Day: May 26, 2021

Engaging activities for the lockdown period

The lockdown period bothers everyone especially when all the social gatherings and meet ups are halted. We get plenty of time in our hands. This is the time when we can learn new skills and brush up the old ones. So why not look out for some interesting and productive activities which can be carried out even during lockdown.

>Catch up with old friends

It’s a great time to catch up with all the friends and family members you haven’t talked in a while. Chat with them on video call, play online games or just plan an online get together.

>Read books

Treat yourself with a good book. Reading is not just a great past time but also a productive activity. Read to get inspired or simply to learn something new and advance your vocabulary. Look for some good and easily accessible e-books.

>Get an online internship

During the time of lockdown on-site jobs and opportunities might not be possible but a virtual internship might prove beneficial. Many companies, associations and organizations are providing online internships to individuals which can be done from home. Look for the best suited internship for yourself. This might later help in grabbing good job opportunities post lockdown.

>Learn to cook

Try cooking and let your friends and family taste it. Start with basic and easy-to-cook recipes. Reach out to family and friends for cooking hacks and tips or just surf online for your favourite recipe. Participate in online workshops for cooking to master the skill.

>Maintain your personal diary

Ever read ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ which is a collection of diary entries of a young girl during the Nazi rule in Germany? If you wish to do something similar, this is the right time. We are experiencing a pandemic and what better than this can be the theme for your diary entries. Create time line of events, collect newspaper articles and picture. This can also act as a pandemic time capsule. One day, you’ll be able to narrate these stories to your children and grandchildren.

>Get hands on a new skill

This can prove to be the perfect time to grab a new skill. Explore your creative side. Try out drawing, sketching or painting. If interested in music, go on to learn singing or instruments. Dancing, photography and art are also fun to do and really engaging.

>Start your kitchen garden

If you are an expert gardener and love to grow plants, this is the ultimate opportunity for you. Kitchen gardening is one of the most popular activities done during lockdown. What can be better than eating what you grow?

>Create a YouTube channel

Since most of the entertainment these days is digital, YouTube is a platform for fresh content. Just like most of the celebrities, you too can begin a YouTube channel and start uploading your fun and engaging videos.

New Online Academic Year, New Hopes

The door to yet another online academic year is about to open, amidst the worsening pandemic crisis. Bored by their previous experiences, students hesitate to get underway their similar routes. Students were nearly getting a kick out of their shores of hopes, awaiting campus fullfilment. But their hopes were shattered by the second yet dangerous wave of coronavirus followed by deadly infections such as yellow, black and white fungus. People are getting used to this prolonged period of closures. Everything is getting shut down, so are people’s minds. 

As the situation shrouding us is getting worse, teachers are off to adopt the mandatory online mode of teaching once again. Educators and administrators are forced to make an effort out of the challenges offered by the crisis. After a year of suffocation, students and teachers are almost used to this online teaching mode. Even though everyone knows the truth that education through digital screens will not be as lively and joyous as education in classrooms, we are bound to find new possibilities from these limitations. This new academic year may also be an opportunity for us to evaluate, correct and update our minds and body. 

 Disadvantages of Online Classes 
Smartphone classrooms were devoid of actual attention and brightness, instead, it was stuffed with boredom, negligence, painful memories and dimmed hopes. Kindergartens missed their excitement of packing up bags, hanging newly bought water bottles and jumping into their school bus with an urge to mingle. The major loss was experienced by school and college students. Cancelled sports day and cultural fests, no shared lunches or canteen snatches, no farewells and tours, and massively increased screen time marked 2020-21 academic session. Smartphones and laptops became the backbone of education. Well, along with education, we should consider its addiction too. Watching countless movies or episodes and sleeping for hours became a “new normal” routine for students. The non-availability of gadgets, which was a serious issue last year, currently boosted. It is now normal for school students to keep their own smartphones or laptops. 

 Benefits of Online Classes 
Blended learning also includes some benefits such as reduced time and elimination of travel costs. Students can also achieve several internships and online courses easily. Benefiting from these would aid your career in future.One could also get easy attendance by sitting at the comfort of your homes. 

Ways to enhance online learning 
 • Learning empowered with Videos and Notes. 
 Giving essential notes along with videos would bring a versatile and convenient flare to education. They serve as go-to resources that can be viewed anytime from anywhere. 
• Virtual Study Trips 
 Virtual trips increase the interest in students and grab their attention. 
• Do not burden students with too many lectures and assignments. Divide lectures into small chunks. Give limited assignments so that they could put their efforts in it fully. 
• Make time for fun 
Engage students with interesting games and competitions. There are several platforms to do so. It’s all about engagement. 
• Reduce time 

Attending online class continuously for 6-8 hours is exhausting and harmful for health. Reducing time and creating more quality content is more helpful for both students and teachers. 
• Prevent cheating in exams and sharing of academic documents. 

Despite the challenges and flaws of last year’s online learning, we can expect this year to be a better, promising one. Have gotten ideas on enhancing your e-learning, lets hope students and teachers utilise the best of it.

Explained: Net Zero and India’s stand on it

Lately, in April 2021, the US conducted a virtual summit on climate change with 40 world leaders to take bold pledges and chalk out prominent decisions on climate change. The summit has committed to achieving the Net-Zero target by 2050.

What is the Net Zero target?


Net Zero also referred to as carbon-neutrality is that situation where the entire man-made greenhouse gas from the atmosphere has been removed.

The summit held in April decided to achieve a balance on the emission of greenhouse gases and the removal of the same from the atmosphere.
Canada, South Korea, Japan, and Germany have committed to attaining a net-zero future.
India is the third-largest emitter of carbon after the US and China. And India plays a major role in global climate actions.

We all know that there has been a continuous rise in greenhouse gas emissions from industries, transportation, and livestock, resulting in global warming and prominent changes in climate patterns.
These harmful gases trap the heat and don’t allow them to escape the earth, causing temperature rise. The continuous change in climate patterns are causing severe floods, droughts, cyclones, and whatnot thereby leading to mass destruction of lives and property.

“The global temperature rose a total of 4 to 7 degrees Celsius over about 5,000 years. In the past century alone, the temperature has climbed 0.7 degrees Celsius, roughly ten times faster than the average rate of ice-age-recovery warming” as observed by NASA World Observatory.
“Models predict that Earth will warm between 2 and 6 degrees Celsius in the next century”.

If the global temperature rose at this pace, it would prove catastrophic. So in 2015, the 21st meeting of the United Nations Climate change conference took place to collectively agree to limit carbon emission by 1.5 degrees Celsius.

How to achieve Net Zero target?


Thus, the countries jointly agreed to become carbon-neutral or Net Zero carbon emitter by 2050. In achieving so the countries would have to balance their carbon emissions by removing the carbon from the atmosphere.

The countries have to develop renewable energy resources instead of burning fossil fuels, replacing fuel-based vehicles with electric vehicles, developing efficient technologies, etc. Also, the energy, transportation, and manufacturing sectors need to adopt net-zero targets.

Plants and water bodies are great carbon sinks as they absorb carbon from the air. Hence, expanding more forest cover would eliminate the carbon content from the atmosphere.
There are other technological techniques for containing atmospheric carbon.
Carbon sinks are a man-made reservoir where carbon-containing compounds are stored for an indefinite period for future usage, thereby decreasing the CO2 concentration from the atmosphere.

Measures adopted by countries:


Bhutan is the only country in the world that is “carbon negative” which means that it absorbs more carbon than it emits.
Countries like UK and France, have already enacted laws promising to achieve a net-zero emission by the middle of the century. China has promised to go net-zero by 2060.

India’s stand:


For India the scenario is different. India still has to reach the peak of emission, as for over next 2-3 decades the carbon emission would to grow because the country has to pull millions of people out of poverty.
Also, the carbon removal technologies are either unreliable or very expensive.
So, it’s not that India is straightaway striking out the carbon neutrality target by 2050, it’s that India at this point does not want to internationally announce any commitments.

Thus, the decision of attaining the Net Zero target is very arduous and challenging. The developed countries responsible for great carbon emission historically must take urgent steps and help developing nations with technology and capital to fulfill the cause.

Hidden in Ads

                Advertisements possess a special power to influence the minds of people and the continuous presentation of the same is capable to register the idea which conveyed through it. But the audience not only perceive the upper layer of meaning but also the hidden elements in it. Why do the ads of kitchen related things are presented by women? These minor elements have a huge impact on the budding minds of children which unintentionally spread the same wrong ideas that are part of so called tradition. This again fix the idea that these responsibilities are exclusively of woman.


               For example the advertisement of vim, in which the women in the ad is a home maker and the son is asking about her job after filling his Father’s job as bank manager to fill a form. the ad clearly underlines the fact that she is talented enough to be a Baker but the loaded works in the house, keep her away from her dreams.Husband expressed his helplessness towards her by saying that don’t you have a dream to open a bakery? And continued to looking at her working hands without helping her.At that time the miracle happens!!! ‘Vim’ is equal to the time saver and helped her to complete her task quickly and started her bakery!!! “Prove your identity” is the tag line of the ad which is positive and a motivation to the womanhood to follow her dreams without spare her time inside the four walls of her house.But still the advertisement never brings a revolutionary movement instead it only shows their product as a helper for her.If the husband is ready to help her and her turning point would be a positive note,but these presentation of fixed notions only helps to create the same idea among people …But not a change.

‘THE LIPSTICK EFFECT’

 

As Covid-19 streaked the globe in March, many businesses soared or plummeted as the pandemic wrought sudden sweeping change on the market environment. While some businesses like medical suppliers, drugs and chemists, small scale mask manufacturers, online education platforms, digital gadget markets soared high while many other businesses like restaurants, bars, hotels, malls etc were forced to shut down. Imposing lockdowns led to panic buying wherein consumers started buying essential goods like monthly groceries and hoarding them. Some switched to selective and cheaper buying. Unemployment soared and consumer spending fell causing major global economies to slide into recession.

 

This shift in consumption pattern created an altogether different trend where less costly consumer goods dominated purchases. The stock market reached its highest level with Nifty crossing 15000 mark and Sensex soaring as high as 35000. All this seems contradictory to what the situation validates.   

 

Economists accredit these gains to  ” The Lipstick effect “.

 

What is ‘The lipstick effect’

 

The lipstick effect is a theory in economics propounded in 2001 by ‘Leonard A Lauder’ chairman of a cosmetic company ‘Estee Lauder’. It states that at times of economic crisis or in periods of recession consumers demand shifts from costly and expensive luxury goods to less costly luxury goods. Consumers buy luxury goods even if there is crisis. During times of such economic distress consumers confidence in economy falls and their demand shifts to such goods that doesn’t affect their income much. In other markets besides the cosmetic industry For eg: instead of going on a tour to some country or buying expensive fur coat or jacket consumers prefer to go to cinemas, restaurants or simply buy less costly gadgets.

 
During the great depression American economy saw 25% increase in cosmetic sales, while in 2008 when economies were under recession cosmetic company L’Oreal saw 5.3% increase in sale of its products. In 2001 during 9/11 attacks when the US economy was under pressure Lauder saw a significant increase in sale of lipsticks in his company. He, thus appraised that there was a negative effect between economic condition and lipstick sales. This is how ‘The lipstick effect’ came into existence. However, all these examples majorly focus on lipstick but the word ‘lipstick’ is used in generalized sense and includes all other luxury goods that consumers purchase even at the time of crisis.
 

What the lipstick effect has to say in Indian context ?

 
Pandemic has impinged economy leading to tremendous fall in GDP, employment, Investment and most important of all consumer’s demand. The lockdown and the period afterwards saw a mixed bag of varied demand patterns. Broadly three different demand patterns were working simultaneously – normal demand, pent-up demand and inventory build-up. In August 2020 Boston consulting group reported that while there has been a rise in consumption of essential goods like health products, and home entertainment, positive sentiments ware also noticed around other essential items like personal care products, packaged foods and discretionary segment like apparel, cosmetics, consumer electronics. In September 2020, Shopper stops reported 33% increase in eye-makeup sales. In quarter two of 2020-21, Godrej consumers’ business saw 5% increase in its sales. Share prices of many such brand rose for eg: share price of Cinthol soap rose to 36% from 33% before the pandemic.
  

Is the lipstick effect glimmer of hope for the brands in the new normal ?

 
The lipstick effect offers an interesting insight that even during slump, trusted brands find a place in consumer’s wallet and are purchased as usual. However, this can be observed only in the case of less expensive goods and doesn’t apply to all the categories. Ceding many of their activities and expenditures including eating out due to growing fear consumers seem reluctant to spend at costly restaurants. Due to travelling restrictions their outing trips have reduced leading them to save more money for their future expenditure. Apart from saving for future, consumers have adapted themselves to this new normal and started spending on things like refurbishing their homes, decorating rooms with less costly luxury goods maybe a vase or pot that they always wanted to spend on, buying things for their new hobbies and all those small acts that cheer and give hope to them. A new car purchase might have been postponed, or a foreign tour has been cancelled but small pleasures every now and then have taken a toll over other spending.  by small acts that keep them happy just like purchasing a lipstick is.
 
As J.K Rowling has rightly said “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times; if only one remembers to turn on the light”. Even after the fatality of the pandemic demand by consumers will still be exceptionally characterized by irrationality and altogether opposite behavior. But what brings light to the overall situation is how well these branded businesses grab this opportunity and contribute their parts in comforting this economic crisis. Advertising can rekindle this hope. Using creative themes like togetherness, warmth, joy can help. Be kind, hopeful, positive and get the consumer to see more of your brand as a friend, supporter and a well-wisher.  

 


Signing off
Janhavi Thakre

 

Music Therapy – an aid to healing

Music heals, we all agree with that, don’t we? Not only does it uplift our mood and make us feel good, but also has proven health benefits. Music can boost the brain’s production of ‘dopamine’ – the hormone which helps us feel pleasure and ‘endorphins’ – the hormone that reduces stress and pain. Music eases anxiety, depression, reduces the feeling of pain, stimulates memories, and well – this list isn’t all-inclusive. These health benefits have given birth to ‘Music therapy’ – where music is used to address the physical, emotional/psychological; behavioural, cognitive, social, and spiritual needs of an individual or a group of people.

About music therapy and music therapists-

Music therapy is a burgeoning field and has grown a lot in the past few years playing a great role in all facets of healing. It is a clinical and evidence-based method of using music to accomplish individual goals carried on by a credentialed professional who helps the client form a therapeutic relationship with music. These music therapists are certified and trained in an approved music therapy program. They usually belong to the field of music and have the knowledge and skill to use music to heal people and stimulate or relax their feelings.

Types of Music Therapy –

The two broad types of music therapy are receptive and active (also called creative/expressive music therapy) music therapy. Receptive music therapy involves listening to music, which can be live or recorded. The feelings, thoughts, and ideas post listening to the music may then be discussed among the client and the therapist. Receptive music therapy helps majorly in inducing relaxation, reducing anxiety and pain. On the other hand, active music therapy is where the client, along with the music therapist, indulges in any kind of music-making. It can be composing a song, rapping, drumming, or song improvisation. This type of music therapy is associated with benefits like improving brain structure and function in infants.

Benefits of Music therapy –

Music therapy is extremely beneficial for people suffering from emotional health issues such as grief, anxiety, and depression. It also benefits people who address rehabilitative needs after a stroke, a traumatic head injury, or with chronic conditions like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. Music therapy also helps in reducing the symptoms of psychological disorders like schizophrenia. Music therapy has no age bar, and you do not necessarily have to be sick to enjoy its benefits. This is because music therapy can also be used as a tool for self-improvement and personal growth, as it has also proven to improve self-expression and communication skills. It boosts immunity, enhances intelligence, IQ, and learning. It also helps control negative aspects of our personalities like worry, prejudice, and anger. It also has some amusing benefits like improving memory and focusing attention and also can enhance physical coordination and development. Overall, music therapy can increase positive feelings like calmness, confidence, emotional intimacy, and empowerment.

One important thing to note is that relying on only music therapy for the treatment of serious health conditions might not be enough. However, combining it with medications and other necessary tools in a treatment plan as guided by the health expert can help the patient manyfold.

CRISPR the genetic scissor: Alluring or repelling?

The marvels of human discovery has no bounds. From reaching the moon to creating vaccines, man has always been on the lookout for creating an impact, be it influential or destructive. CRISPR is one such discovery which can revolutionize treatment of diseases. When man landed on moon, people talked about how we may corrupt it. When he created vaccines, people talked about how it may kill instead of curing. Discoveries are followed by heavy criticism. Sometimes, these can be ignorant ramblings. Sometimes, a warning of the inevitable. So, when CRISPR was discovered, critics implied that it may lead to the extinction of an entire species! Is it a useless rambling or a warning?

What is CRISPR?

CRISPR is a gene editing technique which allows us to edit our very origin, the DNA. In simple words, just like using a CTRL C, CTRL V and DEL on our computers, CRISPR allows to us to delete defective gene, copy a good gene and allows us to paste it in place of the mutated gene. Instead of taking care of the aftermaths of a disease causing mutated gene, we now cut it altogether and thus eliminate the disease altogether. Indeed a genetic scissor.

The silver lining of all this is that, it is extremely efficient, fast and cost conservative. Yes, hearing about gene cutting and editing, you could’ve been convinced that it isn’t for the common man. But no, you are gravely mistaken. In fact the reason some people consider it a curse is because of its affordability and efficiency, which when misused, can cause some serious irrevocable damage to the chain of lives.

The science behind

If you do not want to get into the details, then you may very well skip this heading and move onto to the next. But let me tell you, devil’s in the details! Much like a coded computer program our genes are essentially coded patterns of chemicals: adenosine(A), cytosine(C), guanine(G) and thymine(T). Our DNA is a specific arrangement of 6 billion of these chemical building blocks. Just like how a single error in the computer program can disrupt its functionalities, a single error in arrangement of A,C,G,T results in genetic diseases. 1 error among 6 billion and everything breaks into chaos. Read more here.

For instance, lets consider sickle cell anemia where our body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells as some of the cells become ‘sickle’ shaped leading to shortage of blood flow. The sickle shape is occurs when A is replaced with T. Without CRISPR, a person suffering from sickle cell anemia has a 15% chance of curing it by bone marrow transplantation, a costly solution. With CRISPR, all we have to do is correct the error. Cut the additional T, prepare a healthy A, and insert it in the place of the second T. Voila, you are now free of sickle cell anemia with your pockets not emptied!

The ethical concerns

The major concern revolving around CRISPR is the aftermaths it may cause. While trying it rectify a genetic error, we may by mistake create a new one by cutting excessive DNA, or pasting a different one. An individual impaired with such unintended consequences of CRISPR, not only suffers himself, but can also pass it to his/her generations due to gene-drive. Gene drive is preferentially inherited by all offspring which in turn can pass it on to their offspring.

CRISPR is actively being used to modify genes of animals and insects. We can now design plants with higher yields and with higher nutritional content, animals which are susceptible to diseases, and even mosquitoes which are rendered sterile. This can lead to the extinction of the entire mosquito species. This can disrupt the entire food chain as a species whose food source was the extinct species, will now be endangered too, setting off a chain reaction.

Designer Babies?

With CRISPR science fiction can come to reality. CRISPR allows us to modify our genes. Genes are who we are. So it literally allows us to modify who we are! Genetically editing human embryo instead of kids or adults, can result in creating the ‘ideal’ baby. Genes which promote increased muscle strength, brain activity can be pasted which allows babies born to be more healthy and intelligent.

You know where this can lead to and the increased concern this can provide. With CRISPR additionally being cost effective, who is to say no to a healthier intelligent baby? This leads to unnatural selection, defying Darwin’s evolutionary natural selection model, producing a race of superhumans. Even though the CRISPR on human embryos is highly disallowed, some may try to misuse it, causing devastating effects.

Concluding remarks

The world is moving at an alarming pace. Who knew 20 years ago that you can communicate across seas with just one click on the phone. While as alarming as it maybe, it has also lifted people up, proving that advancements do more good than bad, forcing us to go with the flow. It is up to the ethics of humankind to keep the good-bad balance and make sure that advancements not only improve the lifestyles of humans, but also the compassion in our hearts, for we are nothing but borrowed fragments of compassion, left by our ancestors.

 

Compassion isn’t about giving solutions, it is about giving all the love you’ve got.

-Cheryl Strayed

Space – The Final Frontier And The Future Of Humankind

The future of humankind lies in the stars above. Humankind was born 3 million years ago. So 3 million years evolve from wood tools to stone and then to iron and then to the age we live in right now. Technology, however, is progressing at a breakneck pace. The technological developments we are making now are comparable to thousands of years of evolution across the eons.
In 1969, humankind first lay its feet on another extraterrestrial object, the Moon. It was the single greatest achievement of humankind across the ages, and that day will forever revolutionize humankind and technology. Now, we have a thousand times the technology we had when we went to the moon. And in another 10 years, the scientific development will exponentially shoot up so that we would soon be able to travel to the nearby planets in our solar system like its neighboring city.
So, what can we see in the future in our generation? In the next 100 years, we could expect a city on Mars, on the moon, and factories all across the solar system. Asteroids are a big source of precious metals which are rare on Earth. This will mean there would be many mining companies that would employ people to travel to the asteroid belts to mine for these minerals. Engineers, manual laborers, and scientists would be hired by the masses at a very young age to feed minerals into these companies.
A new career altogether in itself will arise. They will be the Astro-charters who will design the course for the spaceships to travel throughout the solar system. Traveling in space requires a lot of hard calculations, which not everyone is sought out for. This will be like the sailors in the sea. There will also be a boom in space tourism where tourism companies will pop up like weeds which will offer people to the deepest reaches of the solar system to show them the beauty of the universe. There will also be many colonies on the moons of various gas giants like Jupiter and Neptune. These will be the centers of research and outposts for refueling for further deep space missions.
Scientists who specialize in physics and chemistry will be in the utmost demand by most of these companies. They will hire them because they will be able to chart courses for the spaceships and know where to mine what. They will have a deep understanding of space and where asteroids are to be found. They will also be used to develop better materials and faster engines to travel safer and faster. Material scientists will also be employed in the masses to develop safer equipment for the people who travel in deep space. There will be a lot of cosmic radiation in space. This will means that the human body will be exposed to cancer-causing radiation. It is, thus, necessary to protect against these harmful radiations.
Space laborers will also be a common thing in the future. Laborers will be needed to control the spaceships and manage equipment and minerals’ movement from one place to another. In addition, they will be educated on the basics of physics, electronics, and the physical sciences.
Science will get a huge boost because of the plentiful funding which many companies will provide to venture even deeper into space. Astrobiology and astrochemistry will also gain more importance than it has now. In addition, they will be needed to develop better farms that can function in deep space to provide food for the travelers.
Astronomy would be a prevalent subject that even small children will know about as that would be the most important part of the future. No job would function without astronomy in the future.
A bright and adventurous future is expected for humankind. Humankind will then venture off into other extrasolar systems to make colonies and further the reaches on humanity’s touch.

Anne with an E | a masterful retelling

Anne with an E': The best moments between Anne and Gilbert – Film DailyBased on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s popular series Anne of Green Gables, Netflix’s Anne with an E was incredibly well-received. The show follows the story of the adoption of orphan Ann(e). She is wide-eyed, optimistic, dramatic, and we’re here for it. She is the harbinger of joy and color in the otherwise unexciting lives of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. The books follow her misadventures, her friendships, and her purple prose. More lighthearted than the show, the books generally focus on Anne’s development as a character and the change in the mindset of the people of Avonlea towards orphans. Anne of Green Gables (Anne Shirley Series #1) eBook: Montgomery, Lucy Maud: Amazon.in: Kindle Store

The show, on the other hand, tackles several social issues such as racial prejudice, sexism, slavery, something the books shy away from. It also vividly portrays the trauma that Anne previously experienced while working as a “nanny”, as well as how that affected her as a young girl.

While the show takes generous liberties with the narrative, it does so in an extremely refined manner. Text-to-screen adaptations tend to fail spectacularly on this front, with the adaptations being borderline unwatchable. The creators remain true to the characters with everyone having their own arcs.

Even when adding new plot points and characters, it makes sure that they are well-developed and not hasty additions made to fill a quota or made to call the show “original”.

Both the book series and the show have left an everlasting impact on me. They are both perfect coming-of-age stories, with the show adapting the narrative to fit the modern context.

The Internet

The internet has revolutionized the way people communicate with each other across the world. The internet is a world wide web of computers exchanging information with each other through telecommunication satellites and leased lines. Initially started as a defence project of the U. S. Government in 1968, the Internet’s usage has grown rapidly as a preferred medium of communication to the public at large.

It has three main uses—as a means of communication, as a mammoth storehouse of information of any kind, and as a new medium of commerce for buying and selling goods. Software applications like e-mail, chat, instant messaging and video conferencing have brought people living in far off places together in a virtual world where distances do not matter anymore. Numerous websites and search programmes can dig out any information at a click from a large variety of sources. Electronic commerce applications enable buying and selling of goods through virtual shopping centres and auctions.

It has become so popular because it provides information, communication and entertainment in an economical and attractive manner. People are rapidly opting for the internet in homes, offices and cyber cafes. The internet is changing lives in a way that telephone and television did long time ago. The world is truly becoming a global village.

To kill a mockingbird- Book review

A book relevant at all times through all ages.

You might have read the book at some point in your life. Either due to pressure from others (including google) or due to curiosity. And when you read it you have absolutely no regret you did so. You are left with nothing but inspiration, a new outlook on life, and love for everyone no matter how many times you read it.

The book is through the viewpoint of jean louise and is set in 1930s America. A time of trial and tribulation for the American people due to the great American economic depression. However, the beauty of the book is such that even in such times, in a time of no money, no support, when you feel that the entire worlds burden is on you, even at that time you can still be good, do the right thing and set an example. The book is not just relevant to the Americans, but to every race of the world. Every part of world has a society hierarchy, be it on the basics of colour, ancestors, job, caste, religion, sex or money. The book gives an example of America at a time when racism and woman oppression was quite prevalent in the country, and slavery was just starting to be condemned. The mindset of Atticus finch, his values and beliefs in a town where everyone, even his family were pro racisms and sexism, is quite inspirational. Because of his ethical and not his physical ability, he acts as an unconventional hero and role model. The entire novel shows the theme of morality, very difference from our modern-day movies where heroes are defined on their physical capabilities and looks.

The books highlights the fact that everyone has the capability to change and do the right thing, no matter how bad they are or what has happened in their past. Mrs Dubose for example, is a recovering morphine addict, who suffered and had the constant urge to use the drug, even when her health had given her away and made her despicable. Even a person like her had the will to do the right thing and she decided that during the last stages of her life, she is not going to hold on to the drug. She wanted to be liberated from a thing that had caused her so much of damage, and indeed she did. The book captures the essence of innocence and how just by following your gut instinct a person can come to know whether a thing is right or wrong. This innocence, however, prevails only in a child who is not subjected to the senseless rules and mannerisms of the society. Most of the people, while growing up, succumb to these mannerisms and idiosyncrasies of the society, in an effort to fit in. The few who resist this grow up to be like Atticus finch, not being xenophobic or homophobic but instead changing the mindset of the society and uplifting others. Everyone takes something different from the other, from this book, based on their life experience.

The book is a good teacher to our country India, which is one of the most diverse countries of the world in all aspects, be it colour, religion, caste, languages and beliefs. Our country is divided among itself in a variety of ways. Dowry, the need for a male child, oppression of woman, and superstition are still prevalent in rural areas of the country. However, one thing that is faced by most of India is interfaith marriages and casteism. A country this diverse is bound to have such problem. Understanding and overcoming the peculiar beliefs of people to not marry a person out of their religion or even in their religion but of a different caste is one thing that our country can learn from the lesson of equality the book teaches us. People can live together and follow different religion. Atticus finch is all the social workers who help the needy, all the teachers, and guardians who set good moral standards for their children, all the lawyers who fight for woman injustice and equality, Atticus finch can be the growing population of LGBTQ community and animal lovers.

Everyone is equal. You are a human being and so are the people around you. Hence, before you judge anyone, step into their shoes and see their perspective. And remember, kill all the bluejays you want, if you can, but it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.

Second home!

Do u know which is your second home? Of course we all do,our school life,our priceless moments! Everyone is longing to get back to their childhood,even when you’re reading this at the moment ,you got an instant click in your mind,a slideshow of your wonderful memories feels the same…..am I right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School days are the best where there is no work pressure,no worrying of earning money but full time of learning happily through playing & enjoying life according to our wish. It’s a boon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School days are the happiestttt,countless memories are tangled with those days,can never ever be replaced by anything! We can see the purest form of us,the real us during our childhood, sometimes we need to think and get cherished ourselves to keep the innocence in the experienced ,dark society!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends-one of the best relations,they were the one who made our school life unforgettable,without them…nothing would have happened! Though we fight,have gossips,angry for a while,we still love each other, still feel like we are the one -united always. We can’t find true friends like school friends and they remain the same forever,that was the place where we’re all connected and bonded with true love & care !

Listed out some of those amazing moments,

Sleeping with books

Act like being silent when principal passes by

Grabbing & sharing lunch boxes

Bunking class by making excuses for pee and drinking water

Crazy talks, kiddings,sightings,being enough naughty

Excitement of entering into a new class year

Borrowing bits, asking for answers during exams

Hiding behind friends while teacher asks a question

Getting kicked out from maths class for forgetting homework at home(lies)

Making cute excuses to the teacher

Used to fight for silly things with our friends like window seat/pen/food etc

Wanting to become the in charge of class

That moment of feeling proud when gets an appreciation from teacher

Plans to do a group study but ends up having fun and food

Playing xo,pen fight passionately as if it’s an Olympic event and many more……etc

We learned,we played,

We cried,we laughed,

We won,we lost,

We fought,we thought…..

 

Years went over, when I returned back to school

Found our names were still scribbled on walls,benches,canteen tables….

Wishing to become a child again,

Still missing and longing for those unforgettable moments!

With love,

Neharika!

Apoptosis- A potential target for cancer therapy

Introduction

The avoidance of apoptosis by cancer cells is a prominent characteristic of cancer. Since apoptosis inhibition is at the heart of tumour growth, the clearing of malignant cells and retaining a definite number of healthy cells involves tumour-cell death. Cellular death pathway targeting provides some possible therapeutic targets for all cancers. The most obvious strategy for cancer treatment is to concentrate on lesions, particularly apoptosis in tumour cells, which eliminate cell death.

Apoptosis is an essential component of normal development. For keeping normal physiological processes between cell proliferation and cell deaths, homeostatic balance is essential. Aberrant control of apoptotic mechanisms is one of the main characteristics of cancer growth and development. Apoptosis can be activated by triggering two different molecular pathways, a pathway of the extrinsic, a death receptor or a mitochondrial pathway, intrinsic pathway also called apoptotic cascade. Extrinsic pathways from outside the cells are activated by pro-apoptotic receptors, such as CD95 and TNF-related ligands inducing apoptosis (TRAIL) interacting with specialised cell surface death receptors. Mitochondrial (intrinsic) pathways induce the transcription of or the post-translational activation of BH3 proapoptotic B-cell leukaemia / lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins from the inside of the cell, as a result of extreme cell pressure such as DNA or cytoskeleton damaging apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) and assemblies of Cytochrome c  activate caspase 9. This caspase activates the effector 3, 6 and 7 caspases, which perform apoptosis. Latest development of different therapeutic methods that interfere with apoptosis and are commonly used or studied for cancer treatment are becoming popular. It induces cancer cell death or enhances the response to certain cytotoxic medicines of cancer cells and CCs. Some of them are still in preclinical and clinical trials such as caspase activators, apoptosis modulators or agents targeting apoptosis-related proteins. Future methods for targeting apoptotic pathways in cancer patients with promising application are also seen.

Therapeutically inducing apoptosis strategies

The progressive pre-clinical or early clinical development of many therapeutic approaches inducing apoptosis are seen. The research processes two styles from a mechanical perspective of separate approach: (a) specifically separating tactics induce apoptosis, which is here called pro-apoptotic; and (b) survival-signalling techniques that modulate this to promote apoptosis, which is called permissive approach.

Proapoptotic approach:

Apoptin. A promising tumour killing technique

Apoptin (VP3) is a cell used when sparing normal cells and killing only tumour cells. The chicken anaemia virus is a source of 14,000 proteins. Latest evidence shows that this molecule induces apoptosis in which Caspases are included. Apoptin is very much shown, in vitro findings, that it is active against cancer cells without induction of natural toxicity Cells. The basic effect of it being this tumour killing only could be clarified by nuclear tumour cell location of the protein, activity requirement, whereas the protein in normal cells are Cytoplasm localised. In addition, apoptin is also active and potentially chemo resistant in genetically disrupted cells such as p53, Bcl-2 or tumour cells that express BCR-ABL. Apoptin is under progress in tumour cells in vivo in gene therapy strategies. Multiple injections of adenovirus into healthy rats or nude mouse have not been found toxic in preclinical studies. Furthermore, antitumor effects in the nude s.c. mouse were observed, hepatoma in human beings. These findings, however, remain preliminary and more preclinical work is needed with human cells to ensure safety and evaluate apoptin ‘s potential as an anti-cancer compound better.

Apoptosis was examined for the development and treatment of cancer by attempting to determine its function in chemotherapy cytotoxicity caused by agents. Cytotoxic agents frequently lead to apoptotic by only a fraction of the cells. A significant portion of cells must be recruited into apoptosis to allow maximum use of apoptosis as a mechanism for anti-neoplastic agent response. The only regularly used cytotoxic agents that have been shown to induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells are paclitaxel (Taxol ®). Another of such cytotoxic agents is cyclophosphamide, and furthermore cytosine arabinoside is also used. Quantitative measurements of apoptotic cells were performed by controlling the binding of the phosphatidylserine-binding protein (FITC)-labelled annexin V into cellular cells.

Inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP)

The genome of baculoviruses was the original founder of IAPs because of their capacity in infected host cells to inhibit apoptosis. Re-based on the survival and XIAP of recent attempts to use IAPs to obtain anti-cancer treatment. In vitro experiments showed that the anti-apoptotic function of the proteins was inhibited by caspases-3, -7, and -9. As these cases have shown to be important in vitro for chemical apoptosis aimed at its natural inhibitors, the IAPs have been identified as a possible means of increasing chemosensitivity. In fact, NSCLC cells inhibited up to 70 per cent of surviving mRNA expression with the use of the oligonucleotide 4003, resulting in etoposide sensitization of cancer cells. Additionally, the downregulation of XIAP in ovarian cancer cells with wild type p53 by adenoviral antisense expression has caused apoptosis. These promising findings have led to clinical trials using anti-sense IAPs being mapped. The IAPs’ function may be more complex than the in vitro data initially suggested. Indeed, in NSCLC patients c-IAP1, c-IAP2, and XIAP had no precedented response to chemotherapy responses, unlike most of the expected multiple in vitro trials. Moreover, in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and AML, there were no variations in reaction to chemical therapy between survivin-positive and negative instances. Furthermore, XIAP expression was not associated and did not have any relation with the apoptotic index of NSCLC patients but was inversely related to tumour growth. In this group of patients, higher XIAP expression has been predictively converted into a considerably longer overall survival. In addition, the nuclear localisation of survivor has shown positive effects on prognosis in a recent study of gastric cancer patients. These findings verified that it may mean that limitless ODN survival inhibition may not be desirable both within the cytoplasm and the nucleus. It is possible that the IAPs are engaged in apoptosis inhibition by the blocking of caspase but also other essential functions including proliferating. These conflicting results can be clarified. In addition, the net effect of IAPs can depend on their interaction with the control molecules Smac / DIABLO, HtrA2 and Factor1 associated with XIAP, an antagonist of the XIAP apoptotic operation. Therefore, while it is potentially promising, additional functional research and IAP interactions are required to better utilise them as goals for anti-cancer therapy.

BH3 Mimetics

There is a common consensus that BH3-only proteins are essential for apoptosis, promulgating inherent and extrinsic pathways of cell death. Based on the blocks of the sequence homology called BH domains, proapoptotic members from the BCL-2 family may be further identified. Only one domain, in general called the α-helical BH3 region is available for all BH3 protein. This preserved BH3 domain played a key role in the treatment of cancer. Three BCL-2 protein subgroups: BH3 (BCL-2 homology 3), BCL-2, BCL-2-associated X-protein (BAX), and the BCL-2 antagonist-killer (BAK), interacting on one another on the mitochondrial membrane, activate the pathway. This is the basis of three distinct groups. BH3-only proteins have been shown to achieve two mechanisms by transmitting signals to induce apoptosis, and only BH3-proteins inducted by transcriptional or post-translational cytotoxic stress. The neutralisation of antiapoptotic BCL-2 proteins or direct activation of BAK and BAX 47 is a clear way to understand the previous mode of action, both structurally and functionally, and hence the goal for production of pharmaceuticals. By attaching its hydrophobic groove by adding four hydrophobe residues it antagonises the BCL-2 antiapoptotic protein family members. Members such as cell-death antagonist BCL-2 and NOxa bind to their anti-apoptotic brothers, while other proteins such as BIM, tBID and PUMA only neutralise other anti-apoptotic agents.

miRNA

The miRNAs (MiRNAs) is a small endogenous class of 18 to 25 nucleotide length non-encoding RNAs which modify gene expression by mRNA degradation or mRNA deletion. The mature-miRNA products are produced by sequential processing by the ribonucleases Drosha and Dicer1 from a longer primary miRNA (pri-miRNA) transcript. miRNAs are known to inhibit thousands of target genes, since the objective mRNA needs only partial complementarity. Thus, one miRNA can target at the same time to a complexity of mRNAs, and several miRNAs can control the expression of one particular mRNA. The alteration of miRNAs includes a varying variety of human diseases, including cancer, by natural mechanisms miRNA are involved in number of process, including cell growth, differentiating, proliferating, apoptosis, and stem cells self-renovation. The de-regulation of miRNA also induces apoptosis avoidance, involving tumorigenesis and pharmaceutical resistance. The functioning of aberrated miRNAs, which are closely linked to the apoptosis mechanism, will act as oncogenes (OncomiRs) or tumour suppressors (TSmiRs) during tumour induction and progression. Manipulation of the levels of miRNA expression affecting apoptosis genes and pathways may also be a clinical approach to develop successful cancer treatment. Furthermore, because cancer cells frequently display a distinct trend for miRNA expression, novel profiles of altered miRNA expression may be useful for tumour-diagnosed molecular biomarkers, disease-specific outcome predictions and tumour-aggression evaluations. Therefore, numerous anti-cancer therapies are being designed to recover miRNA behaviours and rebuild gene regulation networks or drug sensitivity. A number of miRNAs were associated with drug resistance, some of them linked to apoptosis. Deregulation of miR-214 is a frequent phenomenon in ovarian cancer in human beings and it has been shown that miR-214 mainly targets PTEN / Akt pathways and promotes cell survival and cisplatin tolerance. It’s also recognised that the let-7 miR family plays an essential part in a number of cellular functions including opioid sensitivity modulation. The miRNA let-7a, aimed at caspase-3 in human cancers, was over-expressed and demonstrated resistance to a range of drugs, including doxorubicin, paclitaxel and interferon-gamma, which are caspase-3-dependent. Let-7e was up-regulated with improved tolerance to doxorubicin in some ovary cancer cell lines. Conversely, let-7i has been documented as uncontrolled in ovarian cancer resistant to chemotherapy, and the reintroduction of let-7i could sensitise ovarian resistant cell line to platinum-based chemotherapy. The cause of apoptosis induced by the chemo preventive agent curcumin has been shown to be the downregulation of miR-185 in a non-small cell-lung cancer cell line which increased its direct target expression, Caspase-10. The effect on miRNA expression profiles was thus studied by anti-cancer drugs that modulate apoptosis cell proliferation and could help predict the resistance to apoptosis. This will help prevent needless morbidity and represent a new class of biomarks to allow customised care through the awareness of possible miRNAs involved in apoptosis resistance.

Blebbishield Formation

The development of blebbishields is one method used by cancer stem cells to resist apoptosis. The emergency system is enabled to rescue the stem cells in apoptotic cancer. The apoptotic blebs merge together into a formed sphere called blebbishields. Cells undergoing blebbishield development display visual symptoms of apoptosis, but the reaction is prevented and ends in cells living. Serpentine filopodia formation due to endocytosis are involved in blebbishield formation to avoid complete apoptotic reaction. Apoptosis normally results in secondary necrosis from a lack of ATP, blebbishields by activating glycolysis are able to prevent secondary necrosis. In order to ensure clinical effectiveness, cancer stem cells must be blocked to survive in parallel to treatments by apoptosis. A variety of possible candidates were identified including inhibitors of caspase, Smac mimetics and inhibitors of the translation at an internal ribosome entrance site (IRES). IRES translation is regulated by antiapoptotic proteins, such as cIAP-2, and XIAP. IRES translation facilitates survival by converting the cIAP-2, which enflames the mechanism and moves the antiapoptotic to the proapoptotic equilibrium towards antiapoptotic survival. Hemming IRES translation will prevent blebbishield formation from being started. N-Myc is an IRES translation goal intended to avoid the development of blebbishield.

Conclusion

Apoptotic approach to seeking alternative anti-cancer drugs is intriguing, since it is not unique to the form of cancer. In both the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of cancer there are various mutations that cause cells to evade apoptosis, which is a distinctive characteristic of cancer. A more general cancer cure will also include the opportunity to target and activate apoptotic tract. Many compounds extracted from plants that are not toxic to healthy cells are particularly promising compounds to cause apoptosis.

6 months to Farmers protest

Various farmer’s unions and opposition parties are observing ‘Black day’ on May 26th Wednesday marking 6 months of the farmers’ protest that started on 9 August 2020. A nationwide protest day has been organized with the support of various political parties.   

 The protest started against three ordinances that were passed by the parliament and signed by the President. They are (i) The Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) ordinance 2020 (ii)The farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm services ordinance 2020 (iii) The Essential Commodities( Amendment) ordinance 2020.The current provisions of law restrict farmers from selling their produce outside their notified APMC markets where the government set MSP will be given. Also, farmers are supposed to sell their produce only to registered licencees of the state government. The APMCs are maintained by the state government and they charge a percentage as tax. The new law relaxes these restrictions and allows farmers to sell their produce outside mandis and to all traders(including those without licenses) like corporates on a contract basis.  

The protest arises mainly on four aspects of the new laws; Trade area, trader, market fee, and dispute resolution. The majority of the Indian farmers are less educated and not well versed in the legalities of contracts. Farmers can be easily manipulated and tricked into contracts with corporates as most  farmers cannot afford legal advisors. Secondly farmers fear the system of Minimum Support Price (MSP) may end eventually as APMCs may decline. The corporates can provide high prices in the initial years diverting the whole market to themselves till a stage where APMCs decline and later they will be the sole body deciding prices in the market.  

The protest grew over the months with support from different parts of the country. Farmers from Punjab and Haryana marched to Delhi where they were blocked at the check posts. Many organizations came forward to help them. And several leaders have sent letters to the government asking them to repeal the laws. Amidst the strong protest, the government stayed the implementation of the laws for 18 months. But the farmers stayed adamant on their need and asked for a complete repeal of the laws.   

Peaceful protests in Hisar that led to the release of arrested farmers have further fuelled the protest and black flags were hoisted at various protesting sites as a symbol of their dissent. Due to COVID restrictions, the protest is now carried out at a slow pace. Almost 12 political parties have extended their support to the cause. They are Congress, TMC,NCP,DMK,Shiv Sena,Samajwadi Party,JMM,RJD,CPI,CPM and others.The farmers are determined to protest until they achieve their goal.