Scientists identify neural activity sequences that help form memory, decision-making

Using a virtual reality maze and brain imaging system, Princeton researchers have detected a form of neural activity the formation of short-term memories used in decision-making. These panels show the view of the virtual reality maze as seen by the mouse. The top panel shows a cue or sign that indicates to the mouse to turn right to receive a water reward. The middle panel shows a cue telling the mouse to turn left. The bottom panel shows the view at the T-intersection of the maze. (Image courtesy of Nature, Christopher Harvey and David Tank) (Medical Xpress) -- Princeton University researchers have used a novel virtual reality and brain imaging system to detect a form of neural activity underlying how the brain forms short-term memories that are used in making decisions.
By following the brain activity of mice as they navigated a virtual reality maze, the researchers found that populations of neurons fire in distinctive sequences when the brain is holding a memory. Previous research centered on the idea that populations of neurons fire together with similar patterns to each other during the memory period.
The study was performed in the laboratory of David Tank, who is Princeton's Henry L. Hillman Professor in Molecular Biology and co-director of the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. Both Tank and Christopher Harvey, who was first author on the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at the time of the experiments, said they were surprised to discover the sequential firing of neurons. The study was published online on March 14 in the journal Nature.
The findings give insight into what happens in the brain during "working memory," which is used when the mind stores information for short periods of time prior to acting on it or integrating it with other information. Working memory is a central component of reasoning, comprehension and learning. Certain brain disorders such as schizophrenia are thought to involve deficits in working memory.
"Studies such as this one are aimed at understanding the basic principles of neural activity during working memory in the normal brain. However, the work may in the future assist researchers in understanding how activity might be altered in brain disorders that involve deficits in working memory," said Tank.
In the study, the patterns of sequential neuronal firing corresponded to whether the mouse would turn left or right as it navigated a maze in search of a reward. Different patterns corresponded to different decisions made by the mice, the Princeton researchers found.
The sequential neuronal firing patterns spanned the roughly 10-second period that it took for the mouse to form a memory, store it and make a decision about which way to turn. Over this period, distinct subsets of neurons were observed to fire in sequence.
The finding contrasts with many existing models of how the brain stores memories and makes decisions, which are based on the idea that firing activity in a group of neurons remain elevated or reduced during the entire process of observing a signal, storing it in memory and making a decision. In that scenario, memory and decision-making is determined by whole populations of neurons either firing or not firing in the region of the brain involved in navigation and decision-making.
The uniqueness of the left-turn and right-turn sequences meant that the brain imaging experiments essentially allowed the researchers to perform a simple form of "mind reading." By imaging and examining the brain activity early in the mouse's run down the maze, the researchers could identify the neural activity sequence being produced and could reliably predict which way the mouse was going to turn several seconds before the turn actually began.
This schematic shows the two virtual reality mazes used in the study. As the mouse ran down the long corridor, it would see a cue on the right or left side of the corridor indicating that it should turn right or left when it gets to the T-intersection. At the "cue offset," the mouse would pass the sign and no longer see it, so the animal must remember which sign it saw until it reaches the T-intersection and makes the turn. (Image courtesy of Nature, Christopher Harvey and David Tank)
The sequences of neural activity discovered in the new study take place in a part of the brain called the posterior parietal cortex. Previous studies in monkeys and humans indicate that the posterior parietal cortex is a part of the brain that is important for movement planning, spatial attention and decision-making. The new study is the first to analyze it in the mouse. "We hope that by using the mouse as our model system we will be able to utilize powerful genetic approaches to understand the mechanisms of complex cognitive processes," said Harvey. Navigating the maze
Princeton researchers studied these neurons firing in the posterior parietal cortex of mice while they navigated a maze in search of a reward. The simple maze, generated using a virtual reality system, consisted of a single long corridor that ended in a T-intersection, requiring the mouse to choose to turn left or right.
As the mouse ran down the long corridor, it saw visual patterns and object signals on the right or left side of the corridor, like a motorist driving down a highway might see a sign indicating which way to turn at the T-intersection. If the mouse turned in the direction indicated by the signal, it found the reward of a drink of water.
The experimental setup required that the mouse notice the signal and remember which side of the corridor the signal was on so that it could make the correct decision when it reached the T-intersection. If it turned the wrong way, the mouse would not find the reward. After several training runs, the mice made the right decision more than 90 percent of the time.
In cases where the mice made errors, the neuronal firing started out with one distinct pattern of sequential firing and then switched over to another pattern. If the mouse saw a signal indicating that it should turn right but made a mistake and turned left, its brain started off with the sequence indicating the visual cues for a future right turn but then switched over to the sequence indicative of a future left turn. "In these cases, we can observe the mouse changing its memory of past events or plans for future actions," said Tank.
The mouse training and imaging experiments were conducted by Harvey, who is now an assistant professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. Harvey was assisted in some experiments by Philip Coen, a graduate student in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute.
Constructing a virtual reality
In place of a physical maze, the researchers created one using virtual reality, an approach that has been under development in the Tank lab for the last several years. The mice walked and ran on the surface of a spherical treadmill while their head remained stationary in space, which is ideal for brain imaging. Computer-generated views of virtual environments were projected onto a wide-angle screen surrounding the treadmill. Motion of the ball produced by the mouse walking and turning was detected by optical sensors on the ball's equator and used to change the visual display to simulate motion through a virtual environment.
To image the brain, the researchers employed an optical microscope that used infrared laser light to look deep below the surface in order to visualize a population of neurons and record their firing.
The neurons imaged in these mice contained a "molecular sensor" that glows green when the neurons fire. The sensor, developed in the lab of Loren Looger, group leader at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Farm Research Campus, consisted of a green fluorescent protein engineered to glow in response to calcium ions, which flood into the neuron when it fires. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) from which the sensor was developed is widely used in biological research and was discovered at Princeton in 1961 by former Princeton researcher Osamu Shimomura, who earned a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2008 for the discovery.
The virtual reality system, combined with the imaging system and calcium sensor, allowed the researchers to see populations of individual neurons firing in the working brain. "It is like we are opening up a computer and looking inside at all of the signals to figure out how it works," said Tank.
These studies of populations of individual neurons, termed cellular-resolution measurements, are challenging because the brain contains billions of neurons packed tightly together. The instrumentation developed by the Tank lab is one of the few that can record the firing of groups of individual neurons in the brain when a subject is awake. Most studies of brain function in humans involve studying activity in entire regions of the brain using a tool such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that average together the activity of many thousands of neurons.
"The data reveal quite clearly that at least some form of short-term memory is based on a sequence of neurons passing the information from one to the other, a sort of 'neuronal bucket brigade,'" said Christof Koch, a neuroscientist who was not involved in the study. Koch is the chief scientific officer for the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle and the Lois and Victor Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
More information: DOI: 10.1038/nature10899
Provided by Princeton University

"Scientists identify neural activity sequences that help form memory, decision-making." March 14th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-scientists-neural-sequences-memory-decision-making.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Hiding emotions may exacerbate depression among black men who confront racial discrimination

Enduring subtle, insidious acts of racial discrimination is enough to depress anyone, but African-American men who believe that they should respond to stress with stoicism and emotional control experience more depression symptoms, according to new findings from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The study, "Taking It Like a Man: Masculine Role Norms as Moderators of the Racial Discrimination–Depressive Symptoms Association Among African-American Men," was published online March 8, 2012, in the American Journal of Public Health.
"We know that traditional role expectations are that men will restrict their emotions – or 'take stress like a man,'" said study author Wizdom Powell Hammond, Ph.D., assistant professor of health behavior in UNC's Gillings School of Global Public Health. "However, the more tightly some men cling to these traditional role norms, the more likely they are to be depressed.
"It also is clear that adherence to traditional role norms is not always harmful to men," Hammond said. "But we don't know a lot about how these norms shape how African-American men confront stressors, especially those that are race-related."
Hammond studied the phenomenon researchers call everyday racism, which is marked not so much by magnitude or how egregious the prejudice and torment were, but by persistence and subtlety.
"It chips away at people's sense of humanity and very likely at their hope and optimism," Hammond said. "We know these daily hassles have consequences for men's mental health, but we don't know why some men experience depression while others do not."
Hammond studied data collected from surveys of 674 African-American men, aged 18 and older, carried out at barber shops in four U.S. regions between 2003 and 2010.
She found that everyday racial discrimination was associated with depression across all age groups. Younger men (aged under 40) were more depressed, experienced more discrimination and had a stronger allegiance to norms encouraging them to restrict their emotions than men over 40 years old. Furthermore, some men who embraced norms encouraging more self-reliance reported less depression.
The results showed associations, not necessarily causation, Hammond noted.
The data also showed that when men felt strongly about the need to shut down their emotions, then the negative effect of discrimination on their mental health was amplified. The association was particularly apparent for men aged 30 years and older.
"It seems as though there may be a cumulative burden or long-term consequences of suffering such persistent discriminatory slights and hassles in silence," Hammond said. "Our next task is to determine when embracing traditional role norms are harmful or helpful to African American men's mental health."
The information will help target future interventions to subgroups of men, rather than try to reach all men with one general approach.
"African-American men are not all alike, just as all people in any group are not alike," Hammond said. "The way they feel, respond and react changes over time as they normally develop. The slings and arrows of everyday racism still exist, and we need to find targeted ways to help men defend against them while also working to address the policy structures that project them."
More information: The study is available at http://ajph.aphapu … .2011.300485
Provided by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Hiding emotions may exacerbate depression among black men who confront racial discrimination." March 14th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-emotions-exacerbate-depression-black-men.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Aging brain gets stuck in time, researchers show

The aging brain loses its ability to recognize when it is time to move on to a new task, explaining why the elderly have difficulty multi-tasking, Yale University researchers report. “The aged brain seems to get lost in transition,” said Mark Laubach, associate professor at the John B. Pierce Laboratory and the Yale School of Medicine, and senior author of a study that appears in the March 14 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
Laubach’s team was studying the impact of aging on working memory, the type of memory that allows you to recall that dinner is in the oven when you are talking on the phone. The researchers examined brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex of young and older rats that is related to spatial working memory — the type of memory that allows you to recall, for example, that mashed potatoes are on the stove and the turkey is in the oven
Based on previous studies, they expected that it would be spatial memory most affected by aging. Instead, the Yale team found that the aged brain seems to lose its ability to respond to cues that indicate when it is time to move on to a new task.
This ability to transition between tasks is critical for many daily activities, such as cooking dinner or handling situations that can arise in the workplace. The brain’s failure to monitor the timing of actions leads people to forget to turn off a burner on the stove while setting the table.
The research team found that neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of older rats reacted more slowly to signals indicating that reward was available. Conversely, these signals immediately triggered a response in younger rats.
“Neurons in older rats fired fewer spikes in response to reward-predictive cues. The animals failed to respond immediately to the cues. They seemed to be stuck in time,” Laubach said.
Researchers hope that by understanding the mechanisms of working memory, scientists might one day be able to slow or perhaps eliminate deterioration of these brain functions over a lifespan, Laubach said.

Other Yale researchers involved in the study are Marcelo S. Caetano, Nicole K. Horst, Linda Harenberg, Benjaminine Liu, and Amy F.T. Arnsten.

Provided by Yale University
"Aging brain gets stuck in time, researchers show." March 14th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-aging-brain-stuck.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Sunset Photography

Australian Aboriginal Genocide

The short video overview I made about the historical genocide against Australian Aboriginals. Please note that all of the info presented came from Australian government sources.
NOTE: Due to the huge amount of racism, comments will no longer be allowed 

**Because of the large degrading amounts of racism, all comments are moderated. Please do not write anything **

Excerpt from the UN Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of Genocide (and ratified by the UN, including Australia, in 1948):

"Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Article III: The following acts shall be punishable: (a) Genocide; (b) Conspiracy to commit genocide; (c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide; (d) Attempt to commit genocide; (e) Complicity in genocide. "

Federal Apology (feb. 13, 2007) issued by Prime Minister Rudd of Australia:

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."

Dravidian Origin of Indus Valley Civilization.wmv

In this video we discuss the Dravidian foundation of the Indus Valley Civillization. Careful attention is given to the Dravidian character of the Harappan civilization and the expansion of this civilization into Central Asia and India. 

The photos are great, but the philosophy is even better!

LIFE  The photos are great, but the philosophy is even better! We never get what we want, We never want what we get,  We never have what we like,  We never like what we have. And still we live & love.  That's life... The best kind of friends,  Is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with,  Never say a word, And then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had. It's true that we don't know What we've got until it's gone, But it's also true that we don't know  What we've been missing until it arrives.. Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't expect love in return;  Just wait for it to grow in their heart, But if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, An hour to like someone,And a day to love someone, But it takes a lifetime to forget someone. Don't go for looks; they can deceive.  Don't go for wealth; even that fades away.  Go for someone who makes you smile,  Because it takes only a smile to Make a dark day seems bright.  Find the one that makes your heart smile! May you have Enough happiness to make you sweet,  Enough trials to make you strong,  Enough sorrow to keep you human,  And enough hope to make you happy. Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, It probably hurts the other person, too. The happiest of people  Don't necessarily have the best of everything;  They just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Happiness lies for Those who cry,  Those who hurt, Those who have searched,  And those who have tried,  For only they can appreciate the importance of people  Who have touched their lives. When you were born, you were crying  And everyone around you was smiling.  Live your life so that when you die,  You're the one who is smiling And everyone around you is crying. Please send this message To those people who mean something to you,  To those who have touched your life in one way or another,  To those who make you smile when you really need it,  To those that make you see the brighter side of things When you are really down,  To those who you want to know  That you appreciate their friendship. And if you don't, don't worry,  Nothing bad will happen to you,  You will just miss out on the opportunity  to brighten someone's life with this message...

கோளறு திருப்பதிகம் : நவகிரகங்களின் பாதிப்பிலிருந்து நம்மை காக்க

திருஞான சம்பந்தர் அருளிய பதிகங்களில் , நமது இன்றைய வாழ்க்கை சூழலில் மிக மிக பயனுள்ள ஒரு பதிகம் - இந்த கோளறு பதிகம். ஈசனை மனதில் தியானித்து , அனுதினமும் இதைப் பாடி வர , நமது ஜாதகங்களில் உள்ள குறைபாடுகளும், கோசார ரீதியாக நவ கிரகங்களால் எந்த தீய பலன்கள் நிகழாமலும்  , நம்மை பாதுகாக்கும் கவசம் - இந்த பதிகம்.

ஆளுடைய பிள்ளையாரான திருஞான சம்பந்தரும், திருநாவுக்கரசரும் புண்ணியத் தலங்களை வழிபட்டபடி பயணம் சென்று கொண்டிருந்த நேரம்...

மதுரை மாநகரில் அப்போது கூன் பாண்டியனின் ஆட்சி. அவன் சமண மதத்தை தழுவியிருந்ததால் அங்கே சமணர்களின் அட்டகாசம் அளவு கடந்திருந்தது. "சைவத்தை ஒழித்துக் கட்டினால்தான் தங்களுடைய அதிகாரம் நிலைக்கும்' என்று கணக்குப் போட்டு அவர்கள் காய் நகர்த்திக் கொண்டிருந்தனர்.

ஆனால் மன்னனின் துணைவியாரான மங்கையர்க்கரசியும், அமைச்சர் குலச்சிறையும் சிவபெருமானிடம் நீங்காத பேரன்பு உடையவர்கள். "திருஞான சம்பந்தர் மதுரைக்கு ஒருமுறை வந்துவிட்டால் போதும்! சமண இருள் அகலும்; சைவ ஒளி துலங்கும்' என்று அவர்கள் எண்ணினார்கள். இதை சம்பந்தரிடம் தெரியப்படுத்த தூதுவர்களை அனுப்பினார்கள்.

சம்பந்தரும் மதுரைக்கு புறப்பட சம்மதித்தார். ஆனால் சமணர்களின் கொடுமைகளை ஏற்கனவே கண்டிருக்கும் திருநாவுக்கரசருக்கு, சம்பந்தர் அங்கே செல்வதில் விருப்பமில்லை. ""நீங்களோ வயதில் இளையவர்; சமணர்களோ சூழ்ச்சிகளே வடிவானவர்கள். போதாக்குறைக்கு நாளும், கோளும் கூட இப்போது சாதகமாக இல்லை'' என்று ஆளுடைய பிள்ளையாரிடம் அப்பர் பெருமானாகிய நாவுக்கரசர் மன்றாடினார்.

சம்பந்தர் அவரை சமாதானப்படுத்தி, ""நாளும், கோளும் நாயகனாகிய சிவபெருமானின் அடியார்களைத் துன்புறுத்தாது. நீங்கள் கவலைப்பட வேண்டாம். மதுரையம்பதியில் சைவக் கொடி பறக்க வைப்பேன்'' என்று உறுதியளித்து, "கோளறு திருப்பதிகம்' பாடினார்; சொன்னபடியே வென்று காட்டினார்.

கிரஹங்கள் தரும் துன்பங்களிலிருந்து விடுபட விரும்புகிறவர்கள் தினம்தோறும் இந்தப் பதிகத்தை, ஒருமுறையாவது பாராயணம் செய்வது அவசியம்.

பெற்றோர்கள், தங்களுடைய பிள்ளைகளுக்கு இந்தப் பதிகத்தைப் போதித்து, தினசரி இதைப் படிக்கச் சொல்ல வேண்டும்.

அதீதமான காமம், லஞ்சம், ஊழல் போன்ற தீமைகள் மலிந்து இருள் சூழ்ந்திருக்கும் இன்றைய வாழ்வில், "கோளறு திருப்பதிகம்' என்னும் தீப்பந்தத்தை தங்களுடைய வாரிசுகளின் கையில் ஒப்படைப்பது பெற்றோர்களின் முக்கியக் கடமை. இந்தப் பதிகத்தைப் பாடுவோரை கிரஹங்கள் தாக்காது. இதை நாம் சொல்லவில்லை; ஞானசம்பந்தரே சொல்லியிருக்கிறார். பாக்கியம் இருப்பவர்கள் படித்துப் பயன் பெறலாம்.

கோளறு திருப்பதிகம்

வேய் உறு தோளி பங்கன், விடம் உண்ட கண்டன்,
மிக நல்ல வீணை தடவி,
மாசு அறு திங்கள் கங்கை முடிமேல் அணிந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
ஞாயிறு, திங்கள், செவ்வாய், புதன், வியாழம், வெள்ளி,
சனி, பாம்பு இரண்டும், உடனே
ஆசு அறும்; நல்ல நல்ல; அவை நல்ல நல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

என்பொடு கொம்பொடு ஆமை இவை மார்பு இலங்க,
எருது ஏறி, ஏழை உடனே,
பொன் பொதி மத்தமாலை புனல் சூடி வந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
ஒன்பதொடு, ஒன்றொடு, ஏழு, பதினெட்டொடு, ஆறும்,
உடன்ஆய நாள்கள் அவைதாம்,
அன்பொடு நல்லநல்ல; அவை நல்லநல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

உரு வளர் பவளமேனி ஒளி நீறு அணிந்து,
உமையோடும், வெள்ளைவிடைமேல்,
முருகு அலர் கொன்றை திங்கள் முடிமேல் அணிந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
திருமகள், கலைஅது ஊர்தி, செயமாது, பூமி,
திசை தெய்வம்ஆன பலவும்,
அரு நெதி நல்லநல்ல; அவை நல்லநல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

மதிநுதல் மங்கையோடு, வடபால் இருந்து
மறை ஓதும் எங்கள் பரமன்,
நதியொடு கொன்றைமாலை முடிமேல் அணிந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
கொதிஉறு காலன், அங்கி, நமனோடு தூதர்,
கொடுநோய்கள் ஆனபலவும்,
அதிகுணம் நல்லநல்ல; அவை நல்லநல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

நஞ்சு அணி கண்டன், எந்தை, மடவாள்தனோடும்
விடை ஏறும் நங்கள் பரமன்,
துஞ்சு இருள்- வன்னி, கொன்றை, முடிமேல் அணிந்து-என்
உளமே புகுந்தஅதனால்-
வெஞ்சின அவுணரோடும், உரும்-இடியும், மின்னும்,
மிகைஆன பூதம் அவையும்,
அஞ்சிடும்; நல்ல நல்ல; அவை நல்லநல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

வாள்வரிஅதள் அது ஆடை வரி கோவணத்தர்
மடவாள்தனோடும் உடன்ஆய்,
நாள்மலர் வன்னி கொன்றை நதி சூடி வந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
கோள் அரி, உழுவையோடு, கொலை யானை, கேழல்,
கொடு நாகமோடு, கரடி,
ஆள் அரி, நல்லநல்ல; அவை நல்ல நல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

செப்பு இளமுலை நல் மங்கை ஒருபாகம் ஆக
விடை ஏறு செல்வன், அடைவு ஆர்
ஒப்பு இளமதியும் அப்பும் முடிமேல் அணிந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
வெப்பொடு, குளிரும், வாதம், மிகைஆன பித்தும்,
வினைஆன, வந்து நலியா;
அப்படி நல்லநல்ல; அவை நல்லநல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

வேள் பட வழிசெய்து, அன்று, விடைமேல் இருந்து,
மடவாள்தனோடும் உடன்ஆய்,
வாள்மதி வன்னி கொன்றைமலர் சூடி வந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
ஏழ்கடல் சூழ் இலங்கை அரையன்
தனோடும்
இடர்ஆன வந்து நலியா;
ஆழ் கடல் நல்லநல்ல; அவை நல்ல நல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

பலபல வேடம் ஆகும் பரன், நாரிபாகன்,
பசு ஏறும் எங்கள் பரமன்,
சலமகளோடு எருக்கு முடிமேல் அணிந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
மலர்மிசையோனும் மாலும் மறையோடு தேவர்
வரு காலம்ஆன பலவும்,
அலைகடல், மேரு, நல்ல; அவை நல்லநல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

கொத்து அலர் குழலியோடு விசயற்கு நல்கு
குணம்ஆய வேட விகிர்தன்,
மத்தமும் மதியும் நாகம் முடிமேல் அணிந்து, என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்-
புத்தரொடு அமணை வாதில் அழிவிக்கும் அண்ணல்
திருநீறு செம்மை திடமே;
அத்தகு நல்லநல்ல; அவை நல்லநல்ல,
அடியார் அவர்க்கு மிகவே.

தேன் அமர் பொழில் கொள் ஆலை
விளை செந்நெல் துன்னி,
வளர் செம்பொன் எங்கும் நிகழ,
நான்முகன் ஆதிஆய பிரமாபுரத்து
மறைஞான ஞானமுனிவன்,
தான் உறு கோளும் நாளும் அடியாரை வந்து
நலியாத வண்ணம் உரைசெய்
ஆன சொல்மாலை ஓதும் அடியார்கள், வானில்
அரசு ஆள்வர்; ஆணை நமதே.

Read more: http://www.livingextra.com/2011/12/blog-post_3464.html#ixzz1pA09TXfp

Hopes rise for viral disease victims

AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH

Recent breakthroughs in Chikungunya research spearheaded by scientists at A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) have made great strides in the battle against the infectious disease. Working in close collaborations with Singapore clinician-scientists and international researchers, Dr Lisa Ng, Principal Investigator of the Chikungunya research group at SIgN, led the team to discover a direct biomarker which serves as an early and accurate prognosis of patients who have a higher risk of the more severe form of Chikungunya fever (CHIKF). This means that doctors can now quickly and accurately identify patients at risk, facilitating a more targetted treatment and clinical care at the onset of the disease.  Chikungunya fever, caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV)1, is a mosquito-borne, infectious disease endemic to Southeast Asia and Africa. Since its re-emergence in 2005, CHIKV infection has spread to nearly 20 countries to infect millions2. Singapore, for instance, was hit twice by Chikungunya fever outbreaks in January and August 2008.  CHIKV infection is characterised by an abrupt onset of fever frequently accompanied by severe muscle and joint pains. Though most patients recover fully within a week, in severe cases, the joint pains may persist for months, or even years. For individuals with a weak immune system, the disease can result in death. With no clinically-approved vaccine or treatment for Chikungunya fever, it remains a worrying public health problem.  To devise strategies to stop CHIKV transmission, Dr Ng’s team collaborated with Professor Leo Yee Sin and Dr Angela Chow, clinician-scientists from the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, to study how the human body responds to CHIKV infection. The team conducted a comprehensive study on the antibody response against CHIKV in patients. They discovered that patients who respond to the disease at the onset with high levels of Immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3), a naturally-acquired antibody, are protected from the more severe form of Chikungunya fever, characterised by persistent joint pains. On the other hand, patients with a delayed IgG3 response generally have less acute symptoms at the start, but are more susceptible to chronic debilitating joint pains at later stage of the disease. Hence, the IgG3 antibodies serve as a specific biomarker of patients with increased risk of the severe form of the disease.  Collaborating with computational experts from A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), Dr Ng’s team also uncovered that a very small defined segment of the Chikungunya viral protein, named “E2EP3”, was able to induce the natural IgG3 protective response in preclinical models. They found that mice vaccinated with the E2EP3 peptides were protected against CHIKV with significant reduction in viral counts and joint inflammation. This finding raises hope for a new effective Chikungunya vaccine that can offer protection against Chikungunya virus in the event of an outbreak. Dr Ng said, “Long-term treatment required for the chronic joint pain in Chikungunya-infected patients places social and economic burden for both patients and the public healthcare system. We are excited that the mechanistic insights gained through our collaborative research with the local hospitals and international research partners have led to discovery of ‘new weapons’ to tackle Chikungunya more effectively.” Scientific Director of SIgN, Professor Paola Castagnoli said, “With increasing threat of Chikungunya virus infection, particularly in Asia and the Pacific region, this significant breakthrough is a step forward in enhancing our pandemic preparedness against the infectious disease. This is a testament to the successful collaborations between research scientists and clinicians in translating scientific discoveries into impactful healthcare solutions for the benefit of Singapore and beyond.” 1CHIKV, an alphavirus that is transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes, was first isolated in 1953 in Tanzania from infected patients who often developed a contorted posture owing to debilitating joint pains. The name Chikungunya means ‘that which bends up’ in the Makonde language of Southern Africa. 2http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/chikungunya/ and http://www.promedmail.org/ Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Repeat caesarean cuts death risk

THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

The study involves more than 2300 women and their babies and 14 Australian maternity hospitals. Image: Focus_on_Nature/iStockphoto A major national study led by the University of Adelaide has found that women who have had one prior caesarean can lower the risk of death and serious complications for their next baby - and themselves - by electing to have another caesarean. The study, known as the Birth After Caesarean (BAC) study, is the first of its kind in the world. It involves more than 2300 women and their babies and 14 Australian maternity hospitals. The results was published in the international journal, PLoS Medicine. The study shows that infants born to women who had a planned elective repeat caesarean had a significantly lower risk of serious complications compared with infants born to mothers who had a vaginal birth following a prior caesarean - the risk of death or serious complication for the baby is 2.4% for a planned vaginal birth, compared with 0.9% for a planned elective repeat caesarean. The mothers of these babies were also themselves less likely to experience serious complications related to birth. For example, the risk of a major haemorrhage in the mother is 2.3% for a planned vaginal birth, compared with 0.8% for a planned elective repeat caesarean. "Until now there has been a lack of high-quality evidence comparing the benefits and harms of the two planned modes of birth after previous caesarean," says the study's leader, Professor Caroline Crowther from the Australian Research Centre for the Health of Women and Babies (ARCH), part of the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute. "The information from this study will help women, clinicians and policy makers to develop health advice and make decisions about care for women who have had a previous caesarean. "Both modes of birth have benefits and harms. However, it must be remembered that in Australia the risks for both mother and infant are very small for either mode of birth," Professor Crowther says. Caesarean section is one of the most common operations performed on childbearing women, with rates continuing to rise worldwide. Repeat caesarean births are now common in many developed nations. In Australia in 2008, more than 90,700 women gave birth by caesarean, accounting for more than 31% of all births. Of Australian women who had a previous caesarean section, 83.2% had a further caesarean for the birth of their next child. In South Australia alone, repeat caesarean births amount to 28% of the overall caesarean section rate. "We hope that future research will follow up mothers and children involved in this study, so that we can assess any longer term effects of planned mode of birth after caesarean on later maternal health, and the children's growth and development," Professor Crowther says. The BAC study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Women's and Children's Hospital Research Foundation. The study is coordinated by researchers from the University of Adelaide's Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Discipline of Public Health; Department of Neonatal Medicine at the Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide; and the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, with collaboration from clinicians at the 14 participating maternity hospitals. The full paper is publicly available here. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

New test ‘better way to save sight’

THE VISION CENTRE

Macular degeneration accounts for half of the vision loss cases in Australia, costing the nation $2.6 billion a year. Image: IvanovaInga/iStockphoto People who are losing their eyesight through aged-related macular degeneration (AMD) may soon be able to find out if a commonly used drug can help save their vision. Researchers at The Vision Centre and The Australian National University have found a new way to measure the effectiveness of the drug ranibizumab for patients suffering the ‘wet’ form of AMD and help doctors decide on the best treatment for new patients. Macular degeneration accounts for half of the vision loss cases in Australia, costing the nation $2.6 billion a year. People with Wet AMD suffer from an outgrowth of new blood vessels at the back of their eyes which invade their retinas, leading to progressive blindness. Ranibizumab is a standard treatment that shrinks the blood vessels and helps prevents any further growth. “A common test to see if the drug works involves getting the patient to look at an eye chart,” says Professor Ted Maddess, the director of The Vision Centre and one of the researchers in the study. “These responses can be subjective and less accurate partly because we’re asking the patients to use their own judgement as to whether they can see better. “A more objective method involves attaching wires to the patients’ scalp and testing their vision through the electrical responses of their brain. The downside to this test is that it takes too long to set up and doctors or optometrists usually do not have the staff or the equipment to perform it. “Our new test uses a video camera with infrared lights to watch how the pupils respond to images on an LCD screen. The little movements of the pupils help us make a map of how well each part of their retina is functioning. This provides us with a reliable objective test that does not involve contacting the eye or brain.” Using a device known as the Truefield Analyzer, developed by Prof. Maddess’ team, the researchers uses displays to provide multiple stimuli to each eye, at 44 locations in the patients’ visual field. The video of the patients’ eyes is processed by a computer to establish a record of the instantaneous response of their pupils. By watching pupil responses – and so measuring the retinal function – of patients before and after treatment, the test can quantify the amount of improvement as a result of the drug. “It wasn’t just a yes or no answer to whether the drug was working or not – we can actually track the progress of the improvement,” Prof Maddess says. The surprising finding was that the test can often be used to predict if a new patient will respond well to the drug. “An indication of good pupil response is the speed and the size of its contraction – healthy eyes have bigger responses or react quicker. We found that new patients who had good responses before their first treatment generally reacted better to the drug, and vice versa. “Testing for responses is important because Ranibizumab is a very expensive drug, and is administered by injection into the patient’s eye. With the new test, doctors can better assess how the patient will respond, and decide whether this drug is best for them. “This test holds a promising role of predicting if a treatment will work for a patient. So we hope that will assist drug development as well.” The group’s paper “Multifocal pupillography identifies Ranibizumab-induced changes in retinal function for exudative age-related macular degeneration” by Faran Sabeti, Ted Maddess, Rohan W. Essex and Andrew C. James has been published in the latest issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Gen Y to become Gen Diabetes

BAKER IDI HEART AND DIABETES INSTITUTE

In addition to a dramatic growth in type 2 diabetes, the report highlights a continuing rise in the occurrence of type 1 diabetes. Image: Lanier/iStockphoto A new national diabetes assessment released today reinforces a legacy of pandemic proportions being left for future generations – with one in three of today’s Gen Ys joining the ranks of ‘Generation D’ (Generation Diabetes) during their lifetime. This report has prompted Australia’s leading research and consumer advocacy groups to join forces and demand urgent and renewed focus on this significant challenge to the Nation’s health and economy.  As an immediate priority re-commitment to the development of a formal national action plan in keeping with the United Nations Resolution no. 61/225 on diabetes is being demanded – a strategic plan which recommends countries review and strengthen critical activities to contain the growth and burden of the disease.  “Time is of the essence because unlike other developed nations, despite agreeing with these global recommendations, Australia has failed to take comprehensive action and implement change,” notes Lewis Kaplan, Chief Executive Officer, Diabetes Australia. Diabetes: the silent pandemic and its impact on Australia, launched in Canberra today, is the latest comprehensive assessment of the disease’s rapid growth and its impact on Australians. Researched and written by Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in partnership with Diabetes Australia, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Novo Nordisk – the report provides a sobering reminder that in just over a decade (by 2025), our fastest growing chronic disease, (type 2 diabetes) will triple in prevalence and affect three million Australians. A tragic prediction, especially given that type 2 diabetes is potentially preventable in a substantial proportion of people. In addition to this dramatic growth in type 2 diabetes, the report highlights a continuing rise in the occurrence of type 1 diabetes – particularly in very young children (aged 0-4). 1   In contrast to type 2 diabetes, type 1 is unpreventable and the cause for the rise is worryingly, unknown. Prevalence of type 1 diabetes in Australia is one of the highest in the world and is increasing by approximately three per cent annually.  The result is significantly more young children and their families are burdened with a lifelong incurable disease, requiring effective and consistent self-management to control the condition; typically multiple daily insulin injections.1     Diabetes is an even greater issue for the Indigenous population who are three times more likely to have diabetes compared to non-Indigenous Australians.1  Lead author of the report, Associate Professor Jonathan Shaw, Associate Director - Clinical Diabetes and Epidemiology, Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute states: “Our future path with diabetes is very concerning.  What is critical now is for us to take urgent responsibility and act firmly and fast to contain the significant burden our younger generations and children are set to endure. “The battle against diabetes requires concerted efforts on a number of fronts - strategies to slow down the rapidly rising number of those developing the disease and ensuring those living with diabetes are able to manage this insidious condition effectively.  We must also do everything we can to fully understand diabetes via research,” he adds. According to the Changing Diabetes Map, which displays data on people diagnosed with diabetes in different regional areas, currently half of people with diabetes are unable to bring their blood glucose down to target levels, significantly increasing their risk of complications. Commenting on this, Lewis Kaplan, Chief Executive Officer, Diabetes Australia, says: “We need sustained, nationally consistent programs to prevent, detect and manage diabetes in Australia.  While there have been many plans and strategies designed over the years, the truth is we have failed in implementing and evaluating them properly - leaving us on the brink of disaster. “The opportunity cost of doing little to stem this pandemic situation is apparent to many  - but not adequately to those who need to take hard and firm policy decisions to create healthier schools, homes, hospitals and work places,” adds Mr Kaplan.    Mike Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation comments the burden on very young children and their families is of significant concern.  “Collaborative efforts are needed to speed up research to find a cure.  Partnerships across business, government and not-for-profits are essential to this, as well as enabling those who live with diabetes to be part of enacting change for a healthier future.” The report highlights four priority areas:- Focussed, timely and integrated action - to ensure national diabetes strategies are reviewed and strengthened to reflect Australian commitments to the United Nations Resolution on diabetes. Changes in policy, legislation and attitudes - to provide an environment where healthy lifestyle choices can and will be made. Access to and availability of information, technologies and proven treatments for every person with diabetes, irrespective of their socio-economic background. Collaborative efforts that ensure research remains at the forefront of effort to find a cure. One person every five minutes (or 275 Australians a day) develops diabetes – a condition that can result in visual impairment, kidney disease or limb amputation.1  While the current estimated annual health bill for diabetes is over $6 billion (equivalent to nearly one third of the NSW health budge, this is set to increase dramatically as more people are diagnosed with the disease.1 “Prevention of type 2 diabetes is now a reality for many – but understanding how to implement the appropriate lifestyle changes for large numbers of people remains uncertain,” adds A/Prof Shaw. “Considering diabetes entirely a matter of personal responsibility will certainly fail to address this public health challenge.  A well-planned and coordinated way to reach all levels of society is now critical for the future of this country.”  Diabetes: the silent pandemic and its impact on Australia was launched today at Parliament House to the diabetes community and government representatives.  It was supported by Novo Nordisk. About diabetes1: Diabetes mellitus has become one of the most common non-communicable diseases in the world, representing one of the most challenging public health problems of the 21st century. It is a metabolic disease characterised by high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia) which may arise from defects in the secretion of insulin, defects in insulin action, or both. Type 2 diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, or both. It is the most common form of diabetes, contributing more than 85% to the total number of people with diabetes in Australia. This type of diabetes is typically diagnosed after the age of 40. Type 2 diabetes has a strong genetic (familial) predisposition, which is unmasked by lifestyle factors including obesity and lack of exercise. Thus it is potentially preventable in a substantial proportion of people. Type 1 diabetes typically results from the autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells, the producers of insulin. As the body’s own insulin production is impaired, treatment with multiple insulin injections or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump is a necessary daily activity for survival. People who suffer from this type of diabetes have to conduct around 6 to 8 finger pricks a day to monitor their blood glucose levels. This group accounts for approximately 10% of all people with diabetes in Australia. Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, although most cases develop amongst children, teenagers and young adults. There is currently no means of preventing or curing type 1 diabetes. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

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