An Indian-born woman research scholar from the University of Washington won the Paul Baran Young Scholar Award for 2018 for using smartphones to detect life-threatening symptoms, the California-based Marconi Society, which has instituted the award, said on Tuesday.

“Nandakumar Rajalakshmi is the winner of this year’s Young Scholar Award for her outstanding research work in detecting life-threatening symptoms using smartphones,” the Society said in an e-mail to IANS.

Inspired by bats, which use sonar to navigate in the dark by sending acoustic signals and using reflections to identify objects, Rajalakshmi, 28, has turned a smartphone into an active sonar system to detect physiological activity like movement or respiration in a human body by a remote device.

“Rajalakshimi’s system works by transmitting inaudible sound signals from a smartphone’s speaker and tracking their reflections off the human body. The reflections are analysed by algorithms and signal processing techniques,” the Society said in the e-statement.

The system is disrupting the sleep industry by creating a non-intrusive, low-cost application — ApneaApp for detecting sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that affects millions of people the world over and yet remains undiagnosed.

“I wanted to find a way to detect physiological signals, like pulse and heart rate, which are used for healthcare applications. When I found that many consumer electronic devices have speakers and microphones, I decided to study if inaudible signals could help detect physiological movement,” Rajalakshmi told IANS via another e-mail.

The Society will honour Rajalakshmi with the award on October 2 at Bologna, Italy.

“Being recognised by the Marconi Society is humbling and motivates me to excel further in this field and to have a much larger impact,” she said.

Paul Baran (1926-2011), a Polish-born Jewish American engineer, was a pioneer in the development of computer networks. He won the Marconi Prize in 1991 for inventing packet switching technology, used in data communications, worldwide.

Set up in 1975 by Marconi’s daughter Gioia Marconi Braga through an endowment, the Society annually awards outstanding individuals whose scope of work and influence emulate the principle of “creativity in service to humanity” that inspired Marconi.

The young scholars are selected by an international jury of engineers from leading universities and firms on nomination from their academic advisers.

The award consists of $5,000 (Rs 362,500) and expenses to attend the annual ceremony.

“More than the prize, Young Scholars are offered mentoring and guidance by the Society’s distinguished roster of engineering greats,” added the statement.

A post-doctorate scholar in the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at Seattle, Rajalakshmi went to the US in 2013 after a two-year stint as a research assistant at Microsoft India Research Centre in Bengaluru during 2011-13.

She graduated in B.Tech from Guindy College of Engineering in Chennai after studying at TVS Lakshmi School in the temple town of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

Rajalakshmi’s parents run a healthcare devices firm Ideal Diagnostics Ltd at Madurai, about 460 km southwest of Chennai.

“My father was in the healthcare sector when I grew up and spent a lot of time in these environments. The best part of my work is seeing the people using my technology and knowing that it benefits their well-being. As a computer scientist, I find it very fulfilling,” recalled Rajalakshmi.

Before Rajalakshmi developed the ApneaApp, diagnosing sleep apnea was an expensive polysomnography test that involved an overnight stay in a hospital or sleep clinic connected to a tangle of wires, or in-home systems with high failure rates due to the accidental detachment of sensors during sleep.

Whereas, ApneaApp needs no instrumentation of the individual and can track a person’s breathing remotely from home.

After proving the effectiveness of her app, Rajalakshmi and the University of Washington licensed the innovation to ResMed, a leader in sleep technology and medical devices.

The technology was built into the new SleepScore app for Android and iOS that helps individuals to monitor their sleep quality.

“Rajalakshmi has a knack for selecting problems with high social impact,” said her advisor and associate professor at the university Shyam Gollakota on the occasion.

“What’s incredible is Rajalakshmi has innovated a technology that is like science fiction and has got it adopted by hundreds of people in the real world. It is rare for a graduate student to have such impact with even one application, and she is doing it time and again,” reiterated Gollakota.

Rajalakshmi’s latest work focuses on using sonar to detect opioid overdoses. About 100 people reportedly die daily in the US due to overdosing on opioids, making it a critical healthcare issue.

Deaths from overdose are preventable through timely detection and intervention. Rajalakshmi developed an app that people can download prior to engaging in high-risk behaviour that monitors breathing and other movements and automatically alerts emergency services or other help if these activities cease.

The application was also tested at a clinic in Vancouver, Canada, showing its ability to save many lives through early detection of the symptoms.

“Our Young Scholar award attracts the world’s brightest researchers. Rajalakshmi embodies the characteristics we seek – intellectual capability, entrepreneurial spirit and the vision to use her work to better humankind,” said Marconi Society’s Chairman Vincent Cerf.

(IANS)

It will be an understatement to say this is a gripping book, sympathetic yet critical. With his passion for meticulous research, Philip Goldberg has authored what is undoubtedly one of the most stirring and brilliant accounts of a spiritual master, Paramhansa Yogananda, delving in particular into his life in the US that have largely remained shrouded in mystery. The result is this profound biography.

Goldberg makes it clear that he is not a disciple of Yogananda, which makes the book all the more enriching. Yogananda (born Mukund Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur) achieved global fame with his 1946 masterpiece “Autobiography of a Yogi”. That seminal book is the reason why he still casts a spell, although he passed away decades ago. A professional writer for more than 40 years, Goldberg decided to essay Yogananda’s life because although the yoga guru spent almost all his adult years in America, less than 10 per cent of the “Autobiography…” is about that immensely productive and historically significant period.

Goldberg’s wide-ranging research led him to conclude that Yogananda, his quirks and idiosyncrasies notwithstanding, was an extraordinary human being, a spiritual prodigy, psychically gifted with exceptional inner powers and without doubt a self-realised yogic master. From a young age, he stalked God the way “Sherlock Holmes stalked criminals”.

But for one who moved to the US in 1920 unsure of his English, life wasn’t easy.

With his ochre robes and long hair, his mere appearance could invite ridicule, torment and even abuse. He endured sneers, glares, name-calling and even stone-throwing, but maintained his dignity. Worse, there were times when Yogananda and his close group didn’t have enough to buy food, so they would simply fast for a few days, says Goldberg, uncovering details never known before. Building the network he eventually did in the US was no joke because it was a time of coin-operated phone booths, long-distance operators, telegrams and letter writing. But Yogananda did it.

Only a handful of people came to his earlier “satsangs”. The numbers grew slowly, through word of mouth, as Yogananda began wandering across the length and breadth of America — much like Adi Shankara did in India centuries earlier. He went everywhere he could: Miami, Seattle, Oregon, Los Angeles, New York, Cleveland, Colorado, Boston, Utah.

Yogananda’s very name played a role in popularising yoga, then an unknown subject in the West. As he toured America, every time his name was mentioned or appeared in print, “yoga” became further legitimised in public mind. For someone who was reticent about public speaking at first, he became quite a performer. No wonder, his gatherings — where he spoke about God, yoga, meditation, the oneness of humankind — began to attract as many as 5,000 to 6,000 people. There were occasions when visitors had to be turned away because the venues were overflowing. A time came when The Los Angeles Times would call him “the 20th century’s first superstar guru”.

How did Yogananda succeed? Although his ingredients always contained elements from Hinduism, including karma, dharma, reincarnation, mantras, chakras and core principles of Vedanta, the combination of scientific rationality and respect for the Judeo-Christian tradition would become hallmarks of Yogananda’s teaching. Yogananda, says Goldberg, took the veneration of Christ a step further, producing a massive volume of written and spoken commentary on Jesus and his teachings. This triggered problems too. He was accused of selling out to attract Christian followers and also of “Chritistianising” Hinduism. His introduction of kirtan to America has been largely under-appreciated, the author says.

Once Yogananda attained VIP status, he was welcomed to the White House by President Calvin Coolidge (1923-29). Indeed, he had genuine love for America. He said the US was the most spiritual country, next only to his own India. He also met Mexican President Emilio Candido Portes Gil. What is noteworthy is that Yogananda makes no mention of these personal achievements in his “Autobiography…”, which is more about saints he met in his quest for God and less about himself.

But a time came when Yogananda had to face the worst of America: Media sensationalism, religious bigotry, ethnic stereotyping, sexual allegations and brazen racism. Life became difficult during the World War years as it affected revenue from class fees, books and magazine sales. Donations plunged. Worse, people he though were his soul mates suddenly ditched him and took him to court, causing him immense pain. On one occasion, he begged the Divine Mother: “Free me. Let me go back to India to serve you there.” It was not to happen.

Yogananda kept saying that he was using business in religion and not making a business of religion — as evidenced by the fact that no one was profiting financially from his work. When he returned to the US after a brief visit to India in the 1930s, he was detained for four days by US authorities for some obscure technical reason. But nothing derailed the “serious man with a serious and singular mission, a determined, disciplined, demanding dynamo who slept only three or four hours a night”. But Yogananda was fun-loving too. He loved popular comic strips like “Blondie” and “Bringing Up Father”. He loved to fly kites. And as a cook, he was a perfectionist.

Goldberg is clear that allegations of sexual derailment hurled at him have no basis. “Had I found verifiable evidence that Yogananda had sexual affairs or exploited female disciples, I would not have hesitated to report it. But I did not… My research did not uncover any credible evidence that Yogananda ever broke his vow of celibacy… No woman ever claimed to have had sexual relations with Yogananda — not even in posthumous letters, diaries or memoirs.”

In 1946, Yogananda took advantage of a change in immigration laws and applied for citizenship. His application was approved in 1949 and he became a naturalised US citizen. It was the year he took a train to San Francisco to meet Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. And when he died, Yogananda was speaking about India.

According to Goldberg, Yogananda’s crowning achievement, and the most enduring monument to his earthly expedition, was the “Autobiography of a Yogi”. It has sold millions of copies and continues to be a best-seller. But in 1946, publisher after publisher rejected it — until the Philosophical Library went for it. That book, along with Yogananda’s other writings, has had a religious and spiritual impact that “is unique and unassailable”. As Goldberg says, no single person contributed more to East-West current than Yoganand

[IANS]

New Delhi Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Monday announced it is now available on Reliance JioPhones across India.

WhatsApp has built a new version of its private messaging app for JioPhone, running on KaiOS operating system.

“Millions of people across India can now use WhatsApp private messaging on the best-in-class JioPhone across India,” said Chris Daniels, Vice President, WhatsApp, in a statement.

The new app makes it easy to record and send voice messages with just couple of taps on the keypad.

To get started, JioPhone users only need to verify their phone number and then they can begin chatting with other WhatsApp users, one-on-one or in groups.

“We will be providing WhatsApp, the most used chat application in the world, on all JioPhones starting today (Monday). Jio wants to thank the Facebook and WhatsApp team for making this happen,” said Akash Ambani, Director, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd.

WhatsApp is available in the JioPhone AppStore starting September 10 and will be rolled out on all JioPhones by September 20, the company said.

People can download WhatsApp on both JioPhone and JioPhone 2 by visiting the AppStore.

(IANS)