Yoga for every day...special for fast& stressful life (1) Pachimottanasana

Yoga

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility. Yoga is good for everybody.

Patanjali, ancient indian saint described  “Astanga Yoga” which  consists of eight following limbs -

1. Yama (The five "abstentions"): non-violence, non-lying, non-covetousness, non-sensuality, and non-possessiveness.
2. Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerity, study, and surrender to god.
3. Asana: Literally means "seat", in particular postures.
4. Pranayama ("Suspending Breath"): Prāna, breath, "āyāma", to restrain or stop.
5. Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.
6. Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object.
7. Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of meditation.
8. Samādhi ("Liberation"): merging consciousness with the object of meditation.

In ancient days, students will be taught to practice good behavior (Yama; Sadachar).

Next, in yoga, we need to fill our body with air, so it’s necessary to clear our body from all bodily excretory waste products (Niyama). We practice cleaning nose, ear, stomach etc through several means and also practice Nadi-shodhana so that our body could be filled with more air.

After this, the students are advised to practice “Asana”. After the body gains flexibility and is apt with most of the asanas, students are advised to do pranayams (Asanas with breathing control) and slowly higher forms of yoga.

In todays world, we donot have much time to devote and it is virtually not possible to follow all the Yama and niyama in day to day life. In regular yoga classes people are directly taken to 3^rd step that is to do “Asanas”.

Preparations before doing yoga.

It is better to do yoga in the morning time. If it is not possible then choose your suitable time like in the evenings etc. Ensure that the stomach is empty. Donot do asanas after taking food. Go to toilet and clean colons, clean nose and wash face. That is why its better to do yoga in the morning after getting up and before taking your breakfast. After doing yoga, go to toilet to remove any waste coming out of body but donot bath immediately, take after 30 mins. Take some food after doing yoga, since you might feel hungry after doing these exercises.

Which yoga to do?

Based on ur need and body flexibility, u can choose right asanas for your body. There is no need to do all asanas in a day. U may do 3-4 asanas in a day and may do them alternatively. If you need to cure some problem, do the corresponding asanas for a more time and do other asanas for a less time.

Paschimottanasana

Paschimottanasana

Keep a carpet or blanket on the floor (See above picture). Sit on it keeping ur legs fully relaxed in front, keeping two legs side by side touching each other. Slowly, side wise raise two hands fully expanded above your head. Slowly bend (lean) forward bending and try to touch your feet. Initially you will not be able to easily touch ur feet but slowly with daily practice, body gains flexibility. Stay in the posture for 1 minute and with a gap rest of 1 minute repeat 3-5 times. In case of therapeautics, you can stay for more time, with simple breathing. Come back to normal position after yoga and get on with the fast life as usual. Can be practiced by either gender, children or aged.

Benefits - Its good for digestion, constipation and helps decreasing the increasing belly (abdominal fat). Therapeutic for high blood pressure.

For further reading please follow this LINK

Acknoledgements: Wikipedia

Touch my nose if you can

Click on the link below and try to touch the nose.

http://www.selfcontrolfreak.com/slaan.html

Heriditary colorectal cancers (India)

1. Hereditary Non Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)

HNPCC is a familial syndrome. It essentially means that the probability that one will get some type of cancers (Colon cancer, Rectal cancer, Endometrial cancer, Gastric cancer mainly) is enhanced by several fold higher than a normal person if these type of cancers run in their families for successive generations.

As per the guidelines set by the experts (based on decades of research) one should have a genetic consultation if he/she has

a. Cancer at a relatively young age 

most cancers in general and colorectal cancer in particular is a disease of elderly i.e >60 years of age. If you have colorectal cancer below 50 years of age while having a healthy life style, chances are that you might have inherited it from parents. This does not necessarily mean that you have a familial cancer but it is a point to suspect so.

b. You have a family member who suffered or is suffering from cancer

one of the main aspect of hereditary cancer is that they have repetitive nature with respect to relatives. If any of your close blood-relative suffered or is suffering from cancer (mainly Colon cancer, rectal cancer, Endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of uterus (not cervical cancer which is far more common)) and gastric cancer) and you too suffer from colorectal cancer, you should suspect a familial nature to your disease. 

c) You have cancer which is in the right colon.

HNPCC typically has more propensity to have cancers in right colon. If you have cancer in the right colon at the same time has any other factor such as a relative with cancer or you are young, there is a possibility that it is HNPCC.


What should you do if you suspect you have Familial cancer.

There is some relieving information...HNPCC patients tend to have better outcomes than the non HNPCC colorectal patients. There are specific and widely accepted diagnostic tests (viz. Microsatellite Instability or MSI testing) to identify whether your cancer belongs to HNPCC type.

The bad news is that such tests though relatively simple, are not widely available in India outside research laboratories. In my knowledge only 2-3 laboratories in India conduct the MSI testing that too for research purpose. 

The main reason, i beleive, that MSI testing is not commercially available is that HNPCC is comparatively rare (6-10% of total colorectal cancer from west, FREQUENCY UNKNOWN in India). As such Colorectal cancer is relatively less (compared to breast cancer, cervix, tongue cancer etc) and HNPCC being a miniscule percentage of this, economies of scale cannot be acheived. Though the tests are simple, the necessary equipments are quite costly for diagnostic laboratories.

In my rough estimate the entire test should not cost more than Rs. 3000 for the MSI testing if it were available commercially.

But one can of course consult their clinicians so that they could send their samples (info given below) to the research laboratories ( i will be updating the list of laboratories performing such tests). There are currently some issues with this format. one is that  none of the government run laboratories (where research is done) are authorised to give a service of this kind (from possibly ICMR/IMA/drug comptroller of India etc), hence a fee based service cannot work. There are a few government run research and diagnostic laboratories (my parental organization CDFD is one among them) authorised to give molecular diagnostics services. But most of them are not conducting the MSI testing either due to lack of skilled manpower in the diagnostic divisions or due to the lack of people seeking such services. But i am very hopeful a couple of them might come up in very near future on fee-based service.

This directs one to a research based service.

This means you are a volunteer to a research (fortunately atleast 3 teams in India are researching on familial cancers i will update a list soon).

1) Dr. Devendra Desai -Consultant Gastroenterologist, DNB (Gastroenterology), MD (Gen Med), MBBS - PD Hinduja Hospitals, Mumbai.

 http://www.hindujahospital.com/communityportal/doctors/doctor-details.aspx?did=45&name=dr-devendra-desai&cid=12&cname=

2) Dr. T Rajkumar -SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR, MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY, WIA Cancer Institute, Adayar, Chennai.

 http://www.cancerinstitutewia.org/contact.htm, cancer_institute_wia@vsnl.com

3)Ravindran Ankathil, Ph.D - Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum.

http://rcctvm.org/raviankathil.htm


Your clinician will have to guide you through this. 
You have to give a consent form clearly stating that you are aware of what research you are volunteering, and you cannot claim monetary or any other benefits from the research outcome. You have to also affirm that you didnot undergo any procedure solely for the research (that is the research is to be done on biopsy/resection performed by your hospital to your cure earlier in the hospital). Normally good hospitals preserve the tissue specimen in paraffin blocks (which is called FFPE blocks) and one can access those specimen for years. The MSI testing is heavily dependent on these blocks and how well they were prepared. so if the hospital procedures are not good it might fail. upto 2-3 years post surgery the blocks could be used for MSI (provided the preparation of blocks were good). Your clinician will have to send the blocks corresponding to the TUMOR and NORMAL margin.
Since the research laboratories are not bound by any legal necessities to give you any feed back at all, you cannot ask them to perform the tests and give it in a stipulated time. It has to be solely based on request and not by authority. 
I agree that this is a sad state of affairs, but that is all what one can do. But believing in positive side of humanity one can expect the results in 2-3 weeks, if the researchers agree. The researchers will surely want your family inheritance profile, and they would want you to consent for the data to published in public domain (at the same time keeping your details to identify you anonymous)

Also please be advised that there are no legal framework or guidelines for such a methodology yet. the researchers are bound by ethical rules which states that the volunteers cannot be lured for any sort of benefit at all (and the result of testing may be construed as a benefit). Also privacy of medical aspects of volunteers is absolute must in research, and revealing them is criminal offense (secrecy of information clause). So if you are heading this way clearly understand the complications in such mode, and be patient and tolerant to the research teams.

What next if you know you could get MSI testing done

An MSI test positive (in technical jargon MSI-High) indicates that there is high probability of a family history of tumor of HNPCC type. But this test doesnot confirm that you have HNPCC cancer. Yet  the result of MSI has its own implication. This will indicate (if you are lucky enough to get the results in time) that you may have to be treated differently unlike other colorectal patients. Unfortunately here again many clinicians are unaware/unsure of the molecular approach to therapy. But there are  quite a few who are well versed in this approach and many tertiary centres have dedicated clinicians for molecular therapy. Also this could mean that you have a better chance of surviving cancer than others with colon cancer. Also since HNPCC is familial your immediate relatives can be advised to be cautious for any signs of cancer or to undergo consultation with doctors in regular intervel (mind you MSI will not confirm the familial nature, but you could be safe than sorry). Recurrence in same patient is also common so be a more vigilant on these aspects and may alter unhealthy lifestyle.

To confirm the MSI testing a rather elaborate procedure is to be performed. There are diagnostic markers (typically Immunohistochemistry) which  can identify the faulty gene (inheritance factor) which triggered your tumor initiation. Once the gene is identified, gene sequencing from your blood can be performed to pinpoint the region where the gene is faulty (which is referred as mutation). if you could identify the faulty region of the gene, by gene sequencing you can confirm that you have HNPCC

These last methods are typically very costly and as per my estimate the first time confirmation of HNPCC might cost you atleast 20-30 thousand rupees. But if you are volunteer in a research project you may get to know the mutation free of cost, but as i mentioned above, there is no guarantee that your mutation will be identified nor is it a great way to go.  

What if you come to know you are HNPCC patient

As a disclaimer i will forewarn you that knowing own fate is not a pleasing experience. Nothing can be done to correct the faulty genes in your body (with the current technology, though in distant future such methods might be developed). But so is the case if you had only one functional kidney or you had AMD (a degenerative disease with progressive loss of vision). But keeping a positive life to what ever available makes a difference. By knowing that you are HNPCC patient you are just informed about a proability of you to develop cancer and not a certainty. It infact helps you by which you can have your efforts to stay cancer free. Each and every one has a probability to develop cancer and it is only that you have a bit more probabilty. It is like if you are a driver...every traveller has a chance to die of accident but a regular driver has more chance.

If you come to know you are an HNPCC patient that implies that your relatives are also having risk of cancer so is the case with your children or next generation. But by knowing that you have HNPCC you can be cautious with your health and be watchful for any signs of cancer. You can also get your relatives checked for the presence of faulty gene and who ever inherited the faulty gene could be advised to be cautious and to undergo annual colon checkups. Such checks can identify any dangerous development early, and early identification is the best available way for fighting cancer. Also different treatment could be opted if unfortunately any of relatives develop cancer. A healthy lifestyle habit can keep cancer to some extend at bay.

Familial cancers tend to strike very early in life i.e 20-30 years. Loss of life at this age will be traumatic for the rest of family members. But screening may be helpful in identifying cancers early (and could be cured completely by surgery). The risk of developing cancer is quite high in HNPCC if you inherit a faulty gene (50-80% of the persons inheriting the faulty gene might develop cancer, depending on the nature of mutation)

But from a common man's view point HNPCC is nothing specifically bad. Every human is destined to die and ones natural death is largely dependent on the inheritance. Almost all of us have  one or the other faulty genes (ranging from simple vitiligo (patchy white areas in skin) to diabetics to cancer). So if you have cancer donot be depressed that you are cursed, but be informed that you have a little bit severe defect than others (i.e none are holier than thou). 


Also as a molecular biologist i will like to assure you that molecular medicine is undergoing revolutions. In future we may have cures also available.

If you or any one of your relative is suffering from HNPCC or Colorectal cancer I wish you speedy recovery and a cancer free life for rest of life.

If you have any comments, suggestion or queries please do put it up to me...I can try to help you with whatever limited knowledge i have in this.

regards,
Ratheesh. R
Laboratory of Molecular oncology
Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics
Hyderabad.

Coming soon, yoga tips for healthy living

Please stay tuned...daily tips on yoga to stay fit and fine and improve the longivity.
visit this space next week.

They say great people have great humor!

Now we regularly hear people blaming the government for all their miseries. It starts from lack of political will to redeem them, goest through lack of infrastructure, and even to the extend that if monsoon is delayed the government is held responsible
Recently we have rediscovered a few more addition to this, not tackling corruption and black money, not doing sufficient to improve the economic situtation, price rise especially petrol etc.

But no one can blame that our beloved governement lacks humor ...and in my personal opinion he/she should be sent to mental asylums. If some one is not still convinced please read the article below.
it is about fixing the demarcation of our most coveted status the Below Poverity Line (BPL... sounds like a euphemism?)

Please take time to read and have a hearty laugh... especialy the final para are the best

here is the LINK

When they say great people have great humor and since we have great humor ain't we great?!!!

courtesy: Times of India

Oh my lord, forgive me if i am wrong

Folks, last week we have had seen the grandeur ceremony of Nimarjanam of Lord Ganesha (the immersion of Ganesh idols), where in the streets of Hyderabad was filled with thousands and may be lakhs of devotees bidding adieu to the lord they were ritually worshipping for a ten day period with every one having a prayer on their lips, 'please take our sorrows along with you, and come again next year early'.  The ritual was marked by different local organising committees almost fiercely competing to keep bigger and better idols than that of others, a matter of local pride. And following which was immersion, mainly in the Hussain Sagar Lake, where the government without fail had arranged big cranes. The even went on peacefully with even the rains not playing spoiler this time. And surprisingly this year approximately 40000 Idols were there for the ritual, 40000 idols

And as usual we are carrying ahead our lives, without even bothering to ponder what happened to our Ganesha. As many might know the Hussain sagar lake is not one might even want to wet their feet, where most of the dirty water of the city is drained. But fortunately there are the people who make these idols who scavenge these plaster of paris and clay idols and use it as the scaffold for the next year. 

An idol in making courtesy: http://www.pulkitvasudha.com

These people whose livelyhood is on the yearly festivals of Vinayaka Chathurthi and Durga pooja are sculptors who originate from different parts of our country. And do the service from makeshift tents spread around Hyderabad, as Kukatpally, Uppal etc.

But if one wants to see what happens to your idol after you forget it, it will be a sad story.

It is thrown along with other garbage, sometimes broken. Even broken is the story of the people who make it.

OK, let us not worry about the environment. Let us not worry about the people who make it. After all India is the land of people who live in dreams, who has no time to see others sorrows as we ourselves are having enough to worry, and yes because of this event many lively hoods are met. what is so new about it.

what made me write the article is not related to any of the concerns listed above. As we, among the privileged and gifted people, were having the daily tea and as ofcourse in the dead of the night at the night tea shop (a regular entertainment for the late night workers like me), we see many of the homeless people sleeping on the roadside and the shop verandahs (and often jeolously looking at their gifted sleep, that they could have sleep in those pathetic conditions too, which we barely have in our luxurious mattresses under the fan, and underneath the bedsheets). Ofcourse as our country is over resourced with the homeless, it is okey, no problem. But as we are having our daily cups, we see those sleep-angel gifted people being forced by the authorities in the dead of sleep to flee from the locality to search for a new place to lay their heads. I guess the street dogs have more luxury!. And unfortunate though this all happened under a tricolour.

One of the scenes after Nimarjan, this is what our beloved Lord after we conveniently forget him undergoes.

Fair to say, it will be unfair to blame the authorities, for these homeless people rarely keep the area clean and often urinate or dirty the area, which is one of the prime commercial are. Needless to mention the security scenario of our country is nothing enviable either and these men in uniform are accountable for any untoward incidents. (I wish all those ******* bombers who target our helpless citizens will go to hell (if there is one), for all that they manage to do is to cutdown the business of nights, increase the unpleasant frisking in airports and railway stations and give the governments a reason to curb the citizens freedom, and at the same time the people of upper echelons (who are the decision makers) rarely seem to be worried on any of these scoundrels handyworks). The average citizen of India barely can make the decision whether to have tea or coffee (and not even know whom they vote for except the election symbols), what change are these $#%$ terrorists expecting to make out of their bombings?. Hope one day they will answer the God.

But what  struck me was that why blame the authorities when we ourselves are to be blamed for. We have the money to spend scores of thousands or may be Lakhs of Rupees on competitively making big and better Ganesha. We have money running in to several tens of thousands to organise the rally of bidding farewell to Ganesha. Oh...did i forget to mention the Prasadam (normally sweets or Pulihara (a local rice dish) we do distribute to all the onlookers. We have the money to book huge cranes for. But did any one ever ponder had we made 10% of the money we grandiosely spend on these rituals, or make smaller Ganeshas, to make a dormitory for the homeless, it would have more than sufficiently saved the embarrassing scenario of waking up one from their sleep (one of the biggest sin as per Hindu beliefs: refer- Hyagreeva Puranam) and that too an underprivileged sleep. It could have augured well to the security situation, overall cleanliness too...

Idol makers, a baby girl playing with an unfinished Ganesha; courtesy: The Hindu.

We could have made smaller Ganeshas, with maximum 1 ft and then could have easily immersed him in an artificial tank, having clean water, any where in the city. It could have been much more ecofriendly and thus Lord friendly if we have it made of soluble material which is not toxic. We could have had intricately designed sculptures but smaller, so that our sculptors doesnt go hungry? 

But as usual who bothers?...After all Ganesha for us has nothing to do with the love to lord rather than show of strength, to intimidate the other religions...right? Did it occur to anyone that such intimidation will further tear apart the communal harmony (which anyway is fully torn). Balgangadar Tilak transformed the Ganesh Chathurthi into a big event for the union of people, to fight our colonisers and to maintain communal fabric among hindus. Are we using the same sword to break apart?

Why dont we transform the festival of our beloved lord to an eco friendly, social friendly event bridging the communal gap. Why dont we solve our social issues in a modest way by using the festival as an event for charity.

Of course, as we Indians we donot give a thought worth a grain of salt to anything other than the shoes of Hina Rabbani, weight of Aishwarya Rai after pregnancy, score of India in Lords, the number of days Anna Hazare spent at Ramlila Maidan, do We?

And I have a prayer to Lord Ganesha...

If I have expressed here is anything against your wishes oh lord please forgive me for my ignorant thoughts, but if atleast anything is with yours please give me the wisdom to understand these....

As a tail peice...

In my childhood I read a story from the Esop Fables (which i have quoted extravagantly). the story goes as this
 

Street dwellers in Mumbai, obvious scene in any of our cities

A wise man who was a scholar was so scholarly that even god the almighty had respect on him. Once he was invited to the heavenly abode by none other than almighty, even while he was alive.  He was taken to heaven and the scholar was very pleased. But he conveyed his wish to the lord that he wish to see hell too. God was not willing, but atlast yielded to the scholars demand. Contrary to his perception Hell was not all that bad. There were no frying pans, no fire, no chilling wind either. There was a  table around which a group of people were seated. Every one had the best ever delicacies in front of them. The scholar was amazed that even after having food infront of them the sinners looked eternally hungry. But on close observation he saw that their hands are tied to a big spoon, with the elbows being tightened with the tail of spoon making it immobile, and it was not possible to take the food from the table and put it in own mouth.

By seeing this scenario the scholar laughed his stomach out. God was not amused and asked him what was so funny there to laugh so much. to which the schoral quipped...

"oh Lord, you are not after all as wise as i thought, infact you are stupid...these sinners cannot take the food from own plate and feed themselves agreed...but they can of course use the spoon to feed some one seated opposite to them (because only the elbows are immobile, while the hand is free). They can easily circumvent your clever torture technique"

 

The Lord retorted: " After all it is you the one who are not wise enough, had they been willing to do this while they were on earth, or ever, they wouldnt have been here in hell, will they?"

the scholar bowed his head in shame...

Disclaimer: I have used many of the images published, but for representation purpose only. Nobodies copy right violation is intended. Kindly bring it to my notice if any one has objection to the contents here.

Photo courtesy and copy rights:  http://www.pulkitvasudha.com, The Hindu, Wikipedia, The times of India

The economics lessons.

Dictators failing, but why the democracies...

I found this article by Thomas Friedman interesting. It is about the recent trend of overthrowing dictators and failing democracies. The last part is exceedingly good especially from the United States perspective. Please find time to read.
READ HERE


March to socialism under Indira.

Some how i feel the economist guys are very well paid for an armchair job. Else they will not comment so obnoxiously. Many feel economics is all about money making and not about profit or no humane. I do completely otherwise. what is the point of having a 20% growth, where 80% have no proper food, education, medical facilities. Only thing we then would be proud of having 499 of forbs500 billionaires are from India. This they call reforms, which means...yea give us opportunity so that we will make money (only for us is unsaid). In Indira's time, India had a larger than life image, did so much of unthinkables such as stopping the privie purse, creation of Bengladesh and much more. More than anything she has to be acknoledged as a person who integrated India. Had we left it for these economist guys I would have been writing this from the Thanashahi Republic of Hyderabad.
my view is economics is much more valuable than the typical cutthroat business and more than you egomaniac economists think...it is one of the most humane subjects which touches every human. Give the humane value to it.

Those of you feeling to read the article is HERE 

think about it,,,,,,,,,,

Hi friends,

following articles tells the very sad aspect of the science.
being in this field for more than 7-8 years, came across with not many but definitely quite a few people whose heart for the science is really sick.

http://www.labtimes.org/labtimes/issues/lt2011/lt02/lt_2011_02_24_31.pdf

more to come,,,,,,,,,

**
Hi,
Just for lazy persons these links may very well work:
* The politics of publication 
* Challenging the Tyranny of Impact Factors
* Playing the journal to give low impact factor journal more clout  ( Reply to this view)
* Rank injustice and misallocation of credits
* Mismeasurement of science
* Real lives and white lies in the funding of scientific research
* Men, women and ghosts in science
* Issues in INDIAN Science
* Issues on Visa exemptions to Scientists
* Ethics of Research the Freedom to 'withdraw'.
* Determining "Authorship"
* Achievement Index
* Who should define the ethics?
* Informed consent for clinical trials?
* Policies of Injuries to research participants in INDIA
* Group theory
* Fraud in Medical Research
* Ethics in Writing: Scientific Plagiarism, how to stay away?
* Fraud and Misconduct in Scientific Publications
* Retracted Science and the retraction index.
* Researcher faces prison for fraud in NIH grant.
* Misconduct by Postdocs lead to retraction of papers.
* Nature's Peer review debate:
                         * Reviewers reports should in turn be peer reviewed.

                         * Referee Factor

Now here is an alternate view on Anna

"Many Worlds Interpretation" in Quantum Physics, Shrodinger Cat, where each point has alternate possibilities

Here is a very interesting alternate view on Anna's movement. He is very critical of the movement and on Anna. Thought we should share alternate views also. Though his ideas may be as maverick as the Baba Ramdev's,and has inherent flaws, I thought it is for the reader to decide what is right and what is not. But his analysis is very good. Please take time to read

you can read the article BY CLICKING HERE
I want to add an editorial published in The Hindu with the topic that "Anna is not INDIA and nor INDIA Anna".

Disclaimer: We at Ratz corner tries to be as neutral as we can (except when it comes to poverity, and human sufferings), so the views represented are in no way subscribed by us, and not in the other way around too...

Patriotism only skin deep

I am sure many of our citizens might have celebrated the freedom (with all the limitation what so ever it has) with pride and buzzing patriotism. And it is no wonder that the plastic/paper flags (mostly made in China!) of India are selling like hot cakes in the season. But as usual with our use and throw attitude (a criminal carelessness i guess) most of us might have dumped it in nearby bins or as usual thrown it as litter on road sides.
Jan Lokpal Bill http://www.box.net/shared/tyqqc9d0rl8xgglqxpmj

As per the code for national flag it is criminal to dump our flag, which of course represent our billion+ Indians, the sacrifice of our brothers and sisterns in uniform and otherwise and the centuries worth of pain and hardships our freedom fighters endured. It represents the Kubers and poors, the well to do and the helpless (majority) alike. It also represents our future. so any one carelessly handling the flag is actually unknowingly disrespecting ourselves.
Govy Lokpal Bill http://www.box.net/shared/k9bz7pfzj6q6s0us9mil

The point i am writing is that i saw a few students dressed up with tricolor caps collecting the littered flags to be taken care of in a legitimate manner. But first of all why should one throw the flag in such careless manner. if one is so careless, why to use the flag at first, will the patriotism be any less without the flag.

Jan Vs Govt Lokpal http://www.box.net/shared/ndtmbhdxpmhgvqqemgis

So next time think about it before waving the flag that it doesnt end up in a garbage bin or under someones foot.

Since the fervor is not going to come down govt should make it mandatory that the flags are collected in a much better way after use in proper collection baskets. or better alternatives could be applied.

Now it is time for open science...

Open Access logo

We all know very well about open access publications. But open science?, many might not have known about it, at least I have not. It involves performing experiments with the full scrutiny of public. That is exactly what Dr.Rosie Redfield, a microbiologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver been trying to do.

Interestingly the decision to do 'open science' was to answer controversial results published in a much scientific way. Many will remember the controversy surrounding the 'Arsenophagist' bacteria which were touted to incorporate arsenic, a toxic substance, to its genome if slowly deprived of phosphates. This had created a storms eye, since it gives novel dimensions to the molecular genetics as we know. But later there were hues and cries from around the world that the work indeed is nothing but a sensationilization and even possible plagiarism. The study was dismissed as a myth (though it was published in Science).

In her laboratory Dr. Redfield is trying to emulate all the steps as initially claimed by the previous authors infront of full public glare, while knowing fully that confirming such results will be almost impossible. But that doesnt deter the scientist.she has already got two negative results, first that the bacteria dies when slowly deprived of phosphates, and second that the bacteria cannot tolerate arsenic. These were the claims made by the original research groups.

Apparently this is not the first time such open science is being done. Previously, Dr Paul Docherty, a chemist, had performed similar open science to debunk the myth that sodium hydride could oxidise an alcohol

The open science has its demerits...the major one is about being scooped

But merits are too there...since the publicity avoids the work being reproduced elsewhere, a kind of intellectual property right. Then the work can be guided by interested scientists if something goes wrong by a mile. Again the plagiarism type of things may not come up.

One can only wish that science opens up to become open science in near future.

Disclaimer: The article content is adapted from an article titled Open science — a transparent and novel way to do research : you can read the news by clicking here

copy right and courtesy: The Hindu   Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Coverage of the Great Recession -part2 (the mummy returns!)

to all who are concerned about the economies around the world in the trouble times...
Here we are giving a coverage of opinions from various economists about the great recession-2

here is the first one by Thomas Friedman, a three time Pulitzer prize winner, and journalist on economics. Very very sane one, i will say a must read if you have 5 minutes to spare

 click here to read

Globalization out of Hands

After the cold war, many in the West felt that it is the end of socialism as they knew and it is a 'new, efficient, powerful, and everlasting' daring world of capitalism and its horse globalization.

Yes, the globalization has pulled out millions from poverity and created a 'brave(?)' world order, where the 'either perform or perish' was the motto, which later clearly gave way to 'outperform and later perish'.

No one ever seriously took into consideration where the world set up is heading and what will happen if one day things go out of control. All were happy the cold war is over and USSR and allies perished. All the credits were taken with a self pat on back. Gave all importance to only Individuals and forgot the society. Now neither individuals nor the society knows for sure how to pull out of the soup created by them. here is a small news item from economic times...

click here to read

other voice of Paul Krugman (the politica/economics writer for Guardian which regularly appears in The Hindu, he blames the S&P's credibility alongside the extremist rightist capitalists
click here to read

And here is a view from none other than Warren Buffet (who counts among the top richie richs in the world!), it is quite interesting how a billionaire is supporting higher tax regimes...a very rare species in the current world order.
you can read the article by clicking HERE

And how our IT is having a sword hanging on head
read here

HOW IS IT GOING TO AFFECT THE INDIANS

here is a pretty good and simple article by a professor of IIM, Ahemadabad, which lists out the positive prospects for India out of the current recession, and tries to explain what went wrong and where is it going wrong...please take time to read it is a small article
CLICK HERE to read article in economic times

more to follow...

courtesy: Economic times

Some bizzare news on corruption

Anna Hazare "The Gandhian Icon of fight against corruption"

I found this in the Hindu...
it is about a poll conducted nationwide.
seems quite surprising (apologies i couldnt read it fully)

interested people can follow the link

it will be telecasted at 10.00 pm IST today in CNN-IBN

pls read the pdf article by clicking HERE

courtesy: The Hindu, CNN-IBN

I am also adding some interesting links related to Anna and any body interested in this honest person should go through them. Most of them are from media; many of us miss them.

* http://www.annahazare.org/

* http://www.newsbullet.in/video/india/14927-government-deceived-us-says-anna

* http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Anna-Hazare

* http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/who-is-anna-hazare-96883

* http://khabar.ndtv.com/2011/07/09164137/Anna-new-statement.html

* http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DlRSMbAiq92g&ei=WcNBTqzIBcbQrQeOi_28Bw&usg=AFQjCNFU7NBvVa3ckTkbItn1vbGf1o9aBQ&sig2=n_gYdbHpX044Hh_OwJHXjw

* http://www.newsbullet.in/video/india/6762-exclusive-interview-with-anna-hazare

* http://business.in.com/interview/close-range/anna-hazare-i-asked-pm-whether-his-team-shares-his-values/23682/1

* http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13017897

Alone in the crowd (Bheed mein Akela)

Just my thoughts in a poetic sense,

When the days become lengthy, nights become a night mare, when nobody understands me,
jab sach kahne se meri duniya jal jaaye, jab insanon ki is jangal mein, maanavta ki is dharti par, main kuchh kahna chaahoon,
log kahan sunte hain,
main jaise ek ateet ki awaaz hoon, jo kitabon ke panne mein padi sisakti rahti hai,
ek nannhi si bulbul se poochho jab phoolon ko apna raag sunati hai, kya anand use aata hoga,
but Insaaanon ki is baghiya meri sada kaun sunta hai,
jab tadpoon apne man mein, dil kuchh kahna chaahe, kuchh sunna chaahe,
but when ur sounds echo long and comes back to me, tab mujhe lagta hai,
I am alone in the crowd of man, main tanha hoon bheed mein akela....bilkul akela

When the days become lengthy, nights become a night mare, when nobody understands me,
जब सच कहने से मेरी दुनिया जल जाए, जब इंसानों के इस जंगल में, मानवता की इस धरती पर, मैं कुछ कहना चाहूँ,
लोग कहाँ सुनते हैं ?
मैं जैसे एक अतीत की आवाज़ हूँ, जो किताबों के पन्नों में पड़ी सिसकती रहती  है,
एक नन्ही सी बुलबुल से पूछो जब फूलों को अपना राग सुनती है, क्या आनंद उसे आता होगा !
बुत-इंसानों की इस बगिया मेरी सदा कौन सुनता है?
जब तडपूं अपने मन में, दिल कुछ कहना चाहे, कुछ सुनना  चाहे,
but when your sounds long and come back to me, तब  मुझे  लगता  है,
I am alone in the crowd of man, मैं  तन्हा  हूँ  भीड़  में  अकेला ....बिलकुल अकेला......  

Love at the times of ...(recession?)

Now, among all these serious topics i found this love story, especially a modern one. Now a days, love, i guess, has given way to casual 'relationships' which are mostly instantaneous and shorlived. Though this story is a usual one, with out any speciality in it, what touched me was the narrative and persistence from the two people which may have sustained itself from other 'better offers'.

thought i will bring a lighter entertaining topic, and this one is dedicated to my fellow researchers who forgets to finds time for love, till they are POST-their marriageable days (Research guys find they missed love when their hairline receeds like economy of Europe, and the gal compatriots find it when their visible beauty has waned to an extend that the guys barely notice them even in their best dress (no hard feelings plz)....and both find it a lost youth when what they are left with is Ph.D minus the enthusiasm, low grade papers unlike the natures they vied in childhood days, and gloomy future just like the guys who found a thrilling youth)...

It was published in Timescrest (C), a premium site of Times of India. Hence those who are following the link below may have to sign in with their mail Ids to read it. Also Timescrest is going to be a paid premium service in a few months, the free to read will not work after that. But it is worth reading

So guys/gals, time is not lost for love till you lost the love for life, all the best...go ahead

here is the link..JAB THEY MET

Courtesy and article copy right: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.        Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

The worst feared is here

Standards & Poors, the worlds leading credit rating agency has down graded the US credit as AA+ a few miles from the AAA rating i was holding till now. should wait and watch what will be the effect of the downgrading on already volatile global economy. Also our feild is going to get affected if US is in trouble.

will post details

you can read the news HERE

And we have an INDIAN CONNECTION too to the down grading, come on, when 1 out of 5 person in world is Indian, you wont be surprised, would you?..

The person who is heading the agency which has downgraded, Mr.Deven Sharma, is an American of Indian Origin. He did his schooling from Jharkhand, bachelors from BITS mesra. 

you can read about him in details HERE

courtesy: Economic times, The Hindu

Sometimes passion for science can be crazy, but this is extreme...

Operation Ivy Mike; A nuclear fusion experiment in the 50s

This guy I think has been one of the honest and benign scientist; his aim- to follow his passion and do what his heart says, his work yard- his own kitchen, but that is fine what is wrong with him.

Well, he wanted to emulate nuclear fission in his kitchen!. The poor 'scientist' was arrested for endangering citizens life and for illegal possession of nuclear material. All of this started when a nuclear

laboratory in Sweden received a phone call from an 'amateur' nuclear scientist enquiring whether he can make a nuclear reactor at home!. They inturn alerted the police who arrested him swiftly. The 'scientist' was found to be in possession of certain nuke material and chemicals. Apparently one of his efforts exploded as per his blog.

Now it is well known that society has not been too good to scienists...but the poor 'amateur nuclear scientist' must have not known it...cruel society, aint it?

you can read the 'poor mans' story HERE

courtesy: The Hindu      Photo courtesy: wikipedia

and this one for cricket lovers

While we have all seen dismissals in cricket there are always some dismissals which raise eyebrows for their bizzare effects. Here is a good  of them as published in Times of India. Many of us might have seen all of them live but still worth seeing them once again...

http://www.indiatimes.com/photostory/9442702.cms

courtesy:  Times of India        Photo courtesy: Wikipedia