some Diabetic patients may not benefit from exercise .... says research !!!!

Asoformin; Avimet; Conformin; dibimet; formet ; Glumet ; Glyciphage ; Glycomet ; Insumet ; Metformin ; Metlife ; Obimet ; Omet ; Walaphage and more………  most likely that you can identify what this is easily as many Indians are buying this daily……..  For decades, patients have managed their type 1 diabetes by injecting themselves with insulin to regulate the glucose in their blood. Initially it was painful ~ now there are fine needles available, still…….. it never is a happy state of affairs…. They say Diabetes is not a disease but only a disorder – howsoever you name it, one has to simply live with it… it is killing mentally ~ as you cannot eat what you want to and would start feeling that the whole World exists to eat ! and you are denied that pleasure.  Injecting insulin addresses the immediate danger of low insulin levels.

Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced.  This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger). There are three main types of diabetes mellitus (DM). Type 1 DM results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and currently requires the person to inject insulin or wear an insulin pump. This form was previously referred to as "insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (IDDM) or "juvenile diabetes". Type 2 DM results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. The third  is  gestational diabetes occurring in pregnant women without a previous diagnosis of diabetes develop a high blood glucose level. It may precede development of type 2 DM.

Untreated, diabetes can cause many complications. The Nation is earning the dubious distinction of having more diabetics than any other part of the World. Our ancestors lived naturally – longer and healthier at that.  As one could recall, three or four generations earlier, people were used to hard physical labour, would eat natural things, had clean habits, lived happily with lesser worries and lesser medication.  Some attribute the ‘stressful living’ as a major cause of diabetes.  Sedentary lifestyle lacking physical activity too contributes ….

People would immediately start advising on remedies and the way to control (without ever having to control by themselves) ……. Some fruits are often written as possessing magical wonders.  The fact that there cannot be a simple remedy and one should alter their lifestyle, engage in physical activity and have a diet pattern that suits the individual.  If you have type 2 diabetes, you should aim for about 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week, according to the American Diabetes Association. Walking 10,000 steps per day is equal to five miles; most people whose jobs have them largely sitting at desks only take about 4,000 to 5,000 steps each day.  Short walks from the desk may not count and one should devote exclusive time for physical activity.  Yogic exercises would be of help for sure...

Yogathon at Marina

Though physical  activity plays a big role in keeping blood sugar in check mere burning calories will not do – and it may not be the same with all individuals.   If exercise were to throw away diabetes, some known actors who are fitness freaks too, would not be diabetics, so also sportspersons.  In Cricket, bowling is a good physical activity and fast bowlers burn lot of calories.  Wasim Akram was a giant among the pacers and could bowl many overs too – back in 1997, in the middle of a Test Series, he was diagnosed as having diabetes !

It is also a fact that for some, though they exercise good self-restraint in keeping away from food containing sugar – their blood sugar level may still continue to rise – not because of their indulgence,  of not exercising but simply because the body is not cooperating, the way it should.   An article on 20.11.14 by Madlen Davies for MailOnline state that ‘20% of type 2 diabetics will NOT benefit from exercise - and it's their genes that are to blame’.  Here are some excerpts from that article.

For years, doctors have been warning exercise is crucial in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. Those who have already been diagnosed with the condition are told exercise is key to managing their illness.  But a new study has found some patients will not benefit from exercise, turning conventional wisdom on its head.  According to new research, a fifth of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes will not benefit from exercise - because of their genes.  Doctors found as many as one in five people with type 2 do not see any improvement in blood sugar management when they engage in a supervised exercise programme.

People develop type 2 diabetes when their body becomes resistant to the hormone insulin, which is the key that unlocks cells in the body to allow sugar inside to be used for energy. Insulin resistance leads to excess sugar in the bloodstream.  Over time high levels of sugar in the blood leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

Doctors analysed clinical studies where people with type 2 diabetes participated in exercise programmes, as well as animal and genetic studies on the topic. In future, people whose genes mean they are not likely to respond to an exercise program could be identified and given other treatment, experts said. 'Most people benefit from an exercise regimen, but recent research indicates that a significant minority of individuals with type 2 diabetes do not experience the same improvements in metabolism due to their genes. Genetic patterns could be the key to differentiating between those who would benefit and those who would not.

Is that in any way good news for people afflicted by diabetes ?

With regards – S. Sampathkumar                                                        24th Nov. 2014.

False Impression ~ Van Gogh's bandaged ear.. : Self-portrait to ..... Selfie

I read recently – ‘False Impression’,  a mystery novel by English author Jeffrey Archer, first published in February 2005 (the no. of English novel are less than fingers of both hands !) …. The story occurs mostly in UK and partly USA & Romania,  but traverses through Continents.  In the engrossing tale on a masterpiece artwork, the knowledge of the artwork resonates quite heavily.   Quite a new angle is that upon the occurrence of Sept.11, some people went missing, presumed dead and some who were alive too, chose to  make this an opportunity ! – it has its share of killing starting with that of an English countess and more people by a hired assassin who once was a great gymnast.  The good person is a Japanese Steel magnate who with passion for artwork is willing to spend fortune and  save people.  It is cleverly constructed entanglement that keeps the readers guessed throughout.

In a recent newsitem, tilted ‘Taking Selfies to new heights’ – Daily Mail reports of a photographer snapping nauseating photo from 2,722ft on top of the world's tallest building in Dubai.  The British photographer, Gerald Donovan took a remarkable selfie atop Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.  Donovan, 47, captured a remarkable shot of himself while completing the Dubai 360 project, which allows anyone anywhere in the world to take an interactive tour of the city. 'I'm not usually one for selfies, in fact, I think this could well be the very first one I've ever shared,' he said.  Cheltenham-born Donovan, who has been based in the United Arab Emirates for seven years, used a special panoramic camera controlled by an iPhone app to take his selfie at 2,722 feet.  The timelapse is just a single component of a city-wide interactive tour of still photography, video, and timelapses - all presented in fully interactive 360 degree views.

Selfie may be the newfound addiction of people, taking photos of Self and posting them on Social network …… perhaps it not entirely new – as centuries ago, there existed the practice of portraits (equivalent to photographs of the modern day) and ‘Self-portrait’ – the equivalent to ‘Selfie’ !!

Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853 – 1890) was a Post-Impressionist painter of Dutch origin whose work, notable for its rough beauty, emotional honesty, and bold colour. After years of painful anxiety and frequent bouts of mental illness, the much acclaimed painter of now, died aged 37 from a gunshot wound, generally accepted to be self-inflicted. He began to draw as a child, and he continued to draw throughout the years that led up to his decision to become an artist. In just over a decade, he produced more than 2,100 artworks, consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolours, drawings, sketches, and prints. His work included self portraits, landscapes, still lifes, portraits as well as paintings of cypresses, wheat fields and sunflowers.

In 1885, he painted his first major work, entitled The Potato Eaters. His palette at the time consisted mainly of somber earth tones and showed no sign of the vivid coloration that distinguished his later work. In March 1886, he moved to Paris and discovered the French Impressionists.  The extent to which his mental health affected his painting has been a subject of speculation since his death.  The precise chain of events that led to the celebrated incident of van Gogh slicing off his ear is not known reliably in detail. In one evening of Dec 1988, Van Gogh severed his left ear (either wholly or in part; accounts differ) with a razor, inducing a severe haemorrhage.  By some accounts, he bandaged his wound, wrapped the ear in paper, and delivered the package to a brothel frequented. 

The self-portrait [a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist] shows the artist in three-quarter profile standing in a room in the Yellow House wearing a closed coat and a fur cap. His right ear is bandaged. It was in fact his left ear that was bandaged, the painting being a mirror image. Van Gogh shows the bandage on his mutilated ear like a saint displaying the stigmata; the act of self-mutilation changed Van Gogh.

Photo credit : smarthistory.khanacademy.org

Getting back, Jeffrey Howard Archer’s novel revolves around this artwork ‘bandaged ear’ – the central characters being the rich but cruel Bryce Fenston, his aid with criminal past Leapman, art expert Anna Petrescu, Jack Delaney,  besides Japanese business magnate and English countess who owns the portrait and whose estate is sinking in debts. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

24^th Nov. 2014.

Anand loses game no.11 at Sochi - Magnus Carlsen retains World Chess title

Sad news for Indian fans on Sunday 23^rd Nov 2014….. as Norway’s Magnus Carlsen completed the defence of his world chess title by defeating Viswanathan Anand in the eleventh game of the ongoing championship at Sochi as the five-time world from Chennai threw away an advantageous position in the fourth hour of play.

Yes, the news is  Viswanathan Anand playing with black pieces lost to Magnus Carlsen. With this win Carlsen has successfully defended his World Champion title. Trailing by a full point with just two games remaining, Indian chess ace Viswanathan Anand desperately needed  a victory to stay afloat - with the scores at 5.5-4.5 in favour of the Norwegian, Anand needed that one extra elusive victory in the penultimate game, when Carlsen played white.      

The chances for Anand had actually been  diminishing with each passing game – we only hoped that the Norwegian would be vulnerable !  One point ahead at the start of the eleventh game, Carlsen needed a win on Sunday to end the match -  Anand’s win  could have taken the contest down to the last game.   

Unlike  what happened in Chennai, where Anand played passively and went down in 10 games, losing his world title,  at Sochi, he played confidently at Sochi- game 3 on Nov. 11 proved good, when Vishy won. 

Sochi,  is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Black Sea coast near the border between Georgia/Abkhazia and Russia- and that was the venue for  the ‘World Chess Championship 2014’ - the title  match which has concluded today.   It was held  under the auspices of the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

23^rd Nov. 2014.@ 21.45 hrs.

Mekedatu spells trouble .... the biggest Yalong River project

Arkavati is a large mountain river in Karnataka, originating at Nandi Hills of Chikkaballapura district. It is a tributary of the Kaveri, which it joins at 34 km south of Kanakapura, called Sangama in Kannada, after flowing through ramanagara and Kanakapura.  Thanjavur (Tanjore) the royal city of Cholas, Nayaks and Marathaas was at the height of its glory during Rajaraja Chozha whose coronation took place exactly a thousand years ago.  Thanjavur was touted as ‘rice bowl’ of Tamil Nadu ~  வேழம் உடைத்து மழைநாடு மேதக்க  சோழ வளநாடு சோறுடைத்து – the proverb [Chola vala nadu sorudaithu] would mean  - the fertile land of Chola was rich in food. 

The place sadly has lost its glory and is mired in trouble.  There have been protests by farmers of the place with MDMK general secretary Vaiko leading a group of cadres owing allegiance to various political affiliations staging a rail roko in support of farmers’ protest against Karnataka constructing reservoirs across the Cauvery. A strong police posse prevented Mr. Vaiko and surging protesters from entering the junction premises by erecting barricades. The protesters’ plan was to picket the Tiruchi-Chennai Egmore Cholan Express but police thwarted them and the train quietly left the junction unhindered.

Meantime, the Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court after Karnataka Water Resources Minister's reported speech that the state was planning to implement Mekedatu project by constructing two dams across the Cauvery for which it need not get Tamil Nadu's consent.

Mekedatu  is a location along Kaveri in Kanakapura Taluk. Sangama is the place where Arkavati merges with Kaveri. From this point, about 3.5 kilometers downstream, the river Kaveri flows through a deep gorge so narrow that one would think that a goat can leap across it ('Mekedatu' means 'goat's leap' in Kannada). It is not really so narrow  but is connected to a hearsay story of a  goat being chased by a tiger making a desperate attempt to save its life by leaping from one side of the gorge and managed to cross over the raging river below. 

Responding to DMK president M Karunanidhi’s demand for convening an Assembly session over the Mullaperiyar dam and Mekedatu issues, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the state is filing a case in the Supreme Court on Tuesday to stall dam construction by Karnataka. There was no need to pass a resolution in the state Assembly to increase the height of Mullaperiyar dam to store water in the light of Supreme Court upholding Tamil Nadu's rights on water level, he said.  Karnataka feels that they do not need permission for executing something within their State.

Miles away in China, in a place called Sichuan - China's Yalong River Hydropower Development Company is constructing the 305-meter-high Jinping-1 Dam. Slated for completion in early 2015, it will dwarf even the landmark Three Gorges Dam. Over 1,500 kilometers long, the Yalong River flows from the Tibetan Plateau to southern China, its middle and lower reaches meandering through the narrow valleys of Sichuan province before joining the mighty Yangtze River. It is there in Sichuan that the dam is coming up.   With a 3,600 megawatt capacity, the Jinping-1 Dam costs approximately 54 billion yuan ($8 billion). Set to profit from the project are not only its owners, but also the German companies, including Siemens and Herrenknecht, that have supplied technical know-how every step of the way from the initial excavations to the power conversion process. The dam also serves as a flagship project for Beijing, which is keen to boost alternative energy production.

Away from the site,  a growing population and increased affluence is resulting in increased demand for clean drinking water. But with China building dams, less water is crossing the borders to Southeast Asia. This jeopardizes the water supply in these countries to such an extent that a small country such as Myanmar, heavily dependent on Chinese investment, had to suspend its own Myitsone Dam project, risking a cooling in its ties to China.

Water ….. and construction of dams spells trouble for many at places !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

23.11.14 Photo and news of Sierens credit : ww.dw.de