An Analysis of the Presentation of Art in the British Primary School Curriculum and its Implications for Teaching

This article presents an analysis of the way art is conceptualised in the British primary school curriculum and provides an historical framework that maps an evolution of ideas that have shaped the way art is presented in the modern day primary curriculum. In order to achieve this a Foucauldian style genealogical analysis is utilised to trace the discourses (systems of meaning) surrounding the nature of children's artistic development and how these discourses are used in the present day British primary curriculum to construe art in different ways. The analysis in this article is threefold. It explores the presentation of art in the curriculum as (1) an expressive subject, (2) a skills based subject, (3) a subject which focuses on art history and art appreciation. Second, the teaching positions associated with each approach are identified as follows (a) the facilitator, (b) the expert and (c) the philosopher; as well as the issues teachers face when adopting these positions. Third, attention is given to how these theoretical principles might be linked to practice. In so doing this article contributes to the debate surrounding the value of art in the primary curriculum and the way in which the curriculum serves to shape teaching practice.     

Hb Hope: A Rare Variant of Haemoglobin-Forged a Rise in HbA1c on Immunoturbidimetric Assay

Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) determination is a powerful means for assessing the evaluation and management of patients with diabetes mellitus. Hemoglobin (Hb) variants and chemically modified derivatives of Hb can affect the accuracy of measurement of HbA1c done by various analytical methods. We report a patient with a rare variant of Hb (Hb Hope) that caused an abnormally high value of HBA1c when assayed using immunoturbidimetric assay (“Tina-quant” 2nd generation assay) and also elucidate the nature of the variant.     

Interrelationship Between Procalcitonin and Organ Failure in Sepsis

Sepsis suffers from lack of specific clinical symptoms which contribute to one of the major causes of mortality. In the present study, our aim was to evaluate the role of a recent biomarker Procalcitonin (PCT) in predicting organ dysfunction. 71 patients admitted with sepsis were included in the study. PCT levels were measured at 0, 24, 72 h and 7th day and sequential organ failure assessment score (SOFA) scores were calculated. PCT levels significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in 89.3 % of surviving patients, whereas, in 60 % non surviving patients the PCT level increased significantly (p < 0.001). A significant positive correlation between PCT and SOFA score was observed in survivors at each hour. These observations indicate that PCT concentration is significantly associated with severity of multi organ dysfunction and also helps in determining the prognosis of septic patients.     

Effects of Long Term Ethanol Consumption on Cell Death in Liver

Apoptosis plays an important role in cellular homeostasis. In this study we have investigated whether apoptosis is a contributory factor to alcohol induced liver damage. Long term ethanol (1.6 g/kg body weight/day) exposure augmented liver apoptosis as reflected by high frequency of positive TUNEL staining nuclei and by an increased activity of caspase-3 and -8. Our study provides evidence that long-term ethanol consumption triggers apoptotic process in the liver.     

Validation Protocol: First Step of a Lean-Total Quality Management Principle in a New Laboratory Set-up in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Method validation is pursued as the first step in establishing Lean-Total Quality Management in a new clinical laboratory, in order to eliminate error in test results. Validation of all the new tests were done (with particular reference to alkaline phosphatase) by verifying reference intervals, analytical accuracy and precision, inter-assay and intra-assay variations, analytical sensitivity, limit of detection, linearity and reportable range, i.e. (i) Analytical measurement range (AMR) and (ii) Clinically reportable range (CRR). Our obtained reference range was within that of the manufacturer’s and showed high degree of analytical accuracy between two laboratories (r ² = 0.99). Precision was comparable with the manufacturer’s claim with inter-assay variation CV 1.04% and intra-assay variation CV 1.54%. Lowest limit of detection was 1.0324 ± 0.007 with CV 0.34%. AMR was also verified with CV 1.26 and 0.69%, for level 1 and level 2 control sera, respectively. The assay was linear with different dilutions. Lean concept was also verified with high recovery percentage. Validation ensures that accurate and precise results are reported in a clinically relevant turn around time.     

General relativity and the accelerated expansion of the universe

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to S Perlmutter, A Riess and B Schmidt for their path-breaking discovery that the rate of expansion of the universe is increasing with time. The trio used Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) as standard candles to estimate their luminositydistances. To appreciate some of the far-reaching implications of their work, I have provided an elementary exposition of the general theory of relativity, accelerated expansion of the universe, luminosity-distance, SNe Ia and the cosmological constant problem.     

Plane curves of some geometrical significance and associated differential equations

Loci of points in the Euclidean plane are determined from prescribed relations of the points with given points, and/or, lines. The dependence of these relations on parameters lead to the diffrential equations representing the family of loci under concern. Incidentally most of the diffrential equations thus obtained are nonlinear ordinary diffrential equations.     

Monitoring oxidative stress in patients with non-alcoholic and alcoholic liver diseases

Ethanol-induced liver injury may be linked, at least partly, to an oxidative stress resulting from increased free radical production and/or decreased antioxidant defence. Distinguishing alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver disease has important implications. This study looked at the possible changes between alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases by examining the presence of oxidative damage, as monitored by several parameters relating to oxidative stress. Lipid peroxides concentration, superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione S-transferase activity increased, where as glutathione content, glutathione peroxidase activity and glutathione reductase activity decreased among the tested subjects in comparison to normal healthy group. Determination of these parameters may be valuable in the evaluation of liver disease. However, oxidative stress related enzymes and non-enzymes can not be utilized as a marker for alcoholic liver diseases, as these parameters responded in the same way after liver is damaged irrespective of their cause. Their level may help in determining the degree of liver damage. Degree of oxidative injury was similar in patients with non-alcoholic liver disease and in moderate drinkers; while significantly higher in heavy drinkers. The differences between the groups might be based on the type of liver pathological condition rather than its etiology (i.e. alcohol and non alcohol related causes).