Records, Bengaluru (Bangalore) – Page 13

REGIONAL: KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES: South India’s First Vertebral Stentoplasty Conducted at Bengaluru’s Aster CMI Hospital

A stent was inserted along with the balloon in the vertebrae, and the balloon was inflated later to raise the collapsed vertebra.

A 57-year-old woman, having suffered a spine fracture along with rheumatoid arthritis, underwent a vertebral body stenting procedure at city-based Aster CMI Hospital. This is claimed to be the first such surgery performed in South India.

The woman was brought to the hospital in severe pain and was even unable to walk. With her limited mobility, the doctors decided to perform a vertebral body stenting procedure (stentoplasty), which was minimally invasive. Dr Umesh Srikantha, Sr Consultant – Neurosurgery, Head of Spine Services, Aster CMI Hospital, explained: “The surgery was minimally invasive and was performed using the latest medical procedure in vertebral augmentation which gave immediate relief to the patient, who was able to walk in less than 24 hours. Balloon Kyphoplasty prevents the vertebral body from collapsing and also helps in vertebral body height restoration and shape.”

A stent was inserted along with the balloon in the vertebrae, and the balloon was inflated later to raise the collapsed vertebra.

The cavity formed after deflating the balloon, and was filled with bone cement to support the bone surrounding, Dr Srikantha explained. The whole procedure was completed within an hour and the patient saw significant improvement. She was able to walk comfortably without any assistance, he added.

S Ramesh Kumar, CEO of Aster CMI Hospital proudly called it South India’s first such surgery conducted at their hospital, which was made possible with the help of high-end technology.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: COOKERY CONTEST: ‘The Hindu Our State Our Taste’ Contestants come up with a Variety of Dishes in Bengaluru

A good start to “The Hindu Our State Our Taste, a cookery competition that was held at Bengaluru on July 1 in Uttara Kannada Bhavan saw an overwhelming response and good numbers.

Namitha K.N. was adjudged the winner of the preliminary round. She showcased her talent by cooking Mangaluru style, Coorg Style and Mixed Types of foods that represented the flavour of Karnataka with Gold Winner Cooking Oil. Judges for the contest celebrity chef duo Oggarane Dabbi Murali and Suchitra Muralidhar said that the judging criteria for the dishes were based on taste, texture, flavour, and presentation.

Akila T. was adjudged the first runner-up and Uma Janardhan was adjudged the second runner-up.

The regional rounds will be held in 24 cities, and the winners will participate in the grand finale in Bengaluru on September 10, 2023. The first prize will be ₹1 lakh, the second prize is ₹60,000 and the third prize is ₹40,000.

The participants must cook a traditional Kannada dish or give it a special twist and bring it to the venue.

Celebrity Chef Mr. OggaraneDabbi Murali and Mrs. Suchitra Murali, Mr. Raghunandhan from The Hindu Group, Subha Rajashekar – beauty miss Karnataka 2017, Trishula Trust secretary and Suvarna Ladies Club president from Suvarna channel, Mr. Rajashekar, Mr. Mahesh from Gold Winner, Mr. Anantha Swamy Sri Enterprises from RKG Ghee, Mr. Raghunath from Butterfly and Mr. Sudarshan from Everest gave away the prizes to the winner and runners-up.

Our State Our Taste is presented by Gold Winner, co-presented by RKG, powered by Butterfly, in association with Aashirvaad, Parrys Sugar & Everest. Vermicelli partner is Bambino. Television Partner is Siri Kannada.

We are moving into the next round of OSOT Karnataka at Chikballapur on July 2. Venue: Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

India launches multi-lingual legal app for assistance from homes

Former CJI UU Lalit said access to justice has always been a cause dear to his heart.

Former Chief Justice of India M N Venkatachaliah recently launched the multi-lingual India Legal App, a legal helpline accessible to citizens to obtain legal assistance from their homes.

Justice Venkatachaliah, also a patron-in-chief of India Legal Research Foundation, said that the app will benefit a wide range of consumers, including a large legal community of 1.2 million lawyers and half a million students, a release stated.

After the launch of the app on Saturday, the first call on the app came from Meerut. An employee alleged that his employer did not give him money. Justice Venkatachaliah directed him to file a case against the employer and to approach the High Court.

Former CJI UU Lalit said access to justice has always been a cause dear to his heart. “From Supreme Court to lower courts the doors have always been open for impartial justice. However, systemic difficulties have made access to justice challenging,” he said.

The app can be used in 6 languages — English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and Punjabi.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani Donates Rs 315 crore to IIT Bombay

Nilekani joined IIT Bombay in 1973 for a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. The donation marks the golden jubilee of Nilekani’s association with the Institute.

Infosys co-founder and chairman and founding chairman of UIDAI Nandan Nilekani has donated Rs 315 crore to his alma mater – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. With this, Nilekani has so far donated Rs 400 crore to IIT Bombay.

The donation will be instrumental in fostering world-class infrastructure, stimulating research in emerging areas of engineering and technology, and nurturing a deep tech startup ecosystem at IIT Bombay, the institute said.

Nilekani joined IIT Bombay in 1973 for a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. The donation marks the golden jubilee of Nilekani’s association with the Institute. It also stands as one of the largest donations made by an alumnus in India.

Nilekani said, “IIT Bombay has been a cornerstone in my life, shaping my formative years and laying the foundation for my journey. As I celebrate 50 years of my association with this institution, I am grateful to contribute to its future. This donation is more than just a financial contribution; it is a tribute to the place that has given me so much and a commitment to the students who will shape our world tomorrow.”

MoU signed in B’luru
A Memorandum of Understanding was formally signed on Tuesday in Bengaluru by Nandan Nilekani and IIT Bombay Director Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / ATHLETICS: Kodagu Athlete Theetharamada Sinchal Kaveramma Breaks National Record at 62nd Inter-State Athletics Championships, Odisha; Qualifies For Asiad

Theetharamada Sinchal Kaveramma shattered the national record in the 400-metre hurdle and met the qualifying mark for the Asiad (Asian Games), during the 62nd Inter-State Athletics Championships in Odisha.

Notably, she broke the national record, crossing the finish line in a thrilling photo-finish with a time of 56.76 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 57.02 seconds. This remarkable achievement also stands as Sinchal’s personal best time. She clinched the silver medal in the 400-metre hurdles event and a bronze medal in mixed relay.

The recently concluded National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, held at the Kalinga Stadium at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, served as a selection trial for both the delayed Asian Games in Hangzhou, scheduled for September, and the upcoming World Championships in Hungary.

Numerous top-tier athletes travelled to Bhubaneswar with the aim of securing their spots in the Asian Games later this year. Sinchal is among the 65 athletes representing 27 disciplines who persevered through scorching heatwaves to meet the Asiad qualification standard.

Sinchal receives training from Bollanda Vikram Aiyappa and Pramila Aiyappa in Bengaluru. Speaking to Star of Mysore, she attributed her record-breaking performance to her coaches and family, expressing her full dedication to them. Sinchal has already commenced her preparations for the main Asian Games, scheduled to take place from Sept. 15 in Bangkok.

Sinchal is the daughter of Theetharamada M. Ravi and Rashmi (Kuppanda), residents of Nalloor village near Ponnampet. Her grandparents are Theetharamada Mudappa and Chondamma of Nalloor, as well as Kuppanda C. Thimmaiah and Muthakki of Nalvathoklu.

Sinchal completed her primary education at Lions Primary School in Gonikoppa and attended high school at Alvas English Medium High School in Moodbidri. She pursued her pre-university course at Alvas PU College and is currently in her final year of B.Com studies at Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College in Bengaluru.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: BUSINESS & ECONOMY: Claudius Pereira takes over as President of Kanara Entrepreneurs (KE) Bangalore, new Directors installed

Founding lead member of Kanara Entrepreneurs (KE) Bangalore, accomplished entrepreneur and renowned toastmaster, Claudius Pereira took oath as the new president of KE Bangalore in an exhilarating programme at The Grand Magrath on June 16 in the presence of over 150 members.

The theme of the evening was carefully planned with great stories of inspiration, fortitude and triumph within KE.

The event was flagged off with the outgoing president, Clarence Pereira’s farewell address. In his speech, Clarence highlighted various quotes to inspire the gathering. While reminiscing the legacy that he was entrusted with to take the mission of KE forward during this three-year tenure on the board, he was forthcoming in his support of the incoming president as he bade an emotional farewell to the members.

Fourteen new members from varied disciplines were inducted by the director of membership, James Coelho. Ivan Fernandes, chairman, KE Global, thanked the board members who had completed their terms – Clarence Pereira, Anil Monteiro (director marketing) and Ashly D’Souza (director finance) prior to discharging them of their responsibilities.

Ivan then presided over the formal installation of three new directors, incoming president Claudius Pereira, director of marketing Naveen D’Souza and director of finance Peter Anil Rego.

In keeping with the theme, Claudius delivered an enthralling acceptance speech sprinkled with two powerful stories highlighting the supportive spirit of the KE community members as well as the power of entrepreneurial endeavour and resilience in the face of adversity. His well-articulated words, humour and anecdotes of depth, left a clear message to the members that he is aspires to inspire and take everyone along with him during the journey towards success.

Ivan Fernandes closed the formal conversations of the evening with a series of inspiring and humorous highlights of his professional journey that truly helped to reassure budding entrepreneurs. His words resounded encouragement to the members and a call to support the next generation of entrepreneurs with the platform and tools necessary to be successful in their enterprise and evolve from the challenges of the previous generation of business owners from the community.

The members were engaged with networking activity by Clout Chasers, a dynamic group of young content creators and social engagement professionals who captured video footage and media content throughout the evening taking snippets and quotes from members.

Alan Aranha delivered an inclusive and crisp vote of thanks. The brilliant emcee, Carol Pereira, moderated the event with her vibrant and bustling personality and wit with aplomb.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: INNOVATION – MEDICAL SERVICES / RESEARCH: Detect Diabetes with a Simple Antigen Test, says IISc study

Currently, researchers rely on Radioimmunoassay (RIA) to detect somatostatin levels which use radioactive materials and need to be carried out in labs only.

Detecting diabetes can become as simple as taking a rapid antigen test for Covid-19. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have discovered that fluctuations in levels of other hormones such as somatostatin, secreted by the pancreas, can have a major impact on developing diabetes.

Scientists argue that usually one gets diagnosed with diabetes when they have high blood glucose levels either because their pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin, or their body cells do not respond to signals from insulin that tell them to use up glucose. This can be avoided by keeping levels of somatostatin in check and potentially detecting diabetes sooner. “Changes in somatostatin secretion can be one of the first signs of diabetes,” said Nikhil Gandasi, Assistant Professor, IISc.

Somatostatin is secreted by specific cells of the pancreas, called delta cells. “It regulates insulin and glucagon which is another hormone that works hand-in-hand with insulin to maintain blood sugar levels,” said the study.

Researchers found that when a person is diabetic, their body will secrete less delta cells which means less Somatostatin hormone. The experiment was conducted in pancreatic cells extracted from both mice and humans. The study was published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences called ‘Somatostatin Containing delta-Cell Number Is Reduced in Type-2 Diabetes.’

The team used artificially synthesised somatostatin to test its binding against several commercially available antibodies, in order to identify the one that bound to it most efficiently, which was used to develop the assay. Similar to the Covid-19 rapid antigen test, the kit works like the standard Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay that uses antibody-coated plates to identify the presence of antigens in a sample.

Currently, researchers rely on Radioimmunoassay (RIA) to detect somatostatin levels which use radioactive materials and need to be carried out in labs only. “The procedure also takes three days to complete,” said Caroline Miranda, another first author and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Gothenburg.” The new kit will use less blood plasma compared to the RIA method. Researchers are developing the kit into a simple hand-held device that can be mass-produced.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) : Bengaluru start-up EMBIBE launches AI-powered lab experiments app

The app offers an interactive platform where students can engage with a virtual science lab.

Bengaluru-based start-up EMBIBE, an AI-powered education platform, has launched an app that will help students do science experiments virtually. Called the ‘EMBIBE Lab experiments,’ the app offers an interactive platform where students can engage with a virtual science lab and conduct more than 350 experiments in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

The platform is NEP-aligned and the list of experiments includes all 243 prescribed by CBSE. The app is available free of charge to students across India.

“EMBIBE Lab Experiments has the potential to overcome all limitations of physical laboratories such as cost, accessibility, and availability of equipment,” said Aditi Avasthi, founder and CEO, EMBIBE. “It can truly democratise science education by reaching students across different regions and socio-economic backgrounds. By seamlessly integrating technology with education, we envision a future where students can explore and conduct virtual experiments from the comfort of their homes or classrooms,” she added.

According to a 2014 survey carried out under Unified District Information System on Education (UDISE), more than 75% of Indian schools lacked well-equipped science labs. The start-up believes its latest app would help bridge this gap.

Real-life scenario

EMBIBE Lab Experiments app links every experiment to real-life scenarios through 3D animated videos. The app also offers a DIY experiment feature which allows students to select materials and perform experiments in a 3D virtual lab and a gamified, data-generating laboratory simulation.

On top of it, the app claims to break down 113 complex experiments into two parts facilitating easier understanding. The platform is tailored to CBSE, NCERT, and State board curriculums. It has found takers among schools like Krishna Public School International (Atal Nagar-Nava Raipur), Holy Angel CBSE School (Rettenai, Tamil Nadu), and Solace International High School (Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir), among others.

In regional languages too

The app will also be made available in Hindi and 10 regional languages. It can be downloaded from Play Store and App Store. Founded in 2012, the ed-tech start-up EMBIBE is backed by Reliance Industries, which has invested ₹1,175 crore in it, so far.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: Nilam Kaushik, First Woman Strategy Professor of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) Named among ’40 Best under-40 MBA Professors Worldwide’

She is also the first woman strategy professor at IIMB.

Nilam Kaushik, a strategy professor at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), has become the first faculty member from an Indian business/management school to be named among this year’s ‘Poets and Quants Best 40 under 40 MBA Professors’ worldwide. She is also the first woman strategy professor at IIMB.

The award, which has been presented for 11 years now, aims to identify and highlight the achievements of the most promising young professors who teach MBA programmes worldwide. Faculty members from 36 different business schools were featured in this year’s list while 16 exceptional women faculty members were honoured.

“Altogether 1,500 nominations were received this year from students, colleagues, administrators, and faculty themselves. Teaching (both quality and quantity as well as teaching-related awards considered) was assigned a 70% weight and research (volume and impact of the faculty’s scholarly work taken into account, including citations and major media attention as well as research awards and grants) 30% weight,” said a press release from IIMB.

Sharing that it was an honour to get the recognition, Ms. Kaushik said: “It is a pleasure teaching in a business school where the best of students from across India gain admission through a very rigorous and competitive process.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: SPACE TECHNOLOGY: Government’s Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VTU) in Bengaluru Exhibits full-scale replica of Mars Rover Opportunity

The Mars Rover Opportunity model, which was kept as an exhibit at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, was inaugurated on Thursday.

If you are curious to know how the Mars Rover Opportunity of US space agency NASA, which traversed through the barren land of the red planet and revealed many secrets about it, then head straight to the Space Technology gallery of the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) here.

The Mars Rover Opportunity model, which was built by the students of Cornell University and kept as exhibit at the VITM, was inaugurated by M Sankaran, Director, UR Rao Satellite Centre of Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday.

The model was initially on display at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Dulles, Virginia, in US, and later exhibited in the US Pavelion during the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.

The replica was then received by the American Centre in the US Consulate in Chennai where it was on display from November 2022 to March 2023 before landing at the VITM.

US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago said, “As the United States and India forge even closer cooperation across critical sectors, space provides yet another example of our partnership, with today’s dedication ceremony serving as a symbol of our mutual commitment.”

US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin said the arrival of the full-scale replica of Mars Rover Opportunity in India symbolised the longstanding space technology cooperation between India and the United States.

India is an important partner to the United States in space exploration. Initiated in 2005, the United States and India Civil Space Joint Working Group is the venue for a productive exchange of views and discussion on new and expanded areas for civil space cooperation, she pointed out.

According to Ravin, the civil space dialogue between United States and India is framed around four working groups: Earth sciences, space science and exploration, heliophysics, and human space flight.

“The cooperation between our two countries shows that the technologies developed in support of space exploration have real-world applications that affect all of us, from advancements in telecommunications and satellite navigation to agricultural monitoring and weather forecasting,” she said.

The Mars Rover Opportunity was operated on the red planet from 2004 to 2018. It sent thousands of pictures to its control station.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)