Near,Far, Wherever You Are: Chemistry via Distance in the South Seas

The University of the South Pacific is owned by 12 nations in the South Pacific Ocean. The institution provides higher education through its 14 campuses, with at least 1 campus per member country. To be able to overcome the geographical divide and isolation, while ensuring high-quality learning and teaching, the university utilizes Internet, satellite, and mobile devices and other Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools and technologies to provide virtual classroom experience. This article outlines the approaches adopted in offering a first-year chemistry course, in parallel, through face-to-face and distance modes. The novel attributes of bridging the geographical divide are presented. The article concludes with a discussion of new innovations that will further bring the classroom to the student irrespective of where the student is in the world.     

Why Ideology Matters for Learning: A Case of Ideological Convergence in an Engineering Ethics Classroom Discussion on Drone Warfare

The relationship between ideology and learning remains insufficiently theorized and sparsely investigated in the learning sciences. Drawing on Stuart Hall’s theorization of ideology, Judith Butler’s notion of the (un)grievability of lives, and Sara Ahmed’s construct of stickiness, we illustrate how insights from critical social theory are indispensable to understanding processes of learning and how perspectives from the learning sciences can enrich critical social theory. Through the analysis of a classroom discussion on the use of militarized drones in an undergraduate engineering ethics course, we show how ideological convergence among participants constructed locally significant categories of “civilian,” “terrorist,” and (un)grievability, which narrowed the possible trajectories for students’ disciplinary learning in engineering and engineering ethics. Our analysis also shows that fleeting moments of ideological expansion offered opportunities for new learning; however, most of these instances of possibility were not sustained through the classroom discussion. We explicate how ideological convergences and expansions, as interactional achievements, profoundly matter for disciplinary learning and students’ identities. In conclusion, we explore the implications of our findings for broader contexts of learning and for the field of the learning sciences.     

Correlation of Serum Nitric Oxide (NO) with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patient: A Study in North India

Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the key players in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Limited reports are available about the serum level of NO and their correlation with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score in acute (<24 h) ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. A hospital based, cross sectional study was done in North Indian population to find out correlation of serum NO and GCS in AIS patients. 50 patients of AIS and 25 healthy controls were chosen for the study. Serum NO level was measured by ELISA and GCS scores were assessed by a neurologist. Pearson correlation coefficients were analyzed to look for the relationship between NO and GCS. Statistically highly significant elevation in mean serum NO level was observed in cases as compared to controls (p < 0.01). A negative correlation of NO levels with neurological score of GCS r (48) = ?0.144, p > 0.05 was seen. This indicates oxidative stress in acute ischemic stroke may be the result of imbalance in oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis.     

Insulin Resistance in Young Obese Subjects and Its Relation to Smoking (A Pilot Study)

Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells fail to respond to the normal actions of insulin. Dietary fat, obesity and smoking have been attributed to increase insulin resistance. However, the prevalence of insulin resistance in young obese subjects and its relation to smoking is not well established. This study comprising seventy-five healthy young adults was undertaken to find insulin resistance in obese smokers and non smokers both. Present study showed an overall prevalence of raised homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance in 14.7 % otherwise healthy young subjects (20–30 years age group). Non-smokers did not show any significant correlation between insulin resistance and body mass index at either stage (normal, pre-obese as well as obese). Smokers also did not show any significant difference of insulin resistance in normal and pre-obese stages. However, marked increase in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance was observed in obese smokers. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance showed a linear trend in relation to body mass index and its values were found to be higher in smokers. Obesity combined with smoking demonstrated statistically significant increase in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance.     

Reduced glutathione: Importance of specimen collection

Glutathione, the dominant intracellular thiol, plays an important protective role against oxidative stress. The accidental findings of increased reduced glutathione level postprandially as compared to post absorptive level prompted the design of present study. Reduced Glutathione levels were estimated in 50 healthy individuals in post absorptive and postprandial phase by taking whole blood in ACD bulb. Mean postprandial reduced Glutathione (9.60±3.39 μmole/gm of Hb) is significantly increased than mean postabsorptive level (5.53±0.88 μmole/gm of Hb; p<0.001). It also shows positive correlation (r=0.65) between these two GSH levels. So present study suggests that post absorptive specimen collection is preferable over random or postprandial as the former reflects the true basal level of reduced glutathione.     

From conventional governance to e-democracy: Tracing the evolution of e-governance research trends using network analysis tools

The adoption of e-governing practices has revolutionised the administrative machinery of governments worldwide by improving efficiency, transparency, and accountability. Researchers and administrators often aim to identify emerging research fronts and the timeline of the evolution to forecast and implement technology. In this work, we systematically investigate the trajectory of the global evolution and emerging research fronts as well as the prospects for e-governance using citation network analysis. The growth curve fitted to the number of articles published per year shows that the research activities are still in the ascendant phase. We visualise the global main path of the citation network and investigate the patterns to trace the knowledge diffusion path, major milestones, and emerging research fronts. The cluster analysis identifies the major topics of research as administration and information system management, e-governance framework design, efficiency or quality evaluation, and the application of social networks and open data leading to e-democracy. The adoption of open data and social networking for user interactions with government that leads to participatory governance are the emerging research trends. We also identify research that can have a future impact based on network parameters. The results contribute to the literature by setting the focus of future research, and assisting administrators in selecting suitable models and methodologies, and manufacturers with the development of required technical devices suitable for the upcoming phase of symbiosis.     

High school mathematics teachers’ discernment of invariant properties in a dynamic geometry environment

Educational Studies in Mathematics - Variance and invariance are two powerful mathematical ideas to support geometrical and spatial thinking, yet there is limited research about teachers’...     

Disciplinary Categories, Majors, and Undergraduate Academic Experiences: Rethinking Bok’s “Underachieving Colleges” Thesis

Using data from the 2008 University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey, we show that study time and academic conscientiousness were lower among students in humanities and social science majors than among students in science and engineering majors. Analytical and critical thinking experiences were no more evident among humanities and social sciences majors than among science and engineering majors. All three academically beneficial experiences were, however, strongly related to participation in class and interaction with instructors, and participation was more common among humanities and social sciences students than among science and engineering students. Bok’s (Our underachieving colleges: A candid look at how much students learn and why they should be learning more. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2006) influential discussion of “underachievement’ in undergraduate education focused on institutional performance. Our findings indicate that future discussions should take into account differences among disciplinary categories and majors as well.     

High pressure research on materials

In this article, different methods for generating and measuring high pressure are described. Empirical equations of state (EOS) are illustrated for some standard materials. P Ch Sahu (left) is at the Materials Science Division of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam. He is a specialist in the field of high pressure science and is presently heading this activity at his institute. His primary research areas are in high pressure phase transitions and in synthesis and study of novel materials under extreme pressure and temperature conditions.