Prathamesh Sakharam Chari.

Explaining the way the battery works, teammate Soumya Ranjan Subudhi said, “Once the boat is charged and sails in the waters, it can run continuously as the battery keeps getting charged by the solar cells. The pace should ideally be around 2 knots for the battery to get continuously charged.”

On the testing of the boat, Karthik said that Hindustan Shipyard had allowed the students to conduct their checks for an hour or so, ensuring that they measure the ship’s capability even on the sea.

Describing the routine, Asish H Nair said, “We learnt from scratch about boat building as were on a tight budget and had to do a market survey on the type of materials that are economical and as well as carry out the trials. This prototype can be scaled up to bigger boats that can carry up to 6 people.”

IMU Vizag director Prof S C Misra said the brief was to build an eco-friendly boat that does not emit any polluting agents. “We found it to be feasible during the test and are open to assisting any entrepreneurs, who may want to build solar boats,” Misra said.

Initial tests indicate that when charged for nearly three hours, this green boat can sail for 70 minutes at a speed of about 8 knots.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Manish, TNN / June 29th, 2013

Young sailor from Hyderabad to represent country in Hungary

Education, Records, All, Sports
Tarun Bhatia: / Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu
Tarun Bhatia: / Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu

Tarun Bhatia, a 12 standard student of P. Obul Reddy Public School has been selected to represent India in the Laser 4.7 World Sailing Championships 2013 to be held at Lake Balaton Fured in Hungary from July 6 to 13.

The championship is one of the most popular and competitive international sailing meets which usually attracts more than 350 sailors from all over the world. Young Tarun Bhatia began sailing at the tender age of eight years at the Hussainsagar lake inspired by his elder brother and his father Pranav Bhatia, both sailors.

Starting with the Optimist class like many beginners, he has now graduated to sailing the Laser 4.7 Class boats which are a slightly smaller version of the Radial Laser and Standard Laser boats. Tarun has represented India at several championships in the past in the Optimist class.

“The Laser is one of the most popular single-handed boats in the world. It is simple to rig and easy to sail. It also provides very competitive international racing due to the class controls which eliminate differences in hull, sails and equipment. So skill and technique are very important when racing in a Laser,” says Tarun.

Most of the time he practices on his own but sometimes he has been lucky to have as his coach one of India’s most accomplished sailors – Rajesh Choudhary – who himself learned sailing on the waters of the Hussainsagar lake many years ago.

He is a member of the Secunderabad Sailing Club which has produced many champions with the most famous being C.S Pradipak, an Arjuna Award winner.

“Having experienced seniors around me is both an inspiration and a learning experience,” says young Tarun, confident of putting up a good show having already participated in Singapore, Doha and Quingdao (China) international competitions.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Abhijit Sen Gupta / June 29th, 2013

IMA branch to celebrate platinum jubilee tomorrow

Education, Science & Technology

The IMA branch of Vijayawada was first formed as the Bezawada Medical Association

The Vijayawada branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is going to celebrate its platinum jubilee in a big way on Sunday. Union Minister for Textiles Kavuri Sambasiva Rao will inaugurate the celebrations which includes talks on various subjects by doctors and others. The celebrations will be held at the Sesha Sai Kalyanamandapam. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, president P.V. Ramana Murthy, Secretary Vellanki Sridevi, organising committee chairman Kamineni Pattabi Ramaiah and organising committee secretary V. Ram Prasad said that four distinguished speakers will deliver lectures on different subjects. Visiting professor to the Indian Business School (IBS) and corporate trainer Srinivasan Ranganathan will speak on ‘High Impact people skills for medical practitioners’. Former IAS officer and president of the Lok Satta party Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan will speak on ‘Health Care to all through Public Private Participation’. S.C.B. Medical College, Cuttack, Gynaecology department head P.C. Mohapatra will speak on ‘Medical profession — an introspection’ and Anaesthesia professor Meenakshi Sundaram will speak on “Shall we worry about Consumer Protection Act”.

The lectures will be followed by felicitations to former national president, State president and branch presidents.

The IMA branch of Vijayawada was first formed as the Bezawada Medical Association. In 1938, medical practitioners Koka Chalapathi Rao, V. Hanumantha Rao organised a meeting of doctors. Another medical practitioner D.S. Rama Rao presided over the meeting. A resolution was made to form an association and named it the Bezawada Medical Association. As Dr Rama Rao was leaving town, D.L. Charles was elected president and Dr Hanumantha Rao the secretary. To begin with the association has eight members and they all met at the secretary’s house. Today the branch had over 1,200 members.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / June 29th, 2013

Tie me up, tie me down

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

If you thought ear cuffs are meant for your hipsters or teenagers, think again. The accessory which got a posh makeover on the runway from designers Rodarte, Chanel and Marchesa is showing up on a lot of celebrity ears and is a favorite among the college goers.

If you want to make a statement, the ear cuff is right up your alley as they are designed to hug the upper portion of the ear fitting snugly around the outer ear, giving a pierced look. “It’s perfect for those who don’t have pierced ears. I have them in the shape of a vine which has chains hanging from the upper end. It looks very feminine,” says Anahita Sharma, an MNC employee.

Ear cuffs don’t necessarily mean a rock-chic look, as they are available in various styles and designs suited for different age groups. If you want to wear them to work, you can choose from clean, subtle designs in gold and silver with your hair down to create that feminine yet glamorous look. “Go for formal western wear with pants and a blazer teamed with ear cuffs for a polished look. One should be able to carry it off with confidence,” says Shoba Uppe, head of fashion and apparel department, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad.

For those willing to experiment, one can play around with ear cuffs which come with dangling chains and pendants at one end or can be hooked to your hair with the other end cuffed to your ear. Opt for heavy embellished ear cuffs that look like diamonds adorning your ears for a rich, dramatic look. “Pull back your hair while wearing them and they become a cool accessory for a night out or an evening event,” says Ramya Kamineni, a former student of Hamstech Institute of Fashion and Interior Designing.

Ear cuffs are that small detail which give a bit of edge and glam without much effort.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Kota Saumya – Hyderabad / June 26th, 2013

250 million-year-old wood found in Warangal

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All
Specimen of wood fossils found in Sarvai Forest beat. The fossils reportedly date back to 20-250 million years.
Specimen of wood fossils found in Sarvai Forest beat. The fossils reportedly date back to 20-250 million years.
Warrangal:
The Eturunagaram wildlife sanctuary in Warangal is attracting the attention of geologists, botanists and paleo-botanists, after forest officials discovered the abundant presence of wood fossils dating back to 120-250 million years.
These are fossils in the exact replica of cut wood. They are found dotting the landscape  all over Chityal, Chintaguda, Sarvai North and Sarvai South forest in Eturnagaram wildlife sanctuary, making a strong case for declaration of the area as a ‘geo-heritage site’.
Such is their number that almost all small rocks one comes across in the four ‘Forest Beats’ in Eturunagaram wildlife sanctuary turn out to be wood fossils, which are beautiful works of natural art in themselves.
There have been instances of a part of a large trunk of a tree being found in fossilised form at these places in the past, prompting experts to throng the place in large numbers to carry out research work.
Experts suggest that these wood fossils came about during the formation of Gondwana, a super continent comprising present day India, Antartica, Australia, South America and Africa as one whole.
They changed into fossils through a process of cell-by -cell replacement by silica, leading to its petrification, which is defined as the process of turning plant material into stone by infiltration with water carrying mineral particles without changing its original shape.
According to Dr R. Mallikarjuna Reddy, head of the Geology department, Kakatiya University, the Gondwana period between 120-250 million years ago in geological scale is much older than the Jurassic Age (60-120 million years), the age of the dinosaurs.
“The wood fossils site in Eturunagaram is even older than the one found at Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirapalli, a declared natural heritage site in India, which dates back to the Cretaceous period (145 -65 million years). Hence, the site needs protection to save it for the next generation,” said Dr Mallikarjuna Reddy.
The fossil wood, found in Eturunagaram is said to belong to Glossopteris species of trees of the genus gymnosperm, which is now extinct.
The discovery of the Glossopteris species of trees in different continents, including India, Asia is said to be an important link to prove the continental drift theory, which otherwise explains the gradual movement and formation of continents around the world.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Prabeer Sikdat / DC / June 26th, 2013

PVP Group buys IBL’s Hyderabad franchise

Business & Economy, Sports

Bangalore:

Hyderabad-based PVP Group Wednesday became the first franchise of the proposed 1 million dollar Indian Badminton League (IBL). PVP Group chairman Prasad V. Potluri said: “We are extremely delighted with our association with the Indian Badminton League. PVP Group aims to utilise this platform and will ensure that badminton in India grows and continues to produce world champions.

“Badminton has brought huge laurels for India in the past and is again capturing the imagination of the masses through the achievements of stars like Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa and others.”

Speaking on PVP’s successful bid to own the Hyderabad Hotshots franchise, Ashish Chadha, CEO of Sporty Solutionz, the commercial partner for IBL, said: “Badminton as a sport brings a lot of positivity today and we hope the IBL will create a platform that will inspire and fire the imagination of millions of youth in the country.

Hyderabad-based PVP Group Wednesday became the first franchise of the proposed 1 million dollar Indian Badminton League (IBL).
Hyderabad-based PVP Group Wednesday became the first franchise of the proposed 1 million dollar Indian Badminton League (IBL).

“We are proud to be associated with PVP Group and them coming on board as the owners of Hyderabad Hotshots. They bring enormous clout in the entertainment industry and we hope it will boost our efforts to support and promote badminton in a zany and exciting format.”

Badminton Association of India (BAI) president Akhilesh Das Gupta said: “We welcome Hyderabad-based PVP Group into the badminton family. Hyderabad deserves a great franchise as they are one of the leading nurseries for badminton in India. With their support, Hyderabad Hotshots can aspire to win the IBL title in the inaugural year.”

The IBL is set to launch Aug 14 this year and will feature six franchises. Each franchise will host a two-day leg and the league will showcase 90 matches over 18 days. The matches will be held during late afternoon and evening to coincide with prime time television and providing a convenient time for the stadium audience.

The top four franchises will clash in the semi-finals and the winners will meet in the final Aug 31, which will be played in Mumbai. The IBL will also run the biggest school championship for badminton in India, the Shuttle Express, which is expected to touch five lakh children in six major cities while it offers Rs.10 lakh as prize money besides an opportunity to train at the Pullela Gopichand Academy.

source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / IBN Live / Home> IBN Live> Sports> Badminton / by IANS / June 19th, 2013

AAI plans to build airport in Guntur

Business & Economy

The Airport Authority of  India  is planning to set up a greenfield airport at Guntur, the hub of flourishing tobacco, cotton and chilly trade, an official said here today.

A 3-member team of the Airport Authority of India today inspected land at Prattipadu village, about 20 km from Guntur city where the airport is proposed to come up.

A member of the team said they would submit a report to the government.

The proposed airport would serve Guntur as also adjacent districts of Prakasam and Nalgonda.

At present, the nearest airport for Guntur residents is at Gannavaram (Vjayawada) which is about 50 km away.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / by Press Trust of India  / Guntur (AP) – June 27th, 2013

Osmania University docs say ‘rare’ surgery successful

Records, All, Science & Technology

HospitalHF09jul2013

Hyderabad:

Osmania Hospital successfully conducted a rare surgery on Saturday and saved the life of a 64-year-old man from Anantapur.

Talking about the surgery, Dr Nagender, professor of surgery, said, “The patient, Obulesh, was suffering from hydatid cyst and when he came for a check-up, his right lung, liver and abdomen were completely affected. We at the government hospital could do the surgery, which would cost lakhs in a private hospital, for no cost.”

Obulesh was admitted and treatment began 15 days ago. Others in the team of professors of surgery included Ram Singh and Jevan.

Dr Raghu Ramulu, HOD of anastasia, along with his team, helped in the surgery.

Dr Nagender added, “We want people to know no matter how big and rare the cases are here at government hospitals, we can work on them. Obulesh is fit and fine now. Earlier he had no hopes of getting treatment.”

Obulesh said,”I was not sure of the cure. I had no money to get treatment at any private hospital, due to which I came here from Anantapur. The doctor said I would be okay, after 15 days. I am told that I am okay; the treatment has been successful. I am very happy. “

source: http://www.postnoon.com / PostNoon / Home> City / by Arun Daniel Yellamaty / June 19th, 2013