 “When love of Godhead is attained, love for all other beings automatically follows because the Lord is the sum total of all living beings.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, Introduction)
The best way to adopt universal brotherhood, the harboring of good will towards every other life form, including those beyond the human species, is to have a full appreciation for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the fountainhead of all energies. For there to be appreciation, there must be knowledge, and for there to be knowledge, there must be an authorized source of information. An invalid source will provide faulty information, and thus the recipient will wrongly consider themselves to be learned. An education which is not rooted in information about the Supreme Person and the living entity’s inherent link to Him will be deficient in its effectiveness. On the other hand, proper knowledge of the Supreme Person can leave the knower fully appreciative of the many component aspects of creation.
 What is the effect of substandard knowledge? Moreover, isn’t this a rather harsh assessment of the teachers of targeted items of focus, which help students attain skill in a particular venture? When information passed down through the teacher-student paradigm is not rooted in understanding of the Supreme Person, the aim of the disciplinary system will be focused on finding satisfaction for some aspect of the body. To use an example, let’s take something as simple as instruction in cooking. If a person takes a class to learn how to cook elegant dishes, the underlying aim is to satisfy the taste buds with the sumptuous food that results. At the same time, we know that the animal community doesn’t have the opportunity to become immersed in the culinary arts. Rather, they are satisfied with the allotment of food items provided by nature, which operates under intelligence. If nature just functioned randomly, then the movements of the sun and the seasons it causes could never be predicted. For there to be regularity of function, there must be intelligence.
A person may take a cooking class for other reasons. Perhaps they are looking to work as a cook, or maybe they want to satisfy the members of their family with tasty dishes every day. Yet once again the onus is placed on the body, which is considered temporary by the Vedic seers, those who take divine instruction passed down from the original Personality of Godhead at the beginning of creation. The sense demands can never be fully satisfied, and the more one tries to find happiness through this channel, the less they learn to appreciate others. The pursuit of sense gratification is entirely personally related; therefore happiness for oneself doesn’t necessarily bring happiness for another person. Moreover, there will be competition in this area, as someone else’s success in a particular venture can be detrimental to the person seeking out their own satisfaction.
The defects in the example of the cooking class can be rectified pretty quickly, provided that the aim of the instructor and the students shifts in the right direction. If the object of focus is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then even something as simple as cooking can be both appreciated and excelled at. The devotee understands that their inherent link to the spiritual world means that if the Lord is made happy through devotional efforts, that pleasure will be shared with those who are intimately associated with Him.
 In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna states that anyone who offers Him a leaf, flower, fruit, or some water with devotion will have their offering accepted by Him. Krishna is the same God that everyone worships, ignores or decries. He is the original form of Godhead, the most attractive entity to be found in any realm. In whatever room Krishna walks into, He is the most beautiful person. The same applies for His strength, knowledge, fame, level of renunciation, and wisdom. Since He is in full possession of these attributes He is also known as Bhagavan.
Service to God is to be enacted voluntarily, for the loving spirit cannot blossom when there is fear or coercion due to impending punishment. Krishna is so wonderful that one who gains His association becomes fortunate. By this very definition, someone who falls out of the graces of the Lord and His land becomes the biggest loser. If on one side you have the greatest gain and on the other you turn your back to that benefit, naturally the latter condition will be the worst possible one. In this way anyone who is forgetful of Krishna already suffers the worst punishment. There is no need for worry about further punishment after the initial turn from spiritual life is made, for the misery continues to arrive without cessation.
If God doesn’t explicitly want to punish us once we forget Him, why do we have such horrible things like rape, incest, murder and natural disasters? In the realm divorced of its direct relationship to the Supreme Person, every interest will be directed at pleasing the senses. Since each person will look to fulfill this need first, fierce competition must follow. The decried practices of racism, bigotry and caste distinctions only exist because they further the interests of specific parties. If everyone understood that they are inherently linked to God, there would be no reason to make such distinctions, or at least they wouldn’t matter as far as human interactions went.
 When operating under the competitive spirit, there must be some temporary gains and setbacks. Hence we see economic booms, depressions, wars, famines, periods of prosperity, and other temporary conditions. The soul of the living entity is eternal, so even the worst act perpetrated on the body cannot do anything to alter the makeup of the spiritual spark, the essence of identity. Therefore the pains and miseries of the material world are not directly related to God, as the miserable conditions are concomitant with forgetfulness of the Supreme Person.
The best approach for finding pleasure is to take directly to understanding the fountainhead of energy, Shri Krishna, as this will lead one towards the necessary educational pursuits to keep the soul satisfied. With the soul satisfied in full Krishna consciousness, appreciation for the other aspects of life will increase. The process can be likened to the results that come from appreciating a completed product versus just admiring its various components. Let’s say we have a brand new motorcycle sitting in the garage. To enhance our appreciation, we could try to take the bike apart and study the various aspects. We could admire the different parts and appreciate the fine craftsmanship and how vital the components are towards the machine as a whole. The other option is to appreciate the entire machine itself, riding it around, enjoying our time. With appreciation of the motorcycle, the component parts are automatically paid homage. The same appreciation could come by studying each of the individual parts, but this process is much more difficult.
In a similar manner, just by knowing Krishna, so much of nature can be noticed, appreciated and honored without any added effort. The gopis of Vrindavana illustrated this concept very nicely. Aside from being the original Personality of Godhead residing in the spiritual sky, Krishna is also the best friend of the devotees, who He is kind enough to visit every so often in the material world. In reality, the distinction between worlds applies only to the conditioned souls deluded by a false ego. Wherever Krishna goes is a spiritual land, but since His personal presence typically goes unnoticed in the phenomenal realm, it is considered a separated area.
 The gopis loved Krishna the most during His time on earth some five thousand years ago. Their love is of the transcendental variety, not the kind that can turn into hate at a moment’s notice. Even if the gopis did get angry at Krishna, they never hated Him. On the contrary, they only thought of Him more and more. Even if they were envious of other gopis being more favored by Krishna, their jealousy was not material in any way. Never did they associate with their body, and never did they seek the full satisfaction of anyone besides Krishna.
When the gopis would think of Krishna and the flute He would play, they would automatically appreciate the tree that produced the flute that touched Krishna’s lips. Lest they stop their meditation here, they increased their appreciation by honoring the flowers that surrounded the tree that produced the flute that touched Krishna’s lips. They went further by appreciating everything around the same tree. In this way their knowledge of production of goods was perfect, and so was their overall attitude. They carried the attitude of universal brotherhood without explicitly seeking it. They loved Krishna, so naturally they would love everything about His creation. If they ever were really disappointed about something not tied to Krishna, it was that the creator gave them eyelids that periodically obstructed their vision of the beautifulShyamasundara, Shri Krishna who is the most attractive and has the complexion of a dark raincloud.
What does this mean for us? How can we know Krishna? How can we get authorized information about Him? The saints have kindly passed on to us the confidential wisdom found in the sacred Vedic texts like the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam. By helping ourselves to their gifts, the proper attitude in life can be adopted. What’s so wonderful is that one who takes on the mood of devotion, or bhakti, can go into any situation and extract nectar from it. The devotee enrolled in the cooking class can take the information learned and use it to prepare delicious items to be offered to Krishna, which then subsequently turn into prasadam. The devotee with the appreciated motorcycle can use their vehicle to travel from town to town to chant the Lord’s glories, especially those found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
The traits exhibited by the gopis and the saints also serve as a nice barometer for how well one is progressing in their practice of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. Hating someone or something else is very easy; it requires no effort whatsoever. Only one who knows God can see the good in all people and their potential to become devotees who enthrall the Supreme Lord with their heartfelt acts of devotion. If this potential is there in all of us, why wouldn’t we wish for every one of our fellow brothers and sisters to attain full enlightenment and reach the spiritual sky at the end of life?
 Without loving Krishna, or God, it is practically impossible to reach the state of mind where every other life form is appreciated. Through acts of charity and sacrifice, perhaps our fellow man can be more appreciated, but the millions of other creatures may go neglected. Krishna is also known as Govinda and Gopala because of His connection to cows. The cow is a sacred animal in the Vedic tradition because of the milk that it provides. A person can be destitute, living on a tiny plot of land, but if they have one or two cows, they will not have a problem finding food to eat. The cow doesn’t require much either; just the promise of protection and the ability to roam the fields to eat. And for that small amount of attention, the cow provides so much in return.
Not just limited to cows and human beings, spirit souls are found in all spheres of life. One who knows the nature of the soul and its relationship to Krishna will thus refrain from needlessly inflicting violence on others, especially when its purpose is just to satisfy the taste buds. In this way the Vedic knowledge passed down about God and devotion to Him is complete, not lacking anything that we might need to know. The devotee following bhakti is never bereft of anything important, including requisite knowledge. Knowledge of Krishna is sufficient for acquiring every beneficial trait imaginable.
In Closing:
When knowledge of Krishna one has understood,
Comes easily to them universal brotherhood.
Want to love God’s creatures, every single one?
And the wonders of creation, the moon and the sun?
Studying each component separately is hard,
Takes time to become familiar with each part.
Of knowledge and wisdom Krishna is the source,
At beginning of creation Vedas did He bring forth.
From devotion to God appreciation does grow,
Of integral aspects of creation we come to know.
The gopis gave to Shri Krishna all of their love,
His beautiful smile and flute always thinking of.
When bhakti in our lives we do incorporate,
The amazing creation we will appreciate.
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Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Sum of Its Parts
New way to halt cancer growth
| MONASH UNIVERSITY |
Scientists have discovered a mechanism that causes an aggressive type of lung cancer to re-grow following chemotherapy, offering hope for new therapies.
The study, conducted by an international team of researchers from Monash, Stanford and John Hopkins universities, represents not just the potential for new drugs, but a novel way of approaching cancer treatment. Professor Neil Watkins, of the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) led the Monash research team of Dr Luciano Martelotto, MIMR, and Associate Professor Tracey Brown of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Professor Watkins said that while many current cancer treatments and trials focus on shrinking existing tumours, this research had a different focus. "Some aggressive types of cancer respond very well to chemotherapy, but then the real challenge is to stop the tumour coming back. That's what we investigated. Lung cancer is the commonest cause of cancer-related death in Australia. Between 15 and 20 per cent of lung cancer cases are an extremely aggressive type known as small cell lung cancer (SCLC) that usually responds well to chemotherapy, but regrows and is then less responsive to the treatment. The study showed that the regrowth of SCLC cells could be blocked by a drug that targets growth signals, which, in healthy cells, control organ development and repair. Professor Watkins said that blocking the signalling pathway, known as 'Hedgehog', could form the basis of new SCLC treatments. "This discovery gives us important clues for designing new treatment approaches. By using drugs to inhibit the Hedgehog signalling, we should be able to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reduce the risk of cancer relapse," said Professor Watkins The latest study will feed into and change the focus of trials already being conducted at the Monash Medical Centre, located next to MIMR. Dr Vinod Ganju, a medical oncologist at the Monash Cancer Centre, said conventional trials, focusing on tumour shrinkage, would not be useful in realising the potential of blocking the Hedgehog pathway. "Based on this research, we need to change our approach. We will re-design our clinical trials to test how these new therapies can improve patient outcomes following chemotherapy," said Dr Ganju. "Our relationship with MIMR means we can make this happen relatively quickly and take immediate advantage of this research breakthrough." The study, supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Victorian Cancer Agency, was published today in the prestigious journal, Nature Medicine.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
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Sites need more work to stop suicide
| UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO |
A recent study by the University of Otago, Wellington into internet pro-suicide and support sites indicates that significant improvements need to be made in this area to help prevent suicidal behaviour.
The study led by Professor Sunny Collings from the Social Psychiatry and Population Mental Health Unit investigated the quality and content of websites related to suicide both in New Zealand and internationally. “At this stage the impact of the internet in relation to suicide isn’t well understood,” says Professor Collings, “so this research increases our understanding of this area, and points the way to improvements in support sites to assist in the prevention of suicidal behaviour.” The study investigated websites using Google, Yahoo and MSN and added NZ search engines AltaVista, GoogleNZ and SearchNZ. A total of 2160 search results from 718 distinct sites were analysed in terms of their content and placement. Among the 2160 hits, 72 distinct sites appeared as the top result in at least one search. The most common were pro-suicide or suicide permissive sites (33 per cent), while support sites for those wanting information were the second most common at 18 per cent. Four pro-suicide sites featured amongst the ten most retrieved Google results, but only one support site featuring in Google’s top 10. None of the top 10 sites from Google were NZ based. “One of the big problems with the internet is that pro-suicide sites are often the first thing people see when they search about methods,” says Professor Collings. “In contrast support sites were only 9.3 per cent of total hits, but never featured as the number one search result.” The study shows many support sites lack links to other support websites. Overall the quality of sponsored supports sites appeared poor, frequently associated with commercial advertising says Professor Collings. She is also concerned they found no support sites aimed at people older than working age, who also have relatively high suicide rates. The study suggests more effort should be made to make support sites more accessible through search engine optimization. Professor Collings says it is totally unsatisfactory to have pro-suicide sites occupying the first 10 search results, rather than information and advice to help prevent suicidal behaviour in New Zealand. “The use of moderated interactive internet forums could also be explored as these allow users to share coping strategies and skills to deal with their emotions in a crisis situation.” The study says that support sites not only need to be more prominent through internet searches, but they need to clearly link to other sites aimed at older age groups. Essentially one site will not ‘fit all’ in terms of preventing suicidal behaviour, and people need to be guided to the site that best suits their age group and needs. “Investment in well-designed, interactive, targeted, and optimized support sites would help mitigate the high visibility and negative effects of pro-suicide sites,” says Professor Collings. “In that regard internet support sites have an important role to play as one component in the front line of suicide prevention.” Finally the researchers say the dynamic balance between pro-suicide and support sites also need to be monitored to maintain the profile of positive support sites over time.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
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பயனுள்ள யோசனைகள்
பயனுள்ள யோசனைகள்
1. கம்பளி உடைகளின் மேல் பொடி செய்த படிகாரத்தை தூவி வைத்தால் பூச்சி அரிக்காமல் இருக்கும்.
2. கறுத்து மங்கலாகிப் போன அலுமினியப் பாத்திரங்களை எலுமிச்சை சாற்றினால் துடைத்தால், பளீர் என்று ஆகும். 3. மாதவிலக்கு நேரங்களில் பெண்கள் கோதுமைக் கஞ்சி குடித்து வந்தால்,வயிற்று வலி வராது. 4. ஓமத்தை அரைத்து தலையில் தேய்த்து வெந்நீரில் குளித்தால் கடுமையான தலைவலி நீங்கும். 5. வெந்தயக் கீரையை சாம்பார்,கூட்டு செய்து சாப்பிட்டு வந்தால் ரத்தக் கொதிப்பு குறையும். 6. காலையில் வெறும் வயிற்றில் சிறிது வெந்தயத்தை வாயில் போட்டு மென்று,தண்ணீர் குடித்தால் உடல் சூடு தணியும். 7. வாரம் ஒரு முறை பாகற்காயை சாப்பாட்டில் சேர்த்து வந்தால் வயிற்றுப் பூச்சிகள் மடிந்து விடும். 8. தாய்ப்பால் கொடுக்கும் பெண்கள் ,அடிக்கடி இளம் முருங்கக் கீரையை உண்டு வந்தால்,பால் அதிகம் சுரக்கும். 9. சலித்த சப்பாத்தி மாவுக் கப்பியை,வீணாக்காமல் அடை மாவில் கலந்து அடை தயாரிக்கலாம். 10. ஆம்லேட் மேல் உப்பு,மிளகுத் தூளுடன் சீரகப் பொடியையும் தூவினால்,சுவையாக இருக்கும். 11. பாயசம் நீர்த்துப் போனால்,அதில் வாழைப் பழத்தை பிசைந்து போட்டு,சிறிது தேனும் கலந்து விட்டால் சுவையான பாயசம் தயார். 12. நெல்லிக்காயை தேனில் ஊற வைத்து சாப்பிட்டு வந்தால்,இளமையாக இருக்கலாம். 13. காய்ந்த எலுமிச்சை, ஆரஞ்சுத் தோல்களை, அலமாரியில் வைத்தால் பூச்சிகள் வராது. 14. வாழைப் பூவை நறுக்கிய பின் வினிகர் கரைத்த நீரில் கை கழுவினால்,கறை நீங்கி விடும். 15. அசைவ உணவு சாப்பிட்ட பின் சிறு துண்டு வெல்லம் சாப்பிட்டால் எளிதில் ஜீரணமாகும்.
- ச.விஜயலட்சுமி ,ஈரோடு.
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கால் சுளுக்கு
இயன்முறை மருத்துவம்
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கால் சுளுக்கு
டாக்டர். தி. செந்தில்குமார்
நாம் நம் கடந்து வந்த பகுதி வாழக்கையில் இந்த வார்த்தையை பிறர் மூலம் கேட்டோ அல்லது நாமோ உணர்ந்து வந்து இருப்போம். கால் சுளுக்கு என்றால் என்ன, சுளுக்கு உடலில் எந்தப் பகுதியை பாதிக்கும், இதை எப்படி தவிர்ப்பது, வந்த பின் அதற்குத் தகுந்த மருத்துவம் செய்வது எப்படி என்று இங்கே காணலாம்.
இந்த சுளுக்கு உடலில் உள்ள எந்த பகுதியைப் பாதிக்கிறது என்றால் உடம்பில் அனைத்து மூட்டுகளிலும் உள்ள ஜவ்வு பகுதியைப் பாதிக்கிறது. உடம்பில் அனைத்து மூட்டுகளிலும் அமைந்து உள்ள இந்த ஜவ்வு பகுதியை ஆங்கிலத்தில் லிகமென்ட் என்று மருத்துவர்கள் அழைப்பர். இந்த ஜவ்வு - லிகமென்ட்(ligament), மூட்டுகளுக்கு உறுதியை அளித்து, வலுவை கூட்டி தேவை அற்ற இயக்கங்களைத் தவிர்த்து, மூட்டுகளை காயங்களில் இருந்து பாதுகாக்கிறது. இந்த சிறந்த பணியைச் செய்யும் ஜவ்வுகள் சில நேரங்களில் ஏற்படுத்தும் காயங்கள் மிகுந்த சிரமங்களைத் தரலாம். உடம்பில் உள்ள கணுக்கால் மூட்டு, முழங்கால் மூட்டு, மணிக்கட்டு, தோள்ப்பட்டை, முழங்கை மூட்டு போன்ற பகுதிகளில் உள்ள இந்த ஜவ்வுகள் எளிதாய் காயங்களுக்கு உள்ளாகலாம். சவ்வுகளில் காயங்கள் ஏற்பட சில காரணங்கள், 1. வலுவற்ற ஜவ்வுகள் எளிதில் காயங்களுக்கு உள்ளாகலாம். 2. போதிய பயிற்சிகள் அற்ற ஜவ்வுகள் . 3. திரும்ப திரும்ப உபயோகிக்கும் போது 4. சரியான பாதுகாப்பற்ற காலணிகள் அணியும் போது 5. வெளிச்சம் குறைவான பாதை, பார்வைக் குறைபாடு, கரடு முரடான பாதைகளில் நடக்கும் போது - இப்படி சவ்வுகளில் ஏற்ப்படும் காயங்களை மருத்துவர்கள் காயத்தின் வீரியங்களை கொண்டு மூன்று நிலைகளாக பிரிக்கின்றனர். இந்த நிலைகளை கொண்டே குணப்படுத்தும் முறைகளும் மாறுபடுகிறது. அந்த முன்று நிலைகள் எது? 1. முதல் நிலை - சிறிய காயம் 2. இரண்டாம் நிலை - ஜவ்வு சிறிதே கிழிந்த நிலை 3. மூன்றாம் நிலை - ஜவ்வு முற்றிலும் கிழிந்த நிலை. முன்பு கூறியது போல முதல் இரண்டு நிலைகளும் மருந்தின் மூலமும், இயன்முறை மருத்துவத்தின் மூலமும் எளிதாய் குணப்படுத்தும் நிலை ஆகும். இந்த இரண்டு நிலைகளைக் குணப்படுத்த ஜவ்வுக் காயங்களை உறுதி செய்த பின்பு, ஐஸ் மூலம் ஒத்தடம் கொடுப்பது சிறந்த மருந்து. அதாவது இதனை ஆங்கிலத்தில் கிர்யோதேரபி(cryotherapy) என்பார்கள். கிர்யோதேரபி என்றால் நோய்களை மருந்து இல்லாமல் ஐஸ் மூலம் குணப்படுத்தும் முறை. அதாவது ஜவ்வில் காயங்களை மருத்துவர் மூலம் உறுதி செய்த பின் குறைந்தது நாள் ஒன்றுக்கு மூன்று முறை முதல் இரண்டு நாட்களுக்கு ஐஸ் ஒத்தடம் கொடுக்க வேண்டும். இதனைச் செய்யும் போது, ஐஸ் கட்டியை எடுத்துக் கொண்ட பின் அதனை பிளாஸ்டிக் பையில் அடைத்து அடிபட்ட பகுதியில் ஒத்தடம் அல்லது ஐஸ் கட்டியை கைக்குட்டைக்குள் போட்டு அடிபட்ட பகுதியில் மேலே தடவுவதின் மூலமும் ஒத்தடம் கொடுக்க வேண்டும் குறைந்தது பதினைத்து நிமிடங்கள் அளிப்பது தகுந்த பயனைத் தரும். இப்படி ஐஸ் ஒத்தடம் கொடுக்கும் போது காயங்களால் ஏற்படும் அழற்சி inflammation தடுத்து நிறுத்தப்படுவதோடு, ஜவ்வில் ஏற்ப்பட்ட காயம் எளிதில் குணமாக உறுதுணையாக இருக்கும். முதல் இரண்டு நாட்கள் கடந்த பின் தகுந்த இயன்முறை மருத்துவம் மேற்கொள்வதன் மூலம் காயம் அடைந்த சவ்வின் வலுவை திரும்பப் பெற முடியும். மூன்றாம் நிலை சற்றே மோசமான நிலையாக இருப்பதால் மருத்துவர்கள் இதனை அறுவை சிகிச்சை மூலமே சரிசெய்ய முடியும். அதாவது கிழிந்த சவ்வின் பகுதிகளை நீக்கி விட்டு பின்பு கிழிந்த பகுதிகளை அறுவை சிகிச்சை மூலம் தைத்து காயங்களைச் சரி செய்வார்கள். இதற்குப் பிறகு குறைந்தது ஆறு முதல் எட்டு வாரங்கள் இயன்முறை மருத்துவர் ஆலோசனைப்படி பயிற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டால், கிழிந்த சவ்வின் வலுவைத் திரும்பப் பெறலாம். இது போன்ற ஜவ்வில் ஏற்ப்படும் காயங்கள் பொதுவாய் விளையாட்டு வீரர்களை அதிகம் பாதிக்கிறது, முறையான உடற்பயிற்சியும், தகுதியான இயன்முறை மருத்துவமும், இதே போன்ற ஜவ்வில் ஏற்ப்படும் காயங்களை வாராமல் தடுப்பதோடு, ஒரு சிறந்த விளையாட்டு வீரரை இந்த நாட்டிற்குக் கொடுக்க முடியும், இது போன்ற ஜவ்வில் ஏற்ப்படும் காயங்கள் விளையாட்டு வீரரின் விளையாட்டுத் திறனை பாதிப்பதோடு மட்டுமல்லாமல் சில நேரங்களில் அந்த விளையாட்டு வீரர் வாழ் நாள் முழுவதும் அந்த விளையாட்டைத் தொடராமலே போகவும் வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது. எனவே வருமுன் காப்போம் உடற்பயிற்சி மூலம், வந்த பின் தகுதியான சிறந்த மருத்துவத்தை பின்பற்றுவோம். |
நிஜத்தில் நடக்குமா?
தே. சுந்தர்ராஜ்
மாலை நேரம். மஞ்சள வெய்யில் கண்ணைக் கரித்தது. சாலை போக்குவரத்து நெரிசல் அதிகமாகவே இருந்தது. வண்டி ஓட்டுவது மிகுந்த சிரமமாயிருந்தது.ரவிக்கு வீடு வந்து சேர்ந்தால் போதும் என்றாகிவிட்டது. ஸ்கூட்டி தெருமுனை திரும்பும் போதே தன் வீட்டின் முன்பு கூட்டமாய் பரபரப்புடன் தெரிந்தது.
வண்டியின் வேகத்தைக் கூட்டினான்.வீடு வந்ததும் வண்டி யை நிறுத்திவிட்டு உள்ளே நுழைந்தான். எதிர் வீட்டு கனகம்மாள், “தம்பி நல்லவேளை நீங்க சீக்கிரமா வந்துட்டீங்க. பார்வதிக்கு மத்தியானத்திலிருந்தே உடம்பு சரியில்லை. ஒரே வாந்தி. நா கசாயம் கூட வச்சிக் கொடுத்தேன்.ஒண்ணுத்துக்கும் அசைய மாட்டீங்குது. சீக்கிரமா டாக்டர் கிட்டே போகணும். நீங்க கிளம்புங்க. ஒரு நொடி லெ வீட்லே சொல்லிட்டு வந்தர்றறேன்.” கனகம்மா கிளம்பினாள். அக்கம் பக்கம் வீட்டிலிருந்து வந்தவர்கள் மெல்ல கலைந்தனர். ரவி பார்வதி அருகே வந்து, “ என்ன பண்ணுது பார்வதி?” “முடியலங்க வயிறு ரொம்ப வலிக்குதுங்க. சீக்கிரமா டாக்டர் கிட்ட போலாங்க.” அவள் துடித்தாள். “இதோ புறப்படலாம்.” என்று கூறிவிட்டு பக்கத்து வீட்டுப் பையனை ஒரு ஆட்டோவை அழைத்து வரச்சொன்னான். சில நிமிடங்களில் ஆட்டோ வந்து நின்றது. பக்கத்து வீட்டுப் பெண்கள் கைத்தாங்கலாய் ஆட்டோவில் ஏற்றினார்கள். நின்று கொண்டிருந்தவர்கள், “பாவம் ரொம்பவும் முடியல போலிருக்கு” என்று பேசிக் கொண்டனர். ஆட்டோ கிளம்பியது. கூட்ட நெரிசலையும் சிக்னல்களையும் தாண்டி ஆஸ்பத்திரியை அடைந்தது. ஆஸ்பத்திரியில் கூட்டம் அதிகமாகயிருந்தது. டாக்டர் அப்போதுதான் வந்திருந்தார். ரவியைப் பார்த்ததும் நின்று, “என்ன ரவி. யாருக்கு உடம்பு சரியில்லை.” “மிஸ்ஸசுக்குதான். ரொம்ப முடியல்ல. வயிறு வலிக்குதாம்” “அப்படியா உள்ள வாங்க” அவனுக்கு ஒரே ஆச்சர்யமாயிருந்தது. இவ்வளவு பேர் காத்திருக்க தன்னை உடனே அழைத்தது சந்தோசமாக இருந்தது. டாக்டர் பரிசோதித்தார். “ ரவி நீங்க இவங்கள அழைச்சுட்டு பின்பக்கம் போய் ப்ளட் டெஸ்ட் ஆப்டம் ஸ்கேன் ஒண்ணு பண்ணிட்டு அடமிட் ஆய்க்கங்க. ரிப்போர்ட் வரட்டும். அதுவரைக்கும் வலியில்லாம இருக்க மாத்திரை கொடுத்திருக்கேன் உள்ள பார்மஸில வாங்கிக்கங்க.” “ சார் அட்மிஸன் அவசியமா? மாசகடைசி நீங்க சொல்றதப் பாத்தா ஏகப்பட்ட செலவாகும் போலிருக்கு.” “என்ன விளையாடறீங்களா. உங்களுக்கென்ன சார். நம்ம பங்களா பக்கத்திலே வீடு கட்டீட்டிருக்கீங்க... வீடு எந்தலெவலுக்கு இருக்கு.” “அது ஒரு பக்கம் இருக்கு லோன்ல தான் வீடுகட்டறேன். லிண்டல் லெவலுக்கு வந்தாச்சு. அடுததது கான்கிரீட் போடணும் பணம் எதிர்பார்த்துட்டிருக்கேன். இநத நேரத்திலே, அவளுக்கு இந்த மாதிரி உடம்பு முடியாம.... அதான் என்ன பண்றதுன்னு தெரியலே?” “டோன்ட் வொரி காசப்பத்திக் கவலப்படாதிங்க. ஒருபைசா செலவு பண்ண வேண்டாம் எல்லாம் நல்லா ஆனதுக்கப்புறம் பாத்துக்கலாம். இப்போதிக்கு அவங்களுக்குத் துணையாயிருந்தா அதுவே போதும் “ பார்வதியை அழைத்துக் கொண்டு வெளியே வந்தான் ரவி. “என்னம்மா வலி பரவாயில்லையா?” “ம். அவர் தொட்டதுமே வலியே போயிடுச்சு போலிருக்கு.” “என்னடி சொல்றே?” என கேக்க வேண்டும் போலிருந்தது. என்ன நடக்கிறதென்றே தெரியவில்லை. எல்லாம் முடிந்து எப்போது அறைக்கு வந்து படுத்தோம் என்பதே புரியவில்லை. கதவு தடதட வென்று தட்டும் ஒலி கேட்டது. “சார் பால்” என்று வாய்கிழிய கத்துவது மட்டுமே கேட்டது. எழுந்ததும் ஒரு ஆச்சர்யம் காத்திருந்தது. தான் எழுந்தது தன் வீட்டில் ஆஸ்பத்திரியுமில்லை ஒரு மண்ணுமில்லை. இத்தனை சந்தடியிலும் எருமை மாதிரி தூங்குகிறாள் பார்வதி. அப்ப அவளுக்கு ஒன்றுமில்லையா? இதுவரை நடந்தது முழுவதும் கனவா? பிறகு நிஜத்தில் எங்காவது இதுபோல நடக்கிற காரியமா? |
Pausing to make memories
Neurons within the cerebellum are responsible for the construction of motor memory, which is associated with the learning of physical activities and behaviors. Credit: 2011 Soichi Nagao
Before the effects of training become hard-wired, the neural imprint of a newly learned motor skill is initially encoded in a temporary ‘holding area’ for memory, after which the memory ‘trace’ is transferred to a different region of the brain for long-term retention. The basis for this learning process has proven challenging to untangle, but new research from a group led by Soichi Nagao of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Wako, Japan, has revealed some of the key steps involved.
Several years ago, Nagao and his colleagues studied the acquisition of the horizontal optokinetic response (HOKR), the mechanism by which the eye compensates for sideways movement of the visual field, such as scenery passing by the window of a moving car. HOKR offers a simple and broadly relevant model for understanding motor learning. “This behavior exists throughout most animal species ranging from fish to humans, and even works in invertebrates,” says Nagao.
The researchers examined activity in the cerebellum, the brain region responsible for motor function. They found that they could detect the shift in HOKR-related activity from a cerebellar region called the flocculus to another population of cells called the vestibular nuclei after three to four days of training sessions, in which the researchers tracked eye movement as the animals viewed an oscillating screen on a computer screen.
However, Nagao and colleagues wondered whether there might be a more efficient way to study this shift. “Three or four days is a very long time to maintain constant experimental conditions,” says Nagao. “If the same phenomenon could be observed within three or four hours, we could use drugs or surgical treatments to study the underlying mechanisms.”
The solution turned out to be an alternative approach to training based on what is known as the spacing effect. Neuroscientists have recognized this effect since the 19th century, but it remains poorly understood. “Very little has been revealed about its underlying neural mechanisms by biological experiments,” explains Nagao, “and in particular, there have been very few studies in mammals.”
Nevertheless, he and his colleagues observed clear benefits when they trained their mice with a series of spaced intervals rather than long individual ‘massed training’ sessions. Twenty-four hours after the completion of the training, all animals on spaced training protocols retained their gains in HOKR adaptation, while the mass trained animals lost approximately half of the gains they had obtained by the end of training.
Damage inflicted surgically to the flocculus prior to training impaired the acquisition of HOKR via either regimen, indicating that early learning is acquired via a common mechanism in both approaches. In subsequent experiments, the researchers used infusions of the anesthetic drug lidocaine to suppress neural activity within the flocculus an hour after the completion of training. Although this treatment suppressed the adaptation gains from massed training, the researchers were surprised to find that it had virtually no effect on animals receiving spaced training.
This suggests that the span of the spaced training regimen was itself sufficient to see the memory trace transferred from the flocculus to the vestibular nuclei, indicating a considerably rate of long-term memory retention. “The transfer of the memory trace occurred within two and half hours after the start of training,” Nagao notes.
Finally, the researchers tested whether active protein synthesis is required for HOKR adaptation by infusing into the flocculus drugs that inhibit the protein production machinery. This treatment had minimal impact on the gains from subsequent massed training, but mice that underwent spaced training after the infusion exhibited a marked reduction in HOKR adaptation. This suggests that protein synthesis is specifically required for motor learning via the spaced learning approach.
Although this study focused on a single, relatively simple model of motor learning, Nagao points out that the principles demonstrated here are likely to hold true for most acquired physical behaviors. “The basic structure of this neural circuit is uniform throughout the entire cerebellar cortex,” he says. “We believe that the control mechanism of HOKR suggested by our analysis of the flocculus–vestibular system applies to cerebellar control in general.”
This study could also provide parallel insights into the rules governing the process by which we acquire declarative memory, which encompasses our capacity to recall learned information and prior experiences. This process takes place within entirely independent structures of the brain, namely the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, although the actual process by which declarative memory traces become consolidated from short-term to long-term retention may employ a more elaborate form of the mechanisms described here. “The information content is higher in declarative memory,” says Nagao. “Memories get simplified in motor memory while many properties should be added during the transfer declarative memory.”
To follow up this work, Nagao and his colleagues intend to uncover additional mechanistic details of the cerebellar memory transfer process. For example, it remains unclear exactly what proteins are being produced in the flocculus to facilitate memory encoding, or how they might be acting to rewire the neuronal circuitry. More fundamentally, neuroscientists are yet to determine how the connections between populations of cerebellar neurons change in direct response to the training process. “We are planning to examine how memory traces of motor learning are represented morphologically in the cerebellar nuclei,” says Nagao.
More information: Okamoto, T., et al. Role of cerebellar cortical protein synthesis in transfer of memory trace of cerebellum-dependent motor learning. The Journal of Neuroscience 31, 8958–8966 (2011).
Shutoh, F., et al. Memory trace of motor learning shifts transsynaptically from cerebellar cortex to nuclei for consolidation. Neuroscience 139, 767–777 (2006).
Provided by RIKEN
"Pausing to make memories." October 10th, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-memories.html
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Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
Safe and Friendly Cities for All
More than half of the world's population — approximately 3.4 billion people — live in cities today. This number is projected to increase to 69 percent by 2050. With this rapid urbanization come increased risks for the citizens of urban areas, especially women and children. Currently, one billion people are living in urban slums and are denied basic human rights, such as access to safe housing and reliable health services.
UNICEF, UN-HABITAT and UN Women have launched a five-year programme, "Safe and Friendly Cities for All," that aims at making women and children feel safer in their local neighbourhoods, while improving their quality of life.
The new partnership will address these challenges by supporting a variety of initiatives in the participating cities. By working with local authorities and organizations on the ground, women and young people will be able to identify those areas in their neighbourhood where they feel most at risk, and find solutions together.
For more information, visit: http://www.unwomen.org/2011/06/un-launches-initiative-to-make-cities-safer-fo...
(Producers: UNICEF, UN Women, UN-Habitat; Date of Release: 22 June 2011)
A Historic Time for Gender Planning in India
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Highlighting Women at the 2011 UN General Assembly Debate
The 66th General Debate of the UN General Assembly closed this week with evidence of firm commitments to gender equality throughout the speeches of high-level government representatives. Emphasizing the importance of international efforts to achieve gender equality, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also announced USD 5 million to UN Women.
This year’s debate was the first since the formation of UN Women in January 2011. Held annually, it is attended by heads of state and government, foreign ministers and other officials of UN Member States. In 2011, in another first, a woman opened the session — H.E. President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil.
She stressed that in Brazil, “women have been fundamental in overcoming social inequalities…yet my country, like every country in the world, still has much work ahead of it when it comes to empowering women.”
She welcomed the creation of UN Women, paying tribute to its Executive Director, Michelle Bachelet.
“I add my voice to those of the women who dared to struggle, who dared to participate in politics and in the workforce, and who forged the political space without which I could not stand here today,” Rousseff proclaimed.
During the General Debate on 26 September the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced a contribution of USD 5 million to UN Women.
“The UAE sees the importance of supporting international efforts in the field of women’s empowerment,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister pointed to the UAE’s own constitution, which “guarantees equal rights for both men and women” in a number of areas, including the right to education and employment. He noted women there now comprise 70 percent of university graduates and occupy two-thirds of government jobs.
The President of Nigeria, H.E. Mr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, said that Nigeria’s substantial support for UN Women reflects “our desire to harness the potentials of women in the task of nation building.”
Thirty percent of his own Cabinet members are now women. He commended the Executive Board of UN Women on the successful take-off of the new entity.
Other presidential endorsements of UN Women came from Finland, which stated that UN Women provide a strong and unified voice for women and girls, along with Chile, Croatia, and Ghana. The Foreign Minister of Spain called women’s equality a basic human right, and pledged her Government’s full support to UN Women in fulfilling its mandate.
Several world leaders made reference to the need to empower women economically. The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom spoke of tearing down the economic barriers still facing women.
Other states linked gender equality with economic growth and development. The Foreign Minister of Indonesia called enhancing the role of women in the economy right and smart, leading to balanced and equitable growth, while the Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway underlined evidence that states with discriminatory policies tend to remain poor.
Citing recent research findings that empowering women in agriculture would reduce hunger by 30 percent, the President of Slovenia affirmed that Slovenia “strongly” supports UN Women in its efforts to tackle gender discrimination around the globe. The Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland referred to the global hunger crisis, and stressed the need to build the productivity of small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, 80 percent of whom are women.
Stopping violence against women figured in the speech of the President of Côte d’Ivoire, who said he was committed to fighting this scourge. The Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso announced that the African Group of states would introduce a draft resolution on female genital mutilation.
Several countries highlighted national measures to increase gender equality. The Vice-President of Liberia drew attention to a new national gender policy, while the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea noted that his Government recently passed the first vote on a parliamentary bill reserving seats for women in 2012 elections.
The Foreign Minister of Tunisia announced that it had withdrawn all reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or CEDAW, and adopted a mandatory parity system for its upcoming Constituent Assembly elections.
This year’s debate was the first since the formation of UN Women in January 2011. Held annually, it is attended by heads of state and government, foreign ministers and other officials of UN Member States. In 2011, in another first, a woman opened the session — H.E. President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil.
She stressed that in Brazil, “women have been fundamental in overcoming social inequalities…yet my country, like every country in the world, still has much work ahead of it when it comes to empowering women.”
She welcomed the creation of UN Women, paying tribute to its Executive Director, Michelle Bachelet.
“I add my voice to those of the women who dared to struggle, who dared to participate in politics and in the workforce, and who forged the political space without which I could not stand here today,” Rousseff proclaimed.
During the General Debate on 26 September the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced a contribution of USD 5 million to UN Women.
“The UAE sees the importance of supporting international efforts in the field of women’s empowerment,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister pointed to the UAE’s own constitution, which “guarantees equal rights for both men and women” in a number of areas, including the right to education and employment. He noted women there now comprise 70 percent of university graduates and occupy two-thirds of government jobs.
The President of Nigeria, H.E. Mr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, said that Nigeria’s substantial support for UN Women reflects “our desire to harness the potentials of women in the task of nation building.”
Thirty percent of his own Cabinet members are now women. He commended the Executive Board of UN Women on the successful take-off of the new entity.
Other presidential endorsements of UN Women came from Finland, which stated that UN Women provide a strong and unified voice for women and girls, along with Chile, Croatia, and Ghana. The Foreign Minister of Spain called women’s equality a basic human right, and pledged her Government’s full support to UN Women in fulfilling its mandate.
Several world leaders made reference to the need to empower women economically. The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom spoke of tearing down the economic barriers still facing women.
Other states linked gender equality with economic growth and development. The Foreign Minister of Indonesia called enhancing the role of women in the economy right and smart, leading to balanced and equitable growth, while the Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway underlined evidence that states with discriminatory policies tend to remain poor.
Citing recent research findings that empowering women in agriculture would reduce hunger by 30 percent, the President of Slovenia affirmed that Slovenia “strongly” supports UN Women in its efforts to tackle gender discrimination around the globe. The Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland referred to the global hunger crisis, and stressed the need to build the productivity of small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, 80 percent of whom are women.
Stopping violence against women figured in the speech of the President of Côte d’Ivoire, who said he was committed to fighting this scourge. The Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso announced that the African Group of states would introduce a draft resolution on female genital mutilation.
Several countries highlighted national measures to increase gender equality. The Vice-President of Liberia drew attention to a new national gender policy, while the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea noted that his Government recently passed the first vote on a parliamentary bill reserving seats for women in 2012 elections.
The Foreign Minister of Tunisia announced that it had withdrawn all reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or CEDAW, and adopted a mandatory parity system for its upcoming Constituent Assembly elections.
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It’s Your General AssemblyA living factory
Special software and data connectors will in future allow computers to produce graphical representations of new production lines automatically. Pictured: The production plant for the C-Class Mercedes in Bremen. Photo: © Daimler AG
As soon as DNA is mentioned, we automatically think of biology and living beings. It is the DNA molecule found inside each and every cell that holds the encoded blueprints for humans, animals or plants. But factories too have a master plan of this kind. All modern manufacturing facilities resemble living organisms in their complex structure. And, just as in biology, all their constituent parts are linked to one another and have to be painstakingly coordinated. Now, the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB in Karlsruhe has taken up the challenge – together with Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart and Fraunhofer IPT in Aachen – of decoding “factory DNA”.
It’s a catchy concept, but one that is bound up with solid goals: The aim is to reduce the costs that arise whenever products or machines have to be changed. Up to now, the interplay between a factory’s various systems has not been optimal. This problem is at its most obvious when production is being switched to a new item, such as a new model of car. The simple addition of a manipulator to a production line – or even just an operating system update – can cause havoc, since the slightest of changes has an impact on the entire operation.
What is lacking is an intelligent link between components: the products being manufactured, the facilities doing the manufacturing, and the IT systems controlling things. This is where the experts from the IOSB are stepping in. They want to make the factory smarter by way of new interfaces that will enable it to react more or less autonomously to any changes. In this endeavor the researchers are benefiting from their years of experience of developing software solutions for factories. They are working first and foremost with Daimler AG: Their “ProVis.Agent” production management system manages around 2,000 machines in the plant where the C-Class Mercedes is made.
The key thing is to put in place intelligent links between the manufacturing facilities and the IT systems. Today, if a product is changed, the first step is to rearrange the production line. Only then is the IT system reconfigured. What’s more, the details of each machine that belongs on the line have to be entered manually into a computer. This work is tedious and error-prone, involving as it does a multitude of cryptic alphanumeric combinations. “And the trouble is, you only notice any mistakes when the line is back up and running,” says Dr. Olaf Sauer, division director at the IOSB.
Thankfully, the research scientist and his team have managed to come up with a more elegant approach: Now employees can simply plug in a data cable and that’s that. The magic words are “plug and work”.
Home computing underwent a similar development. In the past, you had to install the appropriate driver before you could connect a peripheral device. Nowadays, all you need to do is plug in a USB cable. The new device uses this to communicate with the PC and to identify itself. This is effectively the approach that is set to be taken in modern factories, even if things there are a little more complex.
For instance, a factory will often have many different kinds of machine built by many different companies. And the sector is nowhere near having standardized software – or even a standard software language. So the researchers have invented and patented a digital translator to take the various digital device descriptions and convert them into a standard machine language called Computer Aided Engineering Exchange (CAEX). This information is then sent to a special data storage system, which is also being patented by the Institute.
“Together, these two components are enough to make a simple USB-type solution feasible,” says Sauer. “Once the data have started to flow, the computer can design a process control plan for the new production line unaided.” The IT specialists have proved that the procedure works by putting together a miniature model facility comprising four components: a conveyor belt, a turntable, a testing device, and a further conveyor belt.
Work has already started on an initial real-world application. 
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