Newsletter of Sri Ramachandra University

….Connecting SRU

April 2015

Our Campus Alley Academicia

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From the Editor’s Desk

Bridges - Connecting SRU

Beloved Readers,

Let us stay connected…

It's when we look back on all that we have experienced that our lives feel most

meaningful, says Your Corner. So, let us enrich our lives with great memories that do not

fade away with time. No more pricks, says Believe it or not which divulges a painless way

of testing blood sugar giving us a glimpse into the future of medicine.

We are happy to share that our book review is stepping into its golden jubilee this

month. Book reviews have been immensely useful, are an excellent way of getting an

insight on what the book is all about, and a good forum for debating ideas. Fifty reviews

is a major milestone for us, and the celebration is an occasion to pause and look back at th

this journey. We welcome our readers to participate in the 50 book review celebrations.

Sheela Ravinder. S. Editor-in-Chief

Memories

Letters to the Editor

Depts. of Community Medicine & Community Health Nursing in association with the

Chennai Willingdon Corporate Foundation, an NGO conducted a series of healthcare camps

in the year 2004 at Annai Sathya Nagar, Chennai. The events included need assessment, basic

health survey, health education sessions and screening camps.

April ’15

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

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.

Cover Photo Courtesy:Ms. M. KrupaLecturer, Dept. of SLHS

¿ÁÐ ‚ þáÁîºó¾¢Ã¡ Àø¸¨Äì¸Æ¸ò¾¢ý À¡ÄÁ¡¸ Å¢ÇíÌõ Á¡¾ þ¾ú (Bridges)

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À¡Ã¡ðÎìÌȢ¨Å. §Áý§ÁÖõ Bridges ÅÇà ±ý Å¡úòÐì¸û.

Dr. K. Punnagai,Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Pharmacology

Happenings

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Bridges - Connecting SRU

Dept. of Nephrology observed

t h o n 1 3 M a r . Ms. Padma Venkataraman, President, Indian Women Association was the chief guest. Students of Dialysis Technology displayed charts and models for kidney disease awareness.

World Kidney

D a y

Sri Ramachandra Center f o r W o m e n ' s Advancement celebrated

th on 7 Mar. in commemoration of the birth anniversary of Tmt. Kamalam Udayar. Around 700 faculty

members, staff and students participated in the Eco Walk.

Campus Environment

Day

April ’15

Dept. of Community Health Nursing along with Regional Agmark Laboratories, Besant Nagar conducted a CNE cum Workshop with the theme,

th on 13 Mar. 118 delegates participated.

Food Safety: Communi t y Hea l th

Nurses Concern

F a c u l t y o f

P h a r m a c y i n

association with

the Pharmacists'

O r g a n i z a t i o n

f o r W o m e n

E m p o w e r m e n t

a n d R e s e a r c h

( P O W E R )

c e l e b r a t e d thInternational Women's Day on 8 Mar. National level online

competition on 'Entrepreneurship in Pharmacy - Women

Pharmacists - Gateway to Freedom' was conducted as part of the

event. Prof. K. Chinnaswamy, President, Tamil Nadu Pharmacy

Council was the Guest of Honor. A book on 'Successful Women

Pharmacists in Pharmacy Practice' compiled by Dr. J. Vijaya Ratna,

Chairman, AU College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Andhra

University was released.

De p t . o f OBGYN Nurs ing ce l ebra ted International Women's Day with the theme,

th'Make it Happen' on 9 M a r . 1 0 0 w o m e n benefited.

D e p t . o f C l i n i c a l Nutrition celebrated International Women's Day with the theme, ‘Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity:

thPicture it!’ on 5 Mar. 150 housekeeping staff benefited.

The events included: l Healthcare awareness l Nutritional educationl Fracture risk assessment l Various competitions

International Women's Day Celebrations

The Internal Quality Assurance Cell of SRU conducted a Seminar cum Workshop on

th th on 6 & 7 Mar. Prof. K. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT-M & Chairman, Program Implementation Committee, NPTEL, IIT-M was the chief guest. 138 delegates participated.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in

Teaching - Learning & Research

Dept. of Chest & TB

and DOTS Cen te r

(RNTCP, Chennai) of

S r i R a m a c h a n d r a

Hospital observed

with the theme,

'Reach, Treat, Cure thEveryone' on 24 Mar.

An awareness program was also conducted.

World

TB Day

Bridges - Connecting SRU

srubridges@gmail.com4April ’15

Date Event

17.03.’15 Guest lecture on ‘Childhood Depression’ by Dr. Cecilia P. Margret, Asst. Prof., Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle

12.03.’15 CME on ‘Optimizing Response and Remission in Major Depressive Disorder with add-on Strategies - a Road Map’ by Dr. Alfred Amaladoss, Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, McMaster University & Consultant Psychiatrist, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Canada

12.03.’15 CPE on ‘Global Opportunities for Pharma Graduates’ by Mr. Prasad R. Thirunagaru, Lt. Col., Retired Chief Pharmacist, Combat Support Hospital, US Army

09.03.’15 Guest lecture on ‘Women Entrepreneurship’ by Dr. Deepa Lakshmi, Director, Dentistree Chain of Hospitals as part of International Women’s Day

07.03.’15 CME on ‘Integrated Medical Museum – A New Pathway’ by Prof. Virendra Kumar Nim, Head, Dept. of Anatomy, PIMS, Pudhucherry

02.03.’15 CME on ‘Updates in Leprosy’ in collaboration with the District Leprosy Center, Kancheepuram & Tiruvallur Dists. The program included lectures by Dr. Mohammed Afsal Ali, State Leprosy Officer, Govt. of Tamil Nadu & Dr. Nirmal Joe, Addl. Regional Director, MOHFW, Govt. of India and a demonstration by Dr. Alar Shanthi, Deputy Director, Leprosy Center, Kancheepuram District

27.02.’15 CME on ‘Hemovigilance Program of India (HvPI)’ by Dr. Surinder Singh, Director I/C, National Institute of Biologicals (NIB), Noida, UP, Dr. Akanksha Bisht, Member Secretary, Hemovigilance Program of India-NIB, Prof. Neelam Marwaha, Head, Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh & Prof. Joy Mammen, Head, Dept. of Transfusion Medicine, CMC, Vellore

th26.02.’15 to 19 IOS PG Convention 2015, Bengaluru nd01.03.’15 Paper presentation - Dr. Deepthi Chakrapani, III yr. – 2 Place

rdPoster presentation - Dr. S. Kirubaharan, II yr. – 3 Place

24.02.’15 CME on ‘Cling the Counselors’ by Prof. Fredrick Bemak, Head, Counseling & Development Department and Director & Co-Founder, Diversity Research & Action Consortium, George Mason University, U.S.A

nd20.02.’15 to 2 International Congress of Ethnopharmacology held at Nagpur

22.02.’15 Dr. Pooja Narain Adtani, Senior Research Fellow won the ‘Maheswari Pal Memorial Award’ for poster presentation

Department/Faculty

Psychiatry

Psychiatry

Alumni Chapter, Pharmacy

Management

Anatomy

Community Medicine & Dermatology

Transfusion Medicine

Orthodontics

AHS

Oral Pathology

Faculty of Management organized the National Level Management Meet,

th th on 26 & 27 Feb. 250 students participated. Dr. C . S y l end r a Babu , Addit ional Director Genera l of Pol ice,

Coastal Security Group, Tamil Nadu was the chief guest.

Vetri Nichayam - Ethoz

'15

Faculty of Management conducted the

st on 21 Feb. 40 alumni participated. Video conferencing was also organized.

Alumni

Meet - 2015

Dept. of Allied Health Sciences organized a nat ional conference w i t h t h e t h e m e ,

th on 25 Feb. Prof. Frederick P. Bemak, Head, Counseling & D e v e l o p m e n t Department and Director & Co-Founder, Diversity Research & Action Consortium, George Mason University, U.S, Mr. C. D. Jose, President, Madras School of Social Work, Dr. Kannan Pugazhendi, Founder-SPARRC, Prof. M. V. Swaminathan, Head of Social Work, Madras University, Mr. V. A. George, Managing Director, M/s. Tejo Engg. Ltd., Chennai were the chief guests. 450 delegates from various colleges participated.

B i o p s y c h o s o c i a l

Well-being

thSri Ramachandra University organized the 14 Dr. Sarat Chandra Memorial Inter Collegiate Staff Cricket Tournament 2014 -15 from Nov. 2014 to Mar. 2015. SRU was one of the 48 teams that participated across Tamil Nadu.

Sports

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srubridges@gmail.com5April ’15

Bridges - Connecting SRU

thl Faculty of Dental Sciences conducted the 6 Dental

Rehabilitation Camp at Poomparai, Kodaikanal on th th24 & 25 Feb. 475 people were screened of which

183 were treated.

Dept. of Clinical Nutrition participated in the Chennai Science Festival 2015 on the theme, ‘Food and

th stAgriculture’ from 26 Jan. to 1 Mar. at Queen Mary's College. Activities included:

l Display of models on various diseases and lifestyle modifications

l Distribution of pamphlets on healthy eating and nutritional management in diabetes, anemia & obesity

l Games: crosswords & puzzle

nd On the occasion of 2 anniversary, the Dental Wing, Rural Health Training Center, Vayalanallur conducted a

thdental camp on 16 Mar. involving all the departments from Faculty of Dental Sciences. More than 150 patients were screened & treated.

st ndA multi-specialty free medical camp was organized on 21 & 22 Feb. in memory of our Founder-Chancellor Shri. N. P. V. Ramasamy Udayar at Emperumanar Jeer Mutt, Alwarthirunagari. A team of 90 doctors, paramedical staff, PGs and CRRIs rendered their services. Basic investigations and medicines were provided free of cost. More than 3500 people benefited.

thDept. of Public Health Dentistry celebrated the World Oral Health Day on 20 Mar. A digital scroller, prepared by the 2014 -’15 interns, showing the importance of oral health measures for patient education was inaugurated in the Rural Health Training Center, Vayalanallur.

l

th stat Srirangam on 28 Feb. & 1 Mar. A team of 110 doctors, paramedical staff, PGs and CRRIs rendered their services. Investigations including blood tests, ECG, echocardiograph, ultrasound and X-ray along with medicines were provided free of cost. More than 5000 people benefited.

A multi-specialty free medical camp was conducted

On the occasion of the 67 birthday of the people's Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu th

Reach Out

srubridges@gmail.com6April ’15

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a widely researched developmental disability from a medical and therapeutic point of view. Over the years, researches have evidences for lack of synchronization (connectivity) between different parts of the brain, and a few other studies have reported contradictory results as evidenced in over-synchronization in the brains of these individuals. Recent research published in Nature Neuroscience reports of both over - and under -connectivity which reflects a deeper principle of brain function. Led by scientists at the Weizmann Institute and Carnegie Mellon University, the study represented unique synchronization patterns in the brains of individuals with autism that could impact earlier diagnosis of the disorder and future treatments.

The study incorporated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on resting-state of brain in individuals with ASD. Researches in the past provide evidence for emergence of spontaneous patterns in the brain during rest which may provide a window into individual behavioral traits, including abnormal ones. These studies indicate a remarkable difference between individuals with ASD and controls: the control participants' (normal/typically developing) brains had similar connectivity profiles across different individuals, while in individuals with ASD an obviously different phenomenon was observed. The patterns were unique between the individuals with ASD, themselves. Thus, the synchronization patterns observed in the control group were “conformist” relative to those in the ASD group, which they termed “idiosyncratic”. The explanation for this difference is due to the interaction with the environment. Since childhood, normal and typically developing individuals' brain networks get molded as a result of intensive interaction with people and the mutual environmental factors. This leads to similar pattern within the control group. However, in individuals with ASD due to difficulty in communication, one develops a more uniquely individualistic brain organization pattern. The researchers emphasize that this evidence and justification are tentative and require further probing into ASD-related idiosyncrasies. These could pave way for early identification of ASD.

Source: Hahamy, A., Behrmann, M. & Malach, R. (2015). The idiosyncratic brain: Distortion of spontaneous connectivity patterns in autism spectrum disorders. Nature Neuroscience, 18, 302–309

Global News'Idiosyncractic' Brain Patterns in Autism

Bridges - Connecting SRUBridges - Connecting SRU

Among the most common wish of people with diabetes is a way to measure blood glucose without needles. A group of nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego, USA, have developed a temporary tattoo that could grant that wish, but it is still in the testing stages. Needle-less measurement of blood glucose levels has been a goal of numerous researchers for many years, and the quest has resulted in an innovative approach, wherein a temporary electronic tattoo, could measure the changes in blood glucose levels real time.

The scientists tested their device on three women and four men who did not have diabetes. Few of the study participants reported feeling a mild tingling in the first 10 seconds of the test, but none reported feeling discomfort. To see how well the tattoo picked up the spike in blood sugar levels expected after a meal, the researchers measured the participants' blood sugar before and after they consumed a carbohydrate-rich sandwich and soda in the lab. The device performed just as well at detecting this glucose spike as a traditional finger-stick monitor, the researchers said. The new device consists of electrodes made of silver and silver chloride ink, and a blood glucose sensor made of a glucose-sensitive enzyme and another type of ink. The researchers printed both the electrodes and the sensor onto temporary tattoo paper. The tattoo is classified as an iontophoretic biosensing system or electrochemical biosensor.

To check the blood sugar, the electrodes apply a very mild electrical current to the skin for 10 minutes. This draws the sodium ions in a person's body fluid to migrate toward the electrodes, and these ions bring along the glucose that is also present in the person's fluids. The sensor in the tattoo then measures the strength of the electrical charge produced by the glucose to determine a person's blood sugar levels. “The level of glucose in the fluid that the device draws is nearly a hundred times lower than the corresponding level in a person's blood, so the researchers had to develop a sensor that was highly sensitive”, said Amay Bandodkar, the lead researcher involved in the study.

At the moment, the tattoo does not provide the kind of numerical readout that patients would need to monitor their own blood glucose levels. The researchers are developing such a readout device now. "The readout instrument will also eventually have Bluetooth capabilities to send this information directly to the patient's doctor in real-time, or store data in the cloud," Bandodkar said. The scientists are also working on ways to make the tattoo last longer while keeping its overall cost down, Bandodkar said. In its current form, the device lasts for about a day, and it costs a few cents, he said. The researchers suggested these devices could also measure other important chemicals such as lactate, which athletes might want to analyze to monitor their fitness, or certain amino acids, which could test how well a medication is working. Furthermore, "one could monitor blood alcohol levels by measuring alcohol content in the sweat," Bandodkar said.

Source: Tattoo-Based Noninvasive Glucose Monitoring: A Proof-of-Concept Study, Analytical Chemistry, 2015, 87 (1), pp 394–398.

Believe it or NotTattoo with a 'Sense'

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Bridges - Connecting SRU

April ’15

If Einstein's flight of imagination from perceptual to conceptual in the realm of physical sciences is perplexing, Picasso's break with all extant modalities of representational art is even more baffling. Picasso never received any formal education in science, philosophy or mathematics. But there is reason to believe that there were amongst the close-knit literary group la bande a Picasso (Picasso's gang) who frequented the eating houses and night clubs of Paris a few who were well-versed in the rapidly emerging theories and hypotheses in physics, mathematics, photography, cinematography and so on. It is conceivable that there must have ensued quite a few deliberations leading to a great deal of searching and validation of beliefs, convictions and opinions; sparking off a fertile array of possibilities and imaginations.

News paper articles around the period describing the capacity of X-ray to reveal 'hidden realities' may be cited as a possible example inviting discussions on the topic of paradigm shifts. The 'gang', like other artists and writers of the era must have felt that as in the case of scientists, there must surely exist ways and means for them also to describe and represent elusive dimensions and invisible realities.

Tracking Picasso's spiritual solitude, soul searching and inner struggles as he labored to create the iconic representation of the figures in his famed painting Les Demoiselles d' Avignon (March through July 1907) will tell us how he was influenced by a variety of thoughts and ideas – non-Euclidean geometry, space-time continuity, African art, inspirational modes of representation by other masters like Paul Cezanne etc. These eventually led him to establish cubist abstractionism on firm grounds. As Arthur Miller states, the question of 'why' rather than 'how' Picasso arrived at the composition in Demoiselles will be more profitable because in it we see the metamorphosis of a soul in search of frontiers of knowledge. We see why he wanted to create the means to symbolize the fourth dimension, to formulate new ways of representing reality by geometrizing the figures and why he wanted to represent an object from differing viewpoints all at once; seeking thereby to achieve the sense of space-time continuity on the canvas. You will agree that these clearly point to a leap of allegiance from a perceptual to a conceptual rationale.

Let us now take a closer look at Les Demoiselles d' Avignon. It would be helpful to have an image of the painting on your laptop screen as we try interpreting the composition. A committed study of the work will throw some light on the genesis of abstract art in general and cubism in particular. It will tell us why one needs to desist from considering cubism as a revoltingly hideous form of art or the cubists as merely audacious conjurers or imprudent tradesmen.

Prof. S. Rangaswami,Professor of Eminence in Medical Education, SRU.

(will be continued…)

Soul to Soul

Summer can sap our energy and leave us feeling tired & exhausted.

Tips to stay healthy during these months:

l Hydrate enough - Do not wait until you are thirsty. Stay hydrated with fluids like lemon juice, tender coconut water, buttermilk, etc.

l Eat right – Eat lots of salads – cucumber, carrots & fresh fruits like watermelon, musk melon etc.

l Dress cool – Opt for comfortable, light colored cotton clothes

l Stay shady - Wear sunscreen, hat & sunglasses while going out

l Avoid the mid-day heat - Limit activities in the hot sun when the UV rays are the strongest

l Maintain fitness – Swimming is a great low impact exercise for summer. Add stretches and strengthening exercises along the way

l Plan a vacation – take some time out to relax & rejuvenate

Tips for skin care during summerUse a toner: It's important to keep the pores closed and skin cool by using a toner like rose water. Its natural cooling properties make it an excellent toner for the hot season.

Ditch those aerated drinks: Most people have the tendency to reach out for ice cold aerated drinks that are full of sugar to quench their thirst on a really hot day which is not good for our skin. Instead drink water, fresh fruit juices, aam panna (green mango drink) etc., to stay hydrated. It's also best to minimize the intake of diuretics like alcohol and caffeine as they reduce the water from our system.

Cleanse the face twice a day: This is important to do even if we've been home all day and feel like the skin is clean. Cleansing and moisturizing the skin before sleeping is an absolute must.

Exfoliate: More than the rest of the year, it's really important to exfoliate the skin in the summer to remove dead skin and improve blood circulation to the face. Try this simple scrub using 4 to 5 tsps of gram flour, a pinch of turmeric, 5 to 6 drops of rose water and milk or yoghurt. Mix it into a paste and use it to exfoliate the face. Follow it up with a facemask and moisturizer.

Remove tan: Gram flour can be used as a facemask to get rid of an uneven tan. Mix it with yoghurt and a few drops of lemon and apply. Leave it on the face till it's dry. The citrus properties of the lemon are very effective in removing the tan.

Eat healthy! Exercise and sleep well! Enjoy the summer!

Home HintsSummer Scuffle

8April ’15

Bridges - Connecting SRU

For internal circulation only

Sometimes I sit down and dreamOf memories gone byLittle little things that remind usOf how fast does time fly

Of childhood, those innocent gamesOf class rooms and lunch breaksOf friends…..now so far awayOf sudden turns that life takes

Some sadden me, some bring a smileAnd then I shudder a bitLook all around …ah! one dayAll this will also be a part of it

A little voice whispered in my earYes it will …but why are you afraid ?For what is life ? but a bunch of memoriesSo precious we can't let them fade

….can't let them fade

Dr. Akshay SinghI yr., MD Psychiatry

Colors

Mr. Aravind Sivasekar, III yr., MBBS

Dr. B. Sreelekha, Reader, Faculty of Nursing

Your CornerLife, a memory

Touch-me-notFragile Fräulein

Prof. S. RoopaDept. of Physiology

thThe 50 Bridges Monthly Book Review will be held on 24.04.'15

Book : Being Mortal

Author : Atul Gawande

Reviewer : Prof. S. Rangaswami, Professor of Eminence in Medical Education, SRU.