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.     

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.

     

The Role of Ethnic Identity,Gender Roles,and Multicultural Training in College Counselors' Multicultural Counseling Competence: A Mediation Model

Structural equation modeling with survey data from 313 college counselors revealed that multicultural training significantly mediated the impact of both ethnic identity and gender roles on multicultural counseling competence (MCC), explaining 24% of MCC variance. Results indicated that college counselors need to be aware of their own gender roles and ethnic identity to be culturally competent and highlighted the mediational role that training plays in achieving MCC.     

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.     

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.     

Study of oxidative stress in obsessive compulsive disorder in response to treatment with Fluoxetine

Oxidative stress has been found to play important role in several neuropsychiatric diseases including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A longitudinal case control study was conducted to evaluate the oxidative stress in 30 newly diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder patients and same number of control patients. Serum thiobarbituric acid reacting substances, plasma ascorbate were assessed to evaluate oxidative stress and Yale Brown obsessive compulsive scale for disease severity before and after treatment with Fluoxetine at the average dosage of 40 mg/day. Improvement in Yale Brown obsessive compulsive scale score by about 43% after 12 weeks treatment was associated with significantly decreased thiobarbituric acid reacting substances and increased plasma ascorbate values (p < 0.05). The newly diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder patients had higher serum thiobarbituric acid reacting substances as well as a lower plasma ascorbate levels than the control population. Thus, the present study suggested a significant role of oxidative stress in obsessive compulsive disorder and showed that a successful treatment with Fluoxetine not only improves the clinical scenario but also reduces the oxidative stress that may further improve the prognosis of the disease.     

Mutually supportive or trade-offs: An analysis of competitive priorities in the emerging economy of India

To refine the theories of operations strategy, we need research from all different situational contexts, including different countries—both developing and developed. There have been many studies, including some replications, done in various parts of the world to further the debate on whether competitive priorities are mutually supportive or if they present potential trade-offs, but hardly any from a rapidly growing economy, such as India. This study is a significant attempt in that direction. After a thorough review of the literature, a set of hypotheses is introduced to test whether Indian manufacturers view competitive priorities as mutually supportive or trade-offs. The data from over 150 high-ranking individuals from over 75 manufacturers in India is used to test the hypotheses by way of cluster analysis and ANOVA. The resultant taxonomy reveals patterns that uniquely represent Indian manufacturers' view of the competitive priorities, namely quality, flexibility, delivery and price. The study findings have significant managerial implications, both for India and other developing as well as developed economies. The taxonomy will serve to gauge India's manufacturers' role in the world. From a researcher's perspective, this study makes a significant contribution to theory development, furthers our understanding of the strategic role of operations, moves forward the ongoing debate on the topic of trade-offs or complementarity, and paves the way for future studies in this topical area.