hs-CRP and oxidative stress in young CAD patients: A pilot study

Premature coronary artery disease (CAD) is common in India. We, therefore, studied oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and high sensitivity-C reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in young CAD patients. Present study consisted of male CAD patients below 40 years and age and sex matched healthy controls (n=30 each). Fasting blood samples were analyzed for serum lipid profile, malondialdehyde, antioxidant enzymes and hs-CRP levels. Dyslipidemia was observed in 90% of the young CAD patients, of which 72.2% showed increased serum triglycerides and decreased HDL-cholesterol. LDL-cholesterol levels were high in 77.8%. Serum malondialdehyde and hs-CRP levels were increased significantly (p<0.0001) as compared to controls. hs-CRP levels were in high risk range in all the young patients. However, glutathione peroxidase activity was reduced significantly (p<0.05). Our data suggests that elevated hs-CRP levels along with dyslipidemia and oxidative stress adds to the predictive value of premature CAD in young Indians.     

Canada’s Implementation of the Right to Education for Students with Disabilities

This article analyses the content and legal implementation of the right to education as a human right in Canada. It seeks to expose the extent to which Canadian legislative mechanisms have succeeded in protecting the right to education of students with disabilities by using students with epilepsy as a test case. To that end, the article examines the barriers faced by students with epilepsy in realising their right to education. It explores the content of the right to education in international law so as to provide an ideal against which the legal implementation of the right to education in Canada can be measured. In examining the degree to which legal implementation of the right to education for students with disabilities lives up to the ideals espoused in international law, the article analyses the effectiveness of the legal mechanisms that implement the right to education for students with epilepsy in addressing the three types of barriers faced by these students. The revelation of where students with epilepsy fall through the cracks serves as a reflection of the limits of current legal mechanisms in protecting the right to education for students with disabilities.     

Hyperhomocysteinemia and cardiovascular disease: The nutritional perspectives

Several members of the vitamin B-complex family are known to participate in the normal metabolism of homocysteine (Hcy). Leaving aside the genetic determinants of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHC), the deficiencies of these vitamins can also result in HHC. The situation of sustained and long standing HHC is likely to be prevalent in population groups with low/average socio-economic status, geriatric population and alcohol abusers. If not corrected by supplementation, these population groups certainly are more vulnerable to develop atherosclerosis (AS) and subsequently, cardiovascular disease (CVD). Hyperhomocysteinemia per se and/or HHC-induced oxidative stress result(s) in chronic chemical endothelial injury/dysfunction, smooth muscle proliferation, prothrombotic state and oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) leading to diverse cardiovascular complications. In the first decade of the new millennium, major research efforts would be directed towards understanding the basic mechanism of HHC-induced oxidative stress and the pathophysiology of HHC-induced CVD, culminating in the evolution of hitherto unknown therapeutic strategies such as nutriceuticals and oxidant-antidotes.     

Anticancer Effect of dl-Glyceraldehyde and 2-Deoxyglucose in Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Bearing Mice and Their Effect on Liver,Kidney and Haematological Parameters

Cancer cells generally exhibit increased glycolysis for ATP generation (the Warburg effect). Compounds that inhibit glycolysis have potential applications in cancer treatment. dl-glyceraldehyde (DLG) and 2-Deoxyglucose (2-DG) have been proven effective in the inhibition of glucose metabolism. Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells were injected intraperitoneally (i.p) in 10–12 weeks old Swiss albino mice, weighing between 20 and 30 g. The anticancer activity of DLG and 2-DG were determined by tumor volume, tumor weight, viable and nonviable tumor cell count, average survival time, percentage increase in life span and tumor inhibition ratio. The blood samples were obtained for biochemical analysis after 9 days of treatment to study the effect on liver, kidney and haematological parameters. Histopathological examination of liver and kidney was also performed. One-way ANOVA test and Dunnett’s test were used for comparisons of parameters in study groups. Both DLG and 2-DG individually decreased the tumor weight, tumor volume, viable tumor cell count and significantly increased the life span of treated mice, however the combination was found to be better. The biochemical parameters of liver and kidney functions and haematological parameters were restored close to control group as compared with the EAC bearing mice. Histopathological examination of liver and kidney in EAC control group showed large areas of necrosis, congestion and mononuclear cell infiltration but such changes were not observed in liver and kidney sections observed after i.p injection of DLG and 2-DG for 9 days. Improvement was much better in the group where combination of these two drugs were used.     

Attitudes of academic staff towards their own work and towards external evaluation,from the perspective of self-determination theory: Estonian case

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the attitudes of academic staff towards their own work as well as towards external evaluations. The study was based on (1) an analysis of assessment reports of institutional accreditations conducted by the Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education and (2) self-determination theory on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The satisfaction of academic staff with their own teaching and research competencies was measured and links among the following attitudes were analysed: sense of competence, intrinsic motivation for research, attitudes towards assessment of students and towards external evaluations. The results indicate that a correlation between attitudes towards work and towards external evaluation exists and that the attitudes of academic staff at universities and professional higher education institutions differ. The study involved 252 academic staff members and showed that competent and intrinsically motivated people perceive external evaluation more positively, thus supporting self-determination theory.     

The conundrums of formal and informal meritocracy: dealing with gender segregation in the academy

Higher Education - Despite the academy’s commitment to the idea of meritocratic and fair principles in recruitments, promotions, student admissions and progress, gender segregation and gender...     

Teaching Science Through Pictorial Models During Read-Alouds

This study examines how three elementary teachers refer to pictorial models (photographs, drawings, and cartoons) during science read-alouds. While one teacher used realistic photographs for the purpose of visually verifying facts about crystals, another employed analytical diagrams as heuristic tools to help students visualize complex target systems (rainbow formation and human eye functioning). Another teacher used fictional cartoons to engage students in analogical storytelling, communicating animal camouflage as analogous to human “blending in.” However, teachers did not always explicitly convey the representational nature of pictorial models (analog and target as separate entities). It is argued that teachers need to become more aware of how they refer to pictorial models in children’s science books and how to promote student visual literacy.     

Political diversify is alive in TV and newspaper rooms

Journalists and broadcasters at small, medium, and large newspapers and television stations were compared on their political views, using a 45‐card Q‐deck containing liberal, conservative, and pragmatic statements. Results indicate widespread political diversity among reporters with broadcasters exhibiting more conservative viewpoints.     

RFID systems in libraries: An empirical examination of factors affecting system use and user satisfaction

Library operation and management requires the performance of a number of repetitive, painstaking, labour- and time-intensive activities. Hence, in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness, many libraries are moving towards automation of the majority of their activities. Libraries are deploying Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology as a substitute for barcode systems for item identification and tracking, and this ultimately enables the automation of the majority of their processes. It is apparent from the available literature that research on RFID-related issues is largely concentrated on technical, organizational and implementation aspects, and less attention has been paid to understanding the use and user-satisfaction aspects. Therefore, this article aims to understand factors affecting the use of RFID systems and user satisfaction in a library context by empirically testing relevant constructs from DeLone and McLean's IS Success Model. A questionnaire-based survey was employed to collect data from a total of 181 respondents, who were all active users of an RFID-based library system. The findings from this study suggest that factors like system quality, use and user satisfaction positively influence consumer attitudes towards RFID-enabled services. The concluding section outlines salient points and briefly describes the associated limitations of this research, along with suggestions for future research directions.