Silence of the genes

The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Andrew Fire and Craig Mello for discovering “RNA interference—genesilencing by double-stranded RNA”. The Nobel Committee at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden selected them for the award for unraveling “a fundamental mechanism for controlling the flow of genetic information” that is “already being widely used in basic science as a method to study the function of genes and may lead to novel therapies in the future”. This has been one of the fastest Nobel Prizes conferred in physiology or medicine, considering that Fire and Mello published their path-breaking article in the journal Nature in 1998, less than ten years ago. Utpal Nath is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, IISc. His laboratory is studying the genetic mechanisms of plant development. Saumitra Das is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, IISc. His laboratory is interested in the translational control of cellular and viral RNA.     

Diabetic cardiomyopathy and reactive oxygen species (ROS) related parameters in male and female rats: A comparative study

Studies were carried out to examine and compare the effects of alloxan-diabetes on reactive oxygen species (ROS) related parameters in the heart from male and female rats. Effects of insulin treatment were also evaluated. The diabetic state severely compromised the ROS defense mechanism in the cardiac tissue and the effects were more pronounced in the female than in the male rats. There was several fold increase in the xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in general and the magnitude of increase was higher in the females; insulin treatment resulted in further increase in the XO activity. The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and catalase activities decreased and the reduced glutathione (GSH) content in mitochondria was completely depleted in diabetic state with significant decrease in the GSH levels in the post-mitochondrial fraction; the effect was more pronounced in the females. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPox) activities increased in the diabetic state to a greater extent in male rats. Insulin treatment had restorative action only on some parameters. In conclusion, our results suggest that diabetic state may further compromise the weak ROS defense systems in the heart thus initiating a lesion at the level of mitochondria which ultimately leads to cardiomyopathy and the effects are especially more pronounced in the females. Our results also pointed out that insulin treatment was ineffective in restoring ROS related parameters.     

Some issues influencing the planning and implementation of vocational education in Nepal

This study attempted to analyze the perceptions of selected Nepali educators and administrators concerning certain basic issues which have been influencing the planning and implementation of vocational education in Nepal. The issues were determined after a review of the relevant research and literature. A questionnaire with 13 items was mailed to Nepali educators, administrators, experts and headmasters involved with vocational education. A total of 142 (53.18%) usable questionnaires were returned, and two groups of respondents were identified from the nature of their work, namely planners and implementors. The responses were interpreted using the analysis of variance statistical test (ANOVA). Findings indicated that planners and implementors, respectively, had significantly different attitudes concerning issues related to the characteristics of students, employment, and financial aspects of vocational programs. A higher proportion of planners than implementors dissented from the proposition that vocational education should be designed for less intelligent students. Implementors felt that the students could make vocational choices at the age of 14 or 15, whereas the planners were uncertain. The implementors were also more of the opinion that vocational education was too expensive for Nepal, while the planners tended to disagree with them about this. Regarding other matters, however, all the respondents indicated general agreement with the issues as stated.

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Zusammenfassung Diese Studie versuchte, die Vorstellungen ausgewählter nepalesischer Erziehungswissenschaftler und Verwaltungsbeamter in Bezug auf bestimmte Grundfragen zu analysieren, die Planung und Durchführung von Berufsausbildung in Nepal beeinflußten. Nach Durchsicht der Forschungsprojekte und der entsprechenden Literatur, wurden Fragepunkte ausgearbeitet. Ein Fragebogen mit dreizehn Punkten wurde an nepalesische Erziehungswissenschaftler, Verwaltungsbeamte, Experten und Schulleiter geschickt, die mit Berufsausbildung zu tun haben. Insgesamt 142 (53,18%) brauchbare Fragebogen wurden zurückgeschickt und zwei Gruppen von Befragten nach Art ihrer Tätigkeit, nämlich Planer und Durchführer, festgestellt. Die Antworten wurden ausgewertet indem die Analyse statistischer Varianztests (ANOVA) benutzt wurde. Ergebnisse zeigten, daß Planer und Durchführer signifikant unterschiedliche Einstellungen hatten zu Fragen in Bezug auf Merkmale der Schüler, Berufstätigkeit und finanzielle Aspekte des Berufsausbildungsprogramms. Ein höherer Anteil von Planern als Durchführern wich von der Behauptung ab, Berufsbildung sei für weniger intelligente Schüler bestimmt. Durchführer glaubten, daß Schüler im Alter von 14 oder 15 Jahren ihre Berufswahl treffen könnten, wohingegen sich die Planer nicht sicher waren. Durchführer waren auch der Meinung, daß Berufsausbildung für Nepal zu teuer sei, während Planer dazu neigten, mit ihnen darüber nicht übereinzustimmen. Hinsichtlich anderer Punkte jedoch, stimmten alle befragten Personen generell mit den Aussagen, wie angegeben, überein.

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Résumé Cette étude avait pour objectif l'analyse des perceptions de certains éducateurs et administrateurs népalais concernant quelques facteurs fondamentaux qui influencent la planification et la mise en oeuvre de l'éducation professionnelle au Népal. Ces facteurs ont été déterminés après examen des travaux importants de la recherche et de la littérature sur le sujet. Un questionnaire portant 13 points a été envoyé aux éducateurs, administrateurs, spécialistes et directeurs d'école népalais concernés par l'éducation professionnelle. Un total de 142 (53, 18%) questionnaires exploitables ont été retournés et deux groupes de personnes ont pu être identifiés d'après la nature de leur travail, à savoir les planificateurs et les exécutants. Les réponses ont été interprétées d'après l'analyse du test statistique de variance (ANOVA). Les résultats ont montré que les planificateurs et les exécutants avaient des opinions sensiblement différentes quant aux facteurs relatifs aux caractéristiques des étudiants, du chômage et des aspects financiers des programmes professionnels. Une plus grande partie de planificateurs que d'exécutants différait de l'opinion selon laquelle l'éducation professionnelle devrait s'adresser aux étudiants moins intelligents. Les exécutants pensaient que les étudiants pouvaient faire un choix professionnel à l'âge de 14 ou 15 ans, tandis que les planificateurs en étaient incertains. Les exécutants étaient également plutôt de l'avis que l'éducation professionnelle était trop coûteuse pour le Népal, alors que les planificateurs tendaient à penser le contraire. Pour ce qui est des autres questions, cependant, toutes les personnes qui ont répondu étaient d'accord avec les facteurs comme indiqué.

     

Dark matter

In Part I of this article we learnt that there are compelling evidences from dynamics of spiral galaxies, like our own, that there must be non-luminous matter in them. In this second part we will see that even clusters of galaxies must harbour dark matter. As if this was not enough, it turns out that if our knowledge of the universe is not completely wrong, then the universe as a whole has to contain dark matter and that it must be of some exotic type.     

Special relativity, causality and quantum mechanics — 2

We discuss the aspects of non-locality and nonseparability of states of composite quantum systems. The probabilistic nature of quantum mechanical predictions, and the impossibility of cloning, are shown to safeguard causality in the quantum world. An example of a game which can be won exploiting quantum entanglement, but which can never be won classically, is described.     

`Emergency Education': The Missing Dimension in Education Policy

Large numbers of children regularly experience educational disruption because of natural disasters. Donor and rehabilitation agencies, using an ‘emergency education’ framework, have usually addressed the immediate needs of such children and longer-term educational reconstruction. However, the imperative of continuous educational access to all children, and the need for resource and curricular policies to deal with frequent disruption, call for the inclusion of an emergency education dimension in traditional educational policy. This article outlines the features of such a dimension by drawing on the experiences of an earthquake rehabilitation effort in India (2001-02). Policies that target an improved post-crisis educational system create an opportunity to redress past disadvantages. Helping local educational institutions build capacities in curriculum development and continuing education of emergency personnel is crucial. Some new features highlighted include tracking local demographic shifts with the help of local leaders and the use of innovative teachers to handle children’s immediate recreational needs. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Use of IT in university libraries of Punjab,Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh: A comparative study

This paper is designed to measure the use of Information Technology (IT) in the university libraries of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh with an ulterior objective to establish some co-relation between quality in libraries and use of IT. The paper highlights the use of hardware and software facilities in university libraries. It also highlights the access of networks, information services and barriers in IT applications. A survey conducted on four university libraries, namely Panjab University library, Chandigarh; Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla; Punjabi university Library, Patiala; and Guru Nanak Dev University Library, Amritsar found that only Panjab University Library, Chandigarh and GND university library, Amritsar have provided computerised access to in-house databases. The findings presented are based on a survey conducted with the help of questionnaires, interview and observation methods. Library literature reveals that quality depends on merging print culture with digital culture but the result of this survey confirm that print culture is still dominating in university libraries of this region.     

Hubble’s menagerie of galaxies

Soon after the discovery that we live in a separate galaxy and that there are many other galaxies in the universe, Hubble designed a classification scheme of galaxies based on their appearances. It was such a robust scheme that it continues to be one of the basic tools of modern astronomy, and motivates astronomers to look for connections between different types of galaxies.     

Rethinking environmental science education from indigenous knowledge perspectives: an experience with a Dene First Nation community

This auto-ethnographic article explores how land-based education might challenge Western environmental science education (ESE) in an Indigenous community. This learning experience was developed from two perspectives: first, land-based educational stories from Dene First Nation community Elders, knowledge holders, teachers, and students; and second, the author’s critical self‐reflections focusing on how land-based education could offer unlearning, rethinking, relearning, and reclaiming ESE. This auto-ethnography provides particular insights into who we are as environmental educators, the challenges in Western ESE, why land-based education matters, why and how a significant move should be made from Western ESE to land-based ESE, and how land-based education offers a bridge between Western and Indigenous education.     

Biochemical Profile of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients in Eastern India with Histopathological Correlation

Aminotransferase assay is often used as a screening test as well as an endpoint for resolution of disease in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship of transaminase level with metabolic variables and histology in NAFLD. Single center observational study was conducted in a gastroenterology clinic at Cuttack in coastal Odisha. Subjects were consecutive patients presenting with functional bowel disease and undergoing abdominal sonography. All participants were evaluated for the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS), insulin resistance, liver function test and lipid profile. Various parameters were compared between NAFLD subjects and controls. 53.5 % of NAFLD had normal serum transaminases, whereas 20.8 % of healthy controls had transaminitis. NAFLD patients had significantly higher BMI, fasting plasma glucose, serum transaminases, serum triglycerides, serum insulin and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) IR than controls. NAFLD patients who had transaminitis had significantly higher incidence of MS and higher mean HOMA IR than those without. There was no significant difference in histopathological features between NAFLD with and without transaminitis. To conclude, over half of NAFLD subjects do not have transaminitis while transaminitis is present in a fifth of healthy people without fatty liver. Hence serum transaminase should not be used as screening test for NAFLD. NAFLD patients with transaminitis had a higher incidence of MS and insulin resistance than those without. However, there was no significant difference in histopathological features between these two groups.