Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) ::

A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI or Acute Cystitis or Bladder Infection) is an infection in any part of your urinary system i.e. your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. When it affects the lower urinary tract it is known as a simple cystitis (bladder infection) and when it affects the upper urinary tract it is known as pyelonephritis (kidney infection). Most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and the urethra. Urinary tract infections occur more commonly in women than men, with half of women having at least one infection at some point in their lives. Recurrences are common. Risk factors include female anatomy, sexual intercourse and family history.

Signs and Symptoms :-

Urinary tract infections don't always cause signs and symptoms, but when they do they may include:
1. A strong, persistent urge to urinate
2. A burning sensation when urinating
3. Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
4. Urine that appears cloudy
5. Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored — a sign of blood in the urine
6. Strong-smelling urine
7. Pelvic pain, in women
8. Rectal pain, in men.
UTIs may be overlooked or mistaken for other conditions in older adults.

Questions and Answers on Urinary Tract Infection(UTI).

A urinary tract infection or UTI is a bacterial infection that occurs when bacteria invade the urinary tract system; the bacteria multiply throughout the urinary track system. While the majority of urinary tract infections or UTIs are not serious, they often cause severe symptoms such as pain and/or burning upon urination .

The urinary tract system is the body’s filtering system for removal of liquid waste, producing and removing urine from the body. It consists of the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra; the kidneys produce the urine, the ureters transport  it to the bladder which stores it, while the tube by which we pass it out of the body is called the urethra. In men, the urethra is quite long while it is very short in women
Women suffer more from urinary tract infection than men because of their body and also due to pregnancy.
However, the infections are easily treated with antibiotics although there could be some resistance.

1.What is Urinary tract infection?
Urinary tract infection is disease of the urinary tract caused by germs (bacteria, virus). The tract is divided into two parts: upper urinary tract (kidneys and ureters) and lower urinary tract (bladder and urethra). When the infection affects the urethra alone like in gonorrhea or the bladder and urethra, it is called Lower Urinary Tract Infection. However if it spreads through the ureters to the kidneys, it is called Upper Urinary Tract Infection.

2.How common is Urinary tract infection?
About half of all women will have at least one UTI in her lifetime, while many women suffer through several infections throughout their lifetime. Women are particularly susceptible to urinary tract infections or UTI. This is because women have a shorter urinary tract than men. The elderly are also more prone to urinary tract infection because of prostate enlargement in men and weak bladder in both sexes leading to incomplete emptying of the bladder

3.What are the symptoms of Urinary tract infection?
Symptoms include frequent urge to urinate (the urge to urinate recurs quickly, more than six times a day), urgency to urinate (you can pass urine on yourself if you do not go on time) and pain on passing urine. Often very little urine is passed and sometimes, little blood is noticed in the urine. When the need to urinate occurs more often a bladder infection should be suspected.
When bacteria enter the ureters and spread to the kidneys, symptoms such as back pain, chills, fever, nausea, and vomiting may occur as well as the existing symptoms of lower urinary tract infection.

4.What are risk factors for Urinary tract infection?
Factors that may increase the risk of developing urinary tract infection include pregnancy, , prostate enlargement leading to urine retention in the bladder, diabetes, gender ( the infection is commoner in women), sexual habit age. Urinary tract infection in women may in a few cases always follow sexual intercourse.
Sexual intercourse is a common cause of urinary tract infections because the female anatomy can make women more prone to urinary tract infections. During sexual activity, bacteria in the vaginal area are sometimes massaged into the urethra.
Persons who change sexual partners frequently and who have sex frequently are more at risk of urinary tract infections than those who are celibate or in monogamous relationships.
Another risk factor is waiting too long to urinate. The bladder is a muscle that stretches to hold urine and contracts when the urine is released. Waiting too long past the time you first feel the need to urinate can cause the bladder to stretch beyond its capacity. Over time, this can weaken the bladder muscle. When the bladder is weakened, it may not empty completely and some urine is left in the bladder. This may increase the risk of urinary tract infections or bladder infections.

5.What Causes Urinary tract infection?
The most common cause of UTIs are bacteria from the bowel that live on the skin near the anus or in the vagina (where they may cause no harm), but can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Once these bacteria enter the urethra, they travel upward, causing infection in the bladder, urethra and sometimes other parts of the urinary tract.

6.How do I get screened for Urinary tract infection?
Screening for urinary tract infection is by urine test.

7.How can I prevent Urinary tract infection?
Drinking plenty of water, Using the bathroom when the urge comes and
Appropriate clean up method are some of the ways you can prevent urinary tract infection.
We shall deal more on this tomorrow.

Remedies for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

The treatment of a UTI depends on where the infection is located and the severity of the symptoms. The cause of the infection is also taken into consideration before any treatment is prescribed. In most cases, prompt treatment can resolve the condition in a few days time. If the case is more severe or is a recurring infection, stronger medication or more aggressive forms of treatment may be necessary. Low dosages of antibiotics may be prescribed to treat the UTI. For recurring infections, antibiotics may need to be taken for longer periods of time. Always take the medications prescribed for the recommended duration of time or you risk increasing your chances of a recurring infection in the future.

If symptoms do not reduce in a few days after treatment or worsen, it is important to consult with your doctor at the earliest. UTIs when left untreated can escalate quickly and cause kidney damage and failure.

If the symptoms are mild or the infection is in its early stages, self treatment at home is possible. In cases of recurrent infections as well, some individuals prefer to rely on alternative remedies or a combination of alternative and conventional treatment because of the possible side effects from prolonged antibiotic usage. Exercise caution and always consult with your doctor before stopping any treatment or if trying out any natural remedies. Some commonly used home remedies include:

• Cranberry Juice: Cranberry juice is one of the most popular and widely touted of all natural remedies for health care. Most natural remedies should be greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism, but in the case of cranberry juice claims of its efficacy have been supported by several studies. Drinking cranberry juice helps flush out the bacteria present in the urinary tract that may be causing the infection. If you find cranberry juice too sweet or overpowering in taste you can dilute it with apple juice or a little water to make it palatable. While fresh cranberry juice is the most effective, bottled cranberry juice that is low in sugar and preservatives is the next best option. A regular intake of cranberry juice can be particularly helpful for women who suffer from recurrent infections as studies clearly indicate that it lowers the frequency of recurrences.
• Baking Soda: Drink a glass of water with a half-teaspoon of baking soda at the first sign of a UTI. Sodium bicarbonate helps balance out the pH levels in your body and reduces the acidity of your urine. While this remedy is theoretically effective, studies on its efficacy are inconclusive.
• Apart from cranberries, other home remedies for UTI include berries such as blueberries that are rich in antioxidants. Blueberries are thought to help fight off infection and prevent the buildup of bacteria in the urinary tract. Increase your intake of blueberries by eating them fresh or consuming them as a juice or smoothie.
• It may also be a good idea to add some pineapple to your diet as bromelain found in pineapple is said to help prevent urinary infections.

Diet for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

The best way to get rid of a UTI is to boost your fluid intake. This is best done by increasing your consumption of water and by increasing plenty of fruits or vegetables that have a high water content in your diet. A diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables can also help build immunity. Certain juices such as cranberry juice can help get rid of the bacteria that cause common urinary tract infections. Another way to reduce symptoms and prevent the recurrence of UTIs is to increase your intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps prevent bacterial infections, improves immunity and balances out acidity levels in the bladder and urinary tract. Other foods that increase the alkaline levels in urine include milk, fresh fruits and vegetables. A diet rich in processed and fatty foods, alcohol, caffeine and spice can also increase your risk of an infection. Avoid tobacco, carbonated beverages, and products made with refined flour and sugar as these products can lower the body’s capacity to fight an infection. Recent reports also suggest that artificial sweeteners that contain aspartame may aggravate bladder and kidney infections. Avoid such sweeteners if you are prone to infections or are currently suffering from a UTI.

Suggestions for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

• If symptoms such as lower back pain or burning while urinating are too uncomfortable, try placing a heated pad on the lower abdominal area to provide some relief.
• Try and urinate at frequent intervals during the day. Doctors recommend urinating every four hours during the day to prevent pressure developing in the bladder and increasing your risk of developing a UTI.
• Wipe yourself from front to back after a visiting the toilet to prevent the infection from spreading.
• Always empty your bladder before sexual intercourse as a full bladder can put undue pressure on the urinary tract and may cause an infection. Showering or washing the genital area before sex can also help reduce the spread of infections.
• Urinate immediately after sexual intercourse as this can also help reduce the risk of infection.
• If you use a diaphragm, you may need to get it refitted or change your form of contraception.
• Avoid vaginal douches, feminine hygiene sprays and scented soaps and lotions as these could aggravate the symptoms.

While these home remedies can help you reduce an infection if you already have one or even prevent a recurring infection, it is equally important to check with your doctor and determine the cause of the infection before any self-treatment. If the UTI lasts for more than two days at a time, your doctor should be informed as well. In such cases, you may need to consult with a specialist or be prescribed a specific stronger course of medication.

References

1. Goldman RD. Cranberry juice for urinary tract infection in children. Can Fam Physician. 2012 Apr;58(4):398-401. PubMed PMID: 22499815; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3325451.

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பிரம்மமுனி அருளிய இஞ்சி லேகியம்

அவலேஹம் என்கிற சமஸ்க்ருதச் சொல்லே மருவி 'லேகியம்' என்றானது. தமிழில் இதனை இளகல் அல்லது இளகம் என்று அழைப்பர். பொதுவில் லேகியம் என்பவை கெட்டியான குழம்பு போல இல்லாமல் சற்றே இறுகிய நீர்ம நிலையில் இருக்கும்.

இவ்வாறு நீர்ம நிலையில் தயார் செய்யப்படும் லேகிய வகைகளில் ஒன்றான "இஞ்சி லேகியம்" தயாரிக்கும் முறையினை இன்றைய பதிவில் பார்க்க இருக்கிறோம். இந்த தகவல் பிரம்மமுனி அருளிய “பிரம்மமுனி வைத்திய சாரம்” எனும் நூலில் இருந்து சேகரிக்கப் பட்டது.

சொல்லவே இஞ்சி லேகியத்தைக் கேளு
தோல்போக்கிப் பலம்பத்து நிறுத்துக் கொண்டு
பல்லவே பழச்சாற்றில் லாட்டி மைபோல்
மைந்தனே சட்டியிலே இட்டுக் கொள்ளே
அல்லவே சீரகமுமிள கோடே லமும்
அதிமதுரந் திப்பிலியும் கோஷ்டமூலம்
கல்லவே வாலுழுவை தாளிச்சப் பத்திரியுங்
கடுகொடு கொத்தமல்லி சித்திர மூலம்

பல்லவே சிங்கியொடு குரோசாணி ஓமம்
அப்பனே வகைவகைக்கு அரைப்பலம் தூக்கே
தூக்கியே கரிசாலை பூவரசம்பட்டை சாற்றால்
துவளையரைத்து முன்மருந்தோ டொக்கச் சேரு
ஊக்கமாம் பிரண்டையது மோரிலுப் பிட்டு
ஊறி உலர்த்திடித்து ஒருபலமே போடு
ஆக்கவே வங்காள சர்க்கரை யப்பா
அதில்பாதி போட்டபின்னே நெய்யை வாரே

நெய்வார்த்து லேகியமாய் பண்ணிக் கொண்டு
நேரமொரு பாக்களவு அந்திசந்தி கொள்ளு
பொய்யல்ல பித்தவாய்வு உஷ்ண காந்தி
பிரட்டல் சத்திவலி குன்மம் பித்தகுன்மம்
மெய்யான அஸ்திசுரம் சன்னி தோசம்
வீறான எரிகுன்மம் சீரண வாதஞ்
செய்யவே உப்பீசமும் அரோசிகமுந் தீரும்
தீவனமாம் பசியறிந்து சீராய்க் கொள்ளே

தோல் நீக்கிய இஞ்சி பத்துப்பலம் நிறுத்து எடுத்து, அதனைக் கல்வத்தில் இட்டு எலுமிச்சம் பழச் சாறுவிட்டு நன்கு மைபோல் அரைத்து அதனை ஒரு மண் சட்டியில் சேகரித்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டுமாம். பின்னர் சீரகம், மிளகு, ஏலம், அதிமதுரம், திப்பிலி, கோஷ்ட மூலம், வாலுழுவை, தாளிச்சப்பத்திரி, கடுகு, கொத்தமல்லி, சித்திரமூலம், கற்கடக சிங்கி, குரோசாணி, ஓமம் ஆகியவற்றை வகைக்கு அரைப் பலம் எடுத்துச் சேர்த்து கல்வத்தில் இட்டு கரிசாலை, பூவரசம் பட்டை ஆகியவற்றின் சாறுவிட்டு மெழுகு பதத்தில் அரைத்து எடுத்து இஞ்சி சேகரித்த மண் சட்டியில் இதனையும் சேர்த்துக் கலந்து கொள்ள வேண்டுமாம்.

மோரில் உப்புப் போட்டு கலந்து அதில் பிரண்டையை சிறுதுண்டுகளாக அரிந்து ஊறப்போட்டு நன்கு காயவைத்து எடுத்து *சூரணமாக செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டுமாம். இந்த சூரணத்தில் ஒருபலம் எடுத்து முன்னர் மருந்துக் கலவை சேகரித்த மண்சட்டியில் இட்டு அதனுடன் சம அளவில் வங்காள சர்க்கரை சேர்த்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டுமாம். அத்துடன் அளவாக நெய் சேர்த்து லேகியமாக தயார் செய்து எடுத்து சேமித்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டுமாம்.

இந்த லேகியத்தில் கொட்டைப்பாக்களவு எடுத்து காலை மாலை என இரு வேளையும் ஏழு நாட்கள் தொடர்ந்து உண்டுவர பித்த வாய்வு சம்பந்தமான கோளாறுகள் நீங்கி குணமாகுமாம். அத்துடன் பித்த வாய்வு, உஷ்ண காந்தி, புரட்டல், வாந்தி, வலிகுன்மம், சீரணவாதம் (செரியாமை), உப்பிசம், ருசியின்மை ஆகியவை குணமாகும் என்கிறார்.

மருந்துண்ணும் ஏழு நாளும் பத்தியமாக பசிக்கும் போது பசியின் தன்மை அறிந்து உண்ண வேண்டும் என்கிறார்.

*சூரணம் - ஈரமானவைகளை காய வைத்தும், காயந்தவைகளை சுத்தமாக்கியும், வறுக்க வேண்டியவைகளை வறுத்தும் இடித்தோ அரைத்தோ பொடியாக்கி சலித்து எடுத்துக் கொள்வது.

Swine Influenza (H1N1) ::

Swine Influenza (H1N1) is also called pig influenza, swine flu, hog flu and pig flu, is an infection caused by any one of several types of swine influenza viruses. Swine influenza virus (SIV) or swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human flu, often resulting only in the production of antibodies in the blood. If transmission does cause human flu, it is called zoonotic swine flu.

Symptoms :-
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to most influenza infections :
1. Fever (100 F or greater)
2. Cough
3. Nasal secretions
4. Fatigue
5. Headache
6. Fatigue
7. Sore throat
8. Rash, body aches,
9. Nausea, vomiting
10. Diarrhea

Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock 1951) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

Based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, Strangers on a Train is often mentioned amongst Alfred Hitchcock's best works.

Pro tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) coincidentally meets Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a train and the two strike up a conversation. Bruno explains to Guy that he has thought out the plan for a perfect murder. If two strangers both have someone they would like to get rid off, they simply could carry out murders for each other whilst the other makes sure of an alibi and since there would be no link between the two people involved, it would be impossible for the police to get to the killer. And since Guy has been having marital issues and Bruno wants to get rid of his father, they could swap murders and help each other out. Guy is amused and bids Bruno farewell but when his wife later turns up strangled, Bruno is expecting Guy to hold up his end of the deal.

The film was initially met with mixed reviews but did well at the box office and is nowadays ranked amongst the director's best films and a classic in the thriller genre. Receiving and Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, the shot of Guy's wife been strangled as seen in the reflection of her sunglasses which have fallen to the ground has become one of Hitchcock's iconic shots.

Sakthi Jothi vannathasan.mov

The psychology of female serial killers

There is a mistaken cultural assumption, say Marissa Harrison and her colleagues, that women are, by their nature, incapable of being serial killers – defined here as murderers of three or more victims, spaced out with at least a week between killings.

This misconception, the psychologists warn, is a "deadly mistake". They point out that one in six serial killers are female. Their crimes tend to go undetected for longer than their male counterparts, likely in part because "our culture is in denial of women's proclivity for aggression."

Harrison and her team have profiled 64 US female serial killers active between the years 1821 to 2008. The researchers used the murderpedia.org website to identify these killers and they verified the cases they found using reputable news sources.

The female serial killers had murdered between them at least 331 victims (making an average of 6 victims each). Their victims are of both sexes, but disproportionately male. The women had an average of age of 32 at the time of their first killing, and poisoning was the most common method. However, between them, the women used a range of murderous techniques, as the researchers explained:

"Contrary to preconceived notions about women being incapable of these extreme crimes, the women in our study poisoned, smothered, burned, choked, shot, bludgeoned, and shot newborns, children, elderly, and ill people as well as healthy adults; most often those who knew and likely trusted them."

Many of the homicidal women had stereotypically female professions, including being nurses and baby-sitters. They tended to be above average in physical attractiveness, which may have helped to engender trust in their victims.

As to motives, the most common was "hedonistic", a category in forensic psychology that refers to killing for financial gain, lust or thrill, with nearly half the sample fitting this category. The next most common motive was "power-seeking", which includes killing people in one's care.

The researchers urge caution regarding the factors that contributed to these women becoming serial killers. Apart from anything else, the historical records are incomplete and the absence of information does not mean that a given factor was not contributory. Nonetheless, Harrison and her team highlight several noticeable patterns in the data: a greater proportion of the women, as compared with the general population, had: a history of having been physically or sexually abused; drug or alcohol problems; and a diagnosis or signs of mental illness.

Quotes from some of the killers hint at their psychopathological thinking:

"They [the children] bothered me, so I decided to kill them."
"I like to attend funerals. I'm happy when someone is dying."
"That is my ambition, to have killed more people – more helpless people – than any man or woman who has ever lived."

A striking contrast with male serial killers is the relative absence of sexual violence and deviance. Two exceptions were a female serial killer who was a rapist, and another who reportedly barked like a dog during sex. But overall, the researchers highlighted how the women in their study primarily killed for resources, while their male counterparts kill for sex. This follows evolutionary theory, Harrison and her co-authors explained, in the sense that men are said to be motivated more by seeking multiple sexual opportunities, while women are motivated to find a committed partner with sufficient resources. "However," they added, "although an evolutionary framework can offer understanding, we stress that these heinous acts are a vicious extension of unconscious drives and are not therefore 'normal' or 'excused' ... ".

The new analysis points to a worrying trend: a 150 per cent increase in the number of reported cases of female serial killers since 1975. This study has obvious limitations, most obviously the reliance on historical records and news reports, and its exclusive focus on US killers. However, it makes a valuable contribution to a neglected topic.

The researchers concluded: "Increasing our understanding of serial killers may minimise the number of victims potentially lost in the future while maximising the effectiveness of interventions to prevent vulnerable individuals from taking a killing path."
thanks:http://digest.bps.org.uk/

மண்ணுக்குள் புதைந்திருந்த இயேசுவின் வீடு கண்டுபிடிப்பு

இஸ்ரேலில் இயேசு கிறிஸ்து குழந்தை பருவத்தில் வாழ்ந்த வீட்டை ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்கள் கண்டுபிடித்துள்ளனர்.

இஸ்ரேலின் நசரெத்(Nazareth) நகரில் பள்ளத்தாக்கு ஒன்றின் அருகே உள்ள மணலில் பாறைகள் சில இருந்துள்ளன. இங்கு ஆய்வு நடத்த வந்த பிரித்தானிய ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்கள் அவ்விடத்தை தோண்டியுள்ளனர்.

அப்போது அங்கு ஒரு தேவாலயம் இருந்ததற்கான சான்று கிடைத்துள்ளது. மேலும் அதற்கும் கீழே, சிறிய வீடு ஒன்று இருந்ததை ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்கள் கண்டுபிடித்துள்ளனர். இதுகுறித்து ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்கள் கூறுகையில், தேவாயலத்தின் கீழே இயேசுவின் வீடு கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது என்றும் இதனை அங்கிருந்த கல்வெட்டுகளின் மூலம் தெரிந்து கொண்டோம் எனவும் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

மேலும் இந்த கல்வெட்டுகளை கி.பி 670 யில் De Locus Sanctis என்ற நபர் எழுதியதாகவும், இதன் மூலம் இயேசு கிறிஸ்து அந்த வீட்டில் வாழ்ந்ததற்கான ஆதாரங்கள் கிடைத்துள்ளதாகவும் கூறியுள்ளனர் இந்நிலையில் இயேசு வாழ்ந்த இவ்விடத்தில், பிஷப்புகள் தேவாலயத்தை கட்டி பராமரிக்க வேண்டும் என அவர்கள் விருப்பம் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

Chickpea Quinoa Soup by ARawEducation

Completely vegan, gluten free & refined sugar free!

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 medium chopped onion
4 small chopped carrots
2 large cubed sweet potatoes
2 cups quinoa
3 cups cooked garbanzos
6 cups chopped baby spinach
10 cups veggie stock
1 tablespoon no salt seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder or fresh minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
pink salt and pepper- to taste

Start by browning the onion in coconut oil in a large pot and add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and spices. Add the veggie stock and quinoa and allow to cook until tender. Add the garbanzos and any more spices if needed. Take the soup off the heat and add the spinach, allowing the residual heat to wilt the greens.

இராமர் பாலத்தைப் பற்றிய திடுக்கிடும் சில தகவல்கள்!

இராமர் பாலம்! இராமயணத்தில் இராம சேது என குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ள வரலாற்று பொக்கிஷம். இதை இன்னும் பலர் உண்மையா, பொய்யா என விவாதித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கையில், ஆம்! இராம சேது உண்மை தான், இது ஒரு வியக்கத்தக்க கட்டுமானம் என புகழாரம் சூட்டியிருக்கிறார்கள் நாசாவின் விஞ்ஞானிகள். இன்றைய உயர் தரமான தொழில்நுட்பங்களை வைத்து கூட இப்படி ஒரு கட்டுமானத்தை வெறும் ஐந்து நாட்களில் கட்டிமுடிக்க முடியாது. நமது இந்தியர்கள் கட்டிட கலையிலும், தரத்திலும் அப்போதே மிக சிறந்தவர்களாக இருந்துள்ளனர். கடந்த சில நூற்றாண்டுகள் வரையிலும் கூட அதற்கு ஆதாரங்கள் இருக்கின்றன. அதற்கு நமது தஞ்சை பெரியக்கோவில் ஒரு சிறந்த எடுத்துக்காட்டு.

இராமாயணம் அறிந்திருப்போம், இராம புராணம் மற்றும் இராம சேது எப்படி கட்டப்பட்டது என பலவன அறிந்து வைத்திருப்போம். ஆனால், அந்த கட்டுமானத்தின் பின் உள்ள பல வியக்கத்தக்க விஷயங்கள் பற்றி உங்களுக்கு தெரியுமா? எண்ணற்ற அதிசயங்களை தன்னுள் அடக்கி வைத்திருக்கிறது இராம சேது. அதைப் பற்றி தெரிந்துக் கொள்ள தான் இந்த கட்டுரை, தொடர்ந்து படியுங்கள்…
நாசா கூறும் விளக்கம்

நாசா விண்வெளி மூலம் தனது செயக்கைக்கோளை பயன்படுத்தி எடுத்த புகைப்படத்தை0க் கொண்டு செய்த ஆராய்ச்சியின் மூலமாக கூறுவது, இராம பாலம் வெறும் மணல் திட்டுகள் அல்ல. மற்றும் இது வெறுமென கற்களை தூக்கி வீசி கட்டியவாறு இல்லை. மிக சரியாக திட்டமிட்டு கட்டிமுடிக்கப்பட்ட கட்டுமானம் தான் இராம சேது. என கூறியிருக்கிறார்கள்
இராமாயணம் சொல்வது உண்மை

இராமாயணத்தில் சொல்லப்பட்டுள்ளதை போலவே மிக சரியான இடத்தில் இராமர் பாலம் இடம் பெற்றுள்ளது. அதனால் இராமாயணம் சொல்வது உண்மை தா
உபயோகத்தில் இருந்த இராம சேது
இராம சேது கட்டமைக்கப்பட்டு ஏறத்தாழ 17 லட்சம் ஆண்டுகள் ஆகின்றன என கூறப்படுகிறது. கடந்த 1480 கி.மு.வில் கடலில் ஏற்பட்ட ஒரு சூறாவளியினால் இராம சேது பாலம் அழிந்துவிட்டதாக அறிவியல் கூற்றுகள் கூறுகின்றன. எனவே, 1480 கி.மு.விற்கு முன்பு வரை இராம சேது பயன்பாட்டில் தான் இருந்திருகிறது. அதை மக்கள் நடப்பதற்கு உபயோகப்படுத்தியுள்ளனர்.
மனிதர்களால் கட்டப்பட்டதா?

இராம சேதுவில் ஆராய்ச்சி மேற்கொண்ட பல புவியியலாளர்கள், இராம சேது இயற்கையாக உருவானதல்ல இது மனிதர்களால் கட்டமைக்கப்பட்டது தான் என கூறுகின்றனர். இராமாயணம் மட்டுமல்லாமல் மற்றும் பல கூற்றுகள் இதை உண்மை என தான் சொல்கிறது.
மிதக்கும் கற்கள்

மிதக்கும் கற்கள் பற்றிய கூற்றுகள் இன்னும் மர்மமாக தான் இருக்கிறது. இது நலா மற்றும் நீலின் கைகரியத்தால் தான் கற்கள் மிதக்கின்றன என சிலர் புராணங்களில் கூறியுள்ளனர். ஆனால், கடந்த முறை சுனாமியின் சீற்றத்தின் போது கடலில் சிலர் அந்த மிதக்கும் கற்களை கண்டதாகவும். அவை இன்னும் கூட இருப்பதாகவும் கூறுகின்றனர்.
தொடக்கமும், முடிவும்

இராம சேது பாலம் தனுஷ்கோடியின் பாம்பன் தீவில் தொடங்கி இலங்கையின் மன்னார் தீவு வரை நீள்கிறது. இந்த பகுத்தியில் கடல் மிகவும் ஆழமற்று காணப்படுகிறது. கிட்டதாட்ட 1௦ மீட்டர் ஆழம் மட்டுமே இங்கு கடலின் ஆழம் உள்ளதாய் கூறுகின்றனர்.

இராம சேதுவின் அளவு

இராம சேது பாலத்தினை வடிவமைக்க மிதக்கும் கற்களை பயன்படுத்தியுள்ளனர். கிட்டத்தட்ட 30 கி.மீ நீளமும், 3 கி.மீ அகலமும் கொண்டது இராம சேது பாலம் என கூறப்படுகிறது. இதை வெறும் ஐந்து நாட்களில் கட்டிமுடித்துள்ளனர் என்பது ஆச்சரியமான விஷயம் தான்இராம சேது பாலத்தின் வயது

அகழ்வாராய்ச்சியாளர்களின் கூற்றின் படி, இராம சேது பாலம் கட்டிமுடிக்கப்பட்டு ஏறத்தாழ 17 லட்சம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு மேல் இருக்கலாம் என கூறப்படுகிறது. இதை வைத்து பார்க்கும் போது இராம சேதுவின் வயது 17 லட்சம் ஆண்டுகள்!!!
ஐந்தே நாட்களில்

வெறும் ஐந்தே நாட்களில் ஒரு கோடி வானரங்களின் உதவியோடு, நலா என்ற தலைமை வானரத்தின் கட்டுமான திட்டத்தின் படி கட்டிமுடிக்கப்பட்டது இராம சேது பாலம்.
ஆதாம் பாலம்

இராம சேது பாலத்தை ஆதாம் பாலம் எனவும் குறிப்பிடுகின்றனர். இது இராவணனிடம் இருந்து சீதையை மீட்க இராமர் செல்லும் போது அவர் கடல் கடந்து செல்ல வானரங்களின் உதவியோடு கட்டப்பட்ட பாலம் ஆகும்.

Scientists have figured out what makes Indian food so delicious

Anupam Jain, Rakhi N K and Ganesh Bagler of the Indian Institute for Technology in Jodhpur have correlated the ingredients of thousands of Indian recipes with their flavor profiles. Their conclusion: Indian food, unlike European food, contains ingredients whose flavor profiles rarely overlap. "The takeaway is that part of what makes Indian food so unique is the way flavors rub up against each other," writes Roberto Ferdman of the Washington Post. "The cuisine is complicated, no doubt: the average Indian dish, after all, contains at least 7 ingredients, and the total number of ingredients observed by the researchers amounted to almost 200 out of the roughly 381 observed around the world. But all those ingredients—and the spices especially—are all uniquely important because in any single dish, each one brings a unique flavor."

Neurons that help predict what another individual will do identified

A cornerstone of successful social interchange is the ability to anticipate each other’s intentions or actions. While generating these internal predictions is essential for constructive social behavior, their single neuronal basis and causal underpinnings are unknown.

Authors discover in their work published in the journal Cell, specific neurons in the primate dorsal anterior cingulate that selectively predict an opponent’s yet unknown decision to invest in their common good or defect and distinct neurons that encode the monkey’s own current decision based on prior outcomes.

Mixed population predictions of the other was remarkably near optimal compared to behavioral decoders. Moreover, disrupting cingulate activity selectively biased mutually beneficial interactions between the monkeys but, surprisingly, had no influence on their decisions when no net-positive outcome was possible.

These findings identify a group of other-predictive neurons in the primate anterior cingulate essential for enacting cooperative interactions and may pave a way toward the targeted treatment of social behavioral disorders.

Head transplants

Head transplants, or body transplants depending on how you look at them, are not just a thing of quirky horror movies. The first documented procedure was carried out back in the ‘50s when surgeon and transplant pioneer Vladimir Demikhov grafted the head and forelimbs of a puppy onto the body of a different dog. Disturbingly, he followed this with his more famous work, which involved the creation of two-headed dogs. Unsurprisingly, none of his animals lasted for more than a few days.  

While ethically questionable, these procedures ultimately led to the first successful head transplant on a monkey in 1970 by Dr. Robert White, who was apparently inspired by Demikhov’s work. Although White demonstrated the feasibility of the procedure, he didn’t bother to attempt to fuse the spinal cords of the donor monkey with the recipient, so it was paralyzed and couldn’t breathe without assistance. Although little has been done subsequently, medicine has progressed by leaps and bounds since then. So much so that one neurosurgeon believes that the procedure could soon be carried out on humans, and he has just published an outline of what the surgery would potentially involve.

According to the doctor, Sergio Canavero, the major obstacles to success—such as the risk of the body rejecting the head—can now be overcome thanks to modern medicine, and with a few further advances, the procedure could be ready as soon as 2017. That being said, just because it can be done, that does not mean it will—there are major ethical issues that would need to be considered before it can be approved. Those aside, this kind of dramatic surgery could offer hope to people whose organs are plagued with cancer, or those who have suffered major accidents. That’s why Canavero is now trying to recruit a team to further explore the possibility of such a technique and plans to announce the project later this year, according to New Scientist.

So what would the surgery involve? First, the recipient’s head would have to be cooled to keep the cells alive, as would the recently deceased donor. Next, the neck is cut into and the blood vessels are hooked up by a series of small tubes. After the spinal cords are neatly severed, the head is then moved onto the donor body, which is ready for the trickiest and most crucial part: joining up the ends of the spinal cords.

To do this, Canavero suggests using a substance called polyethylene glycol, which would help fatty cell membranes meld together. The final part of the procedure involves stitching up the blood vessels and muscles before putting the patient into a coma for up to a month. After intense physiotherapy, the patient should be able to use their body and walk. Although there is a risk of rejection, as with any transplant, Canavero points out that immunosuppressive drugs should prevent this from happening.

However, many of the surgeons that the New Scientist contacted said the idea sounded “too outlandish,” while others simply refused to provide any remark at all. One of those who did comment was Harry Goldsmith, a clinical professor of neurological surgery at the University of California, Davis, who said: “This is such an overwhelming project, the possibility of it happening is very unlikely. I don't believe it will ever work.”

Alongside the ethical considerations of such a surgery, some have expressed concernsthat it could lead to people wanting to exchange their bodies for cosmetic reasons, so obviously if it does become legalized, strict regulations will have to be in place. Since the idea has been met with some strong opposition by those in the field of medicine, and many believe it simply won’t work, it will be interesting to see what unravels over the next couple of years.

[Via New Scientist and The Guardian]

Thanks http://www.iflscience.com/

TADIPATRI SRI BUGGA RAMA LINGESGHWARA TEMPLE

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Mangala Sasanam -Baba Guruvasam Vol-1sung By Jayasri...

Introduction to The Optimized Brain, with Steven Kotler

How to measure the quality of growth

Recent economic and political history has extensively shown that high growth alone does not necessarily lead to better social outcomes. Over the past few decades, many developing countries experienced strong growth episodes, but relatively few posted significant declines in poverty, inequality, and unemployment (see Commission on Growth and Development 2008, Dollar and Kraay 2002 and Dollar et al. 2013). Growth has to be inclusive or broad-based so as for countries to reap the most from it (Ianchovichina and Gable 2012, Anand et al. 2013). In a nutshell, it matters whether the underlying quality of growth is good.

The ‘quality of growth’ has therefore become part of the popular lexicon over the past few years. The explosion of the interest in the quality of growth, and more broadly in inclusive growth, is a reflection of this realisation. A simple benchmarking using trends search in Google reveals that there is vivid and growing interest in the topic.

Figure 1. “Inclusive Growth” Google Search Trend over time*

*Note: Google searches data are normalised on a scale from 0-100; each point is divided by the highest point and multiplied by 100.

Measuring the quality of growth: New approach

Yet, the concept of quality of growth often means different things to different people. This makes it difficult to understand what exactly people are talking about, all the more given that a formal quantification is missing so far in the literature. More to the point, can we measure the quality of growth?

Recognising this state of affairs, we set out to develop a more rigorous statistical approach. In our recent working paper (Mlachila et al. 2014), we build on Martinez and Mlachila (2013), and argue that good quality growth is one that is strong, stable, sustainable, increases productivity, and leads to socially desirable outcomes, such as improved standards of living and poverty alleviation. To assess all these aspects statistically, we develop a new quality of growth index. The composite index encompasses both the intrinsic nature of growth (strength, volatility, and sources) and its social dimensions (health and educational outcomes). We thus aim to capture the multidimensional features of growth as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Conceptual representation of the quality of growth index

So what’s new about the index, you might ask? Is it just a rehash of the well-known Human Development Index (HDI) developed by the UN (Klugman et al. 2011)? For our index, we go beyond the levels of incomes, and focus on the very nature of growth – its strength, stability, sectoral composition, etc. Arguably, since the HDI is income-based, one could reasonably say that it is actually the result of millennia of accumulated growth.

Our index thus has the advantage of allowing us to assess the quality of various episodes of growth both within and across countries.

This is particularly interesting in that it can more usefully inform policymakers so as to whether their growth strategy is yielding good results. Moreover, our index allows getting to the bottom of the matter, by singling out growth and social performances actually attributable to current or recent policymaking.

Findings from the new quality of growth index

To build our index, we focus on developing countries. Due to data limitations, our index covers 93 developing countries in various stages of development over the period 1990 to 2011.

Our findings are four-fold.

• First, the quality of growth has been improving over the past two decades.
• Second, the least performing countries tend to catch up the best performers over time, though at a slow pace.

This is in line with the traditional convergence hypothesis found in the growth literature. In other words, once a country has reached a high quality of growth level it becomes increasingly difficult to keep on improving it—there are limits to the improvement of life expectancy, for instance. The inverse is true for countries at the bottom of the ladder.

Figure 3. The quality of growth index over time

• Third, there are cross-country variations in income levels and regions (Figure 4).

Upper-middle income countries (UMIC) record the highest scores, followed by lower-middle income countries (LMIC) and low-income countries (LIC), respectively. Fragility is also a source of tougher structural impediments when it comes to achieving better quality of growth. Fragile countries significantly underperform the sample. From a regional perspective, Latin America stands as the best performer, followed by Central and Eastern Europe, Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, respectively. Sub-Saharan Africa countries rank at the bottom, though a handful of them, notably from Southern and Eastern Africa rose remarkably to the club of best performers.

Figure 4. The quality of growth index across income levels, fragile status, and regions

To really have lasting improvements in social outcomes, the quality of growth needs to be sustained over a long period of time—30-40 years. Countries such as China and Malaysia have achieved this. While a number of African countries such as Tanzania and Zambia have achieved notable improvements in the quality of growth, they need to sustain this momentum over a long period of time.

• Fourth, empirical investigations allow nailing down the main drivers of the quality of growth index.

It appears that devoting more public resources to social sectors helps improve the quality of growth. Sound institutions and macroeconomic policies are also found to be associated with good quality growth, so is political stability, which altogether create an enabling environment for achieving stable and broad-based growth, and for delivering good public services. Moreover, greater financial development, which eases access to credit, helps unleash the private sector’s potential for creating wealth and decent jobs, and hence improves the quality of growth. Finally, external conditions matter for raising the quality of growth index, especially foreign direct investment— by helping to close the domestic saving gap and by accelerating the transfer of technology and knowledge.

Figure 5. The quality of growth index and its main drivers

Concluding remarks

We do realise, of course, that while our quality of growth index is a positive step in contributing to the debate on why not all growth is created equal, there are additional avenues to improve it. Like all indices, it is only as good as the underlying data. The quality of social data is particularly weak and patchy. As a result, we were forced to make a number of interpolations and use five-year averages. The index could also be enhanced and include labour market aspects and measures of inequality.

And finally, a word of caution. Our index does not say anything about long-term sustainability. Simply put, it cannot say whether a country’s current policies—which may improve the quality of growth now – won’t lead to economic or environmental disaster in the long run. For instance, a country may have improved its quality of growth by rapidly depleting its natural resources or running up public debt.

Disclaimer: The authors are economists at the International Monetary Fund, Washington DC. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy.

References

Anand R, S Mishra, and J S Peiris (2013), “Inclusive Growth: Measurement and Determinants”, IMF Working paper No. 13/135.

Commission on Growth and Development (2008), Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development (Washington: World Bank).

Dollar, D, T Kleineberg, and A Kraay (2013), “Growth is Still Good for the Poor,” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 6568 (Washington: World Bank).

Dollar, D and A Kraay (2002), “Growth is Good for the Poor,” Journal of Economic Growth, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 195–225.

Ianchovichina, E and S L Gable (2012), “What is Inclusive Growth?”, Chapter 8 in Arezki et al. (eds), Commodity Price Volatility and Inclusive Growth in Low-Income Countries, International Monetary Fund.

Klugman, J, F Rodriguez, and H J Choi (2011), “The HDI 2010: New Controversies, Old Critiques”, Human Development Research Paper 1. UNDP―HDRO, New York.

Mlachila, M, R Tapsoba and S Tapsoba (2014), “A Quality of Growth Index: A Proposal” IMF Working Paper 14/172.

Martinez, M, and M Mlachila (2013), “The Quality of the Recent High-Growth Episode in Sub-Saharan Africa,” IMF Working Paper 13/53.

This article is published in collaboration with VoxEU. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Montfort Mlachila is an Advisor in the African Department of the IMF. René Tapsoba and Sampawende Tapsoba are Economists in the Fiscal Affairs Department of the IMF

Image: A worker dries coffee beans at the Santa Adelaida coffee cooperative in La Libertad, on the outskirts of San Salvador. REUTERS/Ulises Rodriguez 

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