‘Magnets’ help stroke patients speak

THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

Eighty percent of patients who were treated with TMS showed improvements in language skills. Image: jeangill/iStockphoto Magnetic stimulation of the brain could help improve language skills of stroke survivors with aphasia, according to research by The University of Queensland. Dr Caroline Barwood, who recently completed her PhD at UQ's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, conducted the research and found significant improvement in the language skills of stroke patients after they underwent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). TMS is a non-invasive method that seeks to target brain activity, with the intention to facilitate the reorganisation of brain regions with the purpose to alter language behaviours. The treatment involves placing a coil on the head of the participant which uses electromagnetic induction to induce weak electric currents through a changing magnetic field. Twelve patients who experienced strokes between one and six years prior to the study were recruited for participation and treated at the UQ Centre for Neurogenic Communication Disorders Research. “Eighty percent of patients who were treated with TMS showed improvements in language skills, most notably in expressive language, which includes naming, repetition, and discourse. No language improvements were seen for those patients treated with placebo TMS,” Dr Barwood said. Guided by a state-of-the-art neuronavigational system, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to pin point the stimulation site for two sets of five-day treatments. Dr Barwood said changes in patients' language scores were measured on standardised speech pathology tests. “The research strongly demonstrates that TMS may be a very useful and safe treatment method. Overall it has generated exciting discussion regarding the direction of treatment and the considerable impact this may have in the future to decrease the cost of rehabilitation,” she said. Dr Barwood explains the technique differs to traditional language therapy, which uses behavioural methods, and said in the future the two methods may be used together. Dr Barwood's PhD has been reviewed by a number of journals across fields of neurology and speech pathology and was published in peer-reviewed journals; The European Journal of Neurology; Brain and Language; Brain Stimulation; and Neurorehabilitation. Dr Barwood said in light of the very positive results, she is seeking to continue and extend the current methodology to include a larger sample as a clinical trial. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Study finds ‘stop cancer’ gene

MONASH UNIVERSITY

Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70 with SCC being one of the most common forms. Image: dbencek/iStockphoto An extraordinary breakthrough in understanding what stops a common form of skin cancer from developing could make new cancer treatments and prevention available to the public in five years.  In research published today in the leading international cancer journal, Cancer Cell, an international team of scientists led by Professor Stephen Jane and Dr Charbel Darido of Monash University's Department of Medicine at the Alfred Hospital, has discovered a gene that helps protect the body from squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the skin. The Cancer Council estimates that two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70 with SCC being one of the most common forms. Up until now, its genetic basis has not been well understood, with surgical treatments the only option. Professor Jane said the team discovered that a gene with an important role in skin development in the foetus is missing in adult SCC tumour cells. Although the researchers initially focused on skin cancer, they found that the protective gene is also lost in SCC that arises in other tissues, including head and neck cancers, that are often associated with a very poor outcome for the patient. "Virtually every SCC tumour we looked at had almost undetectable levels of this particular gene, so its absence is a very profound driver of these cancers," Professor Jane said. In collaboration with Associate Professor Rick Pearson from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Monash researchers showed that loss of this particular gene knocks out the signal to stop skin cells from growing. Without this stop signal, the cells keep increasing in number and eventually forms a cancer. Identifying this driver of cancer in skin and other organs provides a clear direction for developing strategies for both prevention and treatment in the relatively near future. "Our research indicates that drugs already in clinical trials for other cancers may actually be effective in treating SCC - they just need to be applied to skin or head and neck cancers.  "This means that a number of the usual hurdles in getting therapies to trial have already been cleared, so patients could be reaping the benefits of this research in under five years," Professor Jane said. "It's a similar case with prevention. There are strategies by which we could increase the expression of this gene that will likely afford some protection from skin cancer, for example in the form of a supplement in sun-cream. The molecules that would increase this expression, are very well validated, so there would be few barriers to applying them in clinical trials." Collaborating institutions on the paper include the Polish Academy of Sciences, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Harvard Medical School, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and the Alfred Hospital. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Mini-strokes up risk of death

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

A TIA is seen as a warning sign that a real stroke may occur in the future if preventative steps are not taken. Image: dlerick/iStockphoto Patients who suffer stroke-like attacks can have mortality rates 20 per cent higher than the general population, new research finds, leading to calls for better stroke prevention strategies for those who experience a transient ischemic attack (TIA). In one of the largest studies of its kind ever conducted, more than 20,000 adults hospitalised in New South Wales between 2000-2007 with a TIA were compared against the general population for mortality rates. A TIA occurs when blood flow to the brain ceases for a period of time, leaving a person with stroke-like symptoms for a short period. But a TIA is seen as a warning sign that a real stroke may occur in the future if preventative steps are not taken. The study’s lead author, Dr Melina Gattellari from UNSW’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine, said nine years after a TIA, mortality rates are 20 per cent higher than for those who do not experience an attack. Not only that, after 9 years, 50 per cent of patients with a TIA had died. TIA has long been recognised as a risk factor for early stroke. UNSW Conjoint Associate Professor John Worthington, who was also involved in the research, said the study results emphasised the long-term effects of a TIA event on mortality. “It is time to re-examine the intensity of secondary prevention that we provide, even in people with a distant history of TIA. The brief stroke-like symptoms of transient ischemic attack are a warning of poor outcomes and an opportunity for doctors and patients to intervene before a more deadly event,” he said. “People who had a TIA five years ago remain at risk and need close medical follow-up and attention to lifestyle factors.” Dr Gattellari said, given the research findings, there needed to be more emphasis placed on managing cardiovascular risk factors among those who experience a TIA. “These include good blood pressure control, optimising management of diabetes and heart failure, giving up smoking, regular exercise, weight control and good management of other risk factors like atrial fibrillation,” she said. For those over 65, a TIA can significantly reduce life expectancy. Researchers say this shows elderly patients with TIA could benefit the most from intensive cardiovascular risk management. The research is published online in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. The researchers involved also include Chris Goumas, Frances Garden and John Worthington, and are drawn from UNSW’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine, the UNSW-affiliated Ingham Institute, and UNSW’s South Western Sydney Clinical School. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

"VAYASU" - Award winning short film.

"VAYASU" (AGE) A film about a young school girl's relationship with a guy she met after school. 

A short film by ShaKma Production made in September 2009 for no profit.
This video has English subtitles so make sure your annotations is on. For slow connection, pause the video for a few minutes and then play. Thanks for watching and the comments.

"VAYASU" won the ASTRO VELLITHIRAI SHORT FILM VIEWERS CHOICE AWARD 2009 

SEVEN TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

Finding the proper relationship between management and employees is not always easy to navigate. It’s nice to have a fun, friendly atmosphere, but at the end of the day business is business. This article explains the most effective way to have the best of both worlds. Get the strategy here!

Business Week shares…

Power Thrives on Respect

One contributor likened the employer-employee relationship to a parent-child scenario: “You may hate me now, but you’ll appreciate me later.” In the business world, the greater good of the company sometimes necessitate unpopular decisions. But managers can’t execute them without a foundation of respect.

How do you earn respect as a manager?

Don’t abuse influence. As a manager in a position of power, you may begin to feel all-knowing. That’s exactly when you need a reality check. Be on the lookout for signs that your staff members are withdrawing, not communicating: “checking out.” If so, you may have tipped the scales to the power-monger side, and it’s time to move to center.

Set the tone. Remember the phrase “stop, look, and listen” that you heard as a child? As simplistic as it sounds, this applies to management as well. Acknowledging the ideas of your team and listening—not just passively hearing—will make you a better manager. “I’ll consider your suggestion” will help everyone become more engaged and productive.

Run a humanized workplace. A humanized workplace is a collaborative environment in which all workers put the good of the company before themselves. It is not a corporate playground rampant with bullying or sandbox politics. You can help lead the way to a respectful workplace that maintains a sense of family or community—a place where management not only tolerates but encourages fun and humor.

Set limits to complacency. There are times when your assertiveness skills will be called into play, particularly when you make decisions that don’t please the crowd or calm the complacent. Team members should see how stagnation hurts the company—and ultimately them. The better you build the bridge between “us and them,” or employee and employer, the more you succeed as a trusted leader.

Understand that no news is bad news. Far more than no feedback at all, an honest one-to-one performance review and ongoing communications will motivate an employee to improve. And it will gain you significant respect as a manager. No news is not good news when it comes to employees. This holds especially true today, when protracted unemployment jitters abound. Fear festers in the absence of information.

Change course when necessary. In an independent national study our company commissioned, 91 percent of workers said that when bosses aren’t afraid to change course after getting employee feedback, it contributes to greater job satisfaction and creates a more “positive, humanistic work environment for workers.” Other leadership traits such as a sense of humor, the ability to inspire others, and receptiveness and thankfulness received virtually equal votes. From 91 percent to 94 percent said they helped improve their work environment.

Stop being a pushover. If you’re not getting the respect you feel you deserve, examine carefully if you’ve been attempting to befriend your staff instead of managing them. If you’re trying too hard to be liked and showing no backbone, you’ll see projects coming in late and overall quality suffering. Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi summed up the coach’s role like this: “The leader … must walk a tightrope between the consent he must win and the control he must exert.”

Get the entire story at Business Week!

EXCUSES THAT WILL BURN YOUR MONEY

”I’m Too Tired” And 3 Other Lazy Excuses That Are Costing You Money

Laziness may be costing you a home, a car, or a whole lot of money.

The rocky recession and shaky stock market isn’t always to blame for your money situation. Many consumers aren’t making the right financial decisions due to the decisionnot to take action.

Take for example that bill you’ve been meaning to pay, the bank you’ve been hoping to leave, and the refinance you keep postponing; delaying good-for-you financial actions could hurt your wallet and credit health.

Let’s look at common excuses consumers have for avoiding smart financial actions, and how to quit dragging your feet and start changing your money situation.

Refinancing an auto loan or mortgage: “It’s too much work.” Refinancing your loan or mortgage can nab you a lower interest rate, cut down monthly payments, and get a mortgage product better suited to you. You need to start somewhere, so start simple. Use a refinance calculator to estimate your potential savings and see if it makes sense for you to refinance. With interest rates at historical lows, refinancing your current loans to even a percentage point or two lower can cut down your monthly payments by hundreds, or even thousands. Imagine freeing up that much money each month to put towards your other financial goals; it could wake up your lazy bones.

Checking your credit score: “It costs too much money.” It costs you exactly $0. You can get your free credit score at CreditKarma.com and update it as often as you like to stay on top of your credit health. While other credit score services could cost $180 a year, why not take advantage of getting it for free? Plus, building your credit score betters your chance for approval and getting the lowest interest rate (like for that refinance!) and save significant money on interest.

Protecting against identity theft: “It won’t happen to me.” 8.1 million Americans were hit by identity theft last year with an average out-of-pocket loss of $631 per incident, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. The holiday season is prime time for identity thieves to strike, especially with the proliferation of online spending and mobile banking.Take these few steps to protect yourself from identity theft. Check with your credit card issuer or bank to see what type of identity theft alerts and protections they offer on your debit or credit card. If possible, set up parameters such as spending limits, out-of-area alerts, and other red flags for unauthorized charges. Also, if you use mobile banking apps or mobile payments, make sure you have a password on your phone and add an app service that wipes your phone data remotely, such as iPhone’s Find My iPhone app and Android phones’ Mobile Recovery service offered through Verizon.

Read more at Business Insider.com after the jump!

HOW TO EARN YOUR MONEY ON SOCIAL NETWORKS

Best Ways to Engage Your Customers on Facebook

Selling shovels to miners was a very profitable business in the gold rush days. Selling data to Facebook Page owners might be today’s equivalent. You can buy ads on Facebook, just like you can on Google’s pay-per-click advertising network. You can do friend and fan campaigns.

But what creates true engagement on Facebook? What can help you extract the meaningful data that helps you do a better job than your competitors?

Most of us think we know the answer, but a recent study and new analytics platforms are giving small business marketers the deeper insights that help them create stronger relationships. Here are some data points from a recent survey by Roost, a social marketing platform that evaluated more than 10,000 Facebook and Twitter posts by small businesses from over 50 industries. (Read my product review of Roost.)

Not All Posts Are Created Equal

Beyond the standard Likes, Comments, Shares and Retweets, this survey determines which posts yield the highest levels of interaction amongst local business fans and followers. As a semi-related aside, some marketers have decided it is better to buy followers or fans with ad campaigns. If you’ve contemplated that, read this 2011 Wall Street Journal post that shows ad blindness is on the rise (which means click-throughs are decreasing).

Photos Rule on Facebook

The two greatest engagement tactics on Facebook are Likes and Comments, with Likes leading the charge. Roost finds that the best way to achieve Likes is through photo posts, quotes and status updates, with photos providing 50 percent more impressions on average than any other post type, and quotes providing 22 percent more interactions when compared to all post types.

Asking Questions Increases Engagement

Findings also show that questions generate almost twice as many comments as any other post type. The second most popular way to get fans commenting is through a compelling business status update. Facebook Shares are a great way to disseminate business and product messages across fans’ networks, and links are 87 percent more likely to be shared than any other post type.

Roost also evaluated Twitter usage and found that quotes drive 54 percent more retweets than any other type of tweet, with status updates being the second highest driver of engagement.  So if you’re more active on Twitter, start sharing more quotes. In addition, a different study from Optify showed how the use of Auto-DM (direct messages) on Twitter decreased follower rates by 245 percent. (Read Optify’s blog post titled Auto DM Use Led to 245% Increase in Unfollow Rate.)

Continue reading this article on SmallBizTrends.com

Men and women work together in beekeeping - Kenya

 In the drought-stricken areas of Kenya's northeast, beekeeping helps make life a bit sweeter, especially for women. A World Bank and government funded program helps beekeepers learn how to process and sell their products. Men and women work alongside each other and some women have their own hives now. It's time to think EQUAL for women and girls.

How public procurement reforms are improving governance in the MENA region

SUBMITTED BY YOLANDA TAYLER 

co-authored by Yolanda Tayler and Guenter Heidenhof.

We have all heard about the social, economic, and political issues currently facing the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Of these challenges, the demand for better governance is among the most important issues. Therefore, MENA countries must adopt innovative solutions and clearly communicate the impact of their efforts on the topic of governance in a comprehensible way to its’ citizens.

The rules and institutions governing government spending through public contracts, known as the “Public Procurement framework,” are actually at the core of the governance agenda.  Corruption scandals, embezzlement by greedy politicians, conflicts of interest (when a contract is awarded to a good friend), or abandoned or malfunctioning projects which do not deliver the required public service because of a contractual dispute, are all emblematic issues that constantly deteriorate the image of public action among civil society.

As an activity for public good that receives a great deal of visibility (as well as scrutiny), public procurement is at the core of many decisions by governing entities, which aim to produce concrete results (e.g., roads are built, hospitals supplied with necessary vaccines, and schools erected).  It is also inextricably linked to many governance areas such as transparency, accountability and participation as it impacts the business environment and the delivery of public services.  Because of these natural links, it is of great importance for well-functioning democratic regimes (and absolutely crucial for the new regimes in MENA) to tackle these issues by establishing a public procurement system based on sound governance principles.

Previously viewed as an obscure topic related to legal and financial issues, public procurement is now emerging as an area that can allow citizens to assess their governments’ performance and effectiveness. Some public procurement frameworks in the region are already showing results following the enactment of new public procurement laws and regulations which are paving the path for increased social accountability. For example, many countries have launched public websites to gather and share information on procurement laws, regulations, guidelines, and public contracts. Even in countries where it was not traditionally acceptable to challenge administrative decisions, new complaint mechanisms are forming to allow the bidders to challenge the award of contracts. Anti-corruption measures and related sanctions against individuals and companies are becoming better defined. When feasible, e-Procurement implementation is being explored as a way to speed up processes to reduce arbitrary decisions.

However, governance in public procurement remains disparate among MENA.  While public institutions have and continue to display enthusiasm for better efficiency and streamlined spending, the previous reluctance to address initiatives related to transparency and accountability is lessening in some countries and being reappraised in others.  With the Arab Spring, the climate and appetite for governance has dramatically changed the political landscape in the region. It has created an environment where ministries, public entities and local governments can no longer ignore civil societies’ increased awareness of this important area of public procurement.

அகத்தியம்: தமிழும் இலக்கியங்களும்

 அகத்தியம்: தமிழ் சங்கம் மருவிய காலகட்டத்தில் தோன்றிய பதினெண் கீழ்க்கணக்கு நூல்களில் தான் அகம் புறம் தவிர அறநூல்களும் உள்ளது. இவ்வகை அறநூல்கள் எந்த காலத்திலும் ஏற்புடையதாகும். இணைய வெளிகளில் சில தளங்களில் இந்த நூல்களைப படிக்கலாம் என்றபோதும் பரவலாக மக்கள் மத்தியில் சேர்வதில்லை.அகத்தீஸ்வரர், குறுமுனி என்றழைக்கப்படும் அகத்தியர் இயற்றிய அகத்தியம் தமிழ் இலக்கியத்தில் முதன்மையும், முதலாவதாகவும் கருதப் படுகிறது.தமிழும் மருத்துவமும் ஜோதிடமும் இறைபக்தியும் இவரிடம் இருந்து மணம் பரப்பின. தமிழகத்தில் உலா வந்த மாபெரும் சித்தரின் சுவையான சரிதம் இது! அகத்தியர் தோற்றம் பற்றி பல விதமாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது.

தாரகன் முதலிய அரக்கர்கள் உலகை வருத்த, அவர்களை அழிக்க இந்திரன், வாயு, அக்கினி ஆகியோர் பூமிக்கு வந்தனர். இவர்களைக் கண்ட அசுரர்கள் கடலுக்குள் ஒளிந்தார்கள். இந்திரனின் யோசனைப்படி அக்கினி வாயுவுடன் கூடி பூமியில் விழுந்து அகத்தியராய் அவதரித்தார் என்றும், மிர்திரர் குடத்திலிட்ட வீரியத்திலிருந்து அகத்தியரும், வருணன் தண்ணீரிலிட்ட வீரியத்திலிருந்து வசிஷ்டரும் அவதரித்தனர் என்றும், மிர்திரர் குடத்திலிருந்து தோன்றியமையால் அகத்தியர் குடமுனி, கும்பயோகிஎன்னும் பெயர்களைப் பெற்றார் என்றும் பலவாரான கருத்துகள் நிலவுகின்றன.

தென் திசைக்கு வந்த அகத்தியர் பொதிகை மலையில் தங்கி முருகக் கடவுளின் ஆணைப்படி "*அகத்தியம்*" என்னும் நூலை இயற்றினார்.இலங்கை மன்னர் இராவணனை தம் இசை திறத்தால் வென்றார் அகத்தியர். தூங்கெயிலெறிந்த தொடித்தோட் செம்பியன் காலத்தில் காவிரி பூம்பட்டிணத்தில் இந்திர விழாவை எடுப்பித்தார். புதுச்சேரிக்கு அருகிலுள்ள 'உழவர் கரை'யில் ஆசிரமம் அமைத்து வேதபுரி பல்கலைக் கழகத்தில் தமிழை போதித்தார். எனவே அவர் தங்கியிருந்த பகுதி 'அகத்தீஸ்வரம்' என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டு அங்கு பெரிய சிவாலயம் கட்டப்பட்டது. அதனை அகத்தீஸ்வரமுடையார் ஆலயம் என்றும் கூறுகின்றனர்.

அகத்தியர் அனந்தசயனம் என்ற திருவனந்தபுரத்தில் சமாதியடைந்ததாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது. ஒரு சிலர் அவர் கும்பகோணத்தில் உள்ள கும்பேசுவரர் கோவிலில் சமாதி கொண்டிருப்பதாகக் கூறுகின்றனர். அகத்தியர் தென்நாடு வந்த வரலாற்றை ஆய்வியல் நோக்கில் திரு.N. கந்தசாமி பிள்ளையின் சித்த மருத்துவ வரலாறு நூலில் காணலாம்.அகத்திய மாமுனி சித்த வைத்தியத்திற்கு செய்த பணி அளவிடற்கரியது. பல நோய்களுக்கும் மருத்துவ சந்தேகங்களுக்கும் சில ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பே தெளிவாக விளக்கம் கொடுத்துள்ளார். அகத்தியர் பெயரில் வெளியாகியுள்ள சமரச நிலை ஞானம் என்னும் நூலில் உடம்பில் உள்ள முக்கியமான நரம்பு முடிச்சுகள்பற்றிய விளக்கம் காணப்படுகிறது. அகத்தியர் ஐந்து சாஸ்திரங்கள் என்னும் நூலில்,பதினெட்டு வகையான மனநோய் பற்றியும் அதற்குரிய மருத்துவம் பற்றியும் விளக்கப்பட்டிருக் கின்றன. அகத்தியர் அஷ்ட மாசத்தில் குழந்தைகளுக்கு ஏற்படும் தோஷங்கள் பற்றி கூறியுள்ளார். *மேலும் அவர் எழுதிய நூல்களில் கிடைத்தவை:*
1. அகத்தியர் வெண்பா, 2. அகத்தியர் வைத்தியக் கொம்மி, 3. அகத்தியர் வைத்திய ரத்னாகரம், 4. அகத்தியர் வைத்தியக் கண்ணாடி, 5. அகத்தியர் வைத்தியம் 1500, 
6. அகத்தியர் வைத்திய சிந்தாமணி, 7. அகத்தியர் கர்ப்பசூத்திரம், 8. அகத்தியர் ஆயுள் வேத பாஷ்யம், 9. அகத்தியர் வைத்தியம் 4600, 10.அகத்தியர் செந்தூரம் 300, 11. அகத்தியர் மணி 4000, 12. அகத்தியர் வைத்திய நூல் பெருந்திரட்டு, 13.அகத்தியர் பஸ்மம் 200, 14. அகத்தியர் நாடி சாஸ்திரம், 15. அகத்தியர் பக்ஷணி, 16. அகத்தியர் கரிசில் பஸ்யம் 200, 17. சிவசாலம், 18. சக்தி சாலம், 19. சண்முக சாலம், 20. ஆறெழுத்தந்தாதி,21. காம வியாபகம், 22. விதி நூண் மூவகை காண்டம், 23. அகத்தியர் பூசாவிதி, 24. அகத்தியர் சூத்திரம் 30, போன்ற நூலகளை இவர் எழுதியதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது. மேலும் 25. அகத்திய ஞானம் என்னும் அகத்தியம் என்னும் ஐந்திலக்கணம், 26 அகத்திய சம்ஹிதை என்னும் வடமொழி வைத்திய நூலும் இவரால் செய்யப்பட்டதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது.அகத்தியர் - தமிழின் ஆதிகவி; - அகத்தியம் எனும் இலக்கண நூலின் ஆசிரியர்; - முதல் தமிழ்ச் சங்கத்தின் புலவர்; - தொல்காப்பியரின் ஆசிரியர். சமணர்களால் போற்றப் படுபவர்களின் பட்டியலிலும் அகத்தியர் இருக்கிறார். ஜாவா, சுமத்திரா தீவுகளுக்குச் சென்று சைவ சமயத்தைப் போதித்த சிவகுருவாகவும் அகத்தியர் இருக்கிறார்.சிலப்பதிகாரம், - மணிமேகலை, - பரிபாடல்களிலும் அகத்தியரைப் பற்றிய குறிப்புகள் இடம் பெறுகின்றன. வேள்விக்குடி சின்னமனூர்ச் செப்பேட்டில் பாண்டியன் புரோகிதர் அகத்தியர் என்று குறிப்புள்ளது. சேக்கிழாரின் பெரியபுராணத்தை ஒட்டி அகத்தியர் "பக்த விலாசம்" எனும் நூலை வடமொழியில் அகத்தியர் எழுதியதாகவும் கூறப்படுகிறது.இதுமட்டுமன்றி ஆழ்வார்களின் பாடல்களைத் தொகுத்த நாத முனிகளும், அகத்தியர் ஆணைபெற்றே நாலாயிரப் பிரபந்தப் பாடல்களைத் தொகுத்ததாக வைணவர்கள் கூறுவார்கள் என்று மயிலை சீனி வேங்கடசாமி குறிப்பிடுகிறார். இப்போதும் அகத்தியர் இருக்கிறார் என்று நம்புகிறவர்கள் இருக்கிறார்கள்.

பதினெண் சித்தர்களில் ஒருவராகவும் அகத்தியர் இருக்கிறார். இவ்வாறு அகத்தியர் - இலக்கியம், -இலக்கணம், - பக்தி, - மருத்துவம், - சமயம் என்று பன்முக ஆற்றல் கொண்டவராக மட்டுமின்றி -தமிழ்-வடமொழி; - சைவம்-வைணவம்; - சமணம்-புத்தம்; - இராமாயணம்-மகாபாரதம்; வடக்கு-தெற்கு; - இமயம்-குமரி, - கங்கை-காவிரி, -வடநாட்டார்-தமிழ்நாட்டார் ஆகியவற்றிற்கிடையே நல்லிணக்கத்திற்கான குறியீடாகவும் திகழ்கிறார்.
குறிப்பாக தனிப்பட்ட மொழி, இனம், மதம், நாடு கடந்து இந்திய கலாச்சார வரலாற்றின் படிமமாக இந்தியா முழுவதற்குமான ஒட்டுமொத்த ஒரே படிமமாக (Icon) அகத்தியர் மட்டுமே தென்படுவது வியப்பையும் பெருமிதத்தையும் தருகிறது. மேலதிக பார்வைக்கு விஜயம் செய்க: http://keyemdharmalingam.blogspot.com/2011/07/1_12.htmlஅன்புடன் கே எம் தர்மா...

Moderately drinking beer promotes cardiovascular health, researchers say

 by Biomechanism 

A study conducted by research laboratories at Fondazione ‘Giovanni Paolo II’ in Italy shows that beer, like wine, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Beer could stand up alongside wine regarding positive effects on cardiovascular health. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by Research Laboratories at the Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura “Giovanni Paolo II”, in Campobasso, Italy. Both for wine and beer the key is moderate and regular drinking.

The research, published today on line by the European Journal of Epidemiology, using the statistic approach of meta-analysis, pooled different scientific studies conducted worldwide in previous years to achieve a general result. This way it has been possible to examine data concerning over 200,000 people, for whom alcohol drinking habits were associated with cardiovascular disease.

Results confirm what was already known about wine: a moderate consumption (approximately two glasses per day for men and one for women) can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, up to 31% less when comparing to non drinkers. What this research adds are new data on beer. For the first time, in fact, evidence about dose-dependent effect is shown for this beverage. Maximum protection is observed, for a beer containing 5% of alcohol, with a consumption of slightly more than an English pint a day.

“In our research – explains Simona Costanzo, first author of the paper – we considered wine and beer separately: you first observe a reduction in cardiovascular risk with low to moderate drinking. Then, with an increasing consumption, you can see that the advantage disappears, until the risk gets higher. The interesting part of our research is that, among the studies selected for this meta-analysis, there were 12 in which wine and beer consumption could be compared directly. Using these data we were able to observe that the risk curves for the two beverages are closely overlapping”.

But beer as well as wine, drinkers, should be cautious before toasting too much at these results. “What we are talking about – says Augusto Di Castelnuovo, head of the Statistic Unit of Research Laboratories and a pioneer in alcohol epidemiological studies – is moderate and regular drinking. I think we will never stress enough this concept. Wine or beer are part of a lifestyle. One glass can pair with healthy foods, eaten at proper time, maybe together with family of friends. There is no place for binge drinking or any other form of heavy consumption.

“The data reported in our meta-analysis – Di Castelnuovo emphasizes- cannot be extrapolated to everybody. In young women still in their fertile age, as an example, alcohol can slightly raise the risk for some kind of cancer. This could counterbalance the positive effect on cardiovascular disease and reduce the overall benefit of alcoholic beverages on health”.

In the similarity between wine and beer regarding positive effects on cardiovascular health there is a still unanswered question: the evidence we are observing derives from alcohol alone or from other substances contained in beverages? Wine and beer are different in composition, except for alcohol, so we could think this is the main player. But they both contain polyphenols, albeit different ones. Researchers at Fondazione “Giovanni Paolo II” underline how this is something to look at more closely in the future.

“A research like this – comments Giovanni de Gaetano, director of Research Laboratories at Fondazione “Giovanni Paolo II” – is part of a concept that our group strongly pursues: to look at people’s real life. Health and disease are conditions deriving from our lifestyle. New therapies, new drugs, are extremely important. But a healthy life, with a strong attitude toward prevention, is the key element of the medicine in the years to come”.

The kindness of strangers: Caring and trust linked to genetic variation

 by Biomechanism 

Scientists have discovered that a gene that influences empathy, parental sensitivity and sociability is so powerful that even strangers observing 20 seconds of silent video identified people with a particular genetic variation to be more caring and trusting.

In the study, 23 romantic couples were videotaped while one of the partners described a time of suffering in their lives. The other half of the couple and their physical, non-verbal reactions were the focal point of the study. Groups of complete strangers viewed the videos. The observers were asked to rate the person on traits such as how kind, trustworthy, and caring they thought the person was, based on just 20 seconds of silent video.

“Our findings suggest even slight genetic variation may have tangible impact on people’s behavior, and that these behavioral differences are quickly noticed by others,” said Aleksandr Kogan, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto and the study’s lead author.

The study builds on previous research conducted by Sarina Rodrigues Saturn, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University. In that study, Saturn and her colleagues linked a genetic variation that affects hormone/neurotransmitter oxytocin’s receptor to empathy and stress reactivity. Saturn is senior author on the new study, which is in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“It was amazing to see how the data aligned so strongly by genotype,” Saturn said. “It makes sense that a gene crucial for social processing would yield these findings; other studies have shown that people are good at judging people at a distance and first impressions really make an impact.”

Before the videos were recorded, the scientists tested the couples and identified their genotype as GG, AG, or AA. Individuals homozygous for the G allele (carrying two copies of the G version of the gene) of the oxytocin receptor tend to be more “prosocial,” defined by researchers as the ability to behave in a way that benefits another person. In contrast, the carriers of the A version of the gene (AG or AA genotypes) tend to have a higher risk of autism, as well as self-reported lower levels of positive emotions, empathy and parental sensitivity.

Oxytocin has already been significantly linked with social affiliation and reduction in stress. It is a peptide made in the hypothalamus and has targets all over the body and the brain. It is best known for its role in female reproduction and is associated with social recognition, pair bonding, dampening negative emotional responses, trust and love.

Out of the 10 people who were marked by the neutral observer as “most prosocial, six carried the GG genotype associated with the oxytocin receptor; of the 10 people who were marked as “least trusted,” nine were carriers of the A version of the gene. The people carrying an A version of the gene were viewed as less kind, trustworthy and caring toward their partners in the video.

“The oxytocin receptor gene in particular has become of great interest because a select number of studies suggest that it is related to how prosocial people view themselves,” Kogan said. “Our study asked the question of whether these differences manifest themselves in behaviors that are quickly detectable by strangers, and it turns out they did.”

What is not known, however, is what occurs from the genetic level to the behavior – that is, the exact way the gene affects the biology underlying behavior is still poorly understood and remains a major topic of inquiry. Saturn, for one, believes that people can and do overcome their genes all the time.

“These are people who just may need to be coaxed out of their shells a little,” she said. “It may not be that we need to fix people who exhibit less social traits, but that we recognize they are overcoming a genetically influenced trait and that they may need more understanding and encouragement.”

Kogan said that many factors ultimately influence kindness and cooperation.

“The oxytocin receptor gene is one of those factors – but there many other forces in play, both genetic and non-genetic,” he said. “How all these pieces fit together to create the coherent whole of an individual who is or is not kind is a great mystery that we are only beginning to scratch.”