Anti-Atherosclerotic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Curcumin on Hypercholesterolemic Male Rabbits

Curcumin has a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may suppress inflammatory component of atherosclerosis. It has been demonstrated that curcumin derivatives can reduce the formation of arterial fatty streaks in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Therefore in this study we evaluated the protective effects of Curcumin on the progression of atherosclerosis. 20 mature rabbits were included for this study; they were randomly divided into four groups each of 5. Group 1: (normal control) were fed corn pellets diet and tab water, group 2: (high cholesterol diet control) were kept on cholesterol rich diet (2% cholesterol) and tab water. Group 3: (cholesterol and rosuvastatin treated group) were kept on cholesterol rich diet (2% cholesterol) and 2.5 mg/kg/day Rosuvastatin dispersed in DW and given orally, group 4: (cholesterol and curcumin treated group) were kept on cholesterol rich diet (2% cholesterol) and 0.2% curcumin added with corn pellets. The study continued for 12 weeks then assessment of serum level of high sensitive C-reactive protein, ICAM1, VCAM1 and PCSK9 was carried out at the end of the study. Total antioxidant activity of curcumin was also determined. Histopathological examination of aortic tissues for atherosclerotic changes was also carried out. Atherogenic (cholesterol rich diet) induced an increment in serum level of TC, LDL, VLDL and TG with concomitant decrement in serum level of HDL and increased atherogenic index. Treatment with curcumin produced substantial reduction in serum TC, LDL, TG with no effect on HDL level thus decreased atherogenic index. Rabbits treated with curcumin showed a significant reduction in the serum level of high sensitive C-reactive protein, ICAM1, VCAM, PCSK9 serum expression and aortic total antioxidant capacity. Curcumin has a potent anti-inflammatory and anti- oxidant effects against atherosclerosis so exerts a protective role by decreasing lipid oxidation and inflammatory markers.     

Mobile phone text messaging use among university librarians of Lahore city

Short Message Service (SMS) has become a cheap and popular source of communication in today's society. The present study examines the mobile phone text messaging patterns of 96 university librarians from 29 public and private universities in Lahore, Pakistan. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire. Results indicate that university librarians use SMS tools, but do not prefer this technology as a means of communication through phone or e-mail. A majority of librarians use SMS to connect with friends/relatives or for entertainment purposes. They rarely use SMS to communicate with library users, professional colleagues, or administration.     

Personal Digital Assistants as Point-of-Care Tools in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Pilot Study

This study used both survey and interview questionnaires. It was designed to assess the feasibility, usability, and utility of two point-of-care tools especially prepared with information relevant for dementia care by staff nurses in a small, a medium-sized, and a large nursing home in Florida. Twenty-five LPN or RN nurses were recruited for the study of their use of one of the tools—either a set of pocket cards (used by the control group) or a pocket PC (used by the experimental group). The findings of our study indicate that personal digital assistants (PDAs) can potentially improve long-term care clinicians' effectiveness and efficiency at work, resulting in better patient care for nursing home residents.     

Discrimination Concerns and Expectations as Explanations for Gendered Socialization in African American Families

Discrimination concerns and parental expectations were examined as mediators of the relations between gender and parenting practices among 796 African American mothers of 11‐ to 14‐year‐olds from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study. Mothers of sons had more concerns about racial discrimination impacting their adolescents' future, whereas mothers of daughters had more gender discrimination concerns. Racial discrimination concerns, but not gender discrimination concerns, were related to lower maternal academic and behavioral expectations. Maternal expectations were related to mothers' responsiveness, rule enforcement, monitoring, and parent–adolescent conflict. The relations between gender and parenting practices were partially explained through mothers' racial discrimination concerns and expectations. These findings demonstrate the importance of contextual factors on African American family processes.     

The Effect of Addition and Subtraction Practice within a Word-Problem Intervention on Addition and Subtraction Outcomes

This study examined the influence of addition and subtraction practice embedded within a word-problem intervention for Grade 3 students experiencing word-problem difficulty. Students (N = 448) were randomly assigned to one of two variants of a word-problem intervention or a business-as-usual comparison condition. Within the word-problem interventions, students participated in targeted addition and subtraction fact and computation practice for approximately 3 minutes of each 30-minute session across 47 intervention sessions, but also continually practiced addition and subtraction through word-problem solving. At posttest, students who participated in the intervention demonstrated improved single-digit addition and subtraction performance as well as improved double-digit addition and subtraction performance. At follow-up in Grade 4, persistence of effects was only identified for double-digit addition. Considering addition and subtraction are foundational to many other mathematics skills, addition and subtraction practice serves as an important component of mathematics intervention.     

Evaluation of Low Blood Lead Levels and Its Association with Oxidative Stress in Pregnant Anemic Women: A Comparative Prospective Study

To correlate blood lead levels (BLLs) and oxidative stress parameters in pregnant anemic women. A total of 175 pregnant women were found suitable and included for this study. Following WHO criteria, 50 each were identified as non-anemic, mild anemic and moderate anemic and 25 were severe anemic. The age of all study subjects ranged from 24–41 years. At admission, BLLs and oxidative stress parameters were estimated as per standard protocols and subjected with ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis and cluster analysis. Results showed significantly (p < 0.01) high BLLs, zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), lipid peroxide (LPO) levels while low delta aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD), iron (Fe), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red blood cell (RBC) count, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in all groups of anemic pregnant women as compared with non anemic pregnant women. In all groups of pregnant women, BLLs showed significant (p < 0.01) and direct association with ZPP, GSSG and LPO while inverse relation with δ-ALAD, Fe, Se, Zn, Hb, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RBC, GSH, SOD, CAT and TAC. Study concluded that low BLLs perturb oxidant-antioxidant balance and negatively affected hematological parameters which may eventually Pb to Fe deficiency anemia during pregnancy.     

Introducing Iranian Primary Children to Atoms and Molecules

Research in Science Education - In common with many other countries, the Iranian science curriculum does not introduce primary children to atoms and molecules but instead leaves the teaching of...     

Assessing pupils at the age of 16 in England – approaches for effective examinations

In England, pupils aged 16 take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations for a range of subjects. The current assessment models for GCSE include a two-tier structure for some subjects and a non-tier model for the others. The tiered subjects have a higher tier designed for high achieving pupils and a lower tier for low achieving pupils. The higher tier paper is targeted at grades A*–D (with A* the highest grade available), while the lower tier paper at grades C–G (with G the lowest grade). The UK government has proposed a comprehensive reform of GCSEs. It suggested that, with tiered papers, pupils are forced to choose between higher and lower tier papers, which will place a cap on the ambition of those entering for the lower tier. The government therefore suggests avoiding tiering in the reformed GCSEs when possible. This paper discusses the technical and equity issues with the use of tiered examinations in current GCSEs and reviews potential alternative assessment approaches for effective differentiation between pupils for the reformed GCSEs.