INDIAN AMERICAN SCIENTIST SANGEETA BHATIA DEVELOPS CHEAP PAPER TEST TO DETECT CANCER
MIT scientist Sangeeta Bhatia has developed a cheap, simple, paper test that can detect cancer, circumventing expensive approaches such as mammograms and colonoscopy.
The
diagnostic, which works much like a pregnancy test, could reveal within
minutes, based on a urine sample, whether a person has cancer, MIT said
in a statement announcing the amazing breakthrough, adding that while
this approach has helped detect infectious diseases, the new technology
will allow non-communicable diseases to be detected using the same
strategy.
Dr.
Bhatia, John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and
Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor at
MIT and a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, explained
that the paper test essentially relies on nanoparticles that interact
with tumor proteins called proteases, each of which can trigger release
of hundreds of biomarkers that are then easily detectable in a patient's
urine.
"When
we invented this new class of synthetic biomarker, we used a highly
specialized instrument to do the analysis," said Dr. Bhatia. "For the
developing world, we thought it would be exciting to adapt it instead to
a paper test that could be performed on unprocessed samples in a rural
setting, without the need for any specialized equipment. The simple
readout could even be transmitted to a remote caregiver by a picture on a
mobile phone."
Cancer rates
in developing nations have climbed sharply in recent years, and now
account for 70 percent of cancer mortality worldwide. Early detection
has been proven to improve outcomes, but screening approaches such as
mammograms and colonoscopy, used in the developed world, are too costly
to be implemented in settings with little medical infrastructure.
The
MIT nanoparticles are coated with peptides (short protein fragments)
targeted by different matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). These particles
congregate at tumor sites, where MMPs cleave hundreds of peptides, which
accumulate in the kidneys and are excreted in the urine.
In
the original version of the technology, these peptides were detected
using an instrument called a mass spectrometer, which analyzes the
molecular makeup of a sample. However, these instruments are not readily
available in the developing world, so the researchers adapted the
particles so they could be analyzed on paper, using an approach known as
a lateral flow assay - the same technology used in pregnancy tests.
INDO-CANADIAN T.V. PAUL WRITES A NEW BOOK ON PAKISTAN
Dr.
T.V. Paul, James McGill Professor of International Relations in the
Department of Political Science at McGill University, Montreal, Canada
has written a new book, "The Warrior States: Pakistan in the
Contemporary World," released by Oxford University Press on Feb. 3. In
this new book, Dr. Paul tackles what may be the world's most dangerous
powder keg and untangles a fascinating riddle-why can't Pakistan
progress?
Paul
identifies the fundamental source of Pakistan's lack of progress in his
book as "a geostrategic curse and the hyper realpolitik ideas that the
country's elite hold in creating and maintaining a semi-feudal society,"
according to a press release.
Since
its founding in 1947, Pakistan has been the center of major
geopolitical struggles-the U.S.-Soviet rivalry, the conflict with India,
and most recently the post 9/11 wars. No matter how ineffective the
regime, massive foreign aid continues pouring in from major powers and
their allies with a stake in the region.
The
reliability of such aid defuses any pressure on political elites to
launch far-reaching domestic reforms that would promote sustained
growth, higher standards of living, and more stable democratic
institutions.
In
his book, Paul tackles the questions: Why has Pakistan emerged as a
"failing state," a state that cannot provide minimum law and order,
control various competing societal forces, and survive economically
without external support?
He
also asks: Why does it remain a heavily militarized warrior state with
narrowly defined national security concerns while several military-ruled
countries in Asia and Africa have become democratic?
In
an effort to "encourage the Pakistani elite and informed public to
think hard on the nation's strategic and economic choices that were made
in the past 65 years and the consequences that they have generated
internally and externally," Paul executes a thoroughly researched
argument that clarifies the true cause of Pakistan's failure to process,
added the publicist's notes.
Credit: India West
INDIAN AMERICAN ABRAHAM PANNIKOTTU TO DEVELOP ZERO PRESSURE TIRE FOR THE US MILITARY
Getting
a flat tire is never convenient. In a war zone, it can be deadly and
very dangerous. While special operations vehicles have been loaded with
extra armor to protect troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the tires remain
vulnerable to attacks by improvised explosive devices (IED). The unique
carbon fiber multiple hoop tire design by American Engineering Group may
be the key to a new Zero Pressure Tire that could keep military
vehicles running faster and longer after an attack.
Indian
American Abraham Pannikottu owned American Engineering Group (AEG) has
received a $1 million Phase II project grant from the US Department of
Defense (DOD) to develop a tire that will continue running even after
being shredded by roadside bombs or gunfire. Though military vehicle
tires are now equipped with run-flat inserts, the DOD wants to upgrade
to a zero pressure tire that's better at carrying heavier loads and can
quickly move soldiers out of harm's way.
When
engineers at American Engineering Group began working on tire designs,
they settled on a flexible multiple carbon fiber hoop structure - which
functions like air inside a tire. Along with carbon fiber multiple hoops
for strength, the design allows shrapnel and high-caliber bullets to
pass through the tire. During project phase I testing in 2011, the tire
continued to run well - keeping the same functional road performance -
even after receiving several rounds of gun shots.
Zero
pressure tires have been around for a long time, with major drawbacks
such as bumpy rides and overheating. The American Engineering Group
(AEG) prototype dissipates heat and has the tire flexibility and
strength to support the heavy military pick-up weight while providing a
relatively smooth ride.
In
a 5,000-square-foot lab in Akron, Ohio, AEG works on different
combinations of polymeric elastomeric materials to make the multiple
carbon fiber hoops that are bonded to the carcass of the tire. Finding
the right combination of hoop dimensions and materials is the challenge.
A softer material provides good durability and flexibility but wears
out sooner. A harder material lasts longer but also generates more heat.
Eventually,
zero pressure tires will be tested by the military at Proving Grounds
to demonstrate results of mine blasts and handling during obstacle
encounters. Since the tire is still under development, there's no price
tag. AEG is expected to develop a tire that costs the same or less than
current military tires.
"AEG's
motivation and driving force for this project are that AEG gets the
privilege to be of help to save lives of our soldiers," said Abraham
Pannikottu, Operations Manager at AEG who is also a Life member of
GOPIO.
AEG started its operation in Akron, Ohio in 2000. The companyhas
patents pending for the Zero Pressure tire technology. This tire
company will help with manufacturing of commercial tires. As for
commercial applications of the zero pressure design for run-flat tires,
AEG is focusing its current efforts on the pick-up truck. However this
technology eventually could be used on all-terrain vehicles, as well as
mining and construction vehicles.
Indian-born
Abraham has a mechanical engineering degree from Sardar Vallabhbhai
National Institute of Technology (Surat, Gujrat). He later completed
graduate studies in polymer science at the University of Akron. He has
written several research articles on engineering applications of rubber.
His group is also working on new innovative product such as US National
Football League Helmet and Implantable Cost-effective Titanium Hip
& Knee.
In
2006 Pentagon honored Pannikottu & his engineering group for
designing an airless tire for the Stryker armored vehicle. This Pentagon
award was for exceptional performance that exemplifies the goal of
bringing innovative technologies to the soldier.
SOUTH AFRICAN NRI RECOGNIZED WITH PRESTIGIOUS INTERNAL AWARD
Prof.
Suprakas Sinha Ray (42) recently bagged one of the most prestigious
international awards for polymer processing. Ray, director of the
CSIR/Department of Science and Technology (DST) National Centre for
Nanostructured Materials (NCNSM) received the Morand Lambla Award (MLA)
from the International Polymer Processing Society (IPPS) at its 29th
conference in Nuremberg, Germany.
Prof.
Ray joined South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) in 2006. At the time, there was little research activity
in his field and he was tasked with putting together a group of
researchers in the field of nanotechnology in 2007; the team has grown
to about 50 staff members.
In
remarking that centre had started from nothing in its 6-yr history.
Prof. Ray's team is one of the most active research groups, thanks to
unbelievable support from the CSIR and the DST. Nanotechnology in
polymer science is used to improve the properties of plastics, to make
them tougher, more impermeable and less flammable.
"One
of our big projects is to develop optimal nanostructure materials to
reduce the weight of a car. Conventional composites (used for the dash
board, etc.) consist of 30% to 40% fillers, for example, glass fiber,
but if we use nanotechnology, the composite can be stronger with only 3%
to 5% filler, reducing the total weight. Due to the rising fuel costs,
every manufacturer works towards fuel efficiency and the way to do this,
is by reducing weight'
For
this Award, the 7 member jury looked at the researchers' work over
several years, with impact over the last five years being most
important. They also consider quality of publications & impact
factor of journals where it was published.
Another
prestigious recognition Ray had enjoyed was that he was rated one of
the world's top 50 high impact chemists in 2011 out of approximately a
million chemists who were recorded in journal publications indexed by
Thomson Reuters. After receiving his PhD at the University of Calcutta,
India in 2001, he completed three years of postdoctoral research at the
Toyota Technological Institute in Japan.
When
the CSIR offered him a job, Ray and his wife, Jayita Bandyopadhyay (MSc
in nuclear physics and a PhD in chemical engineering) had been living
in Canada where he was a postdoctoral scientist at the chemical
engineering department of the University of Laval in Québec City.
INDIAN AMERICAN VINCE CHHABRIA CONFIRMED FEDERAL JUDGE
Indian-American
attorney Vince Chhabria, who has represented San Francisco in defense
of its health insurance law, adoption rights of same-sex couples and
other major cases, has won Senate confirmation for a federal judgeship.
Chhabria, 44, who presently serves as the deputy attorney of San
Francisco City, will become California's first federal judge of South
Asian descent.
The
Senate vote on March 5 was 58-41, with four Republicans joining
Democrats in approving President Barack Obama's nomination of Chhabria. A
University of California Berkeley Law School graduate, he fills the
last of three vacancies on the Bay Area's 14-member U.S. District Court.
"While
I had high expectations when I started here nine years ago, I never
dreamed I would be lucky enough to work on so many exciting cases, for
so many dynamic clients, with so many dedicated and high-caliber public
lawyers," said Chhabria.
He
began his legal career by clerking for Judge Charles R. Breyer of the
US district court for the Northern District of California from 1998 to
1999.
The
South Asian Bar Association of North America and the South Asian Bar
Association of Northern California have applauded Chhabria's historic
confirmation to the U.S. district court.
The
lone Indian-American member of the US House of Representatives, Ami
Bera, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus chair, Judy Chu,
and CAPAC chair emeritus, Mike Honda, also applauded Chhabria's
confirmation.
INDIAN AMERICAN SCIENTISTS HONORED WITH IEEE AWARDS
Dr.
Sanjay Madria, a professor in the Department of Computer Science at
Missouri University of Science and Technology, is a recent recipient of
the IEEE Computer Society's Golden Core Award. The Golden Core Award is a
plaque awarded for long-standing member or staff service to the
society.
Madria's
research revolves around resource management, data management, security
and handling attacks in wireless sensor networks, mobile ad hoc
networks and cloud computing. In the Web and Wireless Computing Lab, the
Indian American researcher has small miniature devices called motes
that can self-organize themselves to create a wireless sensor network
and can send data to a given base station. While Madria received his
B.S. degree from Delhi University, he earned his master's degree as well
as his doctorate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology,
Delhi.
Two Indian American professors have received a 2014 IEEE Technical Field Award in their respective fields.
The
IEEE Andrew S. Grove Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions
to solid-state devices and technology, was presented to Dr. Sanjay Kumar
Banerjee, a Cockrell Regents Chair professor of electrical and computer
engineering and director, Microelectronics Center at the University of
Texas, Austin, "for contributions to column-IV MOSFETs and related
materials processing."
Dr.
Balaji Prabhakar, a professor at Stanford University in Stanford,
Calif., received the IEEE Innovation in Societal Infrastructure Award
"for his demonstration of the innovative use of information technology
and distributed computing systems to solve long-standing societal
problems, in areas ranging from transportation to healthcare and
recycling."
The
award recognizes significant technological achievements and
contributions to the establishment, development, and proliferation of
innovative societal infrastructure systems through the application of
information technology with an emphasis on distributed computing
systems.
Credit: India-West
INDIAN AMERICAN ASHOK VARADHAN APPOINTED CO-HEAD OF GOLDMAN SACHS' SECURITIES
Indian-origin
Ashok Varadhan has been appointed co-head of the Goldman Sachs'
securities division, the largest and most profitable of the global
investment bank's four units.
Varadhan,
41, is currently the head of macro trading in Goldman's Securities
Division and will join Isabelle Ealet and Pablo Salame as co-head of the
Securities Division.
In
an internal memo, Goldman's Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein said
Varadhan has been an "effective voice on a number of firmwide, regional
and divisional committees", including the management committee, growth
markets operating committee and firmwide risk committee.
"As
a long-tenured leader in the Securities Division, Ashok has
demonstrated dedication to our clients and a deep understanding of our
business," Blankfein said.
As
co-head of the securities division, which generates the most revenue
and profit for Goldman, Varadhan would build on Goldman's client
franchise across its fixed income, currency and commodities and equities
businesses.
A
Duke University graduate, Varadhan joined Goldman Sachs in 1998 in
Swaps Trading and after heading the dollar derivative trading, he ran
North American interest rate products and became global head of foreign
exchange in 2007.
He was named managing director in 2000 and partner in 2002.
He
is the son of eminent Indian-American academician Srinivasa Varadhan, a
Chennai native who is Professor of Mathematics at the Courant Institute
of Mathematical Sciences at New York University.
The
senior Varadhan was awarded the Abel Prize, considered equivalent to
the Nobel Prize and awarded for outstanding scientific work in the field
of mathematics.
The
securities unit is the largest of Goldman's four divisions and people
who have co-headed the unit previously have gone on to assume
top-ranking positions at the bank.
It includes the bank's fixed-income, currency and commodities operations as well as its equities unit.
Varadhan
serves as Vice Chairman of the US Treasury Borrowing Advisory
Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of DUMAC, which
manages Duke University's endowment.
