In/Out: Hong Kong Tongzhi Creative Workshop and Exhibition

Abstract

Critics of postcolonial theory have provided this theory with a genealogy in which it appears as the poisoned fruit of a period when revolutionary energies were ebbing and in retreat. This essay seeks to provide an alternative genealogy, suggesting that the Subaltern Studies project, and postcolonial theory more generally, were enabled and in important ways shaped by the Maoist upsurge in some parts of India in the latter 1960s and early 1970s. The critiques of modernity, of nationalism and the nation‐state, and of homogenizing narratives of progress which mark, and in the eyes of its critics, mar these intellectual currents, far from being reflections of their disassociation from radical politics, are here presented as the indirect outcome of a profound cultural and intellectual shift, which has been the consequence of the Naxalite movement of this period. This alternative genealogy proceeds through an alternative reading of the Naxalite movement. This essay asks why this movement was so important, given that its ideology was naïve, and its political successes short‐lived. The Naxalite strategy of ‘annihilating’ feudal landlords, and the urban ‘statue‐smashing’ campaign of Naxalite youth in 1970 – commonly regarded and condemned as juvenile and ultra‐leftist – are here instead interpreted as an incipient critique of aspects of Marxist theory, a critique subsequently given more explicit and elaborate exposition in the writings of the Subaltern Studies group, and in postcolonial theory.     

Do your friends make you smarter?: An analysis of social strategies in online information seeking

Prior research in the social search space has focused on the informational benefits of collaborating with others during web and workplace information seeking. However, social interactions, especially during complex tasks, can have cognitive benefits as well. Our goal in this paper is to document the methods and outcomes of using social resources to help with exploratory search tasks. We used a talk-aloud protocol and video capture to explore the actions of eight subjects as they completed two “Google-hard” search tasks. Task questions were alternated between a Social and Non-Social Condition. The Social Condition restricted participants to use only social resources—search engines were not allowed. The Non-Social Condition permitted normal web-based information sources, but restricted the use of social tools.     

Attempting to maintain normoglycemia during cardiopulmonary bypass with insulin may initiate post-operative hypoglycemia

Cardiopulmonary bypass is known to cause alterations in insulin secretion and resistance, resulting in profound hyperglycemia. Aggressive treatment of the resulting hyperglycemia intra-operatively could result in a severe degree of post-operative hypoglycemia. We undertook this prospective non-randomized clinical study to compare the alterations in glucose homeostasis in diabetic (group A, n=50) and non-diabetic (Group B, n=50) patients undergoing moderate hypothermic (30°C) cardiopulmonary bypass for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). All patients had a fasting blood sugar level done on the morning of surgery. Blood sugars were monitored intra-operatively and post-operatively at fixed time intervals. Intra-operative hyperglycemia was treated aggressively by a continuous, infusion of injecting plain insulin. Both the groups experienced similar significant increase in blood glucose levels during bypass (‘p’=0.00003). However, the mean blood glucose level upon arrival in the intensive care unit was significantly decreased in group B compared to group A (p=0.0002). 60% of group B and 10% of group A patients required treatment for post-operative hypoglycemia (blood glucose level <60mg/dl). This clinical study reveals that attempting to maintain normoglycemia in this setting with Insulin may initiate post-operative hypoglycemia.     

Doing to being: farming actions in a community coalesce into pro-environment motivations and values

A key mandate of environment education (EE) is to motivate people to engage in environmentally responsible actions. However, school-based EE has not been successful in nurturing environmentally responsible actions in students. This is partly because of the information-oriented structure of current EE, which assumes that symbol-based knowledge directly leads to motivation and action. In contrast, educational initiatives based on practices and actions in the world, with farming as an important component, have been successful in creating transformative changes in behavior. To develop similar transformative interventions that motivate school students, it is necessary to understand the general psychological principles that make such participatory designs successful. Here we report a year-long observation study that seeks to contribute to such a general model, analyzing how farming actions changed the motivation of volunteers working in an urban community farm. We take an analysis approach inspired by recent embodied cognition models, where volunteers’ lived experiences and interactions with material entities are analyzed, to understand how motivation and values develop through such interactions. Based on this data, we propose a spiral model of motivation and action, where specific farming actions coalesce together to form motivation and values, which then seed wider environment-oriented actions in the world.     

Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation on Biochemical Parameters in Pesticides Sprayers of Grape Gardens of Western Maharashtra (India)

The aim of this study was to see the biochemical effects of pesticides on sprayers of grape gardens before and after 15 days of vitamin E supplementations in Western Maharashtra (India), who were occupationally exposed to various pesticides over a long period of time (about 5 to 15 years). Blood samples were collected from all study group subjects for biochemical parameters assays before and after 15 days of vitamin E supplementation. Sprayers of grape gardens were given 400 mg of vitamin E tablet/day for 15 days. After 15 days of vitamin E supplementation to sprayers of grape gardens, we observed significantly decreased aspartate transaminase (10.88 %, P < 0.05, r = 0.88), alanine transaminase (25.92 %, P < 0.01, r = 0.46) and total proteins (3.32 %, P < 0.01, r = 0.33), whereas, no statistically significant change was found in serum acetyl cholinesterase, C-reactive proteins, albumin (ALB), globulins and ALB/globulin ratio as compared to before vitamin E supplementation. Sprayers of grape gardens, who received vitamin E supplementation, showed significantly decreased serum lipid peroxide (LP) (18.75 %, P < 0.001, r = 0.63) and significantly increased RBC-superoxide dismutase (SOD) (12.88 %, P < 0.001, r = 0.85), RBC-Catalase (CAT) (24.49 %, P < 0.001, r = 0.70), plasma ceruloplasmin (CP) (4.6 %, P < 0.01, r = 0.80), serum zinc (4.57 %, P < 0.01, r = 0.83) and serum copper (4.37 %, P < 0.01, r = 0.79) as compared to values before vitamin E supplementation. These results showed that vitamin E supplementation has ameliorating effects on these transaminase enzymes, suggesting that it may have a protective effect on liver, from pesticides induced damage. In this study vitamin E supplementation might have decreased LP levels by breaking chain reaction of lipid peroxidation. Present results indicate that vitamin E plays a crucial role in restoring the antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT and CP, in population exposed to pesticides. This helps to enhance its antioxidant ability. Therefore, it is suggested that farmers, pesticide applicators, workers in the pesticide industry and other pesticide users, who come in regular contact with pesticides, may be benefited by supplementation with vitamin E.     

Pragmatic agency in technology standards setting: The case of Ethernet

Technology standards refer to the specifications that provide users and vendors with a common platform and ensure compatibility between components of a technological system. These technical “rules of the game” are being increasingly set in standards development organizations (SDOs). In this paper, I ask the question: how do actors operating in these venues address the challenges posed by the anticipatory and collective nature of the specifications they are establishing? Through an in-depth analytic narrative of the Ethernet LAN (local area network) standard, I indicate how actors engage in an ongoing process of extension generation, ratification and incorporation. In imagining alterations to a specification, approving timely modifications and crafting an identity for a rule even as it changes, they manifest “pragmatic agency” in these contexts. In exercising such agency, SDO's substantially increase the functionality of an existing standard as well as boost its long-term competitive viability.     

Study on Impact of Iron and Folic Acid on the Plasma Trace Minerals in Pregnant Anemic Women

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the causes that lead to significant mortality and morbidity among pregnant women and fetus. The present study was undertaken to explore oral iron supplementation can modify the metal contents in pregnant anemic women. Iron and folic acid supplementations was given to 500 anemic women (mild = 200, moderate = 200, and severe = 100) and 100 age matched non-anemic controls daily for 100 days. Blood index values and plasma trace minerals were estimated as per standard protocols. Haemoglobin and ferritin levels were found significantly increased (p < 0.001) in anemic and control subjects after treatment. Moreover, the serum transferring receptor levels and total iron binding capacity were found significantly decreased in all treated groups. Iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) levels were found increased (p < 0.01) after oral iron supplementation groups. Moreover, selenium (Se) manganese (Mn) and were found to be decreased in all treated groups. Data provides the conclusion that iron and folic acid supplementation recovered the essential trace minerals, except manganese, which may lead to various complications including peroxidation of vital body molecules resulting in increased risk for pregnant women as well as fetus.