Dr R K Sanghavi

     # RKS: NB.1.8.1 THE VUM BECOMING A VOC? RKS / 2025-2026 / Ser 8 / Blog 4 1st January 2026 THE NEW EMERGENT SARS-CoV-2 VARIANTS ALL ABOUT OMICRON SUBTYPES Dear Reader, SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a contagious disease called Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The variants that emerged in 1920 were alpha (B.1 subtypes - United Kingdom first), beta (B.1 subtypes - South Africa first), gamma (P.1 - Brazil first) and delta (B.1 subtypes - India first). The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2021 (South Africa first) onwards. Of the latter, the current two of looming concerns include LP.8.1 and NB.1.8.1 which are not only a global scare but also assuming alarming proportions in India.  SARS-CoV-2 VARIANT CLASSIFICATION Variant classification serves as an important communication tool for alerting countries about the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with concerning properties likely to impact the population. The Eu...

    # RKS: LIGHT & LUMINATION ENLIGHTENING ABOUT BRIGHTNESS INTENSITIES RKS / 2025-2026 / Ser 8 / Blog 3 1st December 2025 REVEALING SEEING DYNAMICS THE RETINA & ILLUMINATING Dear Reader, Seeing light is taken for granted. Seeing images, objects and beauty is what the eyes are meant for. However, the mechanisms that lie behind what makes one see and perceive are indeed intriguing and worth understanding to appreciate the miracle of sight that has been bestowed to living beings.  EYE - RETINA - VISION There are three layers of tissues in the eye and retina is the innermost and forms the curtain. Fig: Layers of eye. The retina of the eye has rods, cones and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). All these 3 types are sensory nerve cells (neurons) that sense light and also called photoreceptors. These specialized neurons detect light and convert it to electrical signals which the brain interprets. Fig: Cells of retina. Rods are 500 to 1,000 tim...

   # RKS: MEMORY A VITAL COG IN COGNITION WHEEL RKS / 2025-2026 / Ser 8 / Blog 2 1st November 2025 MEMORY IS LIFE AMNESIA IS LIVING DEAD Dear Reader, The statement "Memory is life" encapsulates the idea that the past experiences and memories are essential to who we are and how we live. They shape the understanding of the world, our sense of self, and even our actions. Without memory, ie. amnesia, one wouldn't have personal histories or the ability to learn and grow.  LEARNING DOMAINS There are essentially 3 learning domains as per Bloom’s taxonomy, which is a framework for classifying educational learning objectives developed by Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues in the 1950s . Cognitive Affective: focuses on the emotional and belief aspects of learning, including developing positive attitudes, interests, and appreciation for the subject matter. Psychomotor: demonstrated by physical skills. The three agents are theoretical constructs that Freud employed to describe the bas...

  # RKS: MORE ABOUT PERSONALITIES (IV) PERSONALITY COMPONENTS RKS / 2025-2026 / Ser 8 / Blog 1 1st October 2025 PERSONALITY MAPPING FREUDIAN THEORY Dear Reader, The two of the most influential figures in psychoanalysis are Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Sigmund Freud focused on childhood experiences and sexual development, while Carl Jung emphasized lifelong psychological growth and spirituality.  Fig: Carl Jung - Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist (1875-1961) and Sigmund Freud - Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis (1856-1939).  Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist and influential thinker of the early twentieth century. Freud developed a new kind of psychological treatment based on the patient talking about whatever came to mind – memories, dreams, thoughts, emotions – and then analysing that information in order to relieve the patient’s symptoms. Letting people speak freely is referred to as ‘free associat...