Lead as a Risk Factor for Osteoporosis in Post-menopausal Women

Lead exposure is increasingly becoming an important risk factor for osteoporosis. In adults, approximately 80–90 % of absorbed lead is stored in the bones. These bone lead deposits are released into the blood during periods of enhanced bone resorption like menopause, forming a potential endogenous source of lead exposure. Postmenopausal women are at a higher risk for bone lead release because of hormonal and age related changes in bone metabolism. Estrogen deficiency is associated with increase in osteoclasts number and activity leading to both the early and late form of osteoporosis. Hence, high blood lead level coupled with concomitant environmental exposure exposes women in this age group to lead related adverse outcomes like hypertension, reduced kidney and neurocognitive functions as well as increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular mortality. A few studies have also identified coexisting variates like ethnicity, occupation, residence, education, smoking, alcohol medications, water etc. as significant determinants of bone and blood lead in women, thus increasing the magnitude of postmenopausal bone changes. Hence, interventions focused on reducing the intensity of bone resorption during menopause will help decrease exposure to endogenous lead. This would play a significant role in decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with menopause. Also, identification of modifiable factors that prevent bone lead release will reduce the risk of chronic lead exposure and improve the health outcomes of post-menopausal women.     

Levels of plasma soluble complement receptor 1 (sCR1) in normal Indian adult population

A decrease in the membrane anchored erythrocyte complement receptor 1 (CR1) is reported as an acquired phenomenon in a number of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases with concomitant rise in soluble CR1 (sCR1) levels in plasma. There is a need to establish the normal range of sCR1 in Indian adults to assess the function and disease association of this protein. The plasma sCR1 levels of 50 healthy individuals have been estimated by an indigenously developed sandwich ELISA. sCR1 levels from 26 patients suffering from nephropathies had also been assayed which was much higher than the normal controls. This observation suggests sCR1 as a potential market for the assessment of disease activity in nephropathies.     

Utilizing Theatre of the Oppressed Within Teacher Education to Create Emancipatory Teachers

A key focus of teacher preparation should be critical self-reflection, especially given the current context of market-driven school reform, which often leads to school closings, increases school segregation, and devastates local communities. The question, then, becomes how best to guide critical self-reflection for preservice teachers so that they are aware of their biases, privileges, and positions of power, as well as being cognizant of how these school reforms detrimentally impact poor communities of color. More often than not, when such discussions are broached, preservice teachers want to change the topic to practical teaching strategies rather than addressing issues of social justice. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explore how “Theatre of the Oppressed” can be utilized to help prepare preservice teachers to become highly effective and socially just educators. More importantly, how can “Theatre of the Oppressed” be employed to engage teacher candidates in critical reflection and consciousness, as well as increase their understanding of systemic inequality.     

Mucosal IgA & IL-1β in Helicobacter pylori Infection

Helicobacter pylori infection stimulates strong local inflammatory and specific IgA antibody production. The influence of antibodies on the bacterial colonization is not clear. Here, we have analysed the association between the mucosal IgA level and IL-1β in various manifestations of the infection seen endoscopically. Antral biopsies of 57 dyspeptic patients were taken for culture, histology and estimation of mucosal levels of anti-H. pylori IgA and IL-1β. Mean mucosal IgA level was higher in patients with normal mucosa compared to all other groups and lower IgA level was associated with higher bacterial density. IL-1β was higher in ulcer patients and suspicious malignancy group as compared to normal group and higher level of IL-1β was associated with higher grades of metaplasia. Present study indicates that local immunity seems to have a protective role against H. pylori infection and higher level of IL-1β induced by the pathogen may be associated with metaplasia and carcinogenesis.     

Tenets of Body-Soul Rooted Pedagogy: teaching for critical consciousness,nourished resistance,and healing

ABSTRACT

For marginalized communities, schooling is mired in social/bodily control, tracking, and cultural erasure circumscribing difference/culture as obstacles, as opposed to sites of wisdom, connectedness, and critical consciousness. Authors shape a transformative pedagogical framework across teacher education and partnering schools by utilizing spiritually embodied, land-based Chicana Feminist and Indigenous Epistemologies. We outline six tenets of Body-Soul Rooted Pedagogy which: 1) construct education politically, 2) enact schooling as decolonization/empowerment, 3) center epistemologies, multiliteracies of marginalized groups, 4) foster critical frameworks navigating oppression, 5) engage social action pedagogy, and 6) engender hope, well-being. Scholarship has implications for educational theory and practice at all levels.     

Environmental philosophies underlying the teaching of environmental education: a case study in India

Abstract

This study consists of two interdependent parts. First we categorise the environmental philosophies prevalent amongst environmentalists in India by comparing the way the environmental crisis is understood and what its causes and solutions are thought to be. In the second part, we use this categorisation for a case study of three high school science teachers in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Our aim is to find out what environmental philosophies underlay their teaching. In order to do this, we collected data by interviewing the teachers, observing their classrooms, and studying their textbooks. We then looked through our data for indications of the environmental philosophies found in part 1. Although the interviews showed some signs of Gandhian, Appropriate Technology, Eco-marxist, and other philosophies, in the classrooms the teachers adhered mainly to Ecological Modernisation and Eco-capitalist philosophies, and rarely expressed their own opinions. Despite progressive policy statements, the teaching was mainly textbook based, neglecting to consider systemic causes or solutions. One of the most significant findings was the prevalence of an idealist faith in a ‘Balance of Nature’ which was trusted to rectify upsets caused by human immorality.     

Chinese character recognition and literacy development via a techno-pedagogical pivot

Educational technology research and development - This study investigates the effect of sequenced, time-delayed, multimodal Chinese language and communicative literacy supports on the ability of...     

Studies on homocysteine demonstrating its significance as a possible tool for differential diagnosis in occlusive vascular disease

Homocysteine (Hcy) is a non-protein forming amino-acid, whose metabolism is at the intersection of two metabolic pathways: remethylation and transsulfuration which are dependent on the vitamins folic acid, B₁₂ and B₆, and the enzymes methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and cystathionine-β-synthetase. A deficiency of any of these vitamins or enzymes results in hyperhomocysteinemia. This causes oxidative and other damage to blood vessels, thus affecting various organ systems of the body. As part of our ongoing research on cardiovascular risk factors, we have studied the Hcy levels in the plasma of normal controls and those suffering from vascular diseases. It was observed that Hcy is significantly higher in patients of vascular diseases (21.59±1.28 μmol/L, mean±SEM), as compared to normal controls (11.33±0.18 μmol/L). This significance, was more pronounced in cases of venous thrombosis (26.77±2.43 μmol/L) as opposed to cases of arterial block (17.27±0.84 μmol/L). This signifies that Hcy estimation would be beneficial in obtaining a differential diagnosis in addition to being a modifiable vascular risk factor.     

Successful School Management in India: Case Studies of Navodaya Vidyalayas

This research explored the management devices followed in successful schools in the Indian context. In-depth case studies of three successful Navodaya schools were carried out. The schools were identified on the basis of the academic performance of students in the last three years in the national examinations and their participation in co-curricular activities at the regional and national levels. The study employed triangulation approach in which data were collected employing different methodologies (personal interviews, observations, and questionnaires/schedules) from various categories of respondents (principals, teachers, students, parents, and in some cases alumni) by a team of researchers. Results indicated that successful schools adopted participative management system in running day-to-day activities of the schools, gave people autonomy but also made them accountable for successful completion of the tasks, followed democratic methods of taking decisions, gave priority to the welfare of students, maintained supportive relationship with teachers, attempted to establish linkage with parents, set up higher and higher goals for themselves and the schools, adopted innovative pedagogical methods and evaluation devices, and recognized good work of the teachers. The results have implications for other schools where some of these devices can be tried out to improve their performance.The Asian Network of Training and Research Institutions in Educational Planning, International Institute of Educational Planning, Paris, sponsored this study.