Identities of Transgender People in Ancient Tamil Literature

In human society, it is natural to see two genders, male and female. It is somewhat surprising that the work of transgender people, who can be called the third gender, is somewhat surprising. In the Mahabharatam, the story of the birth of a transsexual is extended. In nature's creation, we find these people incarnated as transsexuals in practical life. The records of transgenders can be found in abundance in Sangam literary grammar. Transgender people, who have been marginalized in society, are denied the right to participate in public. Transgenders living in small groups in the human community have been ridiculed as "identityless." This is the situation today. In the Sangam literary records, their identity has been recognized socially. It can be said that their contribution to the level of education is low. Transgenders, who are marginalized people, are more likely to be rejected at all levels. Since they lacked the right to education, there was no context in grammatical and literary fiction in which the pedis (hermaphrodites), the transgenders, could register their right to life. No one comes forward to help in public, fearing that if they raise their voice for them, they will be respected as untouchables in society. This denial is also a contemporary phenomenon. As a result, it is necessary to compile how third-gender identities are recorded in the literary field. Transgenders, also known as hermaphrodites, exist as records in literary life. The location of such people's lives is clearly visible in grammatical and literary fiction

Asceticism of Jainism as Depicted in Udayanakumara Kaviyam

Jainism, considered to have been created by Rishabadeva has produced numerous literatures in both Tamil and Sanskrit languages. Most of the literature in Tamil language is about Jainism. In particular, Ainchiru Kappiyam explores in detail about the doctrines of Jainism. In Udayanakumara Kaviyam the domestic and ascetic principles of Jainism are explained clearly. Udayanakumara Kaviyam, which is considered to be a summary of Konguvael Makatha, consists of Unjai Kandam, Ilavana Kandam, Magada Kandam and Vathava kandam, Naravagana Kandam and thuravu Kandam and about the 367 hymns. This article clearly explains about the principles of asceticism of Jainism

Treatment of a large pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm secondary to fungal infection using Amplatzer plugs: New embolisation devices for the management of haemoptysis

AbstractPulmonary artery pseudoaneurysms (PAP) may result in life threatening haemoptysis but are fortunately uncommon. Most are caused by trauma, iatrogenic injury or infection. We describe a case of large PAP secondary to fungal infection in an immunocompromised patient, which was successfully treated percutaneously using Amplatzer embolisation plugs. The technical considerations and advantages of these new devices are explained

Modeling the Effects of Passive Immunity in Birds for the Disease Dynamics of West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus that circulates among birds but also affects humans. Migrating birds carry these viruses from one place to another each year. WNV has spread rapidly across the continental United States resulting in numerous human infections and deaths. Several studies suggest that larval mosquito control measures should be taken as early as possible in a season to control the mosquito population size. Also, adult mosquito control measures are necessary to prevent the transmission of WNV from mosquitoes to birds and humans. To better understand the effective strategy for controlling affected larvae mosquito population, we have developed a mathematical model using a system of first order differential equations to investigate the transmission dynamics of WNV in a mosquito-bird-human community. We also incorporated vertical transmission in mosquitoes and passive immunity in birds to more accurately simulate the spread of the disease

Fatty acid desaturases modulated octadecanoid pathway in Sesame

Omega 3 fatty acid desaturases are involved in the production of α-linolenic acid (LNA) an essential omega 3 fatty acid, which is present in only traces in sesame seeds. LNA is the precursor for jasmonic acid which is the end product of octadecanoid pathway. This study was undertaken to analyze the key components of octadecanoid pathway and its relationship with fatty acid content in sesame. Fatty acid desaturation and membrane fluidity are modulated differentially in various stresses. Sesame seedlings were subjected to transient stress to analyse the octadecanoid pathway and its impact on fatty acid desaturation.  The mRNA levels of omega 3 desaturases and LNA content were higher in cold stressed sesame seedlings than heat, drought and salinity stresses. The LOX activity and MDA content were higher in heat stressed sesame seedlings. Jasmonic acid content was higher in salinity stressed seedlings while abscisic acid registered the highest in drought stressed seedlings. Chloroplast fatty acid desaturase genes expression was found to increase the LNA content in cold stressed seedlings. The level of membrane damage measured by lipid peroxidation in terms of LOX activity and MDA content were found to be minimal in cold stressed seedling. This suggests a possible role of LNA in membrane fluidity and cold acclimation in sesame. A synergistic role of JA and ABA is also suspected in abiotic stress tolerance in sesame

Advanced Brain Tumour Segmentation from MRI Images

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used medical technology for diagnosis of various tissue abnormalities, detection of tumors. The active development in the computerized medical image segmentation has played a vital role in scientific research. This helps the doctors to take necessary treatment in an easy manner with fast decision making. Brain tumor segmentation is a hot point in the research field of Information technology with biomedical engineering. The brain tumor segmentation is motivated by assessing tumor growth, treatment responses, computer-based surgery, treatment of radiation therapy, and developing tumor growth models. Therefore, computer-aided diagnostic system is meaningful in medical treatments to reducing the workload of doctors and giving the accurate results. This chapter explains the causes, awareness of brain tumor segmentation and its classification, MRI scanning process and its operation, brain tumor classifications, and different segmentation methodologies

A perspective on the widening gap between Covishield vaccine doses in India

The Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s vector-based vaccine called Covishield (ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19 Vaccine) is being manufactured and distributed by Serum Institute of India (SII).  National roll out of this vaccine was in a phased manner starting from 16th January 2021. At present, many states are facing shortage of vaccines. Government of India kept changing its policy on dosing gap of Covishield vaccine based on researches. The latest recommendation citing “real-life evidence” from the UK is to extend the two doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks. This reasonable approach will not only a breathing space for the government but also aids in free up doses for a larger number of people to get their first dose of the vaccine

An Exploratory Study on Quality of Life among Road Traffic Accident Victims in India

Background: Road traffic accidents are India’s sixth leading cause of mortality, with a substantial share of physical, psychosocial and economic losses in the productive age group. Objectives: To explore the victims’ and stakeholders’ perceptions on quality of life among road traffic accident victims in India. Methods: A qualitative study incorporating in-depth interviews among road traffic accident victims and key informant interviews among stakeholders was conducted from June to August 2019 (3 months) in Puducherry. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data was collected till the point of saturation with a semi-structured interview guide through six in-depth interviews among accident victims and six key informant interviews among stakeholders. Content analysis of the data was performed, and a conceptual framework was developed. Written informed consent from each participant was sought. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institute Ethics Committee. Results: Four themes were identified: reasons for road traffic accidents, problems faced by the victims, problems faced by the caretaker or family member, and preventive measures for road traffic injuries. Conclusion: Physical, psychological, and financial problems were encountered by the victims, caretakers, and family members after a major road traffic accident. Accident victims felt that support from family members was indispensable in returning to normal life

A Dynamical System Model of Dengue Transmission for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The dengue virus is a serious concern in many parts of the world, including Brazil. As data indicates, a prominent vector for dengue is the mosquito Aedes aegypti. By using the dengue incidence records from the Brazilian SINAN database, we estimate the population of A. aegypti within the city of Rio de Janeiro. Using historical climate data for Rio de Janeiro and the computed population estimates, we extend an existing model for the population dynamics of mosquitoes to incorporate precipitation in aquatic stages of development for A. aegypti