World No Tobacco Day

People, non-governmental organizations and governments unite on World No Tobacco Day to draw attention to the health problems that tobacco use can cause. It is held on May 31 each year. 

What Do People Do?

World No Tobacco Day is a day for people, non-governmental organizations and governments organize various activities to make people aware of the health problems that tobacco use can cause. These activities include:

• Public marches and demonstrations, often with vivid banners.
• Advertising campaigns and educational programs.
• People going into public places to encourage people to stop smoking.
• The introduction of bans on smoking in particular places or types of advertising.
• Meetings for anti-tobacco campaigners.

Moreover, laws restricting smoking in particular areas may come into effect and wide reaching health campaigns may be launched.

Background

Tobacco is a product of the fresh leaves of nicotiana plants. It is used as an aid in spiritual ceremonies and a recreational drug. It originated in the Americas, but was introduced to Europe by Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to Portugal in 1559. It quickly became popular and an important trade crop.

Medical research made it clear during the 1900s that tobacco use increased the likelihood of many illnesses including heart attacks, strokes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema and many forms of cancer. This is true for all ways in which tobacco is used, including:

• Cigarettes and cigars.
• Hand rolling tobacco.
• Bidis and kreteks (cigarettes containing tobacco with herbs or spices).
• Pipes and water pipes.
• Chewing tobacco.
• Snuff.
• Snus (a moist version of snuff popular in some countries such as Sweden).
• Creamy snuff (a paste consisting of tobacco, clove oil, glycerin, spearmint, menthol, and camphor sold in a toothpaste tube popular in India).
• Gutkha (a version of chewing tobacco mixed with areca nut, catechu, slaked lime and other condiments popular in India and South-East Asia).

On May 15, 1987, the World Health Organization passed a resolution, calling for April 7, 1988, to be the first World No Smoking Day. This date was chosen because it was the 40th anniversary of the World Health Organization. On May 17, 1989, the World Health Organization passed a resolution calling for May 31 to be annually known as World No Tobacco Day. This event has been observed each year since 1989.

Scientist of the day - Julius Axelrod

 

Julius Axelrod was an American biochemist who was one of winners of 1970 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He won the award for his work on the release and reuptake of catecholamine neurotransmitters, a class of chemicals in the brain. He also made notable contributions to the understanding of the pineal gland. Born in New York City to Jewish immigrants from Poland, he became interested in science, especially medicine, at a young age. He received a bachelor's degree in biology from the College of the City of New York. He wanted to become a doctor but was rejected by every medical school to which he applied. He began his career working as a chemist before joining the research division of Goldwater Memorial Hospital where he worked under the prominent biochemist Bernard Beryl Brodie who was a major figure in the field of drug metabolism. Under his mentorship, Axelrod ventured into a career in research and performed vital studies on analgesic medications. Eventually he joined the National Institute of Mental Health where he spent the rest of his career. The key research of his career was regarding the release, reuptake, and storage of the neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine which made him a joint winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1970 along with Bernard Katz and Ulf von Euler.  

Childhood & Early Life

Julius Axelrod was born in New York City on May 30,1912.His parents, Molly and Isadore Axelrod, were Jewish immigrants from Poland. His father was a basket weaver.

Major Works

Julius Axelrod was known for his research on Catecholamine metabolism. He also discovered and characterized the enzyme catechol-O-methyl transferase, which is involved in the breakdown of catecholamines.

Awards & Achievements

• He was awarded the Gairdner Foundation International Award in 1967.
• Julius Axelrod along with Sir Bernard Katz and Ulf von Euler was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1970 "for their discoveries concerning the humoral transmittors in the nerve terminals and the mechanism for their storage, release and inactivation".

Personal Life & Legacy

• Julius Axelrod married Sally Taub in 1938. They had two children. His wife died in 1992 after 53 years of marriage.
• He injured his left eye when an ammonia bottle in the lab exploded. He wore an eyepatch for the rest of his life.
• He died on December 29, 2004, in Maryland, USA, at the age of 92.

Scientist of the day - Louis Agassiz

Swiss-born biologist, Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz or Louis Agassiz was a man of many talents. Geologist, teacher, physician and an important innovator in the spectrum of natural sciences, Louis was known for his works on extinct fishes and glacier activity. Born to clergyman father and scientifically-inclined mother, Louis, pursued both religion and science with great fervour. Initially he was home schooled, but he went to Bienne to finish his secondary education, eventually landing in Lausanne to complete his elementary years. Louis studied medicine at the universities of Zurich, Heidelberg and Munich, but showed his aptitude in natural history, especially Botany. After obtaining Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Medicine, Louis went to Paris, and under the mentorship of Humboldt and Cuvier studied geology and zoology. After he secured a teaching job at Neuchatel in Switzerland, he devoted thirteen years researching on various streams of natural science. Louis was offered professorship in Harvard after his successful lecture at the Lowell Institute in Boston. His teaching methods were different and innovative and changed the way natural science was taught in United States. In the last few years, he undertook many projects including the establishment of a permanent school for pursuing zoological science and marine zoology. Read on to know more about his life and works. 

Childhood & Early Life

On May 28th, 1807, Louis was born to Protestant pastor Jean Louis Rodolphe and Rose Mayor Agassiz in Motier in the tiny hamlet of Fribourg. Jean was the last in the long line of Protestant clergymen and infused a sense of religion in his child. His mother on the other hand encouraged Agassiz’s interest in science.

Major Work

His work ‘Recherchessur les poisons fossiles’ which includes all the information about fossil fishes is considered as a Bible for researchers interested in extinct life and species.

His ‘Essay on Classification’ was published in 1851 and consisted all his major thoughts about the natural world and how all living beings have been created by one God, a major point of contention between him and Charles Darwin.

Awards & Achievements

In 1836, Louis was awarded the ‘Wollaston Medal’ for his outstanding work on fossil ichthyology by the ‘Geological Society of London’.

In 1838, he was selected as the foreign member of ‘Royal Society of London’.

In the year 1846, Agassiz was given the position of the Foreign Honorary member of ‘American Academy of Arts and Sciences’.

Personal Life & Legacy

Agassiz was married twice. After the death of his first wife in 1850, he was married to Elizabeth Cabot Cary. She was a distinguished writer and a propagator of women’s rights from Boston.

He had three children from his first marriage. Once he settled down in United States, his two daughters and son Alexander joined him there.

He breathed his last on December 14, 1873 and was interred at the ‘Mount Auburn Cemetery’.

Trivia

Louis’s classification of the animal kingdom and his parallelisms influenced the thoughts of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution. However, Darwin was not a strict believer of parallelism, like Louis. Agassiz on the other hand was not a remote believer of evolution and saw the hands of One Creator everywhere in nature.

Career@Aditya

Eenadu 24.05.16

Scientist of the day - John Bardeen

John Bardeen

The only person to have won the Nobel Prize in Physics twice, John Bardeen was an American physicist and one of the co-inventors of the transistor. A qualified electrical engineer, he also propounded a fundamental theory of conventional superconductivity along with physicists Leon N Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer. His inventions in the field of physics led to a revolution in the electronics industry as it was the transistor that paved the way for further research and development in information and communication technology. His contributions to the scientific world are of immense significance and he was counted among LIFE Magazine's list of "100 Most Influential Americans of the Century” in 1990. Even as a young boy Bardeen was exceptionally intelligent and performed brilliantly at school. Tragedy struck when his mother became ill with cancer and died leaving him heartbroken. His father quickly remarried adding to the boy’s unhappiness. Nonetheless he faced this tragedy bravely and went on to study engineering. It was while working at Bell Labs that he invented the transistor along with some colleagues which led to his first Nobel Prize victory. A few years later he again won the Nobel Prize for his theory of superconductivity. He is among the only four people to win the coveted prize twice. 

Childhood & Early Life

He was born on 23 May 1908, in Wisconsin, as the second son of Dr. Charles Russell Bardeen and his wife Althea Harmer Bardeen. He father was the dean of the University of Wisconsin medical school while his mother too was an educated woman who had studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Major Works

He played a pivotal role in the development of the transistor along with Walter Brattain and William Shockley. The transistor became the primary building block of various other electronic devices and led to more research and development in the field of electronic communication.

Personal Life & Legacy

He married Jane Maxwell in 1938. His wife was a biologist who taught at a girls’ high school. The couple had three children and he was a very devoted family man.

In spite of all his professional achievements, Bardeen was a very simple and unassuming person. He was a good-natured and friendly man who loved playing golf.

He died of heart disease on January 30, 1991 at the age of 82.

Trivia

He is the only person to have won the Nobel Prize in Physics twice.

Buddha Purnima 2016

Buddha Purnima during Vaishakha month is celebrated as birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha. Gautama Buddha whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautama was a spiritual teacher on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.

The time of Gautama Buddha’s birth and death is uncertain. However, most historians date his lifetime between 563-483 B.C. Most people consider Lumbini, Nepal as birth place of Buddha. Buddha died at the age of 80 at Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh.

For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important pilgrimage site related to the life of Gautama Buddha. The other three important pilgrimage sites are Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. It is believed that Gautama Buddha obtained Enlightenment at Bodhagaya and he first taught the Dharma at Sarnath.

It is believed that Gautama Buddha obtained Enlightenment and passed away on the same day. Buddha Purnima is also known as Buddha Jayanti, Vesak, Vaishaka and Buddha’s Birthday.

In North India Buddha is considered as the 9^th incarnation and Lord Krishna as the 8^th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. However Buddha is never considered as an Avatar of Vishnu in South Indian belief. In South India Balarama is considered as the 8^th incarnation and Krishna as the 9^th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Balarama is counted as an incarnation of Vishnu by the majority of Vaishnava movements. Even Buddhists don’t consider Buddha as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Scientist of the day - Eduard Buchner

Eduard Buchner was a German chemist and a zymologist who won the 1907 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Born into an educationally distinguished family, he lost his father when he was barely eleven years old. His elder brother, Hans Buchner, helped him to get good education. However, financial crisis forced Eduard to give up his studies for a temporary phase and he spent this period working in preserving and canning factory. Later, he resumed his education under well-known scientists and very soon received his doctorate degree. He then began working on chemical fermentation. However, his experience at the canning factory did not really go waste. Many years later while working with his brother at the Hygiene Institute at Munich he remembered how juices were preserved by adding sugar to it and so to preserve the protein extract from the yeast cells, he added a concentrated doze of sucrose to it. What followed is history. Sugar in the presence of enzymes in the yeast broke into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Later he identified the enzyme as zymase. This chance discovery not only brought him Nobel Prize in Chemistry, but also brought about a revolution in the field of biochemistry. 

Childhood & Early Years

Eduard Buchner was born on May 20, 1860, in Munich, into a well-known Bavarian family. His father, Ernst Buchner, was the Professor Extraordinary of Forensic Medicine and Obstetrics. In addition, he was also the editor of the Ärztliches Intelligenzblatt (later Münchener medizinische Wochenschrift). His mother’s name was Friederike née Martin.

Eduard’s elder brother, Hans Ernst August Buchner, was ten years senior to him. He grew up to be a well-known bacteriologist and a pioneer in the field of immunology. He not only supported Eduard’s education after their father’s death in 1872, but also assisted him in his works in later years. 

Major Works

Eduard Buchner is best remembered for his discovery of zymase, an enzyme mixture that promotes cell free fermentation. However, it was a chance discovery. He was then working in his brother’s laboratory in Munich trying to produce yeast cell free extracts, which the latter wanted to use in an application for immunology.

 

To preserve the protein in the yeast cells, Eduard Buchner added concentrated sucrose to it. Bubbles began to form soon enough. He realized that presence of enzymes in the yeast has broken down sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Later, he identified this enzyme as zymase and showed that it can be extracted from yeast cells. This single discovery laid the foundation of modern biochemistry.

 

Awards & Achievements

In 1907, Eduard Buchner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his biochemical researches and his discovery of cell-free fermentation".

He was elected as the President of the German Chemical Society in 1904-1905.

 

Scientist of the day - Abraham Pais

Born in a family of educators, Pais was a bright student since his childhood days. He was interested in languages and learnt English, French and German in high school. It was during his college days that he was drawn to exact sciences and later went on to pursue his doctorate in theoretical physics. Being Jewish, Pais and his family faced grave dangers during the World War II but he and his parents survived the war with the help of some non-Jewish friends. His sister Annie was killed in the concentration camps. Working with the likes of Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein, after the war, he had an enriching experience. His theories on ‘associated production’ and composition of the sub atomic particle ‘Kaon’ were pioneering works in nuclear physics. His books on history of modern physics were famous among the patrons of science all over the world. Albert Einstein’s biography written by this prominent science historian is considered one of his best works. He continued to work even after retiring as a Professor Emeritus from the Rockefeller University. In his memory, the American Physical Society has been awarding ‘Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics’ since 2005. To know more about his life and works read on. 

Childhood & Early Life

Pais was the eldest child born to his Jewish parents Isaiah Jacques Pais and Kaatje Cato van Kleeff in Amsterdam on May 19, 1918. Isaiah and Kleeff had met each other during their training for teaching in elementary-school. Kleeff left her job after their marriage.

Major Works

• Pais is known for his works on particle physics. The theory on ‘associated production’ and composition of Kaon particles are his major contribution to the field of nuclear physics.
• His biography on Albert Einstein ‘Lord is Subtle’ is acclaimed as one of the finest biographies of a scientist ever written. The book even won the ‘US National Book Award’.

  Awards & Achievements

  • In 1976, Pais was honoured with the ‘Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize’ for his contribution to particle physics.
  • The ‘Rockefeller University’ presented him the ‘Lewis Thomas Prize’ for his writings on the scientific community in 1995. 

    Personal Life & Legacy

    • Abraham Pais was married to Jeanne who was arrested along with him by the Gestapo during the World War II. Later he got married to Lila Lee Atwil. Ida Nicolaisen was his third wife, with whom he spent the last days of his life. Abraham’s son Josh Pais is a Hollywood actor.
    • He died of heart failure in 2000 at Copenhagen. In his last days he was working on a biography of Robert Oppenheimer..

      Trivia

      "One of the strangest things I learned, one of the strangest things, is how to think. There was nothing else to do. I couldn't see people, or go for a walk in the forest. All I had was my head and my books, and I thought a lot.", is a quote by the famous Dutch-American physicist.

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY

 

Few places in our world are more educational than museums. After all, where else could we hope to see so many pieces of actual history that tell so many stories about our ancestors? From prehistoric spears to Egyptian mummies, from ancient Greek sculptures to medieval armor, and from the first radio to to the first planes used in war during WWI, museums have it all. Unfortunately, there are millions of people with direct access to museums that have never even visited one. There are many possible reasons for this–perhaps they think just looking at old things would be boring, or perhaps they are unaware just how different the world was in the past and see no reason to take interest. Whatever the reason for not taking advantage of the incredible amount of tangible knowledge museums offer, and regardless of age, Museum Day is the time to invest in education in its most fascinating form.

The History of Museum Day

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) created International Museum Day in 1977. The organisation chooses a different theme for the day and coordinates every year. Some of the themes include globalisation, indigenous peoples, brigding culture gaps and caring for the environment. Every year since 1977, all of the museums in the world are invited to participate in this day to promote the role of museums around in the world, by organising enjoyable and free activities around the year’s theme. International Museum Day has become steadily more popular since its creation, with International Museum Day 2009 being participated in by 20,000 museums in over 90 countries. In 2012, the number of participating museums had jumped to 30,000 in 129 countries.

How to Celebrate Museum Day

There is no better way to celebrate Museum Day than to take a trip down to a nearby museum, either alone, with friends, or even your children if you feel they are old enough to appreciate the place. Depending on where you live, the museums you might be closest to could be ones connected with anything from farming to fashion, from astronomy to archaeology, from art to natural history. If it turns out that the museums in your immediate area are not ones that would interest you, maybe you could consider a day trip to a nearby city to visit a museum better suited to your interests? Carpooling with a friend or two will make the trip cheaper and very possibly more interesting.

Another thing to think about is how well you tolerate crowds. Museum Day is an increasingly popular worldwide event, so it is quite probably that many of the larger and better known museums will be pretty crowded on this day, especially since many museums do not charge an entrance fee then. If you do not feel like standing in long lines to see every single thing or having to maneuver your way through crowds of people, paying more attention to not stepping on anyone’s shoes than the objects on exhibition, you may want to visit the museum of your choice a few days before or after Museum Day. On weekdays, museums are often quiet places where one can come to study our ancestors’ lifestyles and contemplate what motivated them to behave and develop as they did. However you decide to celebrate Museum day, don’t let this opportunity to find out about the history of the human race go

World Hypertension Day / World Telecommunication& Information Society Day

Scientist of the day - Maria Gaetana Agnesi

Maria Gaetana Agnesi was an eighteenth century Italian mathematician, philosopher and theologian. From the childhood, she was educated at home by a string of learned men of the church. By the age of eleven, she could speak fluently in seven different languages and began to be known as ‘The Seven Tongued Orator’. Even when she was a child, she was prodded by her ambitious father to speak on different topics in front of an august gathering of learned men, many of whom were internationally renowned scholars. In such gatherings she not only spoke on different topics in fluent Latin, but was also required to defend her theses. Moreover, when foreign scholars asked her complicated questions in their native tongue she always answered them in the same language. However, she disliked such obvious display of her intellect and withdrew from such activities in the pretext of her household duties once her mother died, but continued academic activities under the guidance of renowned scholars. Once her father died, she gave up even that. She then started studying theology and devoted her life entirely to the service of the poor.

Major Works

• ’Instituzioni analitiche ad uso della gioventù italiana’, published in 1748 was her best work. It provides a systematic as well as most comprehensive treatment of algebra. Relatively new developments such as as integral and differential calculus were also been included in it. In the first volume she dealt with analysis of finite quantities while the second volume dealt with analysis of infinitesimals.

 

International Day of Families

The International Day of Families, annually held on May 15, celebrates the importance of families and the work started during the International Year of Families

What Do People Do?

A wide range of events are organized at local, national and international levels. These include: workshops, seminars and policy meeting for public officials; exhibitions and organized discussions to raise awareness of the annual theme; educational sessions for children and young people; and the launch of campaigns for public policies to strengthen and support family units. In some countries, tool kits are created to help people organize celebrations aimed at a particular section of the population, such as school children or young adults.

Background

The year 1994 was proclaimed as the International Year of Families by the United Nations. This was a response to changing social and economic structures, which have affected and still affect the structure and stability of family units in many regions of the globe. The International Day of Families, on May 15, is an occasion to reflect on the work started during 1994 and to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world. It has been held every year since 1995.

Career@Aditya

Sakshi 13.05.16

International Nurses Day - 2016

Nurses Day

International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated every year all around the world on 12^th of May to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Florence Nightingale and to mark the nurses contributions towards people’s health.

International Nurses Day 2016

International Nurses Day 2016 would be celebrated by the nurses all across the world on 12^th of May, at Thursday.

International Nurses Day History

Nurses Day was first proposed by the Dorothy Sutherland (an officer from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare) in the year 1953 and first proclaimed by the President Dwight D. Eisenhower. And it was first celebrated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in the year 1965.

In the month of January in 1974, the 12^th of May was declared to be celebrated as the birthday anniversary of the founder of modern nursing, the Florence Nightingale. International Nurses Day Kit (having educational and public information materials to be used by the nurses among public) is prepared and distributed every year by the International Council of Nurses while celebrating the nurses day.

UNISON (the British public sector union) had asked the ICN in 1999 to celebrate this day on another date as Florence Nightingale is not symbolizing the modern nursing. Then, National Student Nurses’ Day was started celebrating annually on 8^th of May since 1998 and National Nurses Week was started celebrating every year from 6^th of May to 12^th of May since 2003.

International Council of Nurses commemorates the International Nurses Day annually all around the world on 12^th of May as the birth anniversary of the Florence Nightingale. International Council of Nurses would distribute an IND Kit in 2014 having educational and public information materials with the theme “Nurses: A Force for Change – A vital resource for health”. Nurses are encouraged at this day to comprehensively use this kit throughout the year through their individual and group activities.

Florence Nightingale (the foundational philosopher of the modern nursing) was born on 12^th of May in 1820. International Council of Nurses established the day in 1974 to be celebrated every year to highlight the importance of nurses role in providing the best health care services. She became an important figure of the nursing since Crimean War during 1850s. She, stationed at the Barrack Hospital, Scutari, reformed the health care services and nursing and opened “the Nightingale School of Nursing” at the St. Thomas Hospital, London in 1860.

Promotional and educational activities are organized while celebrating the International Nurses Day annually to address lots of nursing issues. The theme of celebration is selected based on nurses and environment, handling poor, poverty issues and many more. It is celebrated as a week long event, referred as National Nurses Week, in many countries like Australia, United States, Canada and etc.

Significance of International Nurses Day

It is celebrated annually on 12^th of May to celebrate the birth anniversary of the modern nursing founder, the Florence Nightingale. Nursing is the largest health care profession in the world and nurses are the key of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Nurses are well trained and educated for maintaining the health and wellness of the patients through all the aspects like psychosocially, socially and etc.

Nurses have deep practical knowledge of delivering best health care services. National nurses associations (NNAs) play an important role in making nurses well informed, advised, encouraged and supported to deliver better work. NNAs works with the governments and non-government organizations to strengthen the health care systems as well as create conditions maximizing the nurses contribution.

International Council of Nurses celebrates this event aiming to increase the public awareness about the nursing and nurses contribution towards the health care innovation. Nurses are the fast and first point of contacting for health services. Nurses are innovatively practiced to provide free health checkup to the industries indicating their willingness of improving the health of staffs, to meet all the local needs, to improve the physical, mental and well-being of the patients and etc.

International Nurses Day Theme

Every year theme of the International Nurses Day celebration from 1988 to 2014 is mentioned below:

• The theme of 1988 was “Safe Motherhood”.
• The theme of 1989 was “School Health”.
• The theme of 1990 was “Nurses and Environment”.
• The theme of 1991 was “Mental Health – Nurses in Action”.
• The theme of 1992 was “Healthy Aging”.
• The theme of 1993 was “Quality, costs and Nursing”.
• The theme of 1994 was “Healthy Families for Healthy Nation”.
• The theme of 1995 was “Women’s Health: Nurses Pave the Way”.
• The theme of 1996 was “Better Health through Nursing Research”.
• The theme of 1997 was “Healthy Young People = A Brighter Future”.
• The theme of 1998 was “Partnership for Community Health”.
• The theme of 1999 was “Celebrating Nursing’s past, claiming the future”.
• The theme of 2000 was “Nurses – Always there for you”.
• The theme of 2001 was “Nurses, Always There for You: United against Violence”.
• The theme of 2002 was “Nurses Always There for You: Caring for Families”.
• The theme of 2003 was “Nurses: Fighting AIDS stigma, working for all”.
• The theme of 2004 was “Nurses: Working with the Poor; Against Poverty”.
• The theme of 2005 was “Nurses for Patients’ Safety: Targeting counterfeit medicines and substandard medication”.
• The theme of 2006 was “Safe staffing saves lives”.
• The theme of 2007 was “Positive practice environments: Quality workplaces = quality patient care”.
• The theme of 2008 was “Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care”.
• The theme of 2009 was “Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Care Innovations”.
• The theme of 2010 was “Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Chronic Care”.
• The theme of 2011 was “Closing the Gap: Increasing Access and Equity”.
• The theme of 2012 was “Closing the Gap: From Evidence to Action”.
• The theme of 2013 was “Closing the Gap: Millennium Development Goals”.
• The theme of 2014 was: “Nurses: A Force for Change – A Vital Resource for Health”.
• The theme of 2015 was “Nurses: A Force for Change: Care Effective, Cost Effective”.
• The theme of 2016 would be “Nurses: A Force for Change: Improving health systems’ resilience”.

NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY - INDIA

Every year, `National Technology Day' is celebrated across India on May 11; being commemorated to memorize the anniversary of Shakti, the Pokhran nuclear test held on 11 May 1998. The day glorifies the importance of science in day to day life and motivates students to adopt science as the career option.

Several events are organised in various engineering colleges and technical institutes to mark the occasion. Lectures, competitions, quizzes, presentations and interactive sessions on different aspects of science are organized all over the planet. The day is important for scientists, engineers, planners and all others engaged in governance and nation building.

The companies and individual are awarded with National Technology Awards for adopting new technologies by the president of India. The ministry of science and technology coordinate different events.

WORLD LUPUS DAY

World Lupus Day increases awareness of lupus and helps gather support for the more than 5 million people affected by this condition worldwide.

Lupus is a serious, life-altering autoimmune disease that can affect any organ of the body. Lupus is a disease which remains under-recognized and under-appreciated.

An autoimmune disease is one in which the immune system is unable to recognize the difference between healthy cells in the body and the foreign cells it fights to remove. A healthy immune system produces antibodies which attack and destroy foreign and invasive cells like viruses, bacteria and germs.

However, in people with lupus, the immune system creates auto antibodies which destroys healthy tissue. The consequence of this can be widespread, causing damage, inflammation and pain throughout the body. Lupus is a potentially fatal disease. Most organs and other parts of the body can be affected, including the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and skin.

This Event Is Observed Around The World

To raise awareness of lupus around the globe, during the early 21st century, a World Lupus Day was set for the 10th of May each year. This date was set following agreement by representatives of lupus organizations from 13 different nations worldwide.

Awareness events for World Lupus Day are held in most of the continents of the world including, North & South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Lupus awareness day events can vary between nations.

Activities in Africa promoting this day have been focused in the Republic of Mauritius. These activities include distributing awareness posters, selling silver jewelry in the shape of the lupus group logo ('Wings of Hope'), selling Lupus Alert UV Sun protective umbrellas and educating the media on lupus and how they help raise awareness.

In the United Kingdom, Lupus UK (the UK's leading lupus support organization), has educated school children and students about lupus. Lupus UK provide materials including interactive books marks, bright posters and stickers to help engage with pupils and students.

To raise the profile of this event and increase awareness, World Lupus Day is supported by Julian Lennon, a musician and son of John Lennon (who was a world famous member of the Beatles pop group).

Julian Lennon is a Global Ambassador for the Lupus Foundation of America. Lupus claimed the life of Julian Lennon's childhood friend Lucy, who lost her battle with lupus in 2009 at the young age of 46.

Happy Akshaya Tritiya

అక్షయ తృతీయ నాడు మహాలక్ష్మిని పూజించండి 

 శ్రీ నరసింహుడు ప్రహ్లాదునికి అనుగ్రహించిన రోజునే "అక్షయ తృతీయ"గా పిలువబడుతోందని పురాణాలు చెబుతున్నాయి. ఈ రోజున శ్రీ మహాలక్ష్మిదేవిని పూజించడం సంప్రదాయం. ఈ రోజున బంగారం కొని ఇంటికి తెచ్చుకుంటే ఏడాదంతా సిరిసంపదలతో వర్ధిల్లుతారని విశ్వాసం. బంగారం కొనలేని పక్షంలో శ్రీ మహాలక్ష్మి ప్రతిమ లేదా ఫోటో ముందు.. ఉప్పు, పచ్చిబియ్యం, పసుపును ఓ అరటి ఆకుపై పోసి నిష్ఠతో ప్రార్థించి, కర్పూర నీరాజనాలు సమర్పించుకునే వారికి అష్టైశ్వర్యాలు సిద్ధిస్తాయని పండితులు అంటున్నారు.అదేవిధంగా ఇదే రోజున నరసింహస్వామిని పుష్ప, ఫలాలను అర్పించి దైవ నామస్మరణ చేసిన వారికి సంపద, పుణ్యఫలం ప్రాప్తిస్తాయని ప్రతీతి. ఇంకా చెప్పాలంటే... ఈ రోజున గోధుమలు, శెనగలు, పెరుగన్నం దానం చేసిన వారికి సకల పాపాలు హరించి, శాశ్వతంగా శివసాయుజ్యం పొందుతారని పురాణాలు చెబుతున్నాయి. వీటితో పాటు గొడుగు, పాదరక్షలు, భూమి, బంగారం, వస్త్రాలను దానం చేసే వారికి పుణ్యం లభిస్తుందని విశ్వాసం.

What is the story behind the origins of Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej)?

Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, the God who carries out the work of sustaining the universe, figures prominently in most stories about the origin of Akshaya Tritiya. Of these, the most famous one is, perhaps, that of Kuchela, also known as Sudama, and Krishna.
Kuchela was a poor Brahmin and a childhood friend of Krishna. A time came when he was in dire straits and could not earn enough for his family. So he decided to go and meet his former school mate who was now king of Dwaraka and ask for some financial help to tide him over. Before setting out on his journey, he packed a handful of poha or aval (beaten rice) as a humble gift for his friend, the king.
When he reached the palace, Kuchela was mesmerized by all the wondrous things that he saw and felt ashamed to offer his gift that he felt was definitely unfit for a king. Krishna was very happy to see his childhood friend. He welcomed Kuchela with open arms and treated him like a god, following the age-old Indian dictum that ‘The guest is god’. He happened to see the packet of beaten rice that Kuchela was hiding and playfully grabbed it, opened it and began to eat the poha with obvious enjoyment. When he saw this, Kuchela was so overcome with emotion that he forgot why he came to see Krishna.
After spending some joyous days with Krishna at the palace, Kuchela began his long walk back home. During the journey, he suddenly remembered that he had failed in his mission and walked home with a heavy heart wondering how to console his waiting wife and children. On reaching his village, Kuchela found a palace where his hut stood, and inside the palace, his wife and children clothed in the finest of clothes. Food fit for royalty was also laid out on the dining table.
Kuchela realized that this was a miracle performed by the divine Krishna, who had many fantastic powers that he wielded to help each and every person who approached him with a problem of any sort. From that day on, the day that Kuchela met Sri Krishna was observed as Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) day.
Kuchela’s humble gift and the prosperity that came his way as a reward for the gift of love that he offered from the midst of his poverty stands as a true symbol of Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej)– the prosperity that comes to one through sharing and giving.
Draupadi’s Akshaya Patram
Another legend associated with Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) is set in the epic of the Mahabharata. Mahabharata is the story of the epic battle between the Pandava princes, who stand for Good and their cousins, the Kauravas, who stand for Evil. The five princes were robbed of their royal inheritance which they gambled and lost in an unfair game of something very like the modern chess.
When the Pandava princes were exiled into the forest along with their young bride and their aging mother, they could not find enough food to feed themselves, as they were unaccustomed to living off the forest. Lord Krishna, taking pity on their sorry plight, presented Draupadi, who was wife to all the Pandavas, with a magical bowl that would always stay full.
This magical bowl carrying an unlimited quantity of food was known as the Akshaya Patram and it is believed that Krishna presented this gift on a Tritiya day. Like the food in the Akshaya Patram, it is believed that all investments made on this day will have an unlimited increase in value.
It was also on an Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) day that the Pandava princes unearthed weapons that would guarantee their victory in battle with the Kauravas.
Parasuram Jayanti or the Birthday of Parasurama
Parasurama, known as the first warrior saint, is the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, the sustainer of the universe. He received his famous weapon, an axe, at the end of a long, hard penance to please Shiva. Shiva, the god of destruction, also taught him various methods of warfare and other skills.
Legend has it that Parasurama fought the advancing ocean back to save the lands of Konkan (ie. costal Maharashtra and Karnataka), Malabar and Goa. Parasurama threw his axe into the sea and it was the areas where the axe fell that later became Kerala, Goa and the Konkan. Goa and the Konkan are even today known as Parasurama Kshetra, meaning Parasurama’s country.
After creating these regions, Parasurama is believed to have given the area over to 96 Brahmin families he chose, known as the Shahanavkuli Brahmins. These families are credited with creating the cultural heritage of this part of the country.
Beginning of the Mahabharata
According to Hindu mythology, it was on the day of Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) that Veda Vyasa began the composition of the epic, the Mahabharata. Vyasa is believed to have dictated the entire epic to Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom and obstacle removal.
Descent of Ganges from heaven
The river Ganges or Ganga, the largest river in the Indian sub-continent, is the national river of India and the lifeline of northern and eastern India. However, to the Hindu, it is much more than that. The Ganga is the holiest of rivers in Hinduism, believed to have descended to earth from the heavens on an Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) day.
Ganga, the daughter of Brahma, the creator of the universe, is believed to have been told by her father to flow down to earth. This was in answer to the intense tapas done by King Bhagiratha of Kosala (located in present-day Uttar Pradesh) in order to lift a curse that was brought on his kingdom by his forefathers.
Before the descent of the mighty Ganga, Bhagiratha also prayed to Lord Shiva to break the fall of the river who agreed to do so. As Ganga cascaded across and down from Swarga or the heavens, the roar and volume of the water was so prodigious that all the celestial beings and King Bhagiratha looked on with terrified awe at the destruction that would be wreaked on the earth. However, true to his word, Lord Shiva appeared suddenly and captured the river in his jata or matted knot of hair, just as the imperious river flung herself downwards. When Shiva finally let her go free, her vanity was crushed and she flowed down to earth at a mild pace.
King Bhageeratha is said to have led the way for Ganga on his chariot across the north and east of Bharat (India) before reaching the ocean. Henceforth, Ganga was also named Bhageerathi by her father, Brahma, and any incredible effort on the part of any man was termed ‘Bhageeratha prayatnam’ (prayatnam means effort).
Beginning of the Treta Yuga
According to Hinduism, there are four ages in the history of mankind known as Yugas. Of these, the Treta Yuga is the second. According to the Puranas, Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) marks the beginning of the Treta Yuga.
The other yugas are Satya Yuga, Dvaparayuga and Kaliyuga. Treta Yuga comes after Satya Yuga, the age of perfect morality, and precedes the Dvaparayuga. Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations occurred in this yuga and were the highlights of the age.
Day of Mahishasura’s defeat by Durga
In Hinduism, the Asuras are a group of deities, who represent Evil. They are engaged in eternal battle with the Devas, the gods who reside in the heavens, who represent Good. Both groups, however, are children of Kasyapa.
One of the Asuras named Mahishasur took on the form of a very powerful buffalo who wreaked death and destruction wherever he went. Finally, under his leadership, the Asuras defeated the Devas. The Devas joined their powers and a great band of lighting emerged from the mouths of the Supreme Trinity to create a goddess. This goddess, who was given special weapons by all the Devas became the ultimate source of power.
This supreme power was Shakti, the divine feminine creative power, sometimes referred to as 'The Great Divine Mother' in Hinduism. In order to defeat Mahishasura, Shakti became Goddess Durga also known as Vijaya Chamundeswari. Durga, who is Lord Shiva’s consort, represents two types of female energy – one, nurturing and protective and the other, fierce, destructive and unstoppable.
After a fierce battle with Mahishashura that lasted for ten days, Goddess Durga killed him on an Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) day.

Happy Mother'Day& World Red Cross Day

Scientist of the day - Douglas Mawson

Sir Douglas Mawson was an Australian explorer, geologist and academic. An alumnus of the University of Sydney, Mawson developed interest in expeditions early in his life. As a lecturer at the University of Adelaide, he became interested in rocks left by melting glaciers and therefore, when he got the chance to join Nimrod Expedition to Antarctica he readily agreed. Soon after returning, he organized his own Australian Antarctic Expedition. The data collected by the expedition were later edited and published in twenty-two volumes. However, the expedition also highlighted his survival capacity. After the death of his two companions he traveled for almost a month all by himself and reached the base camp only to find that the ship had left just few hours before his arrival. Much later, he led another expedition to the Antarctic. It enabled Australia to claim some 2,500,000 square miles of the continent. 

Childhood & Early Years

Douglas Mawson was born on May 5, 1882, in Shipley, West Yorkshire, England. His father, Robert Mawson, was a cloth merchant from a farming background. His mother’s name was Margaret Ann née Moore.

Major Works

• Mawson is best known for his expeditions to Antarctica. They enabled Australia to claim some 2,500,000 square miles of that continent. These expeditions also collected huge amount of scientific data, which helped to carry on further investigation.
• Mawson also made major contributions to Australian geology. In later years, he worked on the 'Adelaide System' of Precambrian rocks in the Flinders Ranges and identified its two groups. His findings have been documented in his report ‘Geological investigations in the Broken Hill area’.
• Mawson also discovered a new mineral and named it Davidite after his mentor Professor TW Edgeworth David.

  Awards & Achievements

  • Mawson was knighted in 1914 for his achievements as an explorer and scientist.
  • In 1915, the Royal Geographical Society awarded him with Founder's Gold Medal.
  • In 1916 the American Geographical Society awarded him the David Livingstone Centenary Medal.
  • In 1919, he received Bigsby Medal from the Geological Society of London.
  • In 1923, Mawson was made a Fellow of the Royal Society
  • In 1936, he received the Clarke Medal from the Royal Society of New South Wales.

Scientist of th day - Thomas Henry Huxley

Thomas Henry Huxley was a renowned English biologist who rose to prominence in the 19th century. Born in a poor family, his father could not afford to send him to school. So, he began to educate himself. He excelled in science as he was blessed with an open mind and free thinking. He was recognized for his contribution and honored by the Royal Society when he was only twenty six years old. He was unwilling to believe the Biblical theory of creation and instead he supported Darwin’s theory of Evolution. His contribution to the study of marine biology, geology and the study of invertebrates, based on research and reason, is invaluable. He made biology a discipline in the universities, elevated the status of the School of mines and zoology and brought the issue of adult education to the fore. For his services to scientific learning, he was conferred honorary degrees and titles in many European countries. He will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of scientific thought. 

Major Works

• In his famous essay, ‘On the Physical Basis of Life’, 1869, Huxley insisted that life and even thought were at bottom of molecular phenomena. He invented the word ‘agnostic’ to express his theological position.
• In 1893, his ‘Collected Essays’ was published in nine volumes including, ‘Method and Results’, ‘Darwiniana’, ‘Science and Education’, ‘Science and Hebrew Tradition and Christian Tradition’, and ‘Evolution and Ethics and Other Essays’.

  Awards & Achievements

  • A Fellow of the Royal Society, he was awarded the Royal Medal in 1852, the youngest to receive such a recognition.
  • Between 1876 and 1894, he was awarded the Copley Medal, the Darwin Medal, the Geological Society’s Wollaston Medal, and the Linnean Medal for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history.
  • He was conferred with doctorates and awards for his public services and appointed the Privy Councilor in 1892, while the King of Sweden made him a Knight of the Order of the Polar Star.