Newsletter of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU)

January 2020

srubridges@gmail.com2Jan. ’20

From the Editor’s Desk

Glimpses

Bridges Committee

Patron:

Shri. V. R. VenkataachalamChancellor

Advisory Board:

Prof. P. V. VijayaraghavanVice-Chancellor

Prof. K.V. SomasundaramProfessor of Eminence &Advisor (Academic)

Prof. S. RangaswamiProfessor of Eminence inMedical Education

Editor-in-Chief:

Dr. Sheela Ravinder S.

Editor:

Dr. Hemalatha C. R.

Co-Editor:

Prof. Antony Leo Aseer P.

Editorial Board:

Dr. Abhinand P. A.

Dr. Ganesh V.

Dr. Nithya Jagdish

Prof. Prakash Boominathan

Prof. Sandhya Sundaram

Secretarial Assistance:

Ms. Stella Augustus

Ms. Geetha R.

Photography:

Mr. Anand Kumar A.

Art & Design:

Mr. Arunagiri S.

Printing:

Mr. Velayudam S.

Beloved Readers,

Let us stay connected…

January symbolises fresh beginnings of a new year with new hopes & possibilities and is the time

to reflect on our past to create a better future.

The harvest festival involves understanding of interesting mythologies and joyous

celebrations in the campus that let us experience the exquisiteness of the Indian culture.

The faculty and students of SRIHER have such a surfeit of awards and rewards that stand

a testimony to their competence & excellence. This month has seen no less of these

credentials in both scientific and sports forums.

Eating right and staying fit being emphasized through guest lectures and walkathon in

the campus is the need of the hour. Eating the wrong foods reduces our energy level

and prevents our mind from serving us to its fullest capacity. Obesity – the modern day

epidemic has worrisome health implications; we need to empower ourselves to make

necessary lifestyle choices that will ensure a lifetime of good health.

'Global News' divulges the importance of sleep and its association with Alzheimer's

disease communicating the need for the right quantity of sleep besides the quality of

sleep.

May this New Year serve as a harbinger of peace, prosperity, health and happiness to each

and every one. Let us thank God for the abundance of blessings received and use the

lessons we have learnt from our past to rise to a whole new level of awareness and

enlightenment.

Sheela Ravinder S. Editor-in-Chief

Bridges

Cover Photo Courtesy:

Ms. P. AmbikaJunior ExecutiveAdministration

'Governance in Higher Education: Hand Book for Vice Chancellors' authored

by Dr. S. P. Thyagarajan, Professor of Eminence and Dean (Research), SRIHER

was brought out as a UGC publication in October, 2019. This book was released thby His Excellency, Dr. Ram Nath Kovind, President of India on 16 November,

2019. Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal, Minister for Human Resource Development,

Govt. of India received the first copy in the presence of Dr. D. P. Singh,

Chairman, University Grants Commission at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

srubridges@gmail.com3Jan. ’20

Bridges

Dept. of General Surgery

conducted the

th st from 27 to 31 Jan. The program was designed to meet the specific needs of those p r e p a r i n g f o r

postgraduate examinations in surgery. 140 delegates across the country participated.

n d22 Annual Rapid Review & Revis ion Course in

Surgery

Dept. of ENT, Head & Neck Surgery along with the Dept. of

Speech Language and Hearing Sciences organized the th on 20 Jan., earmarked

as CLIPS Day. All the implantees were invited with their families thfor a get-together to celebrate the 14 anniversary of the first

cochlear implant surgery performed at SRIHER (DU) on th20 Jan. 2006. Dr. Kavinda Jayawardana, Member of Parliament,

Sri Lanka (Alumnus of SRIHER) was the chief guest. Various cultural events were performed by the child beneficiaries and prizes were distributed by the chief guest. 275 participants attended.

th14

Anniversary of Cochlear Implant Program

Dept. of Biomedical Sciences organized rd for high school biology teachers on 23 and

th24 Jan. The event was inaugurated by Prof. Alexander Jesudason, Principal, Madras Christian College. The participants included 14 teachers from eight city schools. The teachers were trained in Human Genetics, Microbiology, Drosophila Biology, Animal Cell Culture, Bio-analytical Techniques, Cellular Staining and DNA Isolation. The faculty members of the department served as resource persons.

Hands on Workshop on

Biomedical Techniques

A Walkathon with the t h e m e ,

was organized by NSS and NCC of

ndSRIHER (DU) on 22 Jan. 157 NSS and 27 NCC volunteers participated.

F i t I n d i a Movement

Faculty of Physiotherapy organized a series of lectures on

th th on 8 & 9 Jan. by Prof. Charlotte K. Hager, Dept. of Community M e d i c i n e a n d R e h a b i l i t a t i o n Physiotherapy, UMEA University, Sweden. 100 students and faculty members attended.

Sensorimotor Training following ACL

Injury

Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology conducted

, the rd23 Annual PG Revision

th thCourse from 5 to 10 Jan . T he a cademic program was inaugurated b y t h e H o n o r a b l e Governor of Telangana,

thHer Excellency Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on 6 Jan. The events included obstetric drills, ward rounds, case discussions, panel discussions, capsule presentations and dialogues covering all the examination topics for OBGYN postgraduates. 400 delegates from various parts of the country attended.

OG QUEST 2020

Happenings

Republic Day Celebrations

srubridges@gmail.com4Jan. ’20

Bridges

t h2 5 G r a d u a t i o n Ceremony of Hospital Ward Technicians was

thheld on 4 Jan. Mr. Ponraj Vellaichamy, Former Scientist G, Aeronautical Development Agency, Ministry of Defence, Bengaluru & Former Advisor to Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was the chief guest.

Dept. of Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry

hosted the

thfrom 19 s tto 21 Dec. 2019 .

Dr. Anne O. Connel, P r e s i d e n t o f t h e

International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) thpresided over the inaugural function on 19 Dec. 250 delegates

participated. The events included:

· Walkathon

· Awareness Program for government school teachers on'Emergency Management of Injured Teeth' - EMIT

· Awareness Skit on 'Timely Act for an Avulsed Tooth' in regionalthlanguage to the public in the G-block OPD on 18 Dec. 100

patients and caretakers benefited.

· Three pre-conference workshops

· Guest lectures by 23 speakers

· Scientific presentations by faculty members and students

nd2 Indian S o c i e t y o f D e n t a l Traumatology National

Conference

De p t s. o f C l i n i c a l Nutrition and Mind Body Medicine & Lifestyle Sciences celebrated the

with the t h e m e , ' D i e t i t i a n s Reaching the Unreached' – Eat Right Campus on

th10 Jan. The program was inaugurated by Mr. Muthu Maran, Regional Director, Chennai, FSSAI. A webinar was conducted on 'Healthy Mind in Healthy Body' by Dr. Venkat Srinivasan, Medical Director, Steward Healthcare, Texas, USA. Guest lectures were delivered on 'Why Eat Right Campus?' by Mr. Muthu Maran, 'Eat Right Campus – Compliance' by Dr. P. Savitha, Asst. Prof., School of Food Science, MOP Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai Secretary - AFST(I) Chennai Chapter, 'Battle between Taste Perception and Nutrition' by Prof. D. C. Mathangi, Integrative Medicine, SRIHER (DU) and 'Facilitating the Campus that Eats Right' by Prof. A. Ruckmani, Head, Dept. of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam. Block and Tackle competitions were conducted for UG and PG students of SRIHER (DU). 13 students participated.

Dietetics Day

The

for upper GI was organized by the Dept. of General Surgery from

th st29 Nov. to 1 Dec. International live video panel discussion was organized with the Central Michigan University Cleveland Clinic UCLA, St. Mary's of Michigan Medical Centre, Case Western Reserve University & University of Pittsburgh (USA & Spain). 80 delegates participated.

n d2 Fe l lowship Course on Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery (FALS)

Mr. L. Mugundan, Intern, B P T r e c e i v e d t h e

from the Department of Social Defence, Government of Tamil Nadu on

th14 Nov. for his service towards underprivileged children. Ms. Mageswari Ravikumar, District Collector, Thiruvallur Dist. was the chief guest.

Excellence in Social Service Award

Dept. of Pathology

organized the

2020 rd thfrom 3 to 9 Jan. 25

speakers including in-

house and external

faculty members delivered lectures. Around 450 surgical pathology

and hematology slides were received during the program. Digital

slide viewing of scanned slides, autopsy hands-on, case discussions,

gross pathology and clinical pathology cases were discussed. 375

final year PG students from all over India attended.

th8 Sri

Ramachandra Pathology

Annual Rapid Review

Course (SPARRC)

Dept. of General Surgery c o n d u c t e d t h e

rd on 23 Nov. The guest speaker was D r . R a m e s h K . Gurunathan, Consultant

Upper GI Surgeon, Sunway Medical Center, Malaysia and Dr. Sreejayan M. P., Assoc. Professor, Dept. of General Surgery, Government Medical College, Calicut. 120 delegates participated. 77 presentations were published by undergraduate & postgraduate students and faculty members.

International Conference on Complex and Rare Cases in Esophagus and

Stomach

srubridges@gmail.com5Jan. ’20

Bridges

Happiness is…A bond.....

Date Event28.01.'20 Ms. Rahmathul Bari, III yr., B. Sc., has been selected for the best innovative idea in the 'Tamil Nadu

Student Innovators 2019 Award - Ideation Camp' organized by the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) - IEDP Hub, Anna University, MIT campus with the support of Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute (EDII-GoTN)

rd22.01.'20 33 Biennial Conference of Home Science Association of India (HSAI) on 'Trends for Futuristicto Development in Home Science: Research and Innovation' conducted at Avinashilingam Institute for24.01.'20 Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore

nd· Ms. Soundarya S., II yr., M. Sc., - 2 place in oral presentation

th09.01.'20 4 ACDI National Conference held in Bhubaneshwar, Odishato Poster Presentations:

st11.01.'20 · Dr. Beji V Joshna, III yr., MDS – 1 prizend

· Dr. Kandlagunta V. N. S. Sruthi, III yr., MDS – 2 prizeth 08.01.'20 4 National Level Prosthodontic Forum for Undergraduate Students – PROFORM 2020 at Sree Balaji

Dental College and Hospital, Chennaist

· Ms. Vaishnavi J. & Ms. Harini N., III yr., BDS – 1 prize in 'Anterior Teeth Setting Competition’· Ms. Amirtha Varshani K. R., Ms. Fida Mansha O. T., Ms. Janani S. & Ms. Jananivel M. R. P., II yr., BDS

nd – 2 prize in 'Art from Dental Materials on the theme Water Conservation’

04.01.'20 CNE on 'Nutriment and Pulmonum' by Ms. Rajeswari, Senior Clinical Dietitian, Head, Department of Dietetics, Apollo Cancer Center, Chennai

30.12.'19 Guest lecture on 'Pharmacy Practice and Opportunities for the Pharm. D Graduates in the US' by Prof. Christine Birnie, Dean, St. John Fisher College, Wegmans School of Pharmacy, USA

nd19.12.'19 2 National Conference of the Indian Society of Dental Traumatology (ISDT), Chennaito Best Poster Awards:21.12.'19 · Dr. Meenakshi R. M. & Dr. Aafreen S., I yr., MDS

· Dr. Arivunithi K. & Dr. Veena Sathish, II yr., MDS· Dr. Anitha A. & Dr. Harshini Nivetha E., I yr., MDS· Ms. Misba Afreen S., CRI· Ms. Shiza Yezdani & Ms. Shahin Sabana J., CRI · Ms. Meenakshi R. & Ms. Sheryl T., IV yr., BDS· Mr. Lokesh Sundaram B. & Ms. Madhumita C. M., IV yr., BDS · Ms. Shreya Venkatesh & Ms. Surthi S., CRIBest Paper Awards:· Dr. Noopur Panchanadikar & Dr. Abirami S., III yr., MDS · Dr. Sujitha & Dr. Bhavyaa R., II yr., MDS· Ms. Sangheetha T. & Ms. Anvitha M., III yr., BDS · Ms. P. Nanthini & Ms. S. Divya Shree, III yr., BDS · Ms. Harshini V., IV yr., BDS· Dr. K. C. Vignesh, Lecturer, Pedodontics

nd13.12.'19 72 Annual State Conference of the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association held at JIPMERto · Prof. P. M. Venkata Sai, Head - Prof. Arthur Daniel Memorial Oration – 201915.12.'19 · Dr. Rajoo Ramachandran, Assoc. Prof. - Prof. T. S. Swaminathan Young Achiever's Award

· Dr. Minmini Selvam, I yr., PG - Best paper in CNS imaging · Dr. Lakshmi Prashanthi, final yr., PG - Prof. Aswathaman - Best paper award

nd· Dr. Parivel, Dr. Bharathi & Dr. Lakshmi Prasanthi, final yr., PGs - 2 prize in quiz

12.12.'19 Perio Buzz – 2019 at SRM Dental College, Ramapurame-Poster Presentation:

st· Ms. Swetha Sriram, Ms. Tarunikaa G., CRI – 1 place

rd10.12.'19 3 ADI Global Conclave – 2019 at Saveetha Dental College & Hospital, Chennaito Best Poster Awards:

nd12.12.'19 · Ms. Nadia Ahmed & Ms. Nivedha M., CRI – 2 prizend

· Ms. Nurul Ain Binti Sukhaidi & Ms. Mimi Alyssa Binti Zaidi, CRI – 2 prizend

· Ms. Shahin Sabana J. & Ms. Rubasowbhakkiya P., CRI – 2 prizest

· Ms. Manini Nagi & Ms. Nisshitha Rao Setvaji, CRI – 1 prizest

· Mr. Aayush Ranjan Deb & Ms. Christina Samuel, III yr., BDS – 1 prizest

· Ms. Fida Mansha O. T. & Mr. Ajen Phirawin Khumar S. P., II yr., BDS – 1 prizest

· Ms. Jeeneet Kaur Kandhari & Ms. Esha Verma, II yr., BDS – 1 prizend

· Ms. Abhipreethi S. & Ms. Sneha R., II yr., BDS – 2 prizest

· Mr. Pretham Kevin Christopher & Mr. Aravind M., I yr., BDS – 1 prizend

· Dr. S. Mythili, Senior Lecturer – 2 Best Scientific presentationnd

· Dr. V. Preethi, Reader - 2 place in paper presentation

Department/FacultyClinical Nutrition

Clinical Nutrition

Faculty of Dental Sciences

Faculty of Dental Sciences

Clinical Nutrition

Faculty of Pharmacy

Faculty of Dental Sciences

Radiology & Imaging Sciences

Faculty of Dental Sciences

Faculty of Dental Sciences

srubridges@gmail.comJan. ’20

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Happiness is…A bond.....

6

Sports

S t u d e n t s o f t h e Fa c u l t y o f Physiotherapy, SRIHER (DU) won the

rdfollowing prizes in the 3 National Level Inter Physiotherapy Collegiate Sports

rd thFest 2020 from 23 to 25 Jan. at SRM IT, Kattankulathur.

Students of SRIHER (DU) won the silver medal in the All India Inter University Karate Men and Women

th thTournament 2019-'20 from 8 to 10 Jan. held at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (DU), Chennai.

Event Team/Name PositionrdCricket Mr. Arun Paul Raj P., II yr., MPT 3 place

Mr. Karan M., Intern, BPTMr. Siddarth S., Intern, BPTMr. Vikrant G. B., IV yr., BPTMr. Darani Daran T., IV yr., BPT Mr. Vengatesan T., IV yr., BPTMr. Souresh G., IV yr., BPTMr. Gowthaman S., III yr., BPTMr. Rengaraj S., III yr., BPTMr. Rajkumar S., III yr., BPTMr. Karthick P., III yr., BPTMr. Ramalingam S., II yr., BPTMr. Gideon Kirubakaran A., II yr., BPTMr. Agneeshwar P., I yr., BPTMr. Logendra R., I yr., BPTMr. Vinothkumar S., I yr., BPT

ndBadminton Mr. Siddarth S., Intern, BPT 2 placeMr. Royston Fernando M., III yr., BPTMr. Aaqil M. S., I yr., BPT

rd100 m Running Ms. Kavenaya R. C., II yr., BPT 3 place

rdShot-put Ms. Atchya Meena A. R., II yr., BPT 3 place

rd4x100 m Relay Ms. B. Sneha, III yr., BPT 3 place Ms. Subashini R., III yr., BPTMs. Srinadhi N., III yr., BPTMs. Kavenaya R. C., II yr., BPT

Event Team/Name

Team Kumite Ms. Alifa Sulthana K., II yr., B. Sc. BMS Category Ms. Charulatha G., I yr., BPT

Ms. Hinduja P., I yr., BBA

Dept. of ENT & SLHS conducted Speech and Hearing th th th th thScreening Camps on 16 & 18 Oct. and 13 , 20 & 27 Nov. to

identify and recommend intervention programs for children

with hearing loss below the age of six years at Kancheepuram

and Thiruvallur districts. District differently abled welfare

officer, a team of doctors, audiologists, habilitationists and

students from Depts. of ENT and SLHS participated. A total of

184 children with hearing impairment and special needs

benefitted. The activities included ENT examination,

audiological screening and otoacoustic emission. 14 children were identified as potential candidates for surgical intervention through the

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (TNCMCHIS) for cochlear implants. The other patients were

counseled regarding the rehabilitation process and also linked with the District Differently Abled Welfare Officer (DDAWO) to avail other

benefits from the government.

Reach Out

srubridges@gmail.comJan. ’20

Bridges

7

Global NewsLack of sleep vs. Alzheimer's Proteins

A sleep-deprived brain is awash in excess amounts of not one but two proteins whose bad behavior is implicated in Alzheimer's disease. A new study finds excessive amounts of a protein called tau in the cerebrospinal fluid of extremely sleep-deprived adults. Tau, which is tied to nerve cell death, tangles and spreads throughout the brain during Alzheimer's. An earlier report on these sleepy adults found that the protein amyloid-beta which dot the brains of Alzheimer's patients also increased.

Samples of cerebrospinal fluid collected from eight adults, monitored during a night of normal sleep and over the course of 36 hours of sleep deprivation, revealed a 51.5 percent increase in tau in participants robbed of shut-eye. And sleep-deprived mice had twice the amount of tau as well-rested mice, researchers report in Science. Earlier work by these researchers had suggested that the quality of sleep might affect tau levels; this time, it has been linked to duration of sleep.

With both A-beta and tau increasing with a lack of sleep, “it certainly argues that treating sleep disorders during mid-life as well as getting appropriate levels of sleep is likely to decrease risk for Alzheimer's disease,” says coauthor David Holtzman, a neurologist and neuroscientist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. During sleep, the brain appears to flush out excess proteins and other debris , so perhaps less sleep means that wash cycle is curtailed.

An estimated 5.7 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. A type of dementia, Alzheimer's leads to problems with thinking, memory and behavior that eventually interfere with one's ability to function day-to-day. Plaques of A-beta and twisted bits of tau litter the brains of those with the disease, producing damage that leads to Alzheimer's symptoms.

In 2017, Holtzman and colleagues had reported that a night of poor-quality sleep raised levels of A-beta in the cerebrospinal fluid, and if that night had been preceded by a week of less-than-sound snoozing, the amount of tau also increased (SN Online: 7/10/17). In that study, volunteers were monitored on a night of sound sleep and a night in which they got the same amount, but their deep sleep was disrupted.

Evidence suggests that when brain nerve cells are highly active — that is, busily firing away electrical messages to other neurons — they release more tau, since being awake appears to result in more nerve cell activity.

Source: J. Holth et al. The sleep-wake cycle regulates brain interstitial fluid tau in mice and CSF tau in humans. Science. Published online January 24, 2019. doi: 10.1126/science.aav2546.

The appetites of social termites extend to cannibalizing their co-workers after death. It's done for the greater good of the community.

“Termites have a lot of strategies to keep the nest and the members of the colony clean,” said Luiza Helena Bueno da Silva, a zoology graduate student at São Paulo State University in Brazil and the lead author of the study.

Asian subterranean termites are invasive pests in many parts of the tropical world. They eat through wooden structures from the inside out. Their complex social webs are made up of three castes: workers, soldiers and reproducers. They live underground, which makes disposing of their dead a problem -- cadavers can be a source of fungal or bacterial diseases that can wipe out an entire colony.

Da Silva and her colleagues collected termites and put them into a container in the laboratory, introducing different corpses to termites and observing how they responded.

When they introduced dead termites, workers and soldiers would first inspect the corpses with their antennae (this species is blind). When the corpse was a dead co-worker from the same colony, determined likely through specific chemical cues shared in the colony, the termites apparently consumed their grief, cannibalizing their old colleagues.

Since the termite's digestive system can dispose off the corpse before it has a chance to serve as a host for harmful microorganisms, the cannibalism may be hygienic.

“The corpse represents a risk. If you eliminate the corpse, the risk is gone,” da Silva said. Pragmatically, she said, eating your co-worker is also a relatively easy way to recycle vital nutrients.

Termites did not treat all corpses the same, though. When the researchers introduced a dead soldier from the colony, the termites tended to eat it only if it had died within a day. She believes this is also due to the risk of disease, since the longer an individual is dead, the greater the risk of it harboring harmful microorganisms.

Any soldier corpses that had been dead for longer, as well as those of worker termites from other colonies, were groomed then buried.

Da Silva believes they bury these cadavers because the risk of disease may be greater. Burying them effectively neutralizes a potential infectious threat. Knowing how termites deal with cadavers is also important for developing better ways to control the pests.

Sources: da Silva, L. H. B., Haifig, I. and Costa-Leonardo, A. M. (2019) 'Facing death: How does the subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) deal with corpses?', Zoology, p. 125712. doi: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.125712.

Believe it or NotCannibal Termites

8Jan. ’20 For internal circulation only

Bridges

Your CornerCrescive

Crepuscule

stMr. P. Arunachalam, 1 B. Sc. Nursing (Basic)

Colors Alumni Corner

Mr. Keshav Kumar, M.S., I yr., BDS

thThe 107 Bridges Monthly Book Review was held on 03.01.2020

Book : It's Your Life

Author : Vinita Dawra Nangia

Reviewed by : Dr. V. Esther Vinitha, Alumni, M. D. Forensic Medicine

Forthcoming Bridges Monthly Book Review

Feb.' 2020 : Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Reviewer : Dr. A. Soumya, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Faculty of Dental Sciences

Sri Ramachandra Alumni Association (Physiotherapy Chapter) organized seminars on 'Cancer Rehabilitation' and 'Scope for Higher Education in UK' for BPT Interns by Mr. Prahalad Narasimman (Alumnus, BPT, 2013-'14), PG Diploma in Cancer Rehabilitation at Hull University, UK on

th17 Dec. 14 interns attended the interactive session.

The Alumni Chapter of B i o m e d i c a l S c i e n c e s inaugurated the BMS Annual

thAlumni Meet on 19 Dec. T h e c h i e f g u e s t w a s Dr. Karunagaran D., IIT-Madras and the guests of honor were Dr. Nagini

Siddavaram, UGC – BSR Faculty Fellow, Dept. of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences, Annamalai University and Dr. Sudha Warrier, Additional Professor, Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal University. A few alumni spoke on Skype during the session. 400 faculty members and students participated.