Researchers at the IIT-M have developed a simple microwave process to produce high-energy bio-fuel oils from agricultural waste.
IIT Madras (File photo | EPS)
Chennai :
Researchers at the IIT-M have developed a simple microwave process to produce high-energy biofuel oils from agricultural waste.
The project, funded by GAIL (India) Ltd, aims to produce oil from waste such as rice straw and bagasse, and plastic. Such oils generated from renewable biological sources are considered to be a practical and pragmatic replacement for petroleum and petrochemical products, said the statement.
One of the most common methods to produce bio-oil as ‘pyrolysis’ or heat-induced breakdown of components. However, the newly developed method results in lower heating value of bio-oils compared to fossil fuels, and in addition, increases their acidity and corrosiveness, the statement added.
However, mixing plastic with biomass would produce bio-oils with better properties – such as higher energy yields. The IIT-M team used microwave to breakdown components, ranging from rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, and groundnut shell, to wood sawdust and wood from ‘Seemai Karuvelam’ tree with two synthetic plastics.
“We believe usage of microwave is a sustainable and energy-efficient approach for resource recovery from a wide variety of wastes, including disposed single-use plastics and non-reusable face masks,” said R Vinu, Associate Professor with Department of Chemical Engineering. Vinu was also the lead of the research team, and their results have been published in the journal, ‘Bioresource Technology and Fuel Processing Technology’, the statement added. Dadi Suriapparao and Banupriya Boruah from the department were also part of the research.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> /Good News / by Express News Service / June 16th, 2020
According to Dr KL Sundar Krishna, Nuclear and Earth Scientist , the intensity of the sun rays (fission energy) coming will make Covid-19 inactive.
Dr KL Sundar Krishna, Nuclear and Earth Scientist (ANI photo)
A scientist in Chennai has claimed the connection of Covid-19 outbreak with December 26 solar eclipse. According to the scientist, the coronavirus has broken out after a mutated particle interaction of the first neutron due to fission energy emitted after the solar eclipse.
Deducing a possible theory, Dr KL Sundar Krishna, Nuclear and Earth Scientist told ANI, “Since December 2019, coronavirus has surfaced to perish our lives. As per my understanding, there is a planetary configuration with new alignment in the solar system after December 26, when the last solar eclipse occurred.”
“The virus has occurred from the upper atmosphere due to the inter-planetary force variation, a new alignment in which the Earth has created a conducive atmosphere. For the first neutrons (with no charge in nature), are coming out of most fission energy from the sun,” said Krishna adding, “They may have started nucleating (nucleus formation) with foreign absorbing material which could be a nucleus of the biomolecule, Bio-nuclear interaction taken place in the upper atmosphere. The mutation of the biomolecular structure (protein) might have been a possible source of this virus.”
Krishna also said that the mutation process was maybe noticed first in China but then there are no proofs and evidence. It could be an outburst of an experiment or deliberate attempt.
According to the scientist, the upcoming solar eclipse could be a turning point. The intensity of the sun rays (fission energy) coming will make the virus inactive.
“We do not have to panic as this is a natural process happening in the planetary configuration. The sunlight and solar eclipse will be its natural remedy for this virus,” Krishan added.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Tamil Nadu / by Asian News International / posted by Prashasti Singh / June 15th, 2020
The Cinema Resource Centre is a treasure trove of films, songbooks, LP records and movie posters. As they step into their 10th year, founder-trustee Sruti Harihara Subramanian recalls the journey.
Chennai :
“We are caught up in our worlds. It often becomes about the right here and right now — ‘How are we going to survive?’, ‘How are we going to give the best output to the current audience?’. We have no time to stop and look back. This perhaps is one of the reasons that despite the rich cinema history we have, there is very less done to preserve it,” opines Sruti Harihara Subramanian, entrepreneur-cum-filmmaker and founder-trustee of The Cinema Resource Centre — a not-for-profit public archive designed to enable research on the audio-visual cultural artefacts produced by Indian films. As the Trust steps into its 10th year, the national award-winning filmmaker walks us through the its efforts to preserve and document the forgotten treasures of Indian cinema and film-related memorabilia.
Loaded with memories
Almost over a decade ago, when an inquisitive Sruti stumbled upon a heap of film posters, movie stills and lobby cards that had been disposed of outside a popular theatre, she didn’t think twice before getting her hands dirty. She picked several artefacts that were perhaps the last-remaining physical evidence of an era bygone in south Indian cinema.
“I came from a family that wasn’t inclined towards films. I don’t remember watching films in a theatre until I was big enough to go to the movies with friends. So, my exposure to films came very late in life. Despite this, I’ve always been curious about the nature of the celluloid,” she says. But for someone who grew up in the pre-Internet era, learning about movies meant observing the minuscule details available on anything and everything — from movie stubs, cassettes, songbooks, posters to magazines. “I eventually started collecting every small cinema-related object I came across, and during my days as an assistant director it became a serious hobby,” she says.
Access to archives
Soon, Sruti realised that she was in the midst of a treasure hunt. From loading her red Maruti 800 with slides, scripts, songbooks and posters that were discarded by production houses to hitting the jackpot and digging out gold from inside a scrap paper dealer’s bag — she found smaller pieces that would go on to complete a bigger jigsaw puzzle. In this case, an archive that would give anyone and everyone a peek into India cinema, especially those made in the regional languages of south India. “Over time, the number of materials increased exponentially and I wanted to make it accessible to the public. I came across several museums abroad that were interactive and immersive. After acquainting myself with creatives and filmmakers from outside the state and country, I realised that there was so much for us to know about cinema. My dream was to go beyond the mainstream screens and create a library or cinema museum,” she shares.
Along with a small team, Sruti registered the trust in 2009 and embarked on a mission to conserve archival material by digitising and cataloguing it in an orderly fashion. “Conserving the material is a very expensive affair. The Trust is completely funded by us. Whatever I have earned so far from filmmaking has gone back into this initiative. Our focus is on digitising whatever we have on an online cloud. Currently, we have two archivists working on the process,” she says.
The 400 magazines; 250 glass slides; 2,500-odd songbooks; 779 LP records; 25,000 vintage photographs; 8,000 posters; 5,000 lobby cards and umpteen script books, photo albums, fan stickers and launch invites that are now part of the TCRC’s archives not only offer a nostalgic experience but have also been instrumental in aiding cinema researchers and students. “Ironically, most of these are international students researching on Indian cinema or someone associated with the craft. In a time when there’s a dearth of archival of Indian, especially south Indian cinema, coming across our Trust is equal to hitting the jackpot for these students,” says Sruti.
Built on donations
Contributions have poured in from the most unlikely sources — a stranger who donated his grandmother’s collection of Deepavali Malar from the 1940s and 50s in pristine condition; enthusiasts who’ve donated audiotapes, songbooks and LPs that they came across during a house clean-up, scrap paper dealers giving away cutouts of artistes that were once translated into posters to vendors from Moore market doing their bit. Yet, Sruti says, help from within the industry has been bleak. “I have gotten a pat on my back, been told that it’s a good initiative. But it stops at that. I am part of the industry too and I realise that we don’t look back at our own history.
Maybe that’s why we hear so many stories of former filmmakers, actors and actresses struggling today despite their enormous contributions to shape cinema. Having said that, I haven’t approached anyone for help either,” she shares. This year marked a new beginning for the Trust and several plans were chalked to engage experts and enthusiasts alike. “We were ready to host screenings, discussions and collaborate with like-minded people as a way of celebrating a decade of TCRC,” says Sruti. But like several dreams, the curtains have been pulled down on this one too due to the pandemic. “Everything has been kept on hold. Since we are bootstrapped, we don’t know how long we will be able to sustain the archival process given the current situation. But I still dream of a space adorned with everything cinema,” she says.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / June 11th, 2020
The loan was deployed through IndusInd Bank’s Impact Investing Group, guaranteed by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
Chennai-based agritech start-up WayCool Foods raised $5.5 million through debt financing from IndusInd Bank Ltd, guaranteed by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
This funding follows the Series C round of $32 million led by Lightbox earlier this year. Setuka Partners LLP was the advisor to the current transaction. WayCool Foods intends to use the funds raised to introduce advanced technology, implement strict hygiene measures and increase transportation efficiency to reduce food spoilage and improve farmer yields. This will also allow the company to strengthen food distribution across South India.
Karthik Jayaraman, Co-Founder and CEO, WayCool Foods, said, “WayCool has been steadily building necessary technology and operational capabilities to operate robust agrifood supply chains from soil to sale.”
DFC, America’s development bank, provides financing to address critical challenges across emerging markets on a global scale. It invests across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology. DFC provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets.
The loan was deployed through IndusInd Bank’s Impact Investing Group. The DFC guarantee enabled the bank to provide an equivalent of ₹35 Crores loan to WayCool, the bank’s statement said. The structure is significant as it helps in mobilizing local capital for WayCool, also it eliminates foreign exchange rate fluctuation risk from the balance sheet of WayCool, it added.
Founded in July 2015 by Karthik Jayaraman and Sanjay Dasari, WayCool procures, processes, and distributes a range of food products, including fresh produce, staples and dairy products, moving over 250 tonnes of food every day, to 8,000 enterprise clients across South India. The company operates a soil-to-sale model engaging with a base of 40,000 farmers in more than 50 regions across India.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Sangeetha Kandavel / Chennai – June 11th, 2020
The petitioner had made representations to the ICMR to consider the importance of the concept proposed in his article and conduct trial but there was no response.
Chennai :
The Madras High Court on Thursday directed a doctor in Tamil Nadu to make a fresh representation to the Indian Council of Medical Research on his claim that a particular drug can be used to treat COVID-19 patients.
Disposing of a petition by Dr Vasantha Kumar from Krishnagiri district, a Division Bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh Kumar also directed concerned authorities to grant him an opportunity to present his case and pass appropriate orders, as expeditiously as possible.
Vasantha Kumar in his petition submitted that he has authored an article on the use of ‘beta-adrenergic blockers,’ medications used for reducing blood pressure, in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
He further submitted that he had examined in detail the nature of coronavirus and its effects on the human body and the possible cure for it.
He had requested a discussion on the subject for the benefit of public at large and sent a communique to the Union Health department and ICMR.
In his article, he proposed that beta-adrenergic blockers may be beneficial in coronavirus patients with hypertension co morbidity, by regulation of blood pressure and decreasing SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry.
In low doses, beta-adrenergic blockers may be beneficial in COVID-19 patients with normal blood pressure, as it may decrease the SARS- CoV-2 entry into the cell.
The petitioner said as there was no response from the Journals to which he sent his articles, he proceeded to publish it online.
Though he made representations to the ICMR to consider the importance of the concept proposed in his article and conduct clinical trial at the earliest, there was no response.
When the plea came up before the bench through video conference, the doctor claimed that the drug would stop the symptoms and not allow it to develop into fever.
Noting that the cost of the drug would be less than Rs 2 and the poor would benefit from it, the petitioner said as he has not received any response even from ICMR till date, he was constrained to approach the Court.
He prayed for a direction from the Court to ICMR to consider the importance of the concept proposed in his article and to conduct a clinical trial.
The bench disposed of the petition after recording the submissions of Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan appearing for the Centre and the counsel for ICMR that the representation of the petitioner would be considered in accordance with the guidelines.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by PTI / June 11th, 2020
G Jagadeesh Kanna | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Actor-turned-entrepreneur Jagadeesh Kanna on his firm ‘Vaayusastra Aerospace’ and taking aeronautics to children using theatre arts
Is it possible to draw a parallel between the Big Bang theory and creationist myths you may have read about in religious texts?
The Big Bang, which, broadly speaking, discusses the creation of universe from initial singularity is, for the wide-eyed and perceptive folks among us, similar in context to the story about how the Hindu God Brahma came into being.
It is easy to find such comparisons either preposterous or intriguing depending on the nature and depth of one’s belief and faith.
For G Jagadeesh Kanna, it presented an opportunity to introduce the concept of aeronautics to young children. The 30-year-old theatre artiste/actor-turned-filmmaker is also an entrepreneur, who, via his IIT-Madras incubated start-up firm — Vaayusastra Aerospace private limited, has been teaching aeronautics to children between the ages of five and 14. With the lockdown, he shifted his classes online in a move that seems like will pay him rich dividends.
“A child’s brain is like a computer’s CPU. What I do is create a folder by telling them a story about how Ravana kidnapped Sita using his aircraft, the Pushpak Viman. The child may forget the technical terms but the story registers in their mind, and that is all that is needed to create the spark,” he says, adding, “For instance, Karna’s Vijay dhanush had all properties of modern rocketry and radar technology and the Brahmastra in Mahabharatha is nothing but a ballistic missile.”
Entrepreneurial insight
A few years ago, when Jagadeesh, a freshly-minted graduate with a Masters degree in Aeronautics, expressed his desire to pursue theatre, suffice to say it was not an easy-to-come-to-terms-with decisionfor his family.
“Being a full-time actor is not easy as I come from a middle class family. I could not ask my parents for money, not after they spent so much on my Masters degree. Since I had a lot of free time when I was not shooting, I started conducting paper plane workshops and teaching aeronautics to children,” he says.
During this time, Jagadeesh joined Little Theatre and Theatre Y, promoted by actor Yog Japee, and even landed himself a lead role in a film titled Naalu Peruku Nalladhuna Edhuvum Thappilla.
“By the time the movie released, I had gotten many word of mouth references about my workshops. one of my friends suggested that I approach IIT-Madras because they supported such initiatives,” he adds.
And so, Jagadeesh approached IIT-M’s Rural Technology Business Incubator with a presentation that was approved eight months later, after he developed an agreeable revenue model. “Meantime, I worked as assistant director to Rajiv Menon in Sarvam Thaala Mayam and as an associate director to Anita Udeep in 90 ML,” he says.
After approval, Vaayusastra was given space inside IIT-M Research Park and a start-up capital of ₹10 lakh to hit the ground running. In the two years since being incorporated in April 2018, the firm has generated ₹50 lakh in revenue and taught close to 30,000 children, says Jagadeesh, adding that he also employs theatre artistes and aeronautical engineers.
“I developed this model to support theatre artistes because, when I was one, the main issue I had was money. If I did not have a project, then the next month was a huge question mark. With Vaayusastra, actors are paid per session (around two or three sessions per weekend) and they make around ₹15,000 per month, which allows them to pursue their passion with peace of mind. Also, only around 5 out of 100 aeronautical engineering graduates go onto work for ISRO, HAL, Boeing and such companies. The rest pursue higher studies or turn to teaching. Vaayusastra is a space for these people also to showcase their talents and gain experience,” he says.
Expanding horizon
Even as the hands-on workshops and summer camps were growing in popularity, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Jagadeesh acted swiftly to shift his classes online. The first batch started on April 15, and the next one is set to begin on May 13 with as many as 480 students participating till date.
“One of my mentors suggested that I drop the subscription fee and reach out to more people. I was charging ₹3,500-4,500 for the three month course earlier, now I charge less than ₹1,000. Whereas earlier, my reach was with parents of children who live in Mandaveli, Adyar area in Chennai, after moving classes to Zoom app, I’m able to reach more students. In the last batch, we had a group of 20 students from the UK taking part,” he adds.
Still only 30, Jagadeesh has a vision of expanding the base of his company. He reveals he has been in discussions with NIT Trichy and Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, and both institutions have agreed to incubate his firm.
“The first step is to have two more branches across Tamil Nadu. I can employ more theatre artistes this way,” he says.
However, he is not ready to let go of his dreams of turning a filmmaker just yet. Having met actor Oviya while filming 90 ML, Jagadeesh remarks that she agreed to play the lead in a film he intends to direct. “Only the official confirmation remains,” he adds.
For more details: www.vaayusastra.com
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Pradeep Kumar / May 06th, 2020
Anbazhagan filed a case in the Madras High Court to highlight the illegal manufacture and sale of gutka and pan masala in the state. His efforts eventually turned out to be successful.
DMK MLA J Anbazhagan died of Covid-19 while undergoing treatment in a hospital in Chennai on June 10, on his 62nd birthday. (Photo | EPS)
Chennai :
J Anbazhagan, the DMK MLA who died of COVID-19, on Wednesday, was at the forefront of the fight to ban the sale of gutka in the state, filing a case in the Madras High Court. His efforts eventually turned out to be successful.
DMK Rajya Sabha MP Wilson told The New Indian Express, “I appeared in the case which was filed by J Anbazhagan to highlight the illegal manufacture and sale of gutka and pan masala in the state and to urge the High Court of Madras to order an independent investigation into the matter. Furthermore, Anbazhagan alleged that such sales were carried out in collusion with several high dignitaries and bureaucrats, such as central excise officials, central government officials, officials from different state governments, including the Government of Tamil Nadu, councillors of the Chennai Corporation and officials of the food safety department, among others.”
He went on to add, “The Court observed that it was compelled to take up the case as the issues involved the right to health and directed that the Central Bureau of Investigation investigate the matter since, among other reasons, central government officials allegedly were involved.”
He further said that Anbazhagan was successful, with the Supreme Court also calling for a ban on the sale of gutka products as well as action against officers who do not take measures against the sale.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, VP Kalairajan, former T Nagar MLA, who won the seat for the AIADMK defeating Anbazhagan in the 2006 assembly election, said, “He was a good, humane and outspoken person. Though I defeated him, he offered a warm welcome to me when I joined the DMK and helped me a lot to carry out party work.”
T Mari, who is from Anbazhagan’s Chepauk-Triplicane assembly constituency, told The New Indian Express, “He never missed any event of the party cadres till his last breath. He would attend every programme for which he was invited. And he didn’t show any bias against party cadres even if they differed from his opinion. He always encouraged outspoken people in the party.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by S Kumaresan / Express News Service / June 10th, 2020
Green Globe Probiotics and Renewables Pvt Ltd. is offering its services to old age homes, orphanages and other non-profit organisations
The firm uses CSR funds to disinfect not-for-profit organisations | Photo Credit: Special Arrangemen
If you want to disinfect a public place, old age home, orphanage or blind school and do not have funds, help is just a call away.
Over the last 30 days, city-based Green Globe Probiotics and Renewables Pvt Ltd, has disinfected more than 60 buildings in Chennai and will be offering its services pan-India next week.
“We have rendered our services to non-profit organisations and frontline warrior departments such as fire and rescue service buildings, police stations and government buildings in Chennai. Disinfecting temples will start soon. In all, we have covered 60 crore square foot of space, of which 35% has been done using CSR funds,” said Senthil Kumar, group managing director, Green Globe Probiotics.
“It is like a CSR activity. Non-profit organisations, old age homes, blind schools and orphanages are serviced through CSR funds or community/crowd sourced funds. NGOs and educational non-profit institutions are disinfected at lower rates,” he added.
Green Globe Probiotics is one of the subsidiaries of GSR Travels and Retail Ventures Pvt Ltd. that deals in retail, aviation, housekeeping and hospitality, education services, staffing and HR consultancy sservices.
The parent firm has a tie-up with Australia-based Callington, which manufactures disinfectant products to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Callington India, through Green Globe Probiotics, is marketing and distributing disinfectant products in India.
The company uses a hand-held device and disinfects around 25,000 sq.ft., of space within 10 minutes. It charges 80 paise to ₹2.50 per sq.ft.
“In the next few days, we will be rolling our services pan-India to disinfect 70 cities and towns,” he said.
To avail of the services, one can write to contact@ggprobio.com.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by N Anand / Chennai – June 09th, 2020
“Despite following all the hygiene measures and wearing kits, I still got infected. It could be because of the high viral load that doctors are exposed to,’’ says Dr Ravi.
Dr A Ravi (in orange shirt) speaking to the press after recovering from COVID-19
Chennai :
It was a happy moment for Dr A Ravi when he donned his white coat again and got back to treating COVID-19 patients after a fortnight.
Appointed as the nodal officer for COVID-19 treatment at Stanley Hospital in January, Dr Ravi has treated hundreds of patients and has been part of all the official meetings in the hospital. But he didn’t know at the time that he would contract the virus and turn into a patient himself.
“I had a high fever some 15 days ago but got well the next day. But again, I got fatigue and a dry cough, which is when I decided to take a test,’’ he told reporters at a press conference at the hospital on Monday.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, the Salem native said it was an emotional setback for him when he tested positive but later on he self-isolated himself. “In ten days, I showed improvement and recovered 75 percent. After that, I tested negative and now am ready to get back,’’ he said.
On Monday, Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar had taken to Twitter to congratulate Dr Ravi. The Minister along with the Health Secretary also met the doctor at the hospital.
“Despite following all the hygiene measures and wearing kits, I still got infected. It could be because of the high viral load that doctors are exposed to,’’ says Dr Ravi.
Like any other patient affected by COVID-19, Dr Ravi also grappled with loneliness during his isolation. “Yes, I felt lonely as I needed to be in self-isolation. I also tend to overthink about the complications,’’ he said.
He tells people with comorbid conditions to be cautious. “People with diabetes must not just take tablets but also check their blood sugar levels and ensure it has come down. If we are taking our medications correctly, we will come out well,’’ he added.
Dr Ravi suggests that Kabasura Kudineer and vitamin tablets would also help in boosting immunity. “Take proper food and have adequate sleep,’’ he adds.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Omjasvin MD / Express News Service / June 01st, 2020
A research team of Coimbatore-based Ganga Hospital has won the Outstanding Paper Award of the North American Spine Society (NASS) in basic science category for 2020.
The research was a molecular level study probing the cause for lumbar disc degeneration, main cause of lower back pain, and attempts to identify molecular targets for biological repair of damaged discs.
The research, “Uncovering molecular targets for regenerative therapy in degenerative disc disease: Do Small Leucine-Rich Proteoglycans hold the Key?” won the award, instituted by NASS and the society’s official research publication The Spine Journal.
Social impact
The study, a pointer to regenerative interventions for lumbar disc degeneration in future, gains significance as lower back pain significantly reduces the quality of life of nearly 70% of the patients worldwide, causing a considerable economic and social impact, said the research team head S. Rajasekaran, chairman, Department of Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery at Ganga Hospital.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Coimbatore – June 02nd, 2020
