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March 2013
Newsletter of Sri Ramachandra University
….Connecting SRU
Our Campus Archway to Academics
From the Editor’s Desk
Bridges - Connecting SRU
Bridges Committee
Patron:
Shri. V. R. VenkataachalamChancellor
Advisory Board:
Prof. J. S. N. MurthyVice-Chancellor
Prof. S. RangaswamiProfessor of Eminence inMedical Education
Prof. K.V. SomasundaramDean of Faculties
Prof. Jayanthi Mohan
Editor-in-Chief:
Dr. Sheela Ravinder. S.
Editor:
Ms. Hemalatha C. R.
Co-Editor:
Mr. Antony Leo Aseer P.
Editorial Board:
Mr. Abhinand P. A.
Dr. Archana P. Kumar
Dr. Ganesh V. Prof. Kalpana Suresh
Dr. Nithya Jagdish
Prof. Prakash Boominathan
Prof. Sandhya Sundaram
Dr. Sreelekha B.
Secretarial Assistance:
Ms. Stella Augustus
Ms. Geetha R.
Photography:
Mr. Anand Kumar A.
Art & Design:
Mr. Arunagiri S.
Printing:
Mr. Velayudam S.
Dept. of OBGYN
Beloved Readers,
Let us stay connected…
With less than a month left for most examinations, many students find themselves
under stress, weighed down by parental expectations and peer pressure. A program to
improve student-teacher dynamics in the campus stresses the need to foster positive
relationships with students to meet their developmental, emotional and academic needs.
‘Prevention is better than cure’ is a known adage. Early clinical screening tests at the
genetic level can prevent many diseases and prolong our lifespan says ‘Believe it or Not’.
Global news in this issue reveals that scientists are into an uphill struggle of making heart
cells from a patient's own tissue, avoiding the risk of immune rejection.
Success at work doesn't depend on the amount of time we work, but depends on the
quality of work. So, let us take time to replenish ourselves and meet the challenges ahead.
Sheela Ravinder. S. Editor-in-Chief
Cover Photo Courtesy:Ms. K. Dharini I yr., MBBS
Memories
Under the auspices of the American Heart Association, Depts. of Accident and Emergency & Pediatrics conducted a workshop on BLS, ACLS & PALS
th thfrom 11 to 19 May 2007.
Dear Editor,
The online version of Bridges keeps me updated with all the activities taking place
at SRU. I really like ‘Your Corner’ and ‘Believe it or Not’ sections. Last month's ‘Kallooriyil
Thamizh’ poem was really delightful. I would like to specially congratulate the entire team thof Bridges on the occasion of the 25 Bridges Book Review.
Mr. I. Ali Mohammad YunusAlumnus (2008-2010),
Faculty of Management
Letters to the Editor
Happenings
Bridges - Connecting SRU
Dept. of Pediatrics & Pe d i a t r i c H e m a t o -Oncology Services and Med Hope Foundation (an initiative by medical students for hemato-oncology in Pediatrics) observed
th on 18 Feb. Mr. Jayam Ravi, Actor was the Chief Guest. He released a souvenir, Vizhigalil Vanavil. 800 people including 110 cancer survivors and their family members participated.
International C h i l d h o o d C a n c e r
Awareness Day
The International Conference on
was conducted
by the members of the CITI-India Program, members of
ethics committees and the Dept. of Community Medicine,
SRU in collaboration with the University of Miami, USA th thon 4 & 5 Mar. His Excellency, Dr. K. Rosaiah, Governor
of Tamil Nadu inaugurated the conference and released
the conference proceedings & India-specific GCP
modules (an online web based research ethics education
program). There were 10 scientific sessions, one free
paper awards session, four parallel group discussions and eight parallel free paper sessions. The resource faculty included various
International and National experts from the field of research ethics and research methodology. 329 participants across the country
attended.
Updates in Research
Ethics and Research Methodology 2013
Dept. of Pulmonary Medicine conducted a
n dP G C M E , t h e 2
rd thon 23 & 24 Feb. 76
PGs attended.
Ramachandra Rapid Review in Respiratory Medicine (RRRR) - 2013
D e p t . o f O r a l & Maxillofacial Pathology organized the f i rs t
th thfrom 25 to 27 Fe b. 6 0 d e l e g a t e s participated.
National Rapid Review Course, MicroSCOPE
2013
March ‘13
D e p t . o f S p e e c h , Language & Hearing Sciences organized a training program on
stfrom 21 thto 27 Feb. The program supported by SmileTrain focused on
the interdisciplinary approach in individuals with cleft lip and palate. Seven Speech Language Pathologists from cleft clinics across the country attended this program.
C o m m u n i c a t i o n Disorders Related to Cleft Lip and Palate: A s s e s s m e n t &
Management
Dept. of Radiology conducted the
from th th14 to 17 Feb. 280
delegates benefited. G o l d m e d a l s a n d certificates have been
instituted by RARE and the Dept. of Radiology in the names of the former Heads of the department Dr. V. Vaidyanathan, Prof. R. Natarajan and Prof. D. R. Subramanian.
Annual RARE (Ramachandra Advanced Radiology Education) 2013
ndOn 22 Feb. the Dental E d u c a t i o n U n i t organized an interactive seminar -
aimed at the teachers to handle s t u d e n t - t e a c h e r dynamics. The guest s p e a k e r s w e r e Dr. Radhika Soundarajan, Director, Seva Krupa Home and Mr. M. Victor Louis Anthuvan, Prof. of Finance, Loyola College. 150 delegates participated.
To Sir with
Love…
T h e
was organized by CRF,
Faculty of Pharmacy,
Dept. of Medicinal
Chemis t r y and S r i
Ramachandra Innovis
(unit of Sri Ramachandra th thMedical Center) from 11 to 14 Feb. This program was sponsored
by DST-New Delhi, American Chemical Society and IUPAC, USA.
Dr. T. Ramasami, Secretary, DST was the chief guest. MoU was
signed between Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and
Faculty of Pharmacy during the conference. More than 100
delegates participated.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l
Conference on Medicinal
Chemistry-India 2013
A c a d e m i c a n d Administrative Audit Committee comprising of Dr. S. Rangaswami, former Vice-Chancellor & P r o f e s s o r o f Eminence - MEU (SRU), Dr. C. Thangamuthu, former Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, Dr. C. Bhasker Rao, former Vice-President, Dental Council of India and Dr. P. Ramasamy, former
thVice-Chancellor, Alagappa University visited SRU from 11 to th13 Feb.
Bridges - Connecting SRU
March ‘13
Tamizhodu tamizhaga, the of SRU
w a s i n a u g u r a t e d by Thiru. V. Irai Anbu, IAS, Principal Secretary to Govt., Dept. of P e r s o n n e l & Administrative Reforms (Training), Govt. of TN
ndon 2 Feb.
Tamizh mandram
D e p t . o f C l i n i c a l Psychology conducted a workshop on
nd on 2 & rd3 Feb. Dr. J. P. Das, Director, Developmental Disabilities Center
and Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta & Ms. Swagatika Samantaray, Educator, The Learning Clinic, Bhubaneshwar were the resource persons. 50 delegates attended.
Planning A t t e n t i o n - A r o u s a l , S i m u l t a n e o u s & Successive Theory of Intelligence: Cognitive Assessment System,
Prep and Cogent
De p t . o f OBGYN
conducted the
thfrom 8 thto 13 Feb. Around 400
delegates attended.
t h16 Annual Revision Course
OG Quest 2013
Dept. of Pathology conducted the first
th thfrom 6 to 11 Feb. 81
PGs participated from all over the country.
Sri Ramachandra Pathology Annual Rapid Review Course - SPARRC 2013
Dept. of Pulmonology
c o n d u c t e d t h e
under the aegis of Indian
th thChest Society on 8 & 9 Feb. 22 delegates from all over South India attended the workshop.
t h5 Spirometry Technician Training Workshop 2013
College of Management celebrated
th thfrom 9 to 16 Feb. Experts’ interaction with students, new product d e v e l o p m e n t c o m p e t i t i o n s a n d demonstrations about entrepreneurship were organized. Several sales counters and stalls were put up by the students.
NEN E-Week
Dept. of Bioinformatics organized an
f r o m th st28 Jan. to 1 Feb. for UG
Life Science students. Hands-on training on various software were provided along with a
session on career prospects & job opportunities. 23 students from various colleges in and around Chennai participated.
Internship P r o g r a m
Bridges - Connecting SRU
Date Event
28.02.’13 CME on ‘ROP’
28.02.’13 CNE – NICE on ‘Dispel Myths and Misconceptions about Cancer’
27.02.’13 CME on ‘Consultation Liaison Psychiatry – Bridging the Gap with other Specialities’ by Dr. R. Thara, Director - SCARF, Dr. Hema Tharoor, Consultant Psychiatrist - SCARF, Dr. M. Suresh Kumar, Director - PSY MED & Dr. Rangarajan, Director - PSY MED
24.02.’13. Ms. Nirmala Devi, I yr. MBA won the first prize in English essay (Chennai Region) at the All India Essay Writing Event 2012 conducted by Shri Ram Chandra Mission
22.02.’13 CME on ‘Transforming Anticoagulation’
16.02.’13 CME on ‘Intensive-Care Continuous Medical Education Unit’
09.02.’13 CPE on ‘Research Methodology and Scientific Writing for Physiotherapists’ by Prof. Arun Maiya, Assoc. Dean, MCOAHS, Manipal University
th01.02.’13 to 45 National Convention of the Indian Speech and Hearing Association held at Chennai 03.02.’13 • Ms. Jayashree Seethapathy, Lecturer received the Dayalan Samuel SSV Award for the Best Paper in
Audiology
• Ms. Aishwarya Nallamuthu, Lecturer received the Muktesh Award for the Best Paper in Audiology
• Ms. Elizabeth Saju, II yr. M.Sc. (ASLP) received the Muktesh Award for the Best Paper in Speech
30.01.’13 & Ms. G. Keerthana, II yr., B.Sc. won the Junior Scientist Award for oral presentation at Vel Tech High Tech 31.01.’13 Dr. Rangarajan Dr. Sakunthala Engineering College, Avadi, Chennai
24.01.’13 to The following students of II year M.Sc. Biotechnology have won the following prizes at the Young Health27.01.’13 Mela conducted by Cancer Institute, Adyar held at Valluvar Kottam, Chennai
Name of the student Prize
Mr. H. Muhamed Hashick I prize in Slogan writing – Tamil
Ms. Sakthi Priya III Prize in slogan writing – Tamil
24.01.’13 CME on ‘De-escalation in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance’ by Prof. O. C. Abraham, HOD, Dept. of Medicine, CMC, Vellore
20.01.’13 CME on ‘Microenvironment Decides the Stem Cells’ Fate in Tissue Engineering’ by Dr. Rajalakshmanan Eswaramoorthy, Post Doctoral Researcher, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, University of California
Department
Ophthalmology
SRMC-Nursing Service
Psychiatry
College of Management
General Medicine
Cardiology
Faculty of Physiotherapy
SLHS
Biomedical Sciences
Biotechnology
General Medicine
Biotechnology
Prof. N. Venkatesh, Principal, Faculty of Physiotherapy was awarded Fellow of Indian th stAssociation of Physiotherapists (IAP) on 24 Feb. at the 51 IAP Conference held in Goa.
Glimpses
College of Management conducted a
ston 1 Feb. The chief
guest was Mr. A. D. Pa d m a s i n g h I s a a c , Chairman & Managing Director of Aachi Group of Companies. 112 MBA students from colleges and business schools all over India participated. Various competitions (paper presentation, best manager, business quiz, corporate walk, ad zap and short film) were conducted and prizes were awarded.
National Level Management Meet
A workshop on was organized th ndfrom 30 Jan. to 2 Feb. by the Medical Education Unit, an MCI
recognized Nodal Center for Faculty Development Workshops. 35 members from various medical colleges participated.
Medical Education Technologies
Bridges - Connecting SRU
Embryonic stem cells can develop into any kind of tissue. Adult stem cells can still turn into
different kinds of cells, but their differentiation potential is significantly reduced. “The mechanisms
influencing the differentiation of stem cells into tissues are still far from being understood,” says
Professor Marko Mihovilovic from Vienna University of Technology. However, his research group
has now managed to synthesize substances which control the differentiation process. Progenitor cells
can be turned into heart cells, which eventually start beating in the petri dish.
Various substances are known to influence the development of heart tissue. The research group has systematically synthesized and
tested substances with cardiogenic potential and the tailored chemicals were then tested on the progenitor cells of mice at the Medical
University of Vienna. “The new triazine derivatives we are using are much more efficient at turning the stem cells into heart cells than any
other substances ever tested before,” says Mihovilovic.
The key advantage of this method is its flexibility. “Our modular synthetic strategies are a bit like playing with LEGO bricks. A very
high degree of complexity can be achieved by assembling very simple building blocks,” says Mihovilovic. Many different variations of the
substances can be produced without having to develop new synthetic methods for each substance.
Now the goal is to turn this pharmacological tool into a pharmaceutical drug for humans. “It is crucial to unveil the exact
mode of action. We want to know on a molecular level, how our triazine derivatives influence the cell development. We want to open the
door to a completely new kind of regenerative medicine,” Marko Mihovilovic hopes. At the moment, transplant medicine dominates,
but it would be much better to create tissue in the lab, with the patient's own DNA, so that the danger of tissue rejection is completely
eliminated.
Not only can the differentiation of stem cells to tissues be influenced by chemical signals, it is also possible to go the opposite way
and turn differentiated cells back into pluripotent cells, which can turn into different kinds of tissues. Now the team envisions to take
cells which are easy to extract, such as skin cells, and to treat them with a cocktail of different chemicals, creating new tissue. Synthetic
chemistry will help to overcome the problem that heart tissue regenerates so poorly. If the therapy can be used for humans, the patients’
quality of life could be increased dramatically, and healthcare cost could be reduced.
Source: Vienna University of Technology, TU Vienna (2013, March 4). Beating heart cells in a lab dish
Global NewsBeating Heart Cells in a Lab Dish
Happiness is...… in self confidence
Confidence plays a critical role in every facet of our lives and is one of the most important
factors that contribute to our success and happiness. It is nothing more than an innate
faith in our own ability and purpose in life. Self assured persons are able to meet life's challenges head on. They
work far beyond their comfort zones and move ahead. They bounce back faster from their losses and failures.
Self confident people are more positive and believe in themselves & their abilities. They are willing to take risks and
go the extra mile to achieve their goals.
When we are confident we can rest assured that our thoughts and actions are the best that can be. Even if no one believes in us, we got to
believe in ourselves. How the world sees us will make only a small difference to us, but how we see ourselves will make all the difference to us.
We need to display confidence in our behavior, body language and communication. To boost our self confidence we need to identify our
successes and take pride in them while continuing to focus on our talents and grow in the positive direction.
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster hand; They go to the one who always thinks “I can”
Bridges - Connecting SRU
March ‘13
In our discussions on consciousness and soul, we have so far taken what has been described as an ‘upward causation approach.’ This is the view held by modern science and tries to re-create step by step, the origin and workings of Nature’s phenomena - including consciousness - from the more elemental to the more complex. This in turn, implies reliance only on what can be perceived and conviction restricted to only on what can be seen, felt and measured.
And to be able to see, feel and measure Nature’s phenomena with precision, we need to break them into convenient, smaller parts. ‘Reductionism,’ is the word for this. Because, without learning a good deal about the roof, rooms, walls as well as the bricks and mortar, how can one learn about the building? Haven’t Galileo, Descartes, Newton and Euclid and many others taught us that? Haven’t we also learned how feasible it is to re-assemble the whole from a precise knowledge of its parts, and predict its behavior? ‘Scientific determinism’ is the name for this. The example of Freud’s brief interest in his Project for a Scientific Psychology was mentioned earlier to highlight how reductionistic and deterministic logic continues to hold sway in every field of scientific enquiry; including biology and medicine.
It was also mentioned how Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and the Quantum theory compelled a re-thinking away from the Cartesian-Newtonian paradigm. “Newton, forgive me,” wrote Einstein towards the end of his life, ”You found the only way which, in your age, was just about possible for a man of highest thought and creative power.”
Einstein's sentiment could very well be voiced when one approaches the problem of explaining consciousness. The established scientific view declares it as an epiphenomenon, the result of biological adaptation of brain and nervous system, starting with interactions of simpler elements, chemical reactions and electrical firings, working their way up and finding expression through complex neuronal networks – an ‘upward causation’ model. The other views like monistic idealistic philosophy and panpsychism explain consciousness as very much an inherent manifestation of the universe. According to these views, consciousness is all there in the universe - the ground of all being - and all other manifestations are expressions and creations of this overarching Universal consciousness. This could be called a ‘downward causation’ model.
Is it possible to find a theory or hypothesis between these two extremes? Is it possible to explain consciousness by other known realms of the material world? Can modern biological and physical sciences offer newer and more refined explanations for potential ingredients of consciousness?
It appears such a possibility does exist. As was pointed out earlier in the case of photosynthesis in plants and the sensing of earth's magnetic field in the case of some birds and insects, a closer look at the submicroscopic architecture of nerve tissue and the events happening there in the quantum realms seem to open up newer possibilities and offer newer explanations.
Prof. S. Rangaswami,Professor of Eminence in Medical Education, SRU.
(will be continued…)
Soul to Soul
Researchers from Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have identified gene
variants in humans that influence lifespan. Life span is altered either by raising disease risk or by providing
protection from diseases. This research is the first genome-wide, population-based study of Copy Number Variations (CNVs) in children
associated with human longevity.
CNVs are losses or gains in DNA sequence. The study team compared the rates of CNVs in children and elderly using microchip
arrays. The study assumed that increased CNVs in children were more likely to be disease-causing while higher CNVs in older people
favored longevity. A replication study in an independent U.S. cohort revealed seven significant CNVs out of which three were deletions
and four were duplications.
The genes impacted by the CNVs were disproportionately involved in alternative splicing, where one gene expressing one protein
is modified to messenger RNA resulting in different protein products from the same underlying DNA code. The results from the study
attribute increased CNVs to aid protection against diseases in elderly and CNVs over representation in children may implicate shorter
lifespan. The team suggested early clinical screening tests for CNVs to be prognostic markers for indicating patients required to take
individualized preventive health measures.
Source: Copy Number Variations in Alternative Splicing Gene Networks Impact Lifespan. PLoS ONE, 2013
Believe it or NotGene Variants Found to Affect Human Lifespan
8March ‘13
Bridges - Connecting SRU
For internal circulation only
ColorsFlying Colours Floral Fan
Ms. C. R. HemalathaLecturer, Dept. of Bioinformatics
Prof. Prakash BoominathanDept. of SLHS
Ms. T. Apurva, I yr., M. Pharm (QA) Ms. K. Rajarajeswari,Senior Research Fellow, EHE
Your CornerOnce upon a time...
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The 25 Bridges Monthly Book Review was held on 06.03.'13
Book : The Tiger's Wife
Author : Téa Obreht
Reviewed by : Mr. P. A. Abhinand, Research Scholar, Dept. of Bioinformatics
Forthcoming Bridges Monthly Book Review
Apr. 2013 – Einstein, Picassio: Space, time and the beauty that causes havoc by Arthur I Miller
To be reviewed by Prof. S. Rangaswami, Professor of Eminence in Medical Education, SRU
th
