Month: June 2007
Indians crack mental illness
Indians crack mental illness
26 Jun, 2007 l 0043 hrs ISTlMadhavi Rajadhyaksha/TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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MUMBAI: For the millions living with mental retardation, this breakthrough holds out a ray of hope. An international group of researchers, including two Bangalore neuroscientists, has identified an enzyme that causes the syndrome called Fragile X and successfully reverses its symptoms in mice.
Fragile X Syndrome is a genetic condition caused by a defect in the X chromosome. It’s the chief cause of mental retardation, and in some cases, a known cause of autism. It can cause varying degrees of impairment, from minor learning problems to cognitive disability. Until now, there’s been no known treatment for Fragile X.
Bangalore, was published in the ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ on Monday. Scientists say we can expect similar results in human beings in five years.
“We found that a specific enzyme in the brain called P21-Activated Kinase (PAK), when inhibited, reversed the debilitating symptoms of Fragile X in mice,” said Sumantra Chatterji of the National Centre for Biological Sciences.
The second researcher, Shankaranarayana Rao of NIMHANS, explained that in the brain, connections between neurons are formed by protrusions called ‘spines’. The Indian contribution to the research involved monitoring how these spines were altered in the mentally challenged.
Thinking out of the Box
Contributed by Mr. Ankit.
Imagine this …
You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it’s raining
heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you
see three people waiting for a bus:
1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that
there could only be one passenger in your car?
Think before you continue reading…
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^
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This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of
a job application.
* You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus
you should save her first;
* or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and
this would be the perfect chance to pay him back.
* However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.
The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble
coming up with his answer. Guess what was his answer?
….
He simply answered: “I would give the car keys to my Old friend and let
him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and
wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.”
Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our
stubborn thought limitations. Never forget to “Think Outside of the
Box.”
Never Take things for Granted
A photo provided by friend from Oman – disasters takes place unexpectedly. It is up to us to recover from it and how fast we get going towards our set path and goals.
Heavy rains
The umbrella is for the mahout or the elephant?. Both ways, it’s raining heavily. Where are the photos……………..?
Inspirational story – Unconditional Love
Inspirational story – Unconditional Love
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam . He called his parents from San Francisco .
“Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring home with me.”
“Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.”
“There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”
“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.”
“Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!
There’s a miracle called Friendship That dwells in the heart You don’t know how it happens Or when it gets started But you know the special lift It always brings And you realize that Friendship Is God’s most precious gift!
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.
My Dog Can Walk On Water
My Dog Can Walk On Water
There was a hunter who came into the possession of a special bird dog. The dog was the only one of its kind, because it can walk on water. One day he invited a friend to go hunting with him so that he could show off his prized possession. After some time, they shot a few ducks, which fell into the river. The man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. The dog ran on water to fetch the birds. The man was expecting a compliment about the amazing dog, but did not receive it. Being curious, he asked his friend if the friend had noticed anything unusual about the dog. The friend replied, “Yes, I did see something unusual about your dog. Your dog can’t swim!”
Success Principles
More than 90% of the people that we face everyday are negative. They choose to look at the hole in the middle rather than the doughnut. Do not expect compliments or encouragement from them. These are the people who cannot pull you out of your present situation. They can only push you down. So be aware of them, spend less time with them, and do not let them steal your dreams away from you.
ClicksandWrites 
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