கலிங்கத்துப் பரணி

பரணி
பரணி என்பது போரில் ஆயிரம்
யானைகளை வென்ற வீரனைப் பாடும்
சிற்றிலக்கிய வகை ஆகும். 

   
கலிங்கத்துப்பரணி , பரணி எனப்படும்
தமிழ்ச் சிற்றிலக்கிய வகையைச் சேர்ந்த ஒரு நூல்.
குலோத்துங்கன் என்னும் சோழ மன்னனைப்
பாட்டுடைத்தலைவனாகக்
கொண்டது. அனந்தவன்மன்
என்னும் வட கலிங்க மன்னன்
திறை கொடாமலிருந்த பிழையின்
காரணமாக முதலாம் குலோத்துங்க
சோழனின் படைத்தலைவனும்
அமைச்சனுமாயினாயிருந்த கருணாகரத்
தொண்டைமான் கி.பி. 1112 ஆம்
ஆண்டில் போரில் வென்ற
செய்தியே நூற்பொருள். இது
செயங்கொண்டார் என்னும்
புலவரால் இயற்றப்பட்டது.

 போரிலிருந்து மீண்டதலைமகன் பால் புலவியுற்ற
தலைமகளது ஊடலைத் தீர்க்க புலவர்கள்
வாயிலாவதும், புலவியாற்றிய பின்னர்,
தலைவன் சென்ற காட்டின்
கொடுமையையும் தலைவனின்
வீரத்தையும், அக்காட்டிலுள்ள பேய்கள்
காளிக்குச் சொல்லுவதையும்,
காளி பேய்களுக்கு உரைப்பதையும் எடுத்துச்
சொல்லும் வடிவுடன் பரணி
நூலானது அமையும். பரணி நாளில் பேய்கள்
கூடி நிணச்சோறு( இரத்தமும் இரைச்சியும் கலந்த
உணவு) அட்டு ( சமைத்து)
உண்டு மகிழ்ந்து ஆடிப்பாடிக் களித்து போரில்
வென்ற மன்னரைப் புகழும் புகழ்ச்சியைக்
கூறுவது. காளிக்குக் கூளிகள் கூறுவதாக
அமைவது.

நூலின் அமைப்பு முறை

கலிங்கத்துப்பரணியின் நூலமைப்பில் பின் வரும்
பொருள்கள் விளக்கப்படுகின்றன.
கடவுள் வாழ்த்து
போர்த்தலைவனாகிய குலோத்துங்கன்
நெடிது நின்று ஆட்சி செய்ய
வேண்டுமென கடவுளைத் துதித்துப்
பாடப்படுகிறது.

கடை திறப்பு
கலிங்கத்தின் மேல் படையெடுத்துச்
சென்ற வீரர்கள் வருவதற்குக் கால
தாமதம் ஆனதால் அதனைக்
கண்டு மகளிர் ஊடல்
கொண்டு கதவை அடைத்ததாகவும்,
அப்பெண்கள் மகிழுமாறும் ஊடல்
நீங்கிக் கதவைத் திறக்குமாறும் செய்ய,
தாம் வெற்றி பெற்ற கலிங்கப்போர்
பற்றி கூறுவது போலவும் அமைந்தது.

தமிழக வரலாற்றில் பொன் எழுத்துக்களால் பொறிக்கப் பாடும் சிறப்புடையவன் குலோத்துங்க சோழன்.அவனுடைய அருமை பெருமைகளையும், கலிங்க வெற்றியை அவனுக்கு ஈட்டித்தந்த கருணாகரத் தொண்டைமானின் சிறப்புகள் பலவும் இதில் எடுத்துரைக்கப் பட்டுள்ளன.

..ஜெயங்கொண்டார்.

அன்றைய தமிழகத்தின் சிறப்பு.

நிழலில் அடைந்தன திசைகள் !

நெறியில் மறைந்தன மறைகள்!

கழலில் அடைந்தனர் உதியர்!

கடலில் அடைந்தனர் செழியர்.

கருணையொடும் தனத உபய 

கரம உதவும் பொருள் மழையின் 

அரணிய மந்திர அனல்கள் 

அவை உதவும் பெருமழையே 

பரிவில் சுமந்தன கவிகள் !

பகடு சுமந்தன திறைகள்!

அரசு சுமந்தன இறைகள்!

அவனி சுமந்தன புயமும்!

விரித்த வாள்உகிற் விழித் தழல் புலியை 

மீது வைக்க இமயத்தினைத் 

திரித்த கோளில் வளைவு உண்டு! நீதிபுரி 

செய்ய கோயில் வளைவு இல்லையே- 

கதங்களில் பொருது இறைஞ்சிடா அரசர்

கால்களில் தளையும் நூல்களின் 

பதங்களில் தளையும் அன்றி வேறு ஒரு 

பதங்களில் தலைகள் இல்லையே!

மென்கலாப மடவார்கள் சீறடி

மிசைச் சிலம்பு ஒலி விளைப்பது ஓர்

இன்கலாம் விளைவது அன்றி , எங்குமோர்

இகல்கலாம் விளைவது இல்லையே !

எங்கும் எழில் ,எங்கெங்கும் இலங்கும் நெறி முறைகள்.இரு கைகளாலும் அள்ளி வழங்கும் வள்ளன்மைக்குரிய அரசன், குலோத்துங்கச் சோழன். ;பருவம் தவறாமல் மழை பெய்யும் நாட்டிற்குரியவன். பசுமை படர்ந்த நிலங்கள். பாவலர்கள் அவனிடமிருந்து பரிசுகளைச் சுமந்து சென்றனர்.

அவனுடைய அரசுக்குரிய பங்கை, திறையை எருதுகள் ஏராளமாகச் சுமந்து வந்தன. குறுநிலங்களின் ஆட்சியதிகாரத்தை சிற்றசர்கள் சுமந்திருந்தனர்.ஆட்சியின் மாட்சிக்குரிய எல்லாவற்றையும் ,ஏற்றமுரச் சுமந்திருந்தான் குலோத்துங்கன். அவன் இமயத்தில் மாட்டியிருந்த புலிக கொடியின் கோலில் வளைவு இருந்திருக்கக் கூடும்; ஆனால் எங்கும், எவருக்காகவும்,எப்போதுமே வளையாத சிறப்புக்குரியது அவனுடைய சித்திரச் செங்கோல். பணிவற்ற பகைவர்க்குத் தளையிட்டவனேயன்றி, வேறேதேர்க்கும் தடையிட்டு அறியாதவன். கண்ணியர்தம் கால் சிலம்பின் நல் லொலியை அன்றி வேறு வல்லொலி,வழக்கொலி ,வம்பொலி என ஓலங்கள் ஏதும் ஒலிக்காத உயர்ந்த நாடு ,குலோத்துங்கன் ஆண்ட கோலத் திருநாடு தமிழ் நாடு

நீரிழிவு நோயாளிகளுக்கு ஏற்ற வெந்தையக்கீரை!

 

நாம் உண்ணும் உணவில் உடலுக்கு தேவையான சத்துக்கள் அடங்கியுள்ளன. அதனால்தான் எந்த மாதிரியான உணவுகளை எப்படி சமைத்து சாப்பிடவேண்டும் என்று முன்னோர்கள் அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளனர். பச்சைக் காய்கறிகள், கீரைகளில் எண்ணற்ற ஊட்டச்சத்துக்கள் அடங்கியுள்ளன. சாதாரணமாக நினைத்த வெந்தையக்கீரையில் நீரிழிவு நோயாளிகளை குணப்படுத்தும் மருந்துப்பொருள் காணப்படுவதாக நிபுணர்கள் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
தாது உப்புக்கள் வைட்டமின்கள்

வெந்தையக்கீரையினை ஹிந்தியில் மேத்தி கசூரி என்று அழைக்கின்றனர். இது நறுமணத்திற்காக உணவுப் பொருட்களில் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. இது கீரைவகையை சார்ந்ததாக இருந்தாலும் சத்துக்கள் நிறைந்த மூலிகையாக பயன்படுகிறது. வெந்தையக்கீரையில் இருந்து கிடைக்கும் வெந்தையம் இந்திய உணவுப் பொருட்களில் பெருமளவு பயன்படுகிறது.

நூறுகிராம் வெந்தையக்கீரையில் 49 கலோரிகள் சத்து கிடைக்கிறது. இதில் தாது உப்புக்களும், பொட்டாசியம், கால்சியம் மற்றும் இரும்புச்சத்தும் காணப்படுகின்றன. அதோடு வெந்தையக்கீரையில் வைட்டமின் சியும், வைட்டமின் ஏ யும் காணப்படுகின்றன. இது நார்ச்சத்துள்ள உணவுப்பொருள் என்பதால் நீரிழிவு நோயாளிகளுக்கு ஏற்றது என்கின்றனர் நிபுணர்கள்.

வெந்தையக்கீரை குளிர்ச்சியானது. இதனை தினசரி உணவில் சேர்த்துக் கொண்டு சாப்பிடுவதன் மூலம் உடல் சூடு கட்டுப்படும்.

இது ஜீரணக் கோளாறுகளை நீக்கும். வெந்தையக்கீரையை காயவைத்து பொடி செய்து வைத்துக்கொண்டு உணவில் சேர்க்கலாம். இரும்புச் சத்து குறைபாடு நீங்கும். சாப்பிடும் உணவு எளிதில் ஜீரணமாகும்.

வாய்ப்புண்ணுக்கு இது சிறந்த மருந்தாக செயல்படுகிறது. வெந்தையக்கீரையை ஊறவைத்து அந்த தண்ணீரை எடுத்து வாய் கொப்பளித்தால் வாய்ப்புண் குணமாகும். தொண்டை எரிச்சல், புண்கள் இருந்தாலும் சரியாகும்.பிரசவித்த பெண்களுக்கு தாய்ப்பால் சுரப்பதில் ஏதேனும் சிக்கல் இருந்தால் வெந்தையக்கீரையை சமைத்துக் கொடுக்கலாம் தாய்ப்பால் ஊறும்.
வெந்தையக்கீரை மூலிகைப் போல செயல்படுவதால் இதனை சாப்பிடுவதன் மூலம் மார்பகப்புற்றுநோய் ஏற்படுவது தடுக்கப்படுகிறது. இது டைப் 1 டைப் 2 நீரிழிவினை கட்டுப்படுத்துக்கிறது. உடலில் அதிக கொழுப்புச் சத்து தங்குவதை தடுக்கிறது.

shirdi sai baba satguru walking on ur footsteps.flv

Greatness/Uniqueness of lord Shiva

Nava Grahas with their Concerts / Shaktis.

Top 25 Universities Of The World

25. Kyoto University, Japan

Kyoto University rated as 25th best university in World University Rankings 2009. Founded in 1897, Kyoto University has deeply considered its traditions of liberal and academic freedom, educating many. We continue to actively maintain these principles, which are the foundation of academic freedom. Kyoto University places top priority on basic research, develops advanced technology leading to the acquisition of intellectual property, and then returns this knowledge to society through education, social cooperation, and the opportunity for lifelong education. Kyoto University has 3 campuses nestled in a basin, which forms the main part of Kyoto, a city which in tradition and culture of which Kyoto University is a part.

 24. University of Hong Kong

University of Hong Kong rated as 24th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The University of Hong Kong is the territory’s oldest university, and with a history that stretches back more than 90 years, it has grown with and helped shape the city from which it takes its name. The University of Hong Kong, as a pre-eminent international university in Asia, seeks to sustain and enhance its excellence as an institution of higher learning through outstanding teaching and world-class research so as to produce well-rounded graduates with lifelong abilities to provide leadership within the societies they serve.  HKU has won a proud reputation as a world-class comprehensive research university.  It offers internationally recognized qualifications and it is renowned for its academic and research excellence worldwide.  As an English-medium university in China, HKU also offers researchers unique opportunities to bridge cultures and continents, and to explore more on China-related studies.

 King’s College London rated as 23rd best university in World University Rankings 2009. King’s College London is a constituent college of the University of London in the United Kingdom. The college was founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and its royal charter is predated in England only by those of Oxford University and Cambridge University.. There are currently more than 19,000 students in nine Schools of study based at our five London campuses. We offer a vast range of undergraduate programmes, and whichever programme you choose to pursue, you will work with academics who are often national or international leaders in their field. As an undergraduate at King’s, you will become part of a vibrant and intellectually stimulating community. You will be inspired by researchers, discoverers and inventors who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge and will mix with students from across the UK, Europe and almost every country in the world. King’s has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – more than any other university.

 University of Tokyo rated as 22th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The University of Tokyo abbreviated as Todai, is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in Japan.

 University of Edinburgh rated as 21st best university in World University Rankings 2009. The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583, making it one of Scotland’s ancient universities. The University offers over 600 first degree programmes, which includes over 300 joint degree combinations, spread across some 100 academic disciplines. More than 22,000 students study here, from all over the world and from a variety of backgrounds. The University has 22 Schools in three Colleges: Humanities & Social Science, Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, and Science & Engineering. World renowned and well respected, a degree from the University of Edinburgh will be recognised wherever you go. The University of Edinburgh’s success is not limited to Scotland, or even the UK. We have a well-deserved international reputation for excellence, as demonstrated in our partnerships with other key institutions worldwide, such as our work with Stanford University on Informatics. Many of our degree programmes offer the opportunity to spend some time studying abroad. Perhaps this international dimension helps explain why we have the largest proportion of international students of any Scottish university.

 ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) rated as 20th best university in World University Rankings 2009. ETH Zurich’s 16 departments offer Bachelor, Master and Doctoral programmes in engineering and natural sciences. The language of instruction in the Bachelor programmes is German, whereas English is the prime language on the graduate level. All degree programmes provide a solid scientific foundation combined with outstanding all-round skills, equipping ETH graduates with the abilities and flexibility needed for a career in industry, business or the public sector, as entrepreneur or scientist..

 University of Michigan rated as 18th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The University of Michigan, one of the world’s leading public universities, has 26,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate/professional students from all 50 states and 117 countries. Students may choose from over 200 undergraduate majors, over 90 master’s programs, and over 100 doctoral programs. Numerous research and study abroad opportunities are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. A wide variety of social, cultural, and athletic activities are available. There is something for everyone here. The University is located in the culturally rich and exciting community of Ann Arbor. Distinct yet closely integrated with the University, Ann Arbor offers its own array of social and cultural offerings, to which University students are enthusiastically welcomed. The city is home to numerous parks and athletic facilities, and boasts an excellent public transportation system.

 Mcgill University rated as 18th best university in World University Rankings 2009. Innovative research programs and cutting-edge facilities including our brand new Life Sciences Complex attract internationally respected faculty. Our faculty excel at research; in 2008, McGill professors Nahum Sonenberg and Charles Taylor took home, respectively, the Gairdner International Award and the Kyoto Prize, two of the world’s top research prizes. McGill’s faculty are committed to excellence in teaching, too, bringing their cutting-edge breakthroughs into the classroom. McGill’s 21 faculties and professional schools offer degrees in more than 300 fields of study. McGill offers a full range of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs as well as professional degrees in law, dentistry, business and medicine. The world-renowned Faculty of Medicine has four affiliated teaching hospitals and graduates more than 1,000 health care professionals each year.

 Australian National University rated as 17th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The Australian National University is one of the world’s foremost research universities. Distinguished by its relentless pursuit of excellence, ANU attracts leading academics and outstanding students from Australia and around the world. The primary educational objective of ANU is to become the university of choice for talented students locally, nationally and internationally by offering a unique range of research-led degree programs. Graduate education continues as one of the major focuses of the University and about one quarter of the total enrolment is undertaking post-graduate study. Regardless of whether those students are enrolled in the Institute of Advanced Studies or the Faculties, the full resources of both and of University Centres are available to them through the Graduate School.

 Stanford University rated as 16th best university in World University Rankings 2009. Stanford University, founded in 1885, is recognized as one of the world’s leading research and teaching institutions, with one of the most renowned faculties in the nation. Stanford students  men and women of all races, ethnicities and ages are distinguished by their love of learning and desire to contribute to the greater community. Stanford University offers its students a remarkable range of academic and extracurricular activities. We are committed to offering an education that is unrivaled among research universities.

 Cornell University rated as 15th best university in World University Rankings 2009. Once called “the first American university” by educational historian Frederick Rudolph, Cornell University represents a distinctive mix of eminent scholarship and democratic ideals. Adding practical subjects to the classics and admitting qualified students regardless of nationality, race, social circumstance, gender, or religion was quite a departure when Cornell was founded in 1865. Today’s Cornell reflects this heritage of egalitarian excellence. It is home to the nation’s first colleges devoted to hotel administration, industrial and labor relations, and veterinary medicine. Both a private university and the land-grant institution of New York State, Cornell University is the most educationally diverse member of the Ivy League.

 Duke University rated as 14th best university in World University Rankings 2009. Duke University was created in 1924 by James Buchanan Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. The Dukes, a Durham family that built a worldwide financial empire in the manufacture of tobacco and developed electricity production in the Carolinas, long had been interested in Trinity College. Trinity traced its roots to 1838 in nearby Randolph County when local Methodist and Quaker communities opened Union Institute. The school, then-named Trinity College, moved to Durham in 1892. In December 1924, the provisions of James B. Duke’s indenture created the family philanthropic foundation, The Duke Endowment, which provided for the expansion of Trinity College into Duke University.

 Johns Hopkins University rated as 13th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The Johns Hopkins University, founded in Baltimore in 1876, was the first university in the Western Hemisphere founded on the model of the European research institution, where research and the advancement of knowledge were integrally linked to teaching. Its establishment began a revolution in U.S. higher education. The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Johns Hopkins also maintains full-time campuses elsewhere in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Italy, China, and Singapore. Johns Hopkins University has an affiliated hospital and medical school. It is one of fourteen founding members of the Association of American Universities..

 University of Pennsylvania rated as 12th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and is one of several institutions that claims to have been the first university in America. Penn is a member of the Ivy League and is one of the Colonial Colleges. University of Pennsylvania has been committed to excellence in scholarship, research and service. From its highly regarded undergraduate, graduate and professional schools to its wide-ranging program of interdisciplinary research and scholarship, Penn takes pride in being a place where students and faculty can pursue knowledge without boundaries, a place where theory and practice combine to produce a better understanding of our world and ourselves.

 Columbia University rated as 11th best university in World University Rankings 2009. Columbia University is one of the world’s most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

 California Institute of Technology (caltech) rated as 10th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The mission of the California Institute of Technology is to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education. We investigate the most challenging, fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society.

 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mit) rated as 9th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The Institute is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and to working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the world’s great challenges. MIT is dedicated to providing its students with an education that combines rigorous academic study and the excitement of discovery with the support and intellectual stimulation of a diverse campus community. We seek to develop in each member of the MIT community the ability and passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of humankind.The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.

 PRINCETON University rated as 8th best university in World University Rankings 2009. Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. As a research university, it seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding, and in the education of graduate students. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching. The University provides its students with academic, extracurricular and other resources — in a residential community committed to diversity in its student body, faculty and staff — that help them achieve at the highest scholarly levels and prepare them for positions of leadership and lives of service in many fields of human endeavor.

 University of CHICAGO rated as the 7th best university in World University Rankings 2009. The University of Chicago was founded in 1890 by the American Baptist Education Society and oil magnate John D.. Rockefeller. The University of Chicago has had a profound impact on American higher education; curricula across the country have been influenced by the emphasis on broad humanistic and scientific undergraduate education. The University also has a well-deserved reputation as the teacher of teachers.

 University of OXFORD rated the sixth best university in World University Rankings 2009. Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and lays claim to nine centuries of continuous existence. As an internationally renowned centre for teaching and research, Oxford attracts students and scholars from across the globe, with almost a quarter of our students from overseas. More than 130 nationalities are represented among a student population of over 18,000. Oxford is a collegiate university, with 39 self-governing colleges related to the University in a type of federal system. There are also seven Permanent Private Halls, founded by different Christian denominations.. Thirty colleges and all halls admit students for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Seven other colleges are for graduates only; one has Fellows only, and one specializes in part-time and continuing education.

 Imperial College London, rated the fifth best university in the world for 2009. Imperial College London is a university of world class scholarship, education and research in science, engineering and medicine, with particular regard to their application in industry, commerce and healthcare. The College has over 3,000 academic and research staff and almost 14,000 students from over 120 different countries. Our reputation for excellence in teaching and research in science, engineering, medicine and business attracts students and staff of the highest international calibre. Imperial College staff are frequently consulted by governments, and also act as members of professional bodies, advise industry, and offer informed comment to the media.

 UCL (University College London) rated the fourth best university in World University Rankings 2009. UCL is a multidisciplinary university with an international reputation for the quality of its research and teaching across the academic spectrum, with subjects spanning the sciences, arts, social sciences and biomedicine. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) UCL was rated the best research university in London, and third in the UK overall, for the number of its submissions which were considered of world-leading quality. The university is located on a compact site in the very heart of London and is surrounded by the greatest concentration of libraries, museums, archives, cultural institutions and professional bodies in Europe.

 Yale University rated as third best university in the World University Rankings 2009. Yale University is one of the most famous schools in the United States, with a long history of service and an alumni list that reads like a “Who’s Who” of successful people. Yale University is the fulfillment of a European vision of intellectual freedom that is aimed at the service of the community and country. It has championed over history and survived the most destructive calamities such as the American Revolution. Since then, the university has continually grown and progressed to a center for high quality education that is recognized by the global community. The university is considered one of the oldest institution of higher education in the US. It was founded in 1701 and is a proud member of the prestigious Ivy League.

 University of Cambridge rated the second best in World University Rankings 2009. The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Its reputation for outstanding academic achievement is known world-wide and reflects the intellectual achievement of its students, as well as the world-class original research carried out by the staff of the University and the Colleges. Its reputation is endorsed by the Quality Assurance Agency and by other external reviewers of learning and teaching, such as External Examiners. These high standards are the result of both the learning opportunities offered at Cambridge and by its extensive resources, including libraries, museums and other collections. Teaching consists not only of lectures, seminars and practical classes led by people who are world experts in their field, but also more personalised teaching arranged through the Colleges. Many opportunities exist for students to interact with scholars of all levels, both formally and informally.

 Harvard University rated as the number one university in World University Rankings 2009. Harvard is America’s oldest institution of higher learning, founded 140 years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The University has grown from nine students with a single master to an enrollment of more than 18,000 degree candidates, including undergraduates and students in 10 principal academic units. An additional 13,000 students are enrolled in one or more courses in the Harvard Extension School. Over 14,000 people work at Harvard, including more than 2,000 faculty. There are also 7,000 faculty appointments in affiliated teaching hospitals.

Researchers uncover gender differences in the effects of long-term alcoholism

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System have demonstrated that the effects on white matter brain volume from long-term alcohol abuse are different for men and women. The study, which is published online in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, also suggests that with abstinence, women recover their white matter brain volume more quickly than men.

The study was led by Susan Mosher Ruiz, PhD, postdoctoral research scientist in the Laboratory for Neuropsychology at BUSM and research scientist at the VA Boston Healthcare System, and Marlene Oscar Berman, PhD, professor of psychiatry, neurology and anatomy and neurobiology at BUSM and research career scientist at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

In previous research, alcoholism has been associated with white matter pathology. White matter forms the connections between neurons, allowing communication between different areas of the brain. While previous neuroimaging studies have shown an association between alcoholism and white matter reduction, this study furthered the understanding of this effect by examining gender differences and utilizing a novel region-of-interest approach.

The research team employed structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the effects of drinking history and gender on white matter volume. They examined brain images from 42 abstinent alcoholic men and women who drank heavily for more than five years and 42 nonalcoholic control men and women. Looking at the correlation between years of alcohol abuse and white matter volume, the researchers found that a greater number of years of alcohol abuse was associated with smaller white matter volumes in the abstinent alcoholic men and women. In the men, the decrease was observed in the corpus callosum while in women, this effect was observed in cortical white matter regions.

"We believe that many of the cognitive and emotional deficits observed in people with chronic alcoholism, including memory problems and flat affect, are related to disconnections that result from a loss of white matter," said Mosher Ruiz.

The researchers also examined if the average number of drinks consumed per day was associated with reduced white matter volume. They found that the number of daily drinks did have a strong impact on alcoholic women, and the volume loss was one and a half to two percent for each additional daily drink. Additionally, there was an eight to 10 percent increase in the size of the brain ventricles, which are areas filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that play a protective role in the brain. When white matter dies, CSF produced in the ventricles fills the ventricular space.

Recovery of white matter brain volume also was examined. They found that, in men, the corpus callosum recovered at a rate of one percent per year for each additional year of abstinence. For people who abstained less than a year, the researchers found evidence of increased white matter volume and decreased ventricular volume in women, but not at all in men. However, for people in recovery for more than a year, those signs of recovery disappeared in women and became apparent in men.

"These findings preliminarily suggest that restoration and recovery of the brain's white matter among alcoholics occurs later in abstinence for men than for women," said Mosher Ruiz. "We hope that additional research in this area can help lead to improved treatment methods that include educating both alcoholic men and women about the harmful effects of excessive drinking and the potential for recovery with sustained abstinence."

Provided by Boston University Medical Center

"Researchers uncover gender differences in the effects of long-term alcoholism." August 9th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-uncover-gender-differences-effects-long-term.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

Neuroscientists find brain stem cells that may be responsible for higher functions, bigger brains

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have identified a new stem cell population that may be responsible for giving birth to the neurons responsible for higher thinking. The finding also paves the way for scientists to produce these neurons in culture—a first step in developing better treatments for cognitive disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, which result from disrupted connections among these brain cells.

Published in the August 10, 2012 issue of the journal Science, the new research reveals how neurons in the uppermost layers of the cerebral cortex form during embryonic brain development.

"The cerebral cortex is the seat of higher brain function, where information gets integrated and where we form memories and consciousness," said the study's senior author Ulrich Mueller, a professor and director of the Dorris Neuroscience Center at Scripps Research. "If we want to understand who we are, we need to understand this area where everything comes together and forms our impression of the world."

In the new study, Mueller's team identified a neural stem cell in mice that specifically gives rise to the neurons that make up the upper layers of the cerebral cortex. Previously, it was thought that all cortical neurons—those making up both the lower and upper layers—came from the same type of stem cell, called a radial glial cell, or RGC. A neuron's fate was thought to be determined by the timing of its birth date. The Scripps Research team, however, showed that there is a distinct stem cell progenitor that gives rise to upper layer neurons, regardless of birth date or place.

"Advanced functions like consciousness, thought, and creativity require a lot of different neuronal cell types and a central question has been how all this diversity is produced in the cortex," said Santos Franco, a senior research associate in Mueller's laboratory and first author of the paper. "Our study shows this diversity already exists in the progenitor cells."

Peeling Back the Onion Layers

In mammals, the cortex is made up of six distinct anatomic layers holding different types of excitatory neurons. They are not the uniform layers of a cake, but rather, they are more like the layers wrapped around an onion. The smaller lower layers, on the inside, host neurons that connect to the brain stem and spinal cord to help regulate essential functions such as breathing and movement. The larger upper layers, closer to the outer surface of the brain, contain neurons that integrate information coming in from the senses and connect across the two halves of the brain.

The upper layers are a "relatively young invention," evolutionarily speaking, having been greatly expanded during primate evolution, said Mueller. They give humans in particular the unique abilities to think abstractly, plan for the future and problem-solve.

For the last two decades, scientists have believed that the fate of cerebral cortex neurons was determined by their birth date because each layer is formed in a time-dependent manner. The lower layer neurons form in the center of the "ball" first, and then the cells that will become the upper layers form last, migrating through the lower layers.

"So the model was that there is a stem cell in the center of the ball that generates the different types of neurons in successive waves," said Mueller. "What we now show is that there are at least two different populations of RGCs and potentially more."

Following Fate

Franco first created a line of mice in which he could track upper-layer neurons as they were born and migrated. The team followed a marker gene called Cux2, which was previously reported to be expressed only by upper-layer neurons. By linking a gene for an enzyme called Cre to the Cux2 gene, the scientists could watch any cell expressing Cux2 under the microscope, because the Cre enzyme flips on another gene that glows fluorescent red.

Surprisingly, the team observed Cux2 already turned on in some of the RGCs, even at the earliest points in brain development—embryonic day nine or ten—before any upper-layer neurons exist. Following this population of glowing stem cells through development, the team showed that the cells almost exclusively generated upper-layer neurons. In contrast, the subgroup of RGCs not expressing Cux2 became lower-layer neurons.

Next, the team removed these Cux2-positive precursor cells from their niche in the embryonic brain to see how they would develop in a lab dish. When they cultured both types of RGCs, again only Cux2-expressing RGCs developed into upper-layer neurons.

In developing brains, these Cux2-positive stem cells first self-renew and proliferate before differentiating later into neurons. So, the team wanted to know if a neuron's birth date determined its fate. To test this, the researchers delivered a TCF4 molecule in utero that forced the Cux2-positive RGCs to prematurely differentiate. Even though it was too early in normal development, the Cux2-positive RGCs still produced upper-layer neurons.

In other words, regardless of position or timing, the Cux2-positive RGCs are destined to become upper-layer neurons. Mueller and colleagues concluded that these stem cells have some intrinsic property that determines their fate from the start.

The work also shows that this RGC subset is responsible for the huge proliferation of cells necessary to create the larger upper-layer cortex found in primate brains. "If we want to understand how the human brain evolved, how we are different from an amphibian, then this one precursor cell may have been important," said Mueller.

But, bigger brains came with a risk, making humans more prone to disorders when upper-layer neurons don't form connections properly. Up until now, researchers trying to reproduce human cortical neurons in the lab from stem cells have only generated lower-layer-type neurons. "This opens a door now to try to make the upper-layer neurons, which are frequently affected in psychiatric disorders," said Mueller.

More information: "Fate-restricted neural progenitors in the mammalian cerebral cortex," Science, August 10, 2012.

Provided by Scripps Research Institute

"Neuroscientists find brain stem cells that may be responsible for higher functions, bigger brains." August 9th, 2012.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-neuroscientists-brain-stem-cells-responsible.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

Depression linked with increased risk of peripheral artery disease

(Medical Xpress) -- Depression was linked with an increased risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in a study of more than 1,000 men and women with heart disease conducted by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

PAD is a circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs – usually the legs and feet – resulting in pain, reduced mobility and, in extreme cases, gangrene and amputation.

The study was published electronically on July 26 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Marlene Grenon, MD, CM, a vascular surgeon at SFVAMC and an assistant professor of Surgery at UCSF, led the analysis of data from 1,024 participants in the Heart and Soul Study, a prospective study of men and women with coronary artery disease who were followed for an average of approximately seven years.

“We discovered that there was an association between depression and PAD at baseline, and also found that the patients who were depressed at the beginning of the study had a higher likelihood of developing PAD during follow-up at seven years,” said Grenon.

“These findings add to the growing body of research showing the importance of depression in both the development and progression of PAD,” said senior author Beth Cohen, MD, MAS, a physician at SFVAMC and an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF. “This also emphasizes the need for medical providers to be attentive to the mental health of their patients who have developed, or who are at risk for, PAD.”

The authors found that some of the risk for PAD was partly explained by modifiable risk factors such as smoking and reduced physical activity.

“We still don’t know which comes first,” said Grenon. “Is it that patients with PAD become depressed because their mobility is impaired, or that people who are depressed engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and lack of exercise, and are thus more at risk of developing PAD? Or might it be a vicious cycle, where one leads to the other?”

Further research is needed to tease out cause and effect, she said.

The study authors suggest that whatever the initial cause, lifestyle modifications such as being more physically active, eating better, quitting smoking and managing stress more effectively might reduce the risk for the association, as well as potentially address symptoms of both PAD and depression.

“These lifestyle changes would be considered healthy for anyone, and would also help overall cardiovascular health,” said Grenon.

“As providers, we can help patients recognize the connections between mental and physical health,” added Cohen. “This may help reduce the stigma of mental health diagnosis and encourage patients to seek treatment for problems such as depression.”

More information: jaha.ahajournals.o… e002667.full

Provided by University of California, San Francisco

"Depression linked with increased risk of peripheral artery disease." August 9th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-depression-linked-peripheral-artery-disease.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

PALM READING

Chettinad Kozhi varuval (Chettinad chicken fry)

Ingredients

• Chicken – 750 gms

Grind

• Garlic – 4 pods
• Ginger – 1 inch
• Fennel – 1 Tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1tsp
• Chilli powder – 1 Tbsp
• Pepper – 1 Tbsp
• Lemon juice – 1 Tbsp
• Yogurt – 1 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Salt as required

Frying 1

• Onion - 1 chopped
• Tomato – 1 chopped
• Ginger-Garlic paste – 1½ Tbsp

Frying 2

• Onion – ½ sliced
• Curry leaves – 1 twig
• Red chillies – 3
• Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Method

Grind together all the ingredients under ‘Grind’ to a paste. Marinate the chicken with this paste for a couple of hours. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions. When the onions are soft add the ginger-garlic paste and then the tomatoes. Fry until the tomatoes are soft and the oil comes out. To this add the chicken with very little water and cook until done and the water is evaporated. In another pan heat some oil and fry the red chillies, curry leaves and the sliced onions. When almost done add the pepper powder to the onion and mix it well. Add the fried onion to the cooked chicken and give it a stir. Vola there you have a lip smacking chicken dish. Although the list of ingredients looks exhausting, it does not take a lot of time to make this. So please don’t let the long list put you off from trying the recipe and of course you can adjust the spice level.

Lord Murugan ( philosophical and spiritual values and meanings..)

                                                                      

Lord Murugan being depicted with 2 consorts has high philosophical and spiritual values and meanings..

We shouldn't think of HIM being with 2 consorts, We should see HIM being depicted with 2 Shakthis.(3 Shakthis actually, as i will explain in a moment)

Sri Valli- Icha Sakthi

Sri Deivayannai- Kriya Sakthi

HIS Vel- Gnana Sakthi

Thus, Lord Murugan should be viewed as being depicted with 3 powerful forms of Sakthi..

Also,

Sri Deivayannai represents the Heavenly connection, while Sri Valli represents the Earthly connection. So what this means is, Lord Murugan is the GOD for both the Heavenly Gods,Devargal and also the GOD for the Earthly beings like us.. So basically, it would mean that HE is everywhere, Ishwara.

They also illustrate the link between Heaven and Earth through God's grace.

Furthermore,

Lord Murugan's "marriage" (if u notice, "marriage" is in inverted commas) to Sri Deivayannai, represents the Atman (The Soul, present in everyone of us) seeking the union with the Supreme God and HIS "marriage" with Sri Valli signifies, the Supreme coming to us, due to HIS grace, to unite with our Atman. In other words, God Himself coming to us.