Student researchers bid to find how some beat cancer
Questions From Senior Doctors Spur Studies By Medicos

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 08.06.2018

How do some cancer patients manage to get better after treatment while a few others deteriorate? Should a patient with oesophageal cancer be given chemotherapy ahead of surgery? Is PET-CT a better diagnostic tool when compared to Dota scan?

When practising senior surgical gastroenterologists posed these questions to undergraduate medical students nearly six months ago, many came up with research projects.

A week from now, at least 80 research papers including “six path-breaking” research by pre-final and final year medical students will be presented at an international conference organised by ESO India at Sri Ramachandra University.

“This is probably the first time we are getting so many undergraduate students to not just do research but also present them at an international conference before renowed scientists and surgeons. We are hoping it will encourage more students to research,” said professor and general surgeon Dr K Balaji Singh.

These studies may not immediately change the way patients are being treated, but they have the scope of sparking more research that will help us improve outcomes, said senior surgical gastroenterologist Dr S M Chandramohan, who is also the president of ESO India. “The survival rate for stomach and food pipe cancer is 10%. More research will help us find better solutions that can push up survival rates,” he said.

For instance, after screening nearly 50 patients with oesophageal cancer and an equal number of patients with gastric cancer, pre-final medical students found that metabolic activity and glycolysis (a process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars through a series of reactions to either pyruvic acid or lactic acid and release energy) can give vital information about the treatment.

“As of now, we just use PET-CT to give us information about virulent tumours. Adding this to the imaging information will give us more insight into who will respond to treatment. We will be able to modify treatment,” said ESO India secretary Dr M Kanagavel.

The international conference on oesophagus and stomach, to be held between June 15 and 17, aims to “bring out the best”, from everybody doing upper gastroenterological work in urban, semi-urban or rural areas in private or public sector. Experts from at least nine countries will offer hands-on training to postgraduates and doctors in advanced surgeries on cadavers.

The aim is to offer the best care for patients with gastric cancers, corrosive injuries and strictures to the upper digestive tract.

Anna univ issues norms for certificate verification

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 08.06.2018

Anna University has announced that if a candidate is unable to attend the original certificate verification on the prescribed date and time for the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA), the student can authorise his/her relatives to attend the verification or attend the nearest TNEA facilitation centre on June 14 at 1.30 pm or Anna University, Chennai TFC on June 17 at 1.30 pm. The candidate should give an authorisation letter to the parent affixing the candidate’s photo. The parent should produce a photo ID like driving licence, PAN card, passport, voter ID or Aadhaar ID. Certificate verification for eminent sportspersons will be done only at Anna University, Chennai campus TFC from June 8 to 17.

Candidates should report at the designated TFC one hour before their schedule time with photo-affixed printout of the registered application, all originals and photocopies of certificates mentioned in the application. After certificate verification, the candidate should collect information about the colleges.

If the candidate has already been admitted or is pursuing a course in an institution and has deposited all original certificates in an institution, a bonafide letter from the head of the campus where he/she is admitted should be brought to that effect. In such case only, copies of certificates attested by the head will be accepted.

Kabali was teaser, Kaala takes it a notch higher

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 08.06.2018

A couple of years ago, when Rajinikanth chose to join hands with director Pa Ranjith for ‘Kabali’, there was a chorus that the director would use the opportunity and get the superstar to take up the cause of dalits. That’s what eventually happened in ‘Kabali’, with Rajinikanth voicing the concerns of the oppressed classes – from their right to dress the way they want to the freedom to live like others do.

His announcement that the next film too would be directed by Ranjith did leave people wondering – what next? Soon after completing his part in ‘Kaala’, Rajinikanth announced he was plunging into politics by launching his own party soon. He is yet to do so, but much water has flown under the bridge since then. Unlike his earlier films, there was a muted response to ‘Kaala’ on Thursday. Industry observers blame it on his statement supporting the police opening fire at anti-Sterlite protesters in Tuticorin, saying ‘anti-social elements’ were behind the violence and the fact that the film opened a couple of days after schools reopened after the vacation.

As ‘Kaala’ released worldwide, it became clear that even as he permitted Ranjith to ride on his popularity, Rajinikanth has leveraged the opportunity to reach out to the oppressed classes of society with an eye on his political journey. Focusing on landless masses with ‘land is our right’ slogan, Kaala takes the duo’s attempt higher and makes Kabali look like a teaser.

“Land means power to you, for us - it is our right,” the protagonist Kaala @ Karikaalan tells the antagonist Haridada (played by Nana Patekar), who is the front for land mafia and builders. “You cannot take a fistful of soil from here, without my nod. We have safeguarded it with our sweat and blood,” he says further, reviving the past slogan - ‘land belongs to the tiller’.

The movie is not just about land but about demolishing slums in prime city locations in the name of city beautification. “Why only slums, why not bungalows,” he questions. Through both ‘Kabali’ and ‘Kaala’, Rajinikanth has managed to convey the message that he is with the landless masses and the downtrodden, both urban and rural – a la MGR.

4K URLs of Tamil films blocked

Chennai: Nearly 4,000 web links showing ‘Kaala’ and other recent Tamil films were removed on Thursday by the anti-piracy wing of the Vishal-led Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC). TFPC had put out an advertisement asking moviegoers to report attempts by violators at recording the film on digital devices in film theatres. TFPC worked in tandem with its counterpart in AP and other groups such as Blockx, Copyright Media and Royal Spiders to take down websites streaming 'Kaala' online. TNN

Man who sought CBI probe into Jaya death to pay ₹50K to court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 08.06.2018

A man who moved the Madras high court seeking CBI probe into the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was poorer by ₹50,000, as the court imposed the sum as exemplary cost for having wasted judicial time.

Justice P N Prakash, rejecting the plea of M Ramanathan of Salem, said: “The fact remains that an inquiry commission has been appointed by the state headed by the retired judge of the high court. While so, the present petition has been filed on frivolous grounds. Hence, the petition is dismissed by imposing a cost of ₹50,000 to the petitioner payable to the legal services authority of the high court.”

It was the petitioner’s contention that Jayalalithaa had died in a suspicious manner, and hence he demanded an ‘independent probe’ by a central agency to unearth the truth.

Union mins in city to flag off Antyodaya Express today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 08.06.2018
Rajen Gohain, Union minister of state for railways and Pon Radhakrishnan, Union minister of state for financing and shipping, will flag off the Antyodaya Express between Tambaram and Tirunelveli at Tambaram railway station at 4pm on Friday.

The train will leave Tambaram at 4:30pm and reach Tirunelveli at 5am the next day. It will stop at Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Trichy, Dindigul, Madurai and Virudunagar enroute.

The regular service will start on June 9 and will be as follows: Tambaram – Tirunelveli Antyodaya Express (16191) will leave Tambaram at 12:30am and reach Tirunelveli at 3:30pm the same day. In the return direction, it will leave Tirunelveli at 5:30pm and reach Tambaram at 09.45am the next day.

Noon meal eggs with TN govt seal sold in Chennai markets

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai 08.06.2018

: Eggs meant for supply to children at noon meal centres and the integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme are being pilfered and sold in the open market and retail shops.

Asked about eggs bearing the blue Tamil Nadu government seal surfacing in neighbourhood grocery shops, officials dismissed it as a mere ‘diversion’ from one of the centres but activists said it could be the tip of a well-oiled scam.

TOI accessed an egg bearing the seal of the TN government on the shell. The egg, with a half seal in blue (inset), was sold at a shop in Saidapet. Another egg also had an impression but the seal was absent. The shopkeeper who sold the egg told TOI he had procured it from a wholesale shop in the locality.

When contacted, officials in the social welfare and nutritious meal programme department said it could be due to diversion from a particular centre. 



Eggs reaching market for sale illegal: Official

A official said, “So far, we have not received any complaint regarding such illegal activities. But an inquiry would be conducted.” Irrespective of the size of the seal, the egg should have not reached the market for sale, the official added.

To prevent illegal diversion and to avoid old eggs from being served, the government has a colour scheme wherein seals on eggs come in blue, green and red colours. The eggs were meant for anganwadi centres. The government procures eggs largely from poultry farms in Namakkal and bidders should supply eggs directly to schools and anganwadis.

M Andrew Sesuraj, convenor of Tamil Nadu Child Rights Observatory (TNCRO), said pilferage could happen at two levels. “First, a section of helpers at the anganwadis take away the eggs remaining due to absence of registered children. Another is, distributors who account for a certain number of eggs as breakage during transportation and sell them outside for a lower price,” he said. Large distributors even wipe out the seal using chemicals before sale, he said.

தமிழகத்தில் அடுத்த 10 நாட்களில் மழை புரட்டிப்போடப்போகும் பகுதிகள் எவை?
 By DIN | Published on : 07th June 2018 05:52 PM |

சென்னை: தென்மேற்கு பருவ மழை தொடங்கி ஒரு வாரத்துக்கும் மேல் ஆன நிலையில், தமிழகத்தில் பரவலாக ஆங்காங்கே மழை பெய்து வருகிறது.

வட தமிழகத்தில் இரண்டு நாட்களுக்கு கன மழை பெய்யும் என்று சென்னை வானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் அறிவித்துள்ளது.

இந்த நிலையில், தமிழ்நாடு வெதர்மேன் தனது பேஸ்புக் பக்கத்தில் மழை நிலவரம் குறித்து விரிவான தகவல்களை பதிவிட்டுள்ளார்.

அதில், கோவையின் வால்பாறை, நீலகிரி, தேனியின் பெரியார் பகுதி, கன்னியாகுமரியில் பேச்சிப்பாறை பகுதிகள், நெல்லையில் மாஞ்சோலை - பாபநாசம் பகுதிகளில் இன்று முதல் கன மழை பெய்யும். மழை நீர் அப்பகுதிகளில் உள்ள அணைகளுக்கு வந்து சேரும் என்று நம்புகிறோம். இப்பகுதிகளில்தான் தமிழகத்தின் பெரும்பாலான அணைகள் அமைந்துள்ளன.

இன்று முதல் அடுத்த 10 நாட்களுக்கு வால்பாறை மற்றும் நீலகிரி பகுதிகளில் கன மழை முதல் மிகக் கன மழை பெய்ய வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது. ஒன்று அல்லது இரண்டு நாட்கள் மிக மிக கன மழை பெய்யும்.

மேற்குத் தொடர்ச்சி மலைப் பகுதியை ஒட்டியிருக்கும் ஈரோடு மாவட்டத்தின் சத்தியமங்கலம், திண்டுக்கல்லின் கோடை பகுதி, பொள்ளாச்சி பகுதிகளுக்கும் மிதமான மழை பெய்யும் வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது.

காவிரிக்கு குறுக்கே கட்டப்பட்டுள்ள கேஆர்எஸ் அணையின் நீர் பிடிப்புப் பகுதிகளான குடகு, கபினியின் நீர்பிடிப்பு பகுதியான வயநாடு, மூணாறு, வால்பாறை, கோவா, மகாமலேஷ்வர், கர்நாடகாவின் கடற்கரைப் பகுதிகளுக்கு சுற்றுலா செல்ல யாரேனும் திட்டமிட்டிருந்தால், உங்கள் பயணத்தைத் தள்ளிப் போடலாம். மேற்கண்ட பகுதிகளில் ஒரு சில இடங்களில் அடுத்த 10 நாட்களில் 1,500 மி.மீ. மழை கொட்டித் தீர்க்க வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது.

சென்னையில் இன்று மழை பெய்ய வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது. இதைத் தவிர, வெப்பச் சலனத்தால் பெய்யும் மழையின் அளவு குறையக் கூடும்.

அதே போல, மும்பையில் இன்று தொடங்கியிருக்கும் பருவ மழை, தொடர்ந்து அதிகரித்துக் கொண்டே இருக்கும். இந்த மாநகரில் தொடர் மழை பெய்ய வாய்ப்பும் உண்டு. தெற்கு மும்பையின் ரத்னகிரி - கோவா - மங்களூர் - கோழிக்கோடு பகுதிகளைத் தாக்கக் கூடும். மங்களூர் நகருக்கு கன மழை வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது. கோவாவுக்கு சுற்றுலாப் பயணம் செல்ல நினைத்திருந்தீர்கள் என்றால் அது மிகவும் ஆபத்தானது. கன மழை பெய்யும் நாட்கள் காத்திருக்கின்றன.

அதே போல, மகாராஷ்டிராவின் கடற்கரைப் பகுதிகள், கேரளா மற்றும் தமிழகத்தின் ஒரு சில பகுதிகளுக்கு சுற்றுலா செல்ல வேண்டாம் என்று அறிவுறுத்தப்படுகிறது என்று தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.