Tuesday 25 September 2012

Good news/ Bad news effect

An article in PNAS tells us about how we disregard negative information when making decisions.
Delusions are fixed false beliefs, which means only the negative aspects of a situation is usually highlighted.
In the study mentioned above, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation was used to disrupt the functioning of particular brain areas which prevented incorporation of negative information.
Does this give us a clue to how TMS may be helpful in certain psychiatric disorders?

Friday 13 July 2012

Sand mining
The news that a tractor driver belonging to illegal sand mining mafia tried to mow down an MDO is disturbing. Hope the officer is given necessary protection to carry out his duties.

Thursday 12 July 2012

Random Thoughts

Tiger reserves
The news that the Supreme Court has ordered notification of a buffer zone around tiger reserves makes interesting reading. This should have been done before, but judicial intervention is required sometimes to get things moving!
Urine therapy
There has been an effort to obfuscate matters by saying that the parents of the child who was punished for bed-wetting had requested the warden to "cure" her of the "disease". (http://newindianexpress.com/nation/article565233.ece)
Paraih kites
The news that Paraih kites are being affected by scavenging on toxic animal wastes discharged from slaughter houses makes sad reading. Hygenic disposal of wastes and animal carcasses should be enforced.
Athlete
The news that officials from the NCW will meet Pinki on a fact finding mission is heartening. The advent of such watch dogs is a boon to the comman man.
Ward boy
A curious case of a ward boy applying sutures to a patient has come to light. Transferring officials - does it help? This is a symptom of deeper malaise within the system. An editorial quantifies the shortage of manpower in the healthcare system.
Cheetah
The news that the Mysore zoo has lost 2 cheetahs is unfortunate. Efforts to bring in varieties from a different geographical location is not without difficulties. Hope this will not happen to the tiger.
Boat clinics
Such good things do happen!
Fukushima
A good analysis of the report on Fukushima can be found here.

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Random Thoughts

Pharma gifts
The news that a group of doctors from Madhya Pradesh were 'sponsored' on a foreign jaunt (http://newindianexpress.com/nation/article563822.ece) makes interesting reading. Can this be avoided by transparency in accounting by pharma companies?
Urine Therapy!
The punishment meted out to a child who had bed-wetting is being passed off as "urine therapy" (http://newindianexpress.com/nation/article563590.ece). Strange!
Forests
Smuggling red sanders (http://newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article563914.ece). Yet another instance of human greed taking precedence over passing on natural resources to our posterity.
Manja Thread
The news that human lives are lost to manja thread makes sad reading (http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article563732.ece). It is under such circumstances that we wake up! Birds are also affected by this.
Penalties
There is news that higher officials will pay for the mistakes committed by their subordinates (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/263280/up-officials-face-salary-cut.html). Can this be implemented or is this another publicity stunt?
ಜೈ ವಿ ಕ  ಅ ನಿ ಲ
ಗುಂ ಜ  ಬ ಬ ಲಾ ದ  ಎಂ ಬು ವ  ಗ್ರಾ ಮ ದ ಲ್ಲಿ  ಜೈ ವಿ ಕ  ಅ ನಿ ಲ  ಘ ಟ ಕ ಗ ಳ ನ್ನು 
ಅ ಳ ವ ಡಿಸಿ ರು ವ  ಬ ಗ್ಗೆ  ಇ ಲ್ಲಿ ದೆ . ಎ ಲ್ಲ ರೂ  ಸೇ ರಿ  ಸ ಮು ದಾ ಯ ಘ ಟ ಕ ವ ನ್ನು  ನಿರ್ಮಿ ಸ ಬ ಹು ದಿ ತ್ತೆ ನೊ , ಖರ್ಚು  ಉ ಳಿ ಯು ತ್ತಿ ತ್ತೆ ನೊ !
ಪ್ರಾ ಣಿ ಗ ಳು
ವಿ ದ್ಯು ತ್  ಸ್ಪರ್ಷ : ಕಾ ಡಾ ನೆ  ಸಾ ವು  ಎಂ ದು  ಓ ದಿ ದ್ದು 
ದುಃ ಖ ವಾಯಿತು .  ಮನುಷ್ಯನಿ ಗೆ  ಹೀ ಗಾ ದ ರೆ  ದೊ ಡ್ಡ  ವಿ ಷ ಯ ವೇ  ಆ ಗಿಬಿ ಡು ತ್ತ ದೆ !     

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Punishment

Punishment
The recent incident where a child was punished for bed-wetting (http://newindianexpress.com/nation/article563512.ece) is unfortunate. An awareness about such problems and how they should be managed will help.

Saturday 7 July 2012

Random Thoughts

Suicide
The tragic incident in which a man jumped to death from the Vishveshwaraiah Towers (http://newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/article559655.ece) once again demonstrates the need to strengthen security measures around high rise buildings.
Also an awareness amongst the general public about depression and suicide will lead to early intervention.
Could this have been an impulsive act? The deceased is said to have travelled by an Auto to the spot. It is not known if he had visited the spot before for any other purpose. Appears he was contemplating suicide for quite sometime.
Think of the agony his family members maybe going through, especially that his wife is carrying.
Then there was this news of a 14 years old girl committing suicide. The cause is not clear. Does life skills education in schools help under these circumstances?
Infidelity
News about an alcohol dependent person murdering his wife because he suspected her of EMR. Again there is a lack of awareness that alcohol dependence is commonly associated with delusion of infidelity and that could very well be treated (http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/02/25/stories/2007022500220600.htm).
CSA
News about a school teacher making videoes on his mobile of children attending nature call is apalling. Lack of adequate toilet facilities in many schools make it easy for such individuals to misbehave.
Does he have pedophilia? Will it be evaluated and specific treatment offered?
Western Ghats
The opposition to the "World heritage site" tag given to the western ghats is laughable (http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/article3610313.ece).
Do we have to focus on development which provides short term gains, that too where vested interests are involved?
In a subsequent development the government has taken a decision not to oppose it (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Karnataka-defers-its-plans-to-oppose-World-Heritage-Site-tag-to-Western-Ghats/articleshow/14721082.cms). Such obfuscation cannot be carried out for long.
Fukushima
The report by an independent commission and the op-ed (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article3610518.ece) regarding the nuclear accident makes interesting reading. Is this an effort to deflect attention from the issue at hand - that indiscriminate use of nuclear technology is fraught with perils.
Farmers' suicides
The Opinion Column in The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/sainath/article3595351.ece) talks of 'Data Massaging'.
When will we face up to the reality that the present unsustainable agricultural practices are the cause?
Fight for a cause
The news about the murder of a school teacher, Barun Biswas, who fought against the mafia in West Bengal (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Rape-village-up-in-arms-after-crusaders-killing/articleshow/14726923.cms) makes sad reading. One is reminded of Sathyendra Dubey, Shanmugham Manjunath and others who have laid down their lives for a cause. I was moved to tears when I read about Dubey's death in 2003. Some noise is made after this and everything is asusual later on.
Anna Hazare
A good write up about Anna Hazare can be found here.
It is unfortunate that an individual with such good intentions is not being allowed to protest in a peaceful manner at Jantar-Mantar.
'Sustained Growth'!
A good write up about sustainable development can be found here.
Are we ready to make the lifestyle changes that are necessary to make sustainable development possible?