The Determining Factor

 

“It is certainly the mind that is instrumental in causing the senses to act in ways that lead to either auspicious or inauspicious conditions. And my mind right now is positively situated.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 11.41)

mano hi hetuḥ sarveṣām indriyāṇām pravartate ||
śubha aśubhāsv avasthāsu tac ca me suvyavasthitam |

Shri Hanuman

 

, the heroic Vanara warrior, a person whose vision is always a sight for sore eyes, the ones grown weary through repetition of happiness and sadness, loss and gain, and joy and dejection felt in the many days spent on earth, is incapable of sin. Not even a hint of impropriety can be found in him. Lest we think this is just hyperbole or flattering words offered by his admirers, Hanuman’s very activities substantiate his superior stature. His mind concentrates on only one thing: how to please his beloved Shri Rama. Though Lord Rama

 

 is the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the avatara

 

 of a warrior prince, Hanuman looks well past this high status. Rather, he loves Rama purely, without motive. This love extends to anyone else who loves Rama, including the Lord’s beloved wife Sita Devi

 

. Through his travels and activities undertaken out of duty, Hanuman never forgets the one person who gives him more pleasure than anyone else. Though he is sometimes unwittingly forced to follow behavior that hints at impropriety, since his consciousness is always fixed in righteousness, on the supreme objective, Hanuman is never tainted with sin.

While in the enemy grounds of Lanka, Hanuman had no reason to obey any standard law codes. The king of the city, Ravana, had unjustly taken the beloved wife of another man while she was residing in the forest. Sita Devi, the daughter of King Janaka, had such a high character that her marriage was arranged through asvayamvara, or self-choice ceremony. The festivities involved a bow-lifting contest, with the winner gaining Sita’s hand in marriage. In this way Shri Rama, the leader of the Raghu dynasty, the eldest son of Maharaja Dasharatha of Ayodhya, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that only He was worthy of having Sita as a life companion. Though these events took place in the earthly realm, the divine couple remains forever in each other’s company in the spiritual world. As Goswami Tulsidas

 

 so nicely puts it, even Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Parvati marvel at Sita’s character, chastity and devotion to Rama.

Ravana, though, was not so concerned with rules of righteousness. At the time of birth, the otherwise pure soul is enveloped by a gross covering that constantly demands attention through sense pleasures. Therefore from the very beginning of life one who can harness the immense potency for action concomitant with an existence and control the sense urges will find success and happiness. Though the sense urges for eating sumptuous foods, seeing beautiful women, touching nice fabrics, smelling pleasing fragrances, and hearing melodious songs constantly flow in like the waves of an ocean, it is the mind that can control all of them. Therefore, depending on how the mind is situated, one’s desires and activities will follow either piety or sin, leading to auspiciousness or inauspiciousness.

With Ravana, the sense urges were never controlled, as his mind was only interested in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Though he had so many beautiful princesses as wives and an opulent kingdom, still his mind was intent on sin. He could not control his sexual urges. When he heard of the most beautiful woman residing in the forest of Dandaka, he had to have her. Never mind that she was married to the one man capable of lifting the illustrious bow of Lord Shiva

 

 during the contest in Janaka’s kingdom. Never mind that Rama could soundly defeat any person in battle. Indeed, He had defeated and killed 14,000 of Ravana’s own men, his best fighters. Intent on having Sita, Ravana created a ruse that temporarily lured Rama away from her side, paving the way for the demon to come in and take the princess back to Lanka.

Rama was intent on getting Sita back, but first he had to learn where she was. For this task, the faithful Hanuman was sent to scour the earth. Millions of other monkeys acting under the direction of the monkey-king Sugriva accompanied him. Hanuman eventually made his way into Lanka alone, for none of the other monkeys could cross over the massive ocean that separated Lanka from land. While in the city, Hanuman searched the different palaces for the most beautiful princess in the world. Though he had never seen Sita up to this point, he knew some of her distinguishing features. Aside from being supremely beautiful, she would surely be in a distressed condition, as there was no chance of her being happy without Rama by her side.

Hanuman’s mission was to find Sita. His task was not to abide by regulative principles, attend a church a certain number of times per day, avoid telling lies, or recite a prayer a specific number of times. All hope for Sita’s rescue initially rested with him, for he was the most capable of the Vanara warriors. Aside from his physical dexterity and mental acuity, Hanuman was also the most devoted to Rama. This, more than anything else, made him supremely qualified to search for Sita amidst one of the most sinful lands in the world at the time.

Hanuman had to do whatever he could to find Sita. Unfortunately, this meant searching through Ravana’s exquisite palace, which was full of the most beautiful women in the world enjoying in different ways. Some of them were sleeping and others were enjoying wine, while others weren’t fully dressed. Hanuman could have closed his eyes and not looked, but then how would he have found Sita? Under normal circumstances, it is sinful to carefully gaze upon another man’s wife, especially when she is in a vulnerable position. But what could Hanuman do? Could he just say, “Okay, this is sinful; I’m going to turn back. Or, let me just call Sita’s name and see if she hears me.”? Obviously he couldn’t do the latter because that would give away his presence to the enemy Ravana. Hanuman had to find Sita without being noticed by anyone else.

In the discharge of duties it is understandable to get frustrated from time to time. If we have a major project due at work, sometimes it seems like everyone is just getting in our way and that nothing is going right. In the struggle for existence, adversity is the name of the game, especially for one who has an important task to complete. In Hanuman’s case, we see that almost everything was against him. He had to find a princess he had never seen before, avoid frightening her with his presence, and also make sure that no one there saw him. If any of these conditions weren’t met, the entire mission could fail. As if he needed further complexity, Hanuman now had to look at scantily clad women against his will. Hanuman is forever virtuous, so he doesn’t even like to think about doing anything sinful. Though we may not perpetrate a horrible deed, just contemplating it is harmful enough for our psyche.

In the above referenced verse from the Ramayana

 

, we gain insight into Hanuman’s thought processes as he mulled the matter of looking at Ravana’s wives over in his mind. Hanuman knew that the act itself was sinful, but he was surprised that his mind hadn’t been altered in any way. Viewing pornography or harboring lusty feelings for wives of other men is sinful because of the effect it has on consciousness. The underlying aim is to satisfy lusty desires, which feed the hankering for illicit sex

 

 life. The Vedas consider any type of sex life outside the bounds of marriage and for purposes other than procreation to be sinful. This stipulation is there because of the negative effects had on consciousness. Of all the sense urges, the desires for sex are the most difficult to control; thus they act as the strongest inhibiting force towards true enlightenment.

Hanuman, despite seeing what he saw, did not have his consciousness altered. If anything, he became even more determined to find Sita. This gives us yet another reminder of how his greatness knows no limits. He saw beautiful, attractive women, and yet he had no desire to talk to them, find out their names, play jokes on them, get them to smile at him, or have any other type of personal interaction. If anything, Hanuman thought, “These women are beautiful, but they are nothing like Sita. She would never be in such a place, for she can never deviate from worshiping Rama for even a moment. For this she is ever worshipable. I pray for the day when I can have the darshana of her lotus feet.”

Hanuman would not have to wait much longer, as this brief reflection further strengthened his resolve. As he so nicely reveals from his thoughts, there are a variety of acts that lead to auspicious and inauspicious conditions, but it is the disposition of the mind which truly determines the effect of an activity. Sin is just any behavior that has a negative reaction, something unwanted. Piety is the opposite; those actions that have positive consequences. Sometimes piety and sin both exist within one activity. For instance, if we take out a loan to attend college, the pious act of attending school will ideally lead to a positive consequence of a degree and the landing of a good job. The sin in taking the loan leads to the burden of debt that will pile up after graduation. When student loans are forgiven, essentially the negative reactions to the original activity are removed.

In the larger scheme of things, when we take sin and piety on a more abstract level, if something has a negative consequence on our consciousness, it can be considered sinful. Conversely, those behaviors which have a positive influence on our mindset will be considered pious. In this age there is no more pious a behavior than the regular chanting

 

 of the holy names of the Lord, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

 

”. This is the cornerstone practice of the ancient art of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service

 

. Along with a steady routine in chanting, if the four most dangerous sinful activities of illicit sex, gambling

 

, intoxication

 

 and meat eating are avoided, there is every chance of a successful outcome to life. The purely God conscious soul reaps the highest reward from their temporary stay in a material body by ascending to the spiritual sky after death.

Since Hanuman’s mind is always fixed in worship of Sita and Rama, it is impossible for his consciousness to be negatively affected through any activity. Rather, he is so amazing that even apparently sinful behavior increases his resolve in devotional service. Therefore, along with chanting and following regulative principles, anyone who is fortunate enough to even say Hanuman’s name just once gains immeasurable spiritual merits. What then to speak of those who regularly remember Hanuman, his unflinching devotion to Rama, his determination to find Sita, his swatting aside of the temporary doubts and fears that arose in his mind about success, and his dedication to piety even when it wasn’t required? Based on what Ravana had done, Hanuman had every right to destroy the city of Lanka, but he wouldn’t take that step unless it was necessary. He was only interested in finding Sita, and he tried his best to stay on the righteous path during this search. Since his mind was steady in yoga, always connected in consciousness to the Supreme Lord, his success would eventually come. And all the while his worthiness of worship and the magnitude of his divine attributes would only increase.

In Closing:

Good and bad states through actions find,

But these driven by senses instigated by mind.

Thus real importance is mind's situation,

Tells if one is in good or bad condition.

Hanuman saw women but on mind no effect,

On the worthiness of action did he reflect.

Thus sin on Hanuman can never touch,

Because he loves Shri Rama so much.

Through his actions real virtue he teaches,

The heart of devotee his influence reaches.

Castles in the Desert: Satellites Reveal Lost Cities of Libya

Satellite image of area of desert with archaeological interpretation of features: fortifications are outlined in black, areas of dwellings are in red and oasis gardens are in green. (Credit: Copyright 2011 Google, image copyright 2011 DigitalGlobe)                                                                     Science Daily  — Satellite imagery has uncovered new evidence of a lost civilisation of the Sahara in Libya's south-western desert wastes that will help re-write the country's history. The fall of Gaddafi has opened the way for archaeologists to explore the country's pre-Islamic heritage, so long ignored under his regime.

These "lost cities" were built by a little-known ancient civilisation called the Garamantes, whose lifestyle and culture were far more advanced and historically significant than the ancient sources suggested.Using satellites and air photographs to identify the remains in one of the most inhospitable parts of the desert, a British team has discovered more than 100 fortified farms and villages with castle-like structures and several towns, most dating from AD 1 to 500.

The team from the University of Leicester has identified the mud brick remains of the castle-like complexes, with walls still standing up to four metres high, along with traces of dwellings, cairn cemeteries, associated field systems, wells and sophisticated irrigation systems. A follow-up ground survey earlier this year confirmed the pre-Islamic date and remarkable preservation.

"It is like someone coming to England and suddenly discovering all the medieval castles. These settlements had been unremarked and unrecorded under the Gaddafi regime," says the project leader David Mattingly FBA, Professor of Roman Archaeology at the University of Leicester.

"Satellite imagery has given us the ability to cover a large region. The evidence suggests that the climate has not changed over the years and we can see that this inhospitable landscape with zero rainfall was once very densely built up and cultivated. These are quite exceptional ancient landscapes, both in terms of the range of features and the quality of preservation," says Dr Martin Sterry, also of the University of Leicester, who has been responsible for much of the image analysis and site interpretation.

The findings challenge a view dating back to Roman accounts that the Garamantes consisted of barbaric nomads and troublemakers on the edge of the Roman Empire.

"In fact, they were highly civilised, living in large-scale fortified settlements, predominantly as oasis farmers. It was an organised state with towns and villages, a written language and state of the art technologies. The Garamantes were pioneers in establishing oases and opening up Trans-Saharan trade," Professor Mattingly said.

The professor and his team were forced to evacuate Libya in February when the anti-Gaddafi revolt started, but hope to be able to return to the field as soon as security is fully restored. The Libyan antiquities department, badly under-resourced under Gaddafi, is closely involved in the project. Funding for the research has come from the European Research Council who awarded Professor Mattingly an ERC Advanced Grant of nearly 2.5m euros, the Leverhulme Trust, the Society for Libyan Studies and the GeoEye Foundation.

"It is a new start for Libya's antiquities service and a chance for the Libyan people to engage with their own long-suppressed history," says Professor Mattingly.

"These represent the first towns in Libya that weren't the colonial imposition of Mediterranean people such as the Greeks and Romans. The Garamantes should be central to what Libyan school children learn about their history and heritage."

New Role for 'Hormone of Love' Oxytocin in Brain: Helps Direct Development of Brain-Body Interface

Three-dimensional structure of the neurohypophysis in a zebrafish embryo (the nerve fibers and blood vessels are genetically tagged with fluorescent proteins). This brain area provides an interface between nerve cells (green), arteries (purple) and veins (red). (Credit: Image courtesy of Weizmann Institute of Science)

Science Daily  — Much of the body's chemistry is controlled by the brain -- from blood pressure to appetite to food metabolism. In a study published recently in Developmental Cell, a team of scientists led by Dr. Gil Levkowitz of the Weizmann Institute has revealed the exact structure of one crucial brain area in which biochemical commands are passed from the brain cells to the bloodstream and from there to the body. In the process, they discovered a surprising new role for the "hormone of love," showing that it helps to direct the development of this brain structure.

The area in question, the neurohypophysis, is an interface between nerve fibers and blood vessels located at the base of the brain. Here, some of the major brain-body interactions take place: Hormones released from nerves into the blood vessels regulate a series of vital body processes, including the balance of fluids and uterine contractions in childbirth.

Although the neurohypophysis has been studied for more than a century, the scientists in the Weizmann Institute-led study developed new genetic tools that enabled them to examine the exact three-dimensional arrangement of this brain structure and clarify the cellular and molecular processes leading to its formation. Since the human neurohypophysis is exceedingly complex, the scientists performed the research on live embryos of zebrafish. These fully transparent embryos offer a unique model for studying the vertebrate brain, lending themselves to genetic manipulation with relative ease and enabling researchers to observe the actual formation of a neurohypophysis under a microscope.

The study revealed a surprising new function for the hormonal messenger oxytocin, dubbed the "hormone of love" because, in addition to controlling appetite and such female reproductive behaviors as breastfeeding, it is also involved in mother-child and mate bonding. The scientists showed that oxytocin, one of the two major hormones secreted in the adult neurohypophysis, is involved in the development of this brain area already in the embryo. At this stage, the oxytocin governs the formation of new blood vessels. "The messenger helps to build the road for transmitting its own future messages," says Levkowitz . Developmental Cell highlighted the study's findings in a preview headlined, "The Hormone of Love Attracts a Partner for Life."

These findings provide an important advance in basic research because they shed light on fundamental brain processes, but in the future they might also be relevant to the treatment of disease. Since the neurohypophysis is one of only a few portions of the brain able to regenerate after injury, an understanding of how it is formed may one day help achieve such regeneration in other parts of the central nervous system.

The research was conducted in Levkowitz's lab in the Molecular Cell Biology Department by Ph.D. student Amos Gutnick together with Dr. Janna Blechman. The Weizmann scientists worked in collaboration with Dr. Jan Kaslin of Monash University, Australia; Drs. Lukas Herwig, Heinz-Georg Belting and Markus Affolter of the University of Basel, Switzerland; and Dr. Joshua L. Bonkowsky of the University of Utah, United States.

Highest falls for glaucoma victims

QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Forty per cent of the 70 older adults with glaucoma who took part in the year-long study had a fall. Image: dlerick/iStockphoto A world-first Queensland University of Technology (QUT) study has found that people suffering from more extensive vision loss from glaucoma are at a higher risk of having a fall than those with better vision. Dr Alex Black from QUT's Faculty of Health, found 40 per cent of the 70 older adults with glaucoma who took part in the year-long study had a fall, with 20 per cent experiencing multiple falls over that period. Dr Black said the key finding of his study was that the strongest risk factor for falls among the glaucoma sufferers was more extensive loss in their lower peripheral vision. "This is significant because it means we can now turn our attention to finding ways to help prevent these patients from having falls," he said. "While it may sound like common sense that people with impaired vision would experience more falls than those with good vision, this was the first study that identified the particular type of glaucoma sufferer most at risk. "Armed with this knowledge we can move onto educating patients so they can better understand the extent of their vision loss and its ramifications on their day to day living." Dr Black said there were a range of measures that could be introduced to help glaucoma sufferers with lower peripheral vision impairment reduce the likelihood of falls. These involved modifying environmental factors, such as removing trip hazards from the home and improving lighting, as well as promoting behavioural change to reduce their high-risk activities. "This involves things like exercising in good sunlight rather than at dawn or dusk and taking time when doing highly active activities such as bushwalking. "Stairs and steps should be well-lit and outlined with contrasting tape or paint so they can be easily seen and people are best to take time to allow their eyes to adjust when walking from light to dark areas and vice-versa. "Activities that maintain and promote balance and strength such as Tai Chi are also advised." Dr Black said the above advice was applicable to the general older population, in addition to those with vision impairment. His research has been published in the November issue of Optometry and Vision Science, the official journal of the American Academy of Optometry http://is.gd/SbmSJK He said eye diseases often develop gradually over time, and these can affect balance and perception of depth. Dr Black said at least one third of people aged over 65 suffered a fall each year, making falls one of the leading causes of injury-related hospital admissions among older adults. "It's important that people have regular eye examinations with an optometrist to detect, monitor and treat any eye problems as they arise." Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Online clinic aids the anxious

SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

In any given year, about 20 per cent of the Australian population has a diagnosable mental health condition. Image: duncan1890/iStockphoto A sophisticated new open-access online psychology clinic is helping people with mental health disorders better manage their symptoms. The findings about the effectiveness of five self-help eTherapy programs, delivered through Swinburne University of Technology’s Anxiety Online, have been published in the top-rankingJournal of Medical Internet Research. The programs are tailored to treat generalised anxiety, panic, obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatic stress and social anxiety disorders. More than 220 people with an least one mild anxiety symptom – who completed one of the five fully-automated programs over 12 weeks – showed significant improvements on 21 of 25 measures, Swinburne researchers have reported. Each program consists of 12 modules using text-based and multimedia materials such as audio, video and animated graphics and online activities. Swinburne National eTherapy Centre Director Associate Professor Britt Klein said that although the findings need to be replicated, the preliminary results were very pleasing. “Essentially we have found that consumers who completed one of our self-help treatment programs reported significantly lower clinical disorder severity ratings at the three month assessment. They also became more confident in managing their own mental health care. “Furthermore, we found significant reductions in the types of mental health symptoms and psychological distress, as well as an increase in quality of life scores for most of our five eTherapy programs,’’ she said. In any given year, about 20 per cent of the Australian population has a diagnosable mental health condition. But ABS research has shown that only about a third of these people access the mental health services they need. “The advent of open-access e-mental health services will undoubtedly be one very important means of providing Australians with greater choice and timely access to mental health assistance,” Associate Professor Klein said. Deputy CEO of beyondblue, Dr Nicole Highet, said online eTherapy may be an effective alternative for people with depression and anxiety who can’t or won’t access help from mental health professionals. “We know that more than half of all Australians with depression and anxiety don’t get the help they need for a range of reasons. There may be a lack of services in their area, they may not be able to afford the consultation fees or perhaps they’re too embarrassed or ashamed to ask for help," Dr Highet said. Over 7000 people have completed e-PASS, an online psychological and assessment referral system, through Anxiety Online. When compared to the labour costs involved in traditional face-to-face services, this has resulted in a potential crude cost saving of AUD$6.7 million in the first 18 months of the online clinic’s operation. Anxiety Online will soon become Mental Health Online as new eTherapy treatment programs for depression, bulimia, insomnia, problem gambling, drugs and alcohol and hoarding are offered. From mid 2012 Mental Health Online consumers who opt for therapist assistance will be able to choose from email, instant messaging, audio or video-chat, as well as communicating and interacting within 3D virtual reality environments and collaborative working spaces. Anxiety Online is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and in future will be accessible via the emerging National e-Mental Health Portal. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

SIX KIDS WITH HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES

You may think that Mark Zuckerberg is a young CEO, but these entrepreneurs take the cake when it comes to success and youth. These kids all had extraordinary ideas and unlike their peers they acted on them. Find out how they made it big at such a young age!

Business Pundit shares…

Adam Horowitz

The origins Adam Horowitz’s miniature financial empire came about in a bad way, but he has since made good. He, along with fellow classmates, launched a distressingly popular nasty gossip blog when he was 15. Needless to say, the parents shut it down right quick.

Still, the experience taught Horowitz about the potential in internet marketing. So he started his own site, Urban Stomp, which hosted music and listed the locations of parties in his local area (he lived in the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles). To pull in cash, he soldclothing through affiliate sites.

Horowitz was unprepared for how successful it would be. His first listing (an accidental posting to the home of an 80-year old neighbor) drew over 700 rowdy teens. Ouch. But what started out as an awkward foray into the world of digital business has since been turned around.

Horowitz now teaches courses to 15+ year olds on how to make money online, and he runs mobile marketing sites like ‘Mobile Monopoly,’ and ‘Cell Phone Treasure,’ which have both earned him over $100,000. Additionally, he has another one that is up and coming, ‘Dude, I Hate My Job!’

What does this budding young entrepreneur do in his spare time? He tools around in his 2010 Audi A5 and playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on his 360. Moral of the story: Not all video gamers are shiftless slackers. And, whether or not you agree with internet marketing affiliate-based programs, you have to give the kid props for starting this up on his own.

Leanna Archer

In many places, young people can’t even start work until they hit the age of 16–child labor laws makes sure of that. And even if we don’t want to go back to the days of Dickensian-inspired ‘A working child is a happy child,’ we certainly can’t discount young ladies like the 13-year old Leanna Archer.

So what did this tiny Trump do? Why, no less than started her very own hair care empire from her parents’ basement.

People had begun to ask Leanna what she put in her luxurious locks. It was, in fact, a pomade made by her grandmother. She told them that it was her grandma’s secret recipe, but then she got the wild idea to market this to people she knew.

Her parents weren’t so hot on the idea, but after her grandma whipped up a batch of the stuff and Leanna stuck some in baby food jars to give to her classmates and ostensibly their parents, the money began rolling in. She had already researched the particulars on obtaining a business license and about getting a Tax ID. So impressed were her folks was they all but said, ‘Where do we sign up?’ And that’s how Leanna’s Hair came to be.

Angelo Sotira

For lovers of art, whatever form it takes, be it in words, the stroke of a brush, the strike of a chord, the click of a camera shutter, or the click of a mouse, few can argue the wild success of deviantArt.

Begun in 2000 by Angelo Sotira (who was 18 at the time) and a few others, dA is a monstrously popular site where users can set up an account to show off their work, sell prints of their work, buy sponsored merchandise, view others’ work, as well as comment on others’ work. As of 2010, 14.5 million ‘deviants’ call the site home, with over 100 million submissions (an average of 140,000 a day).

Despite its success, deviantArt had its share of troubles. One of the founders, Scott Jarkoff, was let go, and there was a whole legal mess between Angelo and the third founder. Supposedly Angelo was going to use dA’s own money to pay for legal costs.

However it all ends up, we’d like to think that deviantArt is here to stay. Get your act together boy. You’ve got lots of folks who want to continue making and showing off the goods!

Cameron Johnson

While this millionaire he didn’t invent Beanie Babies, they certainly got him off to a good start. Cameron Johson started his first business at the age of nine. At age 12, he sold his sister’s Beanie Babies on the internet for a tidy profit of $50,000. (We wonder, did she know? Little girls are rather possessive about their stuffed cute things. The greenbacks were probably enough to sway her from murdering her brother for selling what was probably a cherished collection.)

Since then, he has became (at 15) the youngest American to be elected to a Tokyo board of directors. Johnson even released a book about it, called 15-Year Old CEO, which peaked at #4 on the Japanese best seller list.

With his diverse knowledge and mad marketing skills, this young entrepreneur has enjoyed appearances on notable shows including Oprah Winfrey, MSNBC, CNBC, as well as articles in the Washington Post and the New York Times. One thing is for certain, the young Johnson is one businessman to keep your eyes on.

Fraser Doherty

When you think of making millions, you probably don’t think about jam, Smuckers or Welches notwithstanding. But one Scottish youth, Fraser Doherty, made his millions off just that.

Doherty began making jam from fruit and fruit juice, based on his grandma’s recipe, out of his parents’ kitchen at the tender age of 15. He mostly sold to friends and fellow churchgoers, but demand quickly spiked, outstripping his ability to produce.

Since starting, Doherty’s jam has spread to virtually every grocery chain in the UK and Ireland, including the biggest UK retailer of them all, Sainsbury. His product, SuperJam, comes in a wide array of unique flavors, including blueberry & blackcurrant and rhubarb & ginger.

This religious lad isn’t even about the money. Sure, the profits are as sweet as the jam, but he loves making the stuff so much that that’s all he focuses on. Still, it must be nice having the dough roll in doing something you love.

Juliette Brindak

When it comes to empowering little girls and teaching them about what it means to be a smart, savvy, successful adult, role models aren’t always in abundance. Those that are don’t always work out as planned.

Take Barbie, for instance. Sure Mattel’s behemoth started with the best of intentions, but it led to stereotypes and unrealistic expectations about a woman’s life and appearance.

Juliette Brindak wanted to do something more, something that could not be misconstrued and would provide a positive influence. Ergo, you have her site, Miss O and Friends. She first conceived of the site at age 10. Now, at 19, she and her site are worth about $15 million.

For parents, the site, which hosts a club called Miss O Moms, offers informative and engaging information about children and families. For young ladies, Miss O provides a safe place for them to explore what it means to be a young woman, hang out in a virtual environment with friends and schoolmates and develop meaningful and fun relationships.

Sites like Facebook don’t really cut it, because you have to at least be 13, and little girls are, if nothing else, curious and creatures, just like their icky boy counterparts. What better place than MissOandFriends to figure out who they are?

GROOM AN ENTREPRENEUR FROM BIRTH

Preparing Children to Be Entrepreneurs

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) recently conducted focus groups to learn what entrepreneurs, investors and others believe we need to do to enhance entrepreneurship in America. One of their findings was that we need to improve entrepreneurship education in our K-12 schools.

While it’s hard to argue with “improving education” for anything, this recommendation appears misplaced. More representative surveys show that Americans believe their schools are doing a good job of preparing kids to be entrepreneurs, at least in comparison to what people from many other industrialized countries think.

According to a 2009 Gallup Organization survey of 26,000 people in 36 nations, two thirds of Americans believe that their elementary and secondary schools are providing the requisite skill and knowledge to run a business. These numbers compare favorably to the responses of Europeans, only 39 percent of whom agree.

What are American schools doing right when it comes to entrepreneurship education? The data point to three things:

• First, American schools are doing a good job of teaching kids what entrepreneurs do. Seventy-one percent of the Americans surveyed said that elementary and secondary schools helped them to learn how entrepreneurs contribute to our economy and society. By contrast, only 44 percent of Europeans held this view.
• Second, American schools are helping to develop an entrepreneurial attitude, or “sense of initiative.” Seventy-three percent of Americans said that their primary and secondary school education taught them a sense of initiative. But only 49 percent of Europeans agreed.
• Third, American schools are peaking students’ interest in business ownership. Americans were twice as likely as Europeans to tell the surveyors that their K-12 education stimulated their interest in being in business for themselves (50 versus 25 percent).

While Americans are much more likely than Europeans to believe that primary and secondary schools are effective at training people to become entrepreneurs, there are two negatives in the data:

• First, a report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) revealed a significant drop in experts’ opinions of the state of U.S. K-12 entrepreneurship education between 2005 and 2008. If this trend continues, we will see a declining share of Americans reporting that their school education helped them to develop the necessary skills and attitudes to be business founders.
• Second, while we perceive our schools to be much better at preparing kids for entrepreneurship than do the Europeans, they might not be who we should compare ourselves to.

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ஞாபக மறதியிலிருந்து விடுபடுவதற்கு

பலரையும் பாதிக்கும் பிரச்னை ஞாபக மறதி. சரியான காரணத்தை கண்டறிந்து சரி செய்தால் மறதியில் இருந்து விடுபடலாம் என்கின்றனர் உளவியல் நிபுணர்கள். மறதி என்பது ஒரு நோய் அல்ல. இதற்கு பல காரணங்கள் உள்ளன. அதில் ஒன்று நேரத்தை திட்டமிடாமை. காலையில் தாமதமாக எழுவதன் மூலம் அனைத்து வேலைகளையும் டென்ஷனுடன் செய்வதால் மனம் நிம்மதியற்று போகிறது. இந்த சூழலில் சாதாரண விஷயங்கள் கூட எளிதில் மறந்து விடுகிறது. நேரத்தை திட்டமிடுவதன் மூலம் டென்ஷனில் இருந்து விடுபட முடியும். மனம் அமைதியாக இருக்கும் போது முக்கியமான விஷயங்களை திரும்பத் திரும்ப நினைவுக்குக் கொண்டு வந்து காலை நேரத்தை இனிமையாக்க மாற்றலாம். அப்படியே மறந்தாலும் ஒரு நிமிடம் நிதானித்து நினைவுக்கு கொண்டு வர முடியும். மறதிக்கு இன்னொரு முக்கிய காரணம் கவனச்சிதறல். இதனால் முக்கிய விஷயங்கள் நினைவில் பதியாமல் போகிறது. ஒரே சமயத்தில் ஒன்றுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட வேலைகளை செய்வது மற்றும் வேறு விஷயங்களில் கவனம் செலுத்துவது போன்ற பழக்கங்களை உடனடியாக கைவிட வேண்டும். இவர்கள் ஒரு சமயத்தில் ஒரே ஒரு வேலையில் முழு கவனம் வைப்பதன் மூலம் மறதியை தடுக்க முடியும். மறக்கும் பழக்கம் அடிக்கடி ஏற்பட்டால் மருத்துவரை அணுகி சிகிச்சை பெற வேண்டியது அவசியம். நினைவாற்றல் பிரச்னை மூன்று வகைப்படும். முதலாவது குறுகிய கால நினைவாற்றல். பயன்படுத்திய தொலைபேசி எண்ணை உடனடியாக மறந்து விடுதல் இந்த வகை. அடுத்த வகை அண்மைக் கால நினைவாற்றல். இதில் சில மணி நேரங்களுக்கு முன்னர் நடந்ததை நினைவுக்குக் கொண்டு வருவதில் சிரமம் ஏற்படும். சிறு வயதில் நடந்த விஷயங்களை மறந்து விடுவது நீண்ட கால நினைவாற்றல் குறைபாடு. ஞாபக மறதிக்கு பல காரணங்கள் உள்ளன. மருந்துகளால் ஏற்படும் பக்கவிளைவு மற்றும் தலையில் அடிபடுவதால் நினைவாற்றலை இழக்கும் நிலை ஏற்படுகிறது. குடிப்பழக்கம், வலிப்பு, பார்வை குறைபாடு போன்ற பிரச்னை உள்ளவர்களுக்கும் நினைவாற்றல் பாதிப்பு ஏற்பட வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது. கர்ப்பிணிகளுக்கு குறுகிய கால, அண்மைக் கால நினைவாற்றலில் பாதிப்பு ஏற்படலாம். நினைவாற்றல் பிரச்னையை பொதுவாக அல்சைமர் நோய் என்று அழைக்கிறோம். முதலில் அண்மை கால நினைவுகளை படிப்படியாக இழக்கின்றனர். புதிய தகவல்களை கற்பது மற்றும் நினைவில் வைத்து கொள்வதிலும் பிரச்னை ஏற்படும். ஒன்றையே திரும்பத் திரும்பக் கூறுவது, பொருட்களை இடம்மாற்றி வைத்து விட்டு தேடுவது போன்ற குழப்பங்கள் காணப்படும். தனி மனித ஆளுமை, பிரச்னைகளுக்கு தீர்வு காண்பது, சமூக பழக்கங்கள் ஆகியவற்றை ஒருங்கிணைப்பதில் தாமதம் ஏற்படும். இதுபோன்ற காரணங்களால் பதற்றம், கடுப்பு, மனச்சோர்வு மற்றும் குழப்பம், அமைதியின்மை ஆகிய பிரச்னைகள் உண்டாகி நிம்மதியற்ற வாழ்க்கைக்கு வழிவகுக்கும். இது போன்ற ஆரம்ப அறிகுறிகள் தெரியும் போதே சிகிச்சை எடுக்க வேண்டியது அவசியம். பாதுகாப்பு முறை: ஒரு குழந்தை லட்சக்கணக்கான மூளை செல்களுடன் பிறக்கிறது. மனிதனுக்கு வயதாகும்போது படிப்படியாக மூளை செல்களில் சில அழிகிறது. புதிதாக எதுவும் உருவாவதில்லை. வயதாகும் போது மூளை செயல்பாட்டுக்கு தேவையான வேதிப் பொருட்கள் உடலில் சரியாக உற்பத்தி செய்யப்படுவதில்லை. இதனால்தான் வயதாகும் போது நினைவாற்றல் பிரச்னை உருவாகிறது. சிறு வயதில் இருந்தே பதற்றமான வாழ்க்கை சூழலை மாற்றி நேரத்தை திட்டமிட குழந்தைகளை பழக்க வேண்டும். இதன் மூலம் தேவையற்ற டென்ஷனை தவிர்க்கலாம். சத்தான உணவு, உடற்பயிற்சி ஆகியவை மனநிலையை உற்சாகமாக வைத்துக் கொள்ள உதவும். இதன் மூலம் நினைவாற்றல் பிரச்னையை தவிர்க்கலாம். நேரத்தையும் வேலையையும் திட்டமிடுவதன் மூலம் மறதிக்கான வாய்ப்பை குறைக்கலாம். அடுத்ததாக நினைவாற்றலை அதிகரிக்க பயிற்சி அளிக்கலாம். புதிர் விளையாட்டு, வார்த்தை விளையாட்டு ஆகியவற்றில் ஈடுபடலாம். எப்போதும் பரபரப்பாக இருப்பதை விடுத்து மனதை அமைதியாக வைத்திருப்பது அவசியம். அந்த நேரங்களில் மறக்கும் விஷயங்களை திரும்பத் திரும்ப நினைவுக்கு கொண்டு வருவதன் மூலம் முக்கியமான விஷயங்களை மனதில் பதிய வைக்கலாம். செய்ய வேண்டிய வேலை மற்றும் மறக்கும் விஷயம் குறித்து தாளில் எழுதி வைத்து நினைவுக்கு கொண்டுவரலாம். முக்கியமாக, மறதிக்காக கவலைப்பட கூடாது. இதனாலும் பிரச்னை அதிகரிக்க வாய்ப்புள்ளது.

2250 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பே தோன்றிய புற்றுநோய்: ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்கள் தகவல்

எகிப்தில் 2,250 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு ஒருவர் புற்றுநோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு இறந்தது தற்பொழுது தெரியவந்துள்ளது. பதப்படுத்தப்பட்ட மம்மி உடலை சிடி ஸ்கேன் செய்து பார்த்ததில் இது தெரியவந்துள்ளது. எகிப்து மம்மிகள் தொடர்பான ஆராய்ச்சி தொடர்ந்து நடந்து வருகிறது. எகிப்தில் பதப்படுத்தி புதைக்கப்பட்ட மம்மி உடல் ஒன்று போர்ச்சுகல் தலைநகர் லிஸ்பனில் உள்ள தேசிய தொல்பொருள் அருங்காட்சியகத்தில் வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. எம்1 என்று இதற்கு பெயர் வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த மம்மி பற்றி தெரிந்துகொள்வதற்காக டிஜிட்டல் எக்ஸ்ரே, மல்ட்டி டிடெக்டர் கம்ப்யூட்டரைஸ்டு டோமோகிராபி, சிடி ஸ்கேன் உள்பட பல பரிசோதனைகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டன. இந்த ஆய்வில் தெரியவந்த தகவல்கள் பற்றி ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்கள் கூறியிருப்பதாவது: எகிப்தில் கி.மு. 305 முதல் கி.மு. 30 வரை தாலமி மன்னர்களின் ஆட்சிக் காலம். அவர்கள் 275 ஆண்டு காலம் எகிப்தை ஆண்டு வந்தனர். அந்த காலகட்டத்தில் வசித்த ஒருவரது மம்மிதான் இது. இவர் அனேகமாக கி.மு. 285 முதல் கி.மு. 230 வரையில் வாழ்ந்திருக்ககூடும். அவரது இடுப்பு, தண்டுவட பகுதிகளில் புற்றுநோய் கட்டிகள் இருந்திருக்கிறது. சுரப்பிகளில் ஏற்பட்ட புற்றுநோய் பிறகு இடுப்பு, விலா பகுதி, தண்டுவடம் மட்டுமின்றி, கை, கால்களின் மேல் பகுதி என ஏறக்குறைய எல்லா எலும்புகளிலும் பரவியிருக்கிறது. புற்றுநோயால் மிக கொடூரமாக பாதிக்கப்பட்டிருந்த அவர் நோயின் தீவிரம் தாங்க முடியாமல் இறந்திருக்கிறார். சாகும்போது அவருக்கு வயது 51 முதல் 60 வரை இருந்திருக்கும். 2,700 ஆண்டுக்கு முன்பு வாழ்ந்த கிரேக்க சிதியா மன்னரின் எலும்புக்கூடு ரஷ்யாவின் தெற்கு சைபீரியா பகுதியில் ஏற்கனவே கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்டது. அந்த மன்னர் புற்றுநோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு இறந்தது 2007ம் ஆண்டு நடந்த சோதனையில் உறுதிப்படுத்தப்பட்டது. எகிப்து நபர் புற்றுநோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு இறந்தது தற்போது தெரியவந்திருக்கிறது.

New study indicates brain plays role in regulating blood sugar in humans

 by Biomechanism 

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have demonstrated for the first time that the brain is a key player in regulating glucose (sugar) metabolism in humans. The findings, published today in the online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest that drugs targeting the brain and central nervous system could be a novel approach to treating diabetes.

“The brain is the body’s only organ that needs a constant supply of glucose to survive, so it makes sense that it would have some say over how much glucose is produced,” said study leader Meredith Hawkins, M.D., professor ofmedicine and director of the Global Diabetes Initiative at Einstein. “This role for the brain was demonstrated in earlier Einstein studies in rodents, but there was considerable controversy over whether the results could be applied to humans. We hope this study helps to settle the matter.”

In an earlier study in rodents, Einstein researchers showed that activation of potassium channels in the brain’s hypothalamus sends signals to the liver that dampen its production of glucose. Those findings, published in Nature in 2005, challenged the conventional thinking that blood sugar production by the liver (the body’s glucose factory) is regulated only by the pancreas (which makes insulin to metabolize glucose). But carefully performed studies on dogs, conducted at Vanderbilt University, failed to replicate the results, suggesting the Einstein findings in rodents might not be relevant to higher mammals, including humans.

The current Einstein study, involving people, was aimed at resolving this controversy. Ten nondiabetic subjects were given oral diazoxide, a drug that activates potassium channels in the hypothalamus. (The drug is not used to treat diabetes.) Hormone secretion by the pancreas was controlled to ensure that any change in sugar production would only have occurred through the drug’s effect on the brain. After the researchers administered the drug, blood tests revealed that patients’ livers were producing significantly less glucose than before.

Dr. Hawkins and her team then repeated this in rats, again giving diazoxide orally, achieving similar results. They confirmed that sufficient amounts of diazoxide crossed the blood-brain barrier to affect potassium channels in the hypothalamus. Additional experiments confirmed that diazoxide was working through the brain. Specifically, the researchers were able to completely block the effects of diazoxide by infusing a specific potassium channel blocker directly into the brain.

“This study confirms that the brain plays a significant role in regulating glucose production by the liver,” said lead author Preeti Kishore, M.B.B.S., assistant professor of medicine. “We are now investigating whether this ‘brain-to-liver’ pathway is impaired in people with diabetes. If so, we may be able to restore normal glucose regulation by targeting potassium channels in the brain.”

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The paper is titled “Activation of K_ATP channels suppresses glucose production in humans.” Other contributors include Laura Boucai, M.D., Kehao Zhang, M.D., D.D.S., Weijie Li, M.D., Sudha Koppaka, M.D., Sylvia Kehlenbrink, M.D., Anna Schiwek, M.D., Yonah Esterson, Deeksha Mehta, M.D., Samar Bursheh, M.D., Ya Su, M.D., Roger Gutierrez-Juarez, M.D., Ph.D.,Radhika Muzumdar, M.D., and Gary Schwartz, Ph.D.

Wood biofuel could be a competitive industry by 2020: UBC study

 by Biomechanism 

Fuel made from wood could become a competitive commercial alternative to fuel made from corn by 2020 if the wood biofuel industry is supported, according to a new University of British Columbia study.

Corn ethanol is currently blended with gasoline to satisfy government-mandated targets to include renewable content in transportation fuel. Compared to corn, wood-based biofuel is considered more sustainable but is not currently produced in large commercial quantities in Canada and the United States because the costs are too great.

The study, published in the most recent issue of the journal Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining, identifies several opportunities for reducing these costs. Researchers in UBC’s Faculty of Forestry found that large-scale commercial production of wood-based ethanol, also known as cellulosic ethanol, will reduce capital and operation costs and assist in achieving the improvements necessary for wood-based ethanol to compete, without government support.

“As industrial production increases, cellulosic ethanol is likely to become more competitive with corn ethanol for a share of the renewable fuels market,” says Jamie Stephen, a PhD candidate at UBC and lead author of the study.

Stephen’s research indicates that the economic competitiveness of wood-based ethanol fuel production could be improved by reducing the capital costs of facilities and equipment, reducing enzyme costs and generating revenue from co-products like electricity. Today, the enzymes needed to breakdown wood products are one of the major costs associated with production. As industrial volumes of biofuel are produced and demand grows, technological learning and economies-of-scale will help reduce the cost.

The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act in the United States requires that 117 billion litres (31 billion gallons) of ethanol be added to gasoline annually by 2022. In Canada, the federal government mandates that gasoline must include five per cent renewable fuel content.

Wood-based biofuel creates fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less water to produce. Cellulose, the main component of wood, is also the most abundant polymer on Earth and unlike the starch and sugars found in corn and sugarcane, people cannot digest it.  Production of wood-based ethanol fuel doesn’t use food supplies for fuel and competition for agricultural land can be reduced.

“If you do a purely economic production cost comparison between wood and corn today, corn will be the lower cost option,” says Stephen. “If we consider other factors, like energy security, the environmental impact and availability of resources, cellulosic ethanol becomes a more competitive option for Canada and the United States.”

In Canada, wood waste, corn stover and wheat straw are being considered for wood-based ethanol production.

Stephen notes that 35 years ago Brazil made the decision to invest heavily in sugarcane-ethanol production. Today, Brazil’s flex-fuel vehicles run on fuels of up to 100 per cent ethanol and government subsidies for the industry have nearly disappeared.

“Commercial production of wood-based ethanol requires government support to be economically viable,” says Stephen. “There has been a lot of investment in the research and development of cellulosic ethanol, especially in the United States and Canada. Huge advancements have been made to reduce the cost of production but there is still a long way to go before the volumes produced by the corn ethanol industry are attainable.”

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This study was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the British Columbia Innovation Council (BCIC).