Bridging the digital divide

Mary Bernardine Dias spearheads drive to spread appropriate technology:

At a remote school in India, a child sits by a board. She is blind, but she has not lost the enthusiasm to learn. As she 'writes' Braille characters on the board using a stylus, it amazingly talks back, 'reading' the letter aloud. This breakthrough invention, which may soon find its way to all corners of the world to help 160 million blind people, is called the Adaptive Braille Writing Tutor. The board that talks back is wireless, computerised, kid-friendly and can even be equipped with the teachers' own voices.

The brain behind this wonderful device is Mary Bernardine Dias, a Sri Lankan who has founded TechBridgeWorld, a company that invents and transfers appropriate technology to the Third World.

Based in Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute, Dias is keen to bring advanced technologies to emerging countries. Her office notes tell the tale. There are inquiries, possibilities, projects - India to Africa, Qatar to Southeast Asia, six months to the horizon. "TechBridgeWorld brings people together interested in working on these projects, in sharing resources and infrastructure."

Mary Bernardine Dias yearned to study physics. A scholarship brought her overseas to Hamilton College, 1994. The lone Sri Lankan on campus, Dias encountered her first computer - and it was a kismet. Enrolling in a computer science course, minoring in women's studies, four years later, Dias brought her B.S. in physics and computer science to a Carnegie Mellon Ph.D. programme. By early 2004, she was Doctor Dias, ready to take on the world. "They believed enough in me and in my vision to give me a job right out of grad school," she marvels. "I'm very thankful everyday about how blessed I am."

Having seen professional do-gooders come to emerging countries like Sri Lanka, stay in five-star hotels, and propose so-called solutions that have nothing to do with reality, she looked "to build sustainable advanced technology that has relevance in the developing world," she says. Her other practice areas include getting human-robot teams to work together and developing space robots that can search for life on other planets. The ink was barely dry on her doctorate when she founded TechBridgeWorld. "We rarely do large-scale deployments," she says. "We do prototypes," involving specific needs in specific communities. That means partners, and partnerships can years to create - getting all the concerned parties in the same room, getting them to agree on the problem, the solution, the implementation, and so on.

"We don't tell people what they should be doing," she adds. "Instead, we work with our strong partners in each community, those who have trust and reputation. Then we create only sustainable solutions, training people to maintain what we've begun."

An example is Project Kan‚ in Ghana which seeks to combat illiteracy. Using the LISTEN Reading Tutor, which employs speech recognition and artificial intelligence to guide reading and respond to reading problems, the TechBridgeWorld team made significant inroads in Ghanaian literacy.

It hardly ends there. An intrepid traveller, Dias and her team have explored projects in Chile, Micronesia, Cambodia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Sri Lanka, among others.

Indeed, a word like limit simply doesn't seem to apply to her. For instance, she is skilled in Kandyan dancing. Having studied it at home for eight years, "it was a great way to show my culture when I came to the United States," she says. Having danced at Hamilton and Carnegie Mellon, now she trains children in its subtleties and gentle movements. "It's very similar to Tai Chi," Dias explains, adding that "I love to go from science to art. It stretches my creativity. It tones my muscles - mental as well as physical."

She loves Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh. At the former, she says, "the people are friendly and approachable. I love the interdisciplinary approach to things - I can go from economics to Chekhov to robotics. And Pittsburgh is just right - not too small, not too big. I love the neighbourhoods - I love the fact that cultures here are integrated. And I really love the arts - the ballet, the symphony."

Speaking of connections, it's time for Dr. Dias to excuse herself. It may be winter in Pittsburgh, but it's summer in her heart, and she's jetting off to her other gig, Carnegie Mellon's branch campus in sunny, sandy Qatar, where the balmy skies are more to her liking, and the TechBridgeWorld possibilities seem boundless. "The future is very exciting," she says. "I'm a serial entrepreneur - in the social sense. I have a very positive attitude. For me, the sky's the limit."

Courtesy: popcitymedia

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Fight disease with spices

Many of the traditional curry ingredients contain health-boosting compounds; new research has shown that there are 10 key ingredients found in popular curries such as Madras, which have been linked to health benefits in conditions such as heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, constipation, dementia, period pains, osteoarthritis and even loss of libido.

* Fenugreek: The leaves and ground spice from the seed are used in many sauces including vindaloo and hot curries of Sri Lanka. Fenugreek seeds may be effective against breast cancer, either stopping or slowing the growth of tumours.

* Coriander: Coriander has more antioxidants than vitamin C and studies have shown that it may help insulin levels in diabetics. It has beneficial effects on cholesterol and colon cancer.

* Turmeric: The roots of this spice give curries their distinctive colour. The key active ingredient is curcumin and it is currently in trials for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, Alzheimer's and psoriasis. It may also protect brain cells from age-related changes and other uses include the treatment of arthritis, asthma, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

* Nutmeg: Mostly found in yellow curry pastes. Nutmeg boosts the male libido.

* Cinnamon: This spice is fragrant and is found in all good curries. Research show it can significantly lower blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes; it is thought that a polyphenol in the spice works like insulin.

* Fennel: From the same family as parsley and carrots, fennel has a sweet smell. It is reputed to be a powerful pain reliever and has also been used to ease indigestion and the symptoms of bronchitis.

* Chili: Chili peppers are the fruit of the capsicum plant, part of the nightshade family and a key ingredient in hot curries. Chili can prevent or heal stomach ulcers and gastric ulcers are three times less common in countries where large amounts of chilies are eaten - chilies burn up more calories and fat than any other spice.

* Ginger: This comes from the underground stems of the ginger plant and is a staple ingredient of most curry powders. It is reputed to lower the risk of stomach ulcers.

* Cardamom: This is the dried fruit of a member of the ginger family and has a pungent, aromatic flavour. It has ant-blood clotting effects and is used in traditional medicine for a variety of conditions including sore throats, indigestion and stomach problems.

* Curry leaves: Fresh curry leaves are highly aromatic. Eating curry leaves lowers the cholesterol and helps lose weight and may also be useful for those suffering from diabetes.

Tenerife News

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A guide for a methodical facial from Chameeliya Ramanayake:

Facial the right way

by Irangika Range

Cleanser: The skin has to be cleansed using a suitable cleanser which should agree with your skin type. Massage in circular motions in the upward direction for five minutes. Use a sponge to remove the cleanser with warm or normal water (not hot water). This removes the make up, accumulated oil and dirt by going deep into the pores of the skin. Without basic cleansing advanced nutritional facial packs and masks would not be effective.

Check the skin type by using a magnifying lamp. A magnifying lamp gives a closer look at the skin. It helps recognise black and white heads, lines and blemishes on the skin.

Scrub: To remove all dead skin cells the scrub would clean all dirt by going deep into the pores. If the skin is very sensitive, the scrub should not be left or more than five minutes while the usual time is 10 minutes. It has to be removed with a sponge dipped in warm water.

You might feel that the change as the skin is rejuvenated after scrubbing.

Steaming: when you steam, make sure that your eyes are properly covered. Steaming provides the heat and opens facial skin pores. The result would improve blood circulation by providing moisture to the skin. This would also help remove black and white heads easily. Basic steaming time is 10 minutes. Steaming helps even dull skin to glow.

Vacuum Suction: It removes all kinds of skin toxins.

To remove black and white heads - A special mask should be applied on the face. Leave for 20 minutes. This black and white head remover is a sticker which removes both black and white heads.

Herbal bleaching: This provides a solution for dark, dull patches and sun burns on the face. Leave the bleach for 15 minutes and remove it with warm water. Dark circles around eyes and on the neck are removed by bleaching and it helps dark pigmentation become light. The herbal bleaching is not harmful to the skin and gives natural whitening.

With Frequency Machine: A machine which produces a frequency of 1,000,000 - 2,20,000 Hertz cycles per second is called High Frequency Machine. Special cream is applied according to the skin type before using the machine. It controls sebum production to improve the skin condition. Bacteria would be destroyed while curing pimples and blemishes. This treatment also increases the oxygen supply to the skin which is vital to maintain a good moisture balance.

Facial massage: If the skin is affected with pimples and acne, it is not advisable to massage. If the skin is in normal condition massage for 20 minutes. The massage has to be started by relaxing mussels from the shoulders to neck area. The mussels around the eye and mouth areas should be massaged gently through circular motions. Cheek muscles are triangle, so stick to triangulor motions.

Use a massaging cream which has to be removed with warm water.

Facial mask: choose a mask to match the skin type. It has to be removed after 15 minutes. You can get rid of any dry condition of the skin by using a facial mask. It improves the complexion and helps maintain a good moisture balance.

Eye gel: Use an eye gel to cool the eye area. It also reduces dark circles around the eyes.

Eye brow shaping: The plucking of eye brows can be done easily after the massage. Use a tweezer but threading should not be done.

Threading damages the skin and may cause skin irritations.

Toning: This helps close the skin pores which are open. It also provides a good pH balance to the skin.

Moisturising: The last step is to apply moisturising cream to retain a good moisture balance on the face.

After care advise: It is very important to follow after care advices after a facial. You should use a clean towel. Choose the right beauty care products according to your skin type. You should not apply anything for 24 hours after a facial. Swimming and exposure to the sun are also not recommended.

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Baked Pasta with Broccoli

1 packet of pasta, uncooked
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. fresh broccoli crowns, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese (or smoked mozzarella)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the pasta according to package directions, subtracting one minute from the package's suggested cooking time. (You want the pasta al dente, not mushy.) Drain the pasta and transfer to a large mixing bowl. toss with olive oil.

Place broccoli in a microwave-safe dish and heat one minute on high. Stir and cook another 30 seconds or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Be careful not to overcook. Toss with penne. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs and egg whites to the pasta. Mix until well combined. Transfer to the prepared spring form pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan. Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes. Unfold and serve immediately.