குஞ்சு தெய்வம் (kunju deivam)எனும் மலையாள திரை மொழி

Little Joseph is a mischief maker who hates school, dreads exams and wouldn't mind praying to God for somebody's death if that means getting a chance to skip school! One fine day, God answers Joseph's prayers - the only problem is that it was Joseph's grandfather who passed away. A guilt-ridden Joseph is convinced that he is responsible for the demise of his grandpa, and decides to redeem himself by saving someone from death - not only through prayers, but also by the virtue of his deeds.

Among the animated loudmouth child roles in Malayalam, Adish's Ouseppachan comes as a whiff of fresh air. Hope more such stories about love and humanity are told from a child's perspective, without compromising on charm and innocence. 

The movie has no hair-raising moments, high action scenes or peppy songs, but leaves you a little emotional and lost. If you want to take a stroll down childhood and if you still believe in miracles, watch Kunju Daivam; Jeo Baby and Adish won't disappoint you. Walk in with a smile and take home happy, hope-filled memories.

An ode to the age of innocence, Oru Kunju Daivam tells the story of a spirited boy and his little world full of miracles.

மலையாளத்திலிருந்து மனம் முழுவதும் நிறைந்திருக்கும் ஒரு அற்புதமான திரை மொழி குஞ்சு தெய்வம்.

குறிப்பிட்ட சில கதா பாத்திரங்கள் மட்டுமே திரையில் வருகிறார்கள்.ஒரு பாடசாலை தேவாலயம் ஒன்று பாதிரியார் இன்னும் சில மனிதர்கள்.படம் முழுவதும் நிறைந்திருக்கும் அந்த சிறிய பையன் குழந்தை என்றும் வைத்துக் கொள்ளலாம் .

அவனும் அவன் தாத்தாவுக்குமான உரையாடல்கள் குறும்பும் கொண்டாட்டமுமாய் நீளும் அவன் பொழுதுகள்.

சைக்கிலில் தன் ஊர் முழுவதும் சுற்றி வரும் அவன் வாழ்வில் சந்திக்கும் போலி முகங்களை வாழ்வு அவனுக்கு கற்றுக் கொடுக்கிறது.

படத்தின் ஒவ்வொரு காட்சியும் நம்மை நகர விடாமல் கட்டிப் போட்டு விடும் காட்சி படிமங்கள் சுள்ளென நகரும் திரைக் கதை .இசையும் பாடலும் ஒளிப்பதிவோடு இணைந்து ஒரு காவியமாய் விரியும் திரை மொழி.

சிறுவர்களும் பெரியவர்களும் அவசியம் பார்க்க வேண்டும் இந்த திரைப்படத்தோடு சென்ற வாரம் என் மகனுடன் பார்த்த அவெஞ்சர்ஸ் எண்ட் கேம் என்ற திரைப் படத்தை ஒப்பிட்டு பார்க்கிறேன் .இது மனிதர்கள் வாழ்வை சொல்ல அது அதீதமான கற்பனைக்குள் சிறுவர்களை தள்ளுகிறது.

திரைப் படம் என்பது சின்ன சின்ன விடயங்களால் கட்டி எழுப்பப் படும் காவியம்

குஞ்சு தெய்வம் என் மனம் முழுவதையும் நிறைத்திருக்கிறான்.

Balasingam Sugumar

Old Manual Drafting Techniques

Introduction

Manual drafting is the practice of creating drawings by hand. Manual drafting techniques have traditionally enabled the planning and communication of design ideas and construction information. As there is a very diverse range of information that may need to be communicated, there are a similarly wide range of drawing types. See Types of drawing for more information.

The evolution of manual drafting techniques has created a discipline around which other forms of drafting, such as computer-aided design (CAD) have subsequently developed.

The advantages of manual drafting include; the low cost of equipment compared to CAD hardware and software, the clarity that can be achieved by being able to see all shapes, sizes and angles on one sheet, the ability to bring creative style and expression to drawings, and a degree of depth and weight that can be easier to convey with 'analogue' rather than 'digital' drawing techniques. Those with experience of manual drafting would agree it gives a much deeper sense of knowledge and understanding of the drawing and then the finished building compared with CAD. Indeed some find it easier to sketch, in pencil, their drawing on paper then produce it on CAD.

However, manual drafting is now becoming something of a lost art, as; it requires a large amount of space, both for the drawing process, storage and viewing; drawings cannot be linked to digital information, they can take much more time to prepare in comparison with CAD drawings, they are more difficult to correct, text and colour can be more difficult to apply, it is more complicated to create three-dimensional representations, with isometric being the most common and a lot of experience is needed to complete a drawing efficiently without wasting too much time.

Those with experience can churn out a drawing just as quickly as a CAD drawing but the effort getting to that level is much higher compared to using CAD. Their is a lot more cost with manual drawings as draughts people would need to be employed.

Equipment

Manual drafting requires a flat drafting table, drafting or drawing board, typically with a parallel motion, that allows consistent drawing of parallel lines. Drawing boards can often be adjusted in height and angle to suit the user. Typically with light from the north falling on the paper, from top or behind, the board is angled for drawing and flat for tracing. The angle aids in keeping your set square against the sliding ruler (if you needed to draw 90° lines) and helping with good posture.

Vellum paper was used traditionally for drafting and came supplied in rolls. More recently, drafting paper, standard paper sheets, or tracing paper have become more common as they are less expensive.

A range of paper sizes are available suitable for different purposes. See Paper sizes for more information.

Manual drafting tools include:

• Specialised pencils with varying lead hardness.
  • 2H & 4H for first drawing and construction lines
  • All lines overlap 2 mm to give a sharp corner/joint
• Technical drawing pens of varying sizes (see technical drawing pen sizes for more information).
  • Used to overwrite the pencil lines and give permanent lines
  • Students could make do with 0.3 and 0.7 pens (holding at different angles to give lighter and thicker lines)
• Colour application pens.
• Scale rules.
• Set squares.
  • Adjustable set squares are common.
• T squares.
  • Or sliding ruler for boards that hand these fitted.
• Steel rules that are not damaged by being used repeatedly to draw lines.
• Compasses.
• Protractors.
• Dividers.
• Drafting tape, masking tape (3M Magic removable tape and glue dots work well too) or stainless steel clips to secure the corners of the sheet to the board.
  • Fixed in line with the paper, not angled over the corners as an amateur would do, damaging the corners.
• Pencil sharpeners.
  • Of a kind to give sharp angles to the pencil, showing about 5-6 mm of pencil lead
  • Many used craft knifes or scalpels to sharpen.
• Erasers.
• Pen cleaners.
• Scalpel blades for:
  • Scraping off ink or removing sections of drawings.
  • Sharpening pencils to a point and to chisel point.
• Clear tape for repairing drawings (this does not show on reproductions)
• Mechanical lead holders for using various size leads for different parts of the draft.
• Templates or stencils allowing easy drawing of certain objects, symbols, common shapes, text, and so on.
• Text writing machines.
• Letraset lettering sheets that can be applied to drawings as a form of transfer. Other sheets include people, trees and other common objects and symbols.
• Pantone colour and greyscale sheets than can be cut and applied to drawings to bock colour or shade areas.
• Correction fluid - Tipex (which does not show on reproductions).
  • Tape and correction pens work well too
• Drawing board attachments that can be fixed to the parallel motion ruler to create specific angles, reproduce lines or change scales.

Lines

Lines in manual drafts should be clean and sharp. A straight edge should always be used when manually drafting. A parallel motion, or T-square can be used to draw horizontal lines, and a T-square or set square to draw vertical lines or other common angles.

Typically, the bottom of the set square is placed on the top of the parallel motion, and the vertical portion used to draw straight lines. To draw a vertical line using a T-square, the T portion should be placed flat against the top of the drawing board.

Equal pressure should be applied on the pen or pencil when drawing lines, slightly rotating the point, and not removing it from the paper until the line is completed.

Sprinkling setting powder, or using fixing sprays over pencil lines can help maintain the integrity of the lines when the sheets are folded or rolled, or otherwise brushed against.

Line weights

Manual drafting techniques typically involve drawing different line weights to represent different items. Different line weights can be created by using a different size mechanical pencil lead, or a different size of technical drawing pen.

Exterior walls are typically drawn on floor plans and sections with heavy, solid lines. Windows may be drawn lighter, or with the same heaviness but in a dash-dot-dash format. Interior walls have slightly lighter line weights. Elements such as fittings should be drawn with the lightest line weight, and sometimes dashed lines.

 Lettering

It is important to maintain correct lettering sizes in manual draft, for example:

• Notes: 3/32 inch letters.
• Special notes: 1/8 inch letters.
• Titles: 1/4 inch letters.

F pencils or technical drawing pens are typically used for lettering, with a small right triangle to draw straight portions of the letter. Curved portions may be drawn freehand. Thicker strokes are used for horizontal lines, thinner strokes for vertical lines. It can be useful to draw light guidelines first to ensure the correct and uniform text height.

This is a carefully practiced skill and Frank Chings book "Architectural graphics" shows practice papers of the kind primary school children use to get the lettering right. Alternatively just writing 4 mm x 4 mm capital letters looks right for most manual drawings.

Alternatively, stencils, transfers or writing machines may be used.

 Scale

Scale, or depicting objects and spaces at a specific ratio to their actual size, is a critical to precise manual drafting techniques. Mechanical draft creators use different scales, or the amount that objects being drawn are reduced or enlarged. Floor plans generally are drawn with 1/4 inch equaling one inch, kitchens and bathrooms are drawn with a 1/2 inch scale and wall sections are drawn with a 3/4 inch scale.

 Projections

There are a number of techniques of projection that can be used to represent three-dimensional objects in two-dimensions by 'projecting' their image onto a planar surface.

See Drawing projections for more information.

 Notation and units

Standard notation conventions should be followed so that there is clear communication between different people and mistakes are avoided.

See Notation and units for more information.

 Symbols

A range of standard symbols and hatching techniques can be used to convey recognised meaning without the need for explanation.

See Symbols on architectural drawings for more information.
Thanks;https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk

ஸ்ரீ நரசிம்மர் முழு வழிபாடும் அபூர்வ முறைகளும் அதிசய பலன்களும்...

1. நரசிம்மரைத் தொடர்ந்து மனம் ஒன்றி வழிபட்டு வந்தால் எதிரிகளை வெல்லும் பலம் கிடைக்கும்.
2. நரசிம்மரை உபாசனா தெய்வமாக ஏற்றுக் கொள்பவர்களுக்கு 8 திசைகளிலும் புகழ் கிடைக்கும்.
3. நரசிம்ம அவதாரம் காரணமாகவே மறந்து போன வேதங்களும், பொருள் புரியாத மொழிகளும், விடுபட்ட யாகங்களும் சாதாரண நிலை நீங்கி, உயர் நிலையைப் பெற்றன.
4. நூற்றி எட்டு திவ்ய தேசங்களில் ``சிங்கவேள்குன்றம்'' என்பதும் ஒன்று. இத்தலம் மீது பாடப்பட்டுள்ள பதிகங்கள், பாசுரங்கள், செய்திகள் அனைத்தும் நரசிம்ம அவதாரம் மட்டுமே இடம் பெற்றிருப்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.
5. நரசிம்ம அவதாரத்தின் முதல் குறிப்பு பரிபாடலில் காணப்படுகிறது.
6. நரசிம்மருக்கு நரசிங்கம், சிங்கபிரான், அரிமுகத்து அச்சுதன், சீயம், நரம் கலந்த சிங்கம், அரி, ஆனரி ஆகிய பெயர்களும்
உண்டு.
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7. திருமாலின் பத்து அவதாரங்களில் பரசுராமன், பலராமன் இருவரும் கோபத்தின் வடிவமாக திகழ்பவர்கள். இதனால் அந்த இரு அவதாரங்களும் வைணவர்களால் அதிகம் வணங்கப்பட வில்லை. ஆனால் நரசிம்ம அவதாரம் உக்கிரமானதாக கருதப்பட்டாலும் பக்தர்கள் அவரை விரும்பி வணங்குகிறார்கள்.
8. நரசிம்ம அவதாரம் பற்றி முதன் முதலில் முழுமையாக சொன்னவர் கம்பர்தான்.
9. திருத்தக்கதேவர் தனது சீவக சிந்தாமணியில், ``இரணியன்பட்ட தெம்மிறை எய்தினான்'' என்று நரசிம்ம அவதாரம் பற்றி குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.
10. இரணியனின் ரத்தத்தை குடித்ததால் சீற்றம் பெற்ற நரசிம்மரின் ரத்தத்தை சிவன் சரபப்பறவையாக வந்து குடித்தார். இதன்பிறகே நரசிம்மரின் சீற்றம் தணிந்ததாக சொல்வார்கள். இந்த தகவல் அபிதான சிந்தாமணியில் கூறப் பட்டுள்ளது.
.
11. சோளிங்கரின் உண்மையான பெயர் சோழசிங்கபுரம். நரசிம்மரின் பெருமையை பெயரிலேயே கூறும் இந்த ஊர் பெயரை ஆங்கிலேயர்கள் சரியாக உச்சரிக்க இயலாமல், அது சோளிங்கர் என்றாகிப் போனது.
12. சிங்க பெருமாள் கோவில், மட்டப்பள்ளி, யாதகிரிகட்டா, மங்கள கிரி ஆகிய தலங்களில் நரசிம்மர் சன்னதிகள் குகைக் கோவிலாக உள்ளன.
13. கீழ் அகோபிலத்தில் நாம் கொடுக்கும் பாகை நைவேந்தியததில் பாதியை நரசிம்மர் ஏற்றுக் கொண்டு மீதியை அவர் வாய் வழியே வழிய விட்டு நமக்கு பிரசாதமாக தருவதாக பக்தர்கள் நம்புகிறார்கள்.
14. நங்கநல்லூர் நரசிம்மர் ஆலயம் சுமார் 1500 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முற்பட்டது. இந்திய தொல்பொருள் ஆய்வாளர்கள் இதை 1974-ம் ஆண்டு கண்டுபிடித்து வெளிப்படுத்தினார்கள்.
15. சிவனை கடவுளாக ஏற்ற ஆதிசங்கரர், ஸ்ரீலட்சுமி நரசிம்மரைப் போற்றித் துதித்ததும் அவருக்கு உடனே நரசிம்மர் காட்சி கொடுத்தார்.
16. நரசிம்ம அவதாரத்தை எப்போது படித்தாலும் சரி, படித்து முடித்ததும் பானகம், பழவகைகள், இளநீரை நிவேதனமாக படைத்து வணங்குதல் வேண்டும்.
17. "எல்லா பொருட்கள் உள்ளேயும் நான் இருக்கிறேன்'' என்பதை உணர்த்தவே பகவான், நரசிம்ம அவதாரம் எடுத்தார். எனவே நரசிம்மரை எங்கும் தொழலாம்.
18. திருமாலின் அவதாரங்களில் நரசிம்ம அவதாரமே திடீரென தோன்றிய அவதாரமாகும்.

19. நரசிம்மரின் வலது கண்ணில் சூரியனும், இடது கண்ணில் சந்திரனும், இடையில் புருவ மத்தியில் அக்னியும் உள்ளனர்.
உன்னதமான வாழ்வுக்கும் உயர்வான சிந்தனை உள்ள வாழ்வுக்கும் வாழ்கைக்கும் நூறு சதவீதம் உத்திரவாதம் தரும் ஒரே ஜோதிட நிலையம் ஸ்ரீ கால பைரவி ஜோதிட நிலையம் விஞ்ஞான மருத்துவ ஜோதிடம் மற்றும் வானியல் மருத்துவம் ஆத்தூர்.அரசு மருத்துவமனை எதிரில் ஆத்தூர் சேலம் (மாவட்டம்) 636102 சிறந்த முறையில் வாழ்வை மாற்ற ஜோதிடம் மற்றும் வாஸ்து சம்மந்தமான ஆலோசனை பெறுவதற்க்கு ஜோதிட ஆசான் மு.கிருஷ்ண மோகன் 8526223399 , 9976192660 ,9843096462
20. நரசிம்மன் என்றால் ஒளிப்பிழம்பு என்று அர்த்தம்.
21. நரசிம்மனின் தேஜஸ் காயத்ரி மந்திரத்துக்குள்ளே இருப்பதாக பக்தர்கள் நம்புகிறார்கள்.
22. நரசிம்ம அவதாரம் பற்றி ஜெர்மன் அறிஞர் மாக்ஸ்முல்லர் கூறுகையில், `An Electric Phenomenon' என்று கூறியுள்ளார்.
23. இரண்யகசிபுவை வதம் செய்த போது எழுந்த நரசிம்மரின் சிம்ம கர்ஜனை 7 உலகங்களையும் கடந்து சென்றதாக குறிப்புகள் உள்ளது.
24. மகாலட்சுமிக்கு பத்ரா என்றும் ஒரு பெயர் உண்டு. இதனால் நரசிம்மனை பத்ரன் என்றும் சொல்வார்கள். பத்ரன் என்றால் மங்களமூர்த்தி என்று அர்த்தம்.
25. பகவான் பல அவதாரங்களை எடுத்தாலும், அவனுடைய நாமங்கள் இறுதியில் நரசிம்மரிடத்திலேதான் போய் முடியும் என்று கருதப்படுகிறது.
26. சகஸ்ரநாமத்தில் முதன் முதலாக நரசிம்ம அவதாரம்தான் இடம் பெற்றுள்ளது.
27. நரசிம்ம அவதாரத்தை எதைக் கொண்டும் அளவிட முடியாது என்ற சிறப்பு உண்டு.
28. ராமாயணம், மகாபாரதம், பாகவதம், 18 புராணங்கள், உப புராணங்கள் அனைத்திலும் நரசிம்மருடைய சிறப்பு குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.
29. நரசிம்ம மந்திரம் ஒரு எழுத்தில் தொடங்கி, ஒரு லட்சத்து நூற்றி முப்பத்திரண்டு என்று விரிந்து கொண்டே போய் பலன் தரக்கூடியது.
30. நரசிம்மர் எங்கெல்லாம் அருள் தருகிறாரோ, அங்கெல்லாம் ஆஞ்சநேயர் நிச்சயம் இருப்பார்.
31. வேதாத்ரியில் உள்ள யோக நரசிம்மர் இடுப்பில் கத்தி வைத்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார். அறுவை சிகிச்சைக்கு செல்பவர்கள் இவரை வணங்கி சென்றால் நல்ல பலன் கிடைக்கும்.
32. வாடபல்லி தலத்தில் உள்ள நரசிம்மரின் மூக்குக்கு எதிரில் ஒரு தீபம் ஏற்றப்படும். அந்த தீபம் காற்றில் அசைவது போல அசையும், நரசிம்மரின் மூச்சுக் காற்று பட்டு அந்த தீபம் அசைவதாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது. அதே சமயத்தில் நரசிம்மரின் கால் பகுதியில் ஏற்றப்படும் தீபம் ஆடாமல் அசையாமல் நின்று எரியும்.
33. மட்டபல்லியில் உள்ள நரசிம்மரை வணங்கினால் மன சஞ்சலங்கள் நீங்கும்.
34. நரசிம்மரை வழிபடும் போது "ஸ்ரீநரசிம்ஹாய நம'' என்று சொல்லி ஒரு பூ-வைப் போட்டு வழிபட்டாலே எல்லா வித்தையும் கற்ற பலன் உண்டாகும்.
35. "அடித்த கை பிடித்த பெருமாள்'' என்றொரு பெயரும் நரசிம்மருக்கு உண்டு. அதாவது பக்தர்கள் உரிமையோடு அடித்து கேட்ட மறு வினாடியே உதவுபவன் என்று இதற்கு பொருள்.
36. நரசிம்மனிடம் பிரகலாதன் போல நாம் பக்தி கொண்டிருக்க வேண்டும். அத்தகைய பக்தி இருந்தால் அதைகொடு, இதை கொடு என்று கேட்க வேண்டியதே இல்லை.
37. எல்லா வற்றிலுமே நரசிம்மர் நிறைந்து இருக்கிறார். எனவே நீங்கள் கேட்காமலே அவர் உங்களுக்கு வாரி, வாரி வழங்குவார். நரசிம்மரை ம்ருத்யுவேஸ்வாகா என்று கூறி வழிபட்டால் மரண பயம் நீங்கும்.
38. ஆந்திராவில் நரசிம்மருக்கு நிறைய கோவில் இருக்கிறது. சிம்ஹசலம் கோவிலில் மூலவரின் உக்கிரத்தை குறைக்க வருடம் முழுவதும் சிலையின் மீது சந்தனம் பூசி மூடி வைத்திருப்பார்கள். வருடத்தில் ஒரு நாள் மூலவரை சந்தனம் இல்லாமல் பார்க்க முடியும்.
39. மங்களகிரி கோவிலில் உக்கிரத்தை குறைக்க பானகம் ஊற்றி கொண்டே இருப்பார்கள். மூலவரின் பெயரும் பானக லட்சுமி நரசிம்ம சுவாமி.
40. தமிழகத்தில் சிறப்பான நரரசிம்மர் கோயில்கள் இருந்தாலும் யோகத்தை அதிகமாக வழங்கும் மதுரை ஒத்தகடையில் உள்ள யோக நரசிம்மரையும் சாரும்.

What are the reason for Cracks on the road

Thankshttps://www.rhino-uk.com/

There are numerous factors influencing the performance of a pavement, the following five are considered the most influential (Transportation research board, England; April 1985)

 1)Traffic

 Traffic is the most important factor affecting pavement performance. The performance of pavements is mostly affected by the loading scale, arrangement and the number of load repetitions. The damage caused per pass to a pavement by an axle is defined relative to the damage per pass of a standard axle load, which is defined as a 80 kN single axle load (E80). Thus a pavement is designed to withstand a certain number of standard axle load repetitions that will result in a certain terminal condition of deterioration.(Kamal M.A. et al., 2009)

2) Moisture

Moisture significantly reduces the supporting ability of gravel materials, especially the sub grade. Moisture enters the pavement structure through capillary action. The resulting action is the wet surface of particles, excessive movement of particles and dislodgment which ultimately results in pavement failures. (Terrel 1990)

3)Sub grade

The sub grade is the lower layer of soil that supports the wheel loads. If the sub grade is not strong enough the pavement will show flexibility and finally the pavement will fail. Pavement will fail to perform ideally if the variation in particles behavior is not catered for in the design.

4)Construction quality

Pavement performance is affected by poor quality construction, inaccurate pavement thicknesses, and adverse moisture conditions. These conditions stress the need for skilled staff and the importance of good inspection and quality control procedures during construction.

Causes of cracking in road surfaces: Cracks in the highway emanate from either:

 1.The surface, where traffic induced fatigue, thermal movement and warping stress will initiate cracking
2.The sub-base, where seasonal expansion and contraction of the pavement causes reflective cracking

The sort of cracks that can be treated are:

      • reflective cracks
      • surface generated cracks
      • shrinkage cracks
      • longitudinal lane joints
      • concrete spalling
      • asphalt/concrete interface joints
      • mid bay cracking
Cracks generated from the surface are caused by fatigue from traffic, especially HGVs. These types of cracks when excavated, will often not show further cracking in the layers below the surface course.
Cracks generated from movement in the sub-base are called reflective cracks and will show through in the wearing course because movement in the underlying layers is being mirrored in the top surface. Traditional asphalt road surfaces, whilst being called ‘flexible’ roads when compared to concrete ones, are not able to contain concentrations of such high movement.

Why is this movement taking place? This all depends on the structure of the road. Traditionally roads are built in layers and these layers are designed to bear the load of traffic in varying degrees. Many roads have concrete in those lower layers. As temperatures change, road surfaces (like other materials) expand and contract. Concrete is designed in slabs and designed to focus this movement at the joint between slabs. Lean mix and continually reinforced concrete also focuses movement in concentrated points. Asphalt reacts differently to temperature changes, expanding and contracting evenly over the entire surface area.

This incompatibility of the concrete and asphalt to react similarly, leads to asphalt overlays cracking when laid on top of concrete sub-bases.
Couple this with variations in which the different layers of the road surface heat up from the sun, the lower layers expand at a slower rate to the surface ones, and it is no wonder that a road surface cracks as it does.
What is important to consider is that in most cases, a substantial crack in the road surface is likely to be in a position where movement is the cause. Repair methods should consider materials with the flexibility to accommodate that movement when it occurs again in the future.

How estradiol/progesterone participate in cognitive function in women

Thanks ;Castalia Francon
An Interesting Study Reveals how the Hippocampus/Cortex Work Together

Sex Differences? Of Course
Women use spatial navigation just before their periods, but rely more on cues from their surroundings during ovulation.

The present study shows that menstrual cycle phase influences the type of memory system that is likely to be engaged in by women when solving a task or effectively navigating a virtual environment. However, the finding of this study which deserves more focus is that Progesterone, as it varies over the monthly cycle, is found to be a key modulator of which strategy is utilized. in fact as the researchers state, their initial hypotheses, which did not take Progesterone levels sufficiently into account as being a key determinant, were proved wrong.
Different learning systems were first documented by Tolman and colleagues (1946) who showed that rats utilize different strategies to find their way in a maze . Namely, several learning strategies can be used: one is response strategy, which is a strategy that relies on body turns at specific points in the environment forming stimulus- response associations, and the second is spatial strategy, which is allocentric, i.e. independent of the position of the observer and relies on forming stimulus–stimulus associations between land- marks in order to create a cognitive map of the environment.
These systems are dissociable, they can be competitive, and rely on dif- ferent brain regions to function optimally. The hippocampus is implicated in spatial memory whereas the dorsal striatum (which includes the caudate nucleus) is crucial for response memory
Women tested in the mid/late luteal phase, when P is high, use a spatial strategy significantly more than a response strategy. In contrast, during the early follicular (low E2 and P) and ovulatory (high E2) phases, response strategy was used more fre- quently
Thus, these results do NOT support our hypothesis that a high E2 state would be associated with spa tial strategy use and a low E2 state with higher proportion of response strategy use, BUT they suggest that multiple memory system bias in cycling women is mediated by changes in P such that response memory is promoted when P is low, and spatial memory is enhanced in the phase of the cycle that is characterized by high P levels.
The mid/late luteal phase, when P is high, is associated with a significant increase of spatial strategy. Conversely, a response strategy is used in the early follicular and ovulatory phase, when P is low. Thus, it would appear that multiple memory system bias is mediated by changes in P and, possibly, how P and E2 interact.
Consistent with other studies (Maki et al., 2002; Mordecai et al., 2008; ), here, women learned and remembered more words during the ovulatory phase, when E2 levels are high.
These findings support the growing body of research showing that cognitive func- tion is modulated by and change with fluctuating hormones across the menstrual cycle.
It has been consistently shown in rodents that estrogen impacts multiple memory system bias such that low estradiol (E2) is associated with increased use of a striatal-mediated response strategy whereas high E2 increases use of a hippocampal-dependent spatial memory.
It has been observed that E2 is associ- ated with changes in cognition in women; for example, E2 has been linked with improved verbal memory whereas it is associated with impaired performance on mental rotation tasks Hippocampal volume changes across the menstrual cycle in women, i.e., high endogenous E2 levels are asso- ciated with an increase in hippocampal grey matter
In addition, it has previously been found that estrogen receptors are present in the human hippocampus . Thus, E2 could be structurally altering the hippocampus and binding to estrogen receptors within this brain area to promote spatial memory.
Progesterone (P) has been shown to be associated with both enhanced and disrupting (Freeman et al., 1992) effects on verbal memory in women. It is important to note that the majority of studies that are focused on hormones and cognition in women, are carried out with a post- menopausal sample, taking hormone replacements.
These samples of women typically receive progestin with their hormone treat- ments that include E2, thus, very few studies have focused on the effects of P in isolation. P has been shown to increase hippocampal spine density when administered with E2, but these spine den- sities decrease more rapidly than when E2 is administered alone
P receptor function is dependent on induction of E2 receptors (Lydon et al., 1995), which suggests that many of the effects linked to P are also underscored by E2 action. Furthermore, E2 and P are often studied separately so the interac- tion between the two hormones, and how this can potentially affect cognitive function, is not well understood. E2 and P seem to work in concert to affect hippocampal function and, possibly, multiple memory system bias.
Participants were split into either an early follicular (i.e., when E2 levels are low), ovulatory (i.e., when E2 levels are high) or mid/late luteal (i.e., end of the cycle, when E2 levels decrease and progesterone levels rise) phase group, using self-reported date of the menstrual cycle. Serum hormone level measurements (E2, progesterone, testosterone) were used to confirm cycle phase assignment.
NOTE: Recall that Estradiol peaks towards the end of the follicular phase (ovulation) and then rises and plateaus across the luteal phase. The menstrual cycle is also marked by changes in P levels such that they are low throughout the follic- ular phase while they peak and plateau in the luteal phase, before dropping at the onset of menstruation (for review, see Ref.: Hussain et al., 2014; Mihm et al., 2011). E2 levels are higher in the ovulatory phase compared to the early follicular phase, which is marked by low E2 levels throughout menstruation
We used a virtual navigation task. Basically, it was like a video game where women had to find their way through a maze. The maze can be completed either by using the cues in one’s surroundings and making a mental (cognitive) map of the area, or by remembering where each maze arm is relative to another, for example noting that you have to skip two arms then take the next arm. Later we remove the surrounding cues and see how well or poorly someone completing the maze does. This allows us to test which memory system they preferentially use.
Participants were administered a verbal memory task as well as a virtual navigation task that can be solved by using either a response or spatial strategy. Women tested in the ovulatory phase, under high E2 conditions, performed better on a verbal memory task than women tested during the other phases of the cycle
We found that during the ovulatory phase when estrogen peaks, women tend to use response memory to solve the maze. Asked to navigate a virtual maze, most women who are ovulating (i.e., when E2 levels are high) will rely on response memory, using cues from their surroundings to memorize turns.
Response memory is like basic habitual motor memory, such as turning right then left to get to work. However, when women are in the mid/late luteal phase of the cycle, just prior to menstruation when progesterone peaks and estrogen also rises again, they are more likely to use spatial memory.
Women in the premenstrual phase of their cycle, however, relied on spatial memory, picturing an aerial map of the maze in their heads.
Interestingly, women tested in the mid/late luteal phase mid/late luteal (i.e., end of the cycle, when E2 levels decrease and progesterone levels rise) when progesterone is high, predominantly used a spatial strategy, whereas the opposite pattern was observed in the early follicular and ovulatory groups
Spatial memory is what you’d use if you encountered a roadblock on your way to work, and had to mentally pull up a map of the neighborhood to think of an alternate rout
An interesting set of observations here, but we suspect that they might be more strongly phrased in terms of the details and mechanisms of hippocampal/cortical partnering in regard to the two different situations. In other words it is our belief that it would indicate more to state that the landmarks..and so called "response" strategy were dependent on cued recall by the women and thus reliant on the arisal of verbal or other indices via a process akin to "episodic memory recall". This would go hand in hand with the performance on the verbal recall test, as well.
What is more problematic to us is that the researchers do not have a suficiently articulated or sophisticated view of just how it is that the hippocampus works in tandem with other systems to aid in both navigation and in episodic memory.
The 'response" strategy is not sufficiently appreciated as depending upon much more than some merely "procedural" movement control function. The "responses" in that strategy depend on a back and forth dialogue with 'episodically" based neuronal ensembles in the hippocampal area that are accessible via verbal and cortical efforts....and to which priority is given by the user. On the contrary the spatial strategy is one where the user has faith in the mapping and the abstract spatial configurations implied by the geometry of the "map" being relied upon.
It is truly frequently disheartening to watch neuroscience researchers seemingly lost in a maze of their own when trying to speak coherently and usefully about how the hippocampus works. The segmentation of hippocampal function into some truly insipid aspect such as "verbal memory" that is apart and not ever articulated in terms of how it related to the other more well known functioning of the hippocampus in spatial navigation is truly an egregious omission...and the researchers deserve to be befuddled by their own data.
Clearly both these aspects of the hippocampus, verbal recall and navigation, MUST have something to do with each other. Yet they are treated as if they are too randomly placed items on a supermarket shelf to be selected by the researcher shopping for a research project. g
The verbal recall testing was enhanced during high Estradiol times of month...so you would think that the question of the potential inverse relation between performance on the two types of tests would be even briefly considered by the researchers. But alas they don't get very far at all. In fact they flounder in their discussion through a variety of statisfical and other more superficial factors as causing their unexpected results, rather than focus on better DEFINING just how it might be that the hippocampus does its job..or jobs.
One of the points they do raise, to their credit, but only in passing is that It has been shown that hormonal changes across the cycle are also related with changes in lateraliza- tion during completion of a verbal task, such that lateralization is pronounced when E2 levels are low.
This should reasonably raise the notion that the hippocampus, too, has a left and right part, and that episodic memory as measured by verbal recall (as badly as that is defined) tends to depend on the left hippocampal areas and that the female hormone mix might indeed tend to lead to less "lateralization" within the hippocampus as well...and thus recruit both of its aspects in task performance? Sounds reasonable to us..but this is not discussed.
Additionally of the problem here is the surprise that Progesterone plays a vital function in modulating how Estradiol impacts upon the brain and the manner in which women choose to cope with events. The precedent studies were frequently based on work with rats and humans may be different from rodents in this regard. Here, both the lowest and highest E2 levels observed across the cycle were associated with response strategy use. The difference observed in how E2 impacts multiple memory system bias in rodents and in humans could be explained by the significant difference between the rat estrous cycle and the human menstrual cycle. In rats, E2 and P peak concurrently, such that a high E2 phase is also marked by high P.
Conversely, in women, the two hormones fluctuate dif- ferently and peak at different points in the cycle. It is possible that ovarian hormones interact differently in the human brain and, thus, affect cognitive functions, such as multiple memory system bias, in a unique way.
This interaction is critical in unraveling the mysteries of hormonal effect on preference of cognitive strategy and effectiveness of use, however, the absolutely incomopetent and bogus Women's Health Initiative studies of the early 2000;s along with the almost fraudulent coverup by the medical cronies of those who incompegtently conducted those studies created massive confusion not only among clinicians but among researchers as the difference betwen use of 'Progesterone" (the real thing) and various Toxic syntheic "progestagens" (formulated by big Pharma who sponsored the studies and has continued to promote the use of these toxic medications.
These "progestagens" do NOT act upon the brain and its neurosteroids and its neurotransmitters in the same way as bio identical Progesterone does..and in fact has some directly antithetical effects.
So as we read the literature search and discussions of current articles we find them totally confused, misinformed and practically incoherent in trying to reason out why they have such conflicting results on Estradiol and "progestagen" use'.. Thus, the WHI not only led to the damaging of the health of countless women but also succeeding in sabotaging the research data on the basis of which researchers such as the ones here have predicated their own research designs.
A Few comments from the Authors when Interviewed
https://www.researchgate.net/…/how-women-navigate-depends-o…
RG: What is the significance of these results?
Brake: While we have known for years that estrogen affects the brain to cause memory bias in female rodents, this is the first study to see how hormones affect women's memory.
RG: Does birth control interfere with these preferences for one memory strategy over another?
Brake: We did not test women on birth control, but I would imagine that it could affect memory bias, depending on the form and dose.
Would you recommend changes to the way studies involving memory tasks are conducted in light of your results?
I would certainly note that researchers studying memory in women or female mammals should control for hormone levels.
RG: What led you to look into the effects of hormones on memory bias?
Brake: It's about bloody time that we start understanding more about the female brain. Every mental disorder or disease, every single one, has a sex bias.
Yet, we still mostly only study the brains of men. Since researchers began studying the brain, they’ve known that studying the female brain is messy. There was more variability, which people suspect could be accounted for by changes in circulating ovarian hormones, so many people couldn't be bothered with all that extra variability in their studies.
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.05.008
Aside from the likelihood of significantly misleading data that undoubtedly has been arising from various navigation studies and attempts to understand hippocampal function, we note the related issues of lesser importance but one with which we can identify: Getting around via Digital Maps and Navigational Aids:
Why Your Maps Should Get in Touch with Their Feminine Side
http://www.xyht.com/spatial-i…/maps-get-touch-feminine-side/

The way Gratitude Literally Alters The Human Heart & Molecular Structure Of The Brain

Gratitude is a funny thing. In some parts of the world, somebody who gets a clean drink of water, some food, or a worn out pair of shoes can be extremely grateful. Meanwhile, somebody else who has all the necessities they need to live can be found complaining about something. What we have today is what we once wanted before, but there is a lingering belief out there that obtaining material possessions is the key to happiness. Sure, this may be true, but that happiness is temporary. The truth is that happiness is an inside job.

It’s a matter of perspective, and in a world where we are constantly made to feel like we are lacking and always ‘wanting’ more, it can be difficult to achieve or experience actual happiness. Many of us are always looking toward external factors to experience joy and happiness when really it’s all related to internal work. This is something science is just starting to grasp as well, as shown by research coming out of UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center. According to them:

"Having an attitude of gratitude changes the molecular structure of the brain, keeps grey matter functioning and makes us healthier and happier. When you feel happiness, the central nervous system is affected. You are more peaceful, less reactive and less resistant. Now that’s a really cool way of taking care of your well-being."

"Gratitude writing can be beneficial not just for healthy, well-adjusted individuals, but also for those who struggle with mental health concerns. In fact, it seems, practising gratitude on top of receiving psychological counselling carries greater benefits than counselling alone, even when that gratitude practice is brief" We found that across the participants when people felt more grateful, their brain activity was distinct from brain activity related to guilt and the desire to help a cause. More specifically, we found that when people who are generally more grateful gave more money to a cause, they showed greater neural sensitivity in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with learning and decision making. This suggests that people who are more grateful are also more attentive to how they express gratitude. ">Most interestingly, when we compared those who wrote the gratitude letters with those who didn’t, the gratitude letter writers showed greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex when they experienced gratitude in the fMRI scanner. This is striking as this effect was found three months after the letter writing began. This indicates that simply expressing gratitude may have lasting effects on the brain. While not conclusive, this finding suggests that practising gratitude may help train the brain to be more sensitive to the experience of gratitude down the line, and this could contribute to improved mental health over time.

Some Facts 

1. Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions

2. Gratitude helps even if you don’t share it

3. Gratitude’s benefits take time

4. Gratitude has lasting effects on the brain

Heart

“Emotional information is actually coded and modulated into these fields. By learning to shift our emotions, we are changing the information coded into the magnetic fields that are radiated by the heart, and that can impact those around us. We are fundamentally and deeply connected with each other and the planet itself.” 

“One important way the heart can speak to and influence the brain is when the heart is coherent – experiencing stable, sine-wave-like pattern in its rhythms. When the heart is coherent, the body, including the brain, begins to experience all sorts of benefits, among them, are greater mental clarity and ability, including better decision making.” 

Conclusion

Every individual’s energy affects the collective field environment. The means each person’s emotions and intentions generate an energy that affects the field. A first step in diffusing societal stress in the global field is for each of us to take personal responsibility for our own energies. We can do this by increasing our personal coherence and raising our vibratory rate, which helps us become more conscious of the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes that we are feeding the field each day. We have a choice in every moment to take to heart the significance of intentionally managing our energies. This is the free will or local freedom that can create global cohesion. – Dr Deborah Rozman, the President of Quantum Intech

Thanks; https://greatergood.berkeley.edu,http://bernardalvarez.mysharebar.com

Sai Baba Miracle- Story of Grinding Wheat

 One time, there was an epidemic of Cholera in Shirdi. Helpless Shirdi people approached Baba for relief. On this Baba after washing his hand and face took some wheat and started grinding in a hand mill. Then he asked the village people to take the flour and throw it on the village borders. With grace of Baba, from that time onward the cholera epidemic subsided and the people of the village were happy. By grinding wheat here Baba actually meant that, it was not the wheat, that was ground but cholera itself was ground to pieces and pushed out of the village.