Evaluation of Oxidative Stress and hsCRP in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in a Tertiary Care Hospital

PCOS is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder with diverse clinical presentation. Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathophysiology of this disease. Serumhigh sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of chronic low grade inflammation, is indicative of future development of cardiovascular disease. Our aim is to evaluate the oxidant status and hsCRP levels in PCOS. The study involved 61 cases and 61 controls in the age group of 18–40 years diagnosed with PCOS. Erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), serum hsCRP, gonadotrophins, thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin, glycemic status and lipid profile were estimated. Erythrocyte MDA (p < 0.001), SOD (p = 0.007) and serum hsCRP (p < 0.001) were significantly elevated in PCOS patients than controls. Oxidative stress is present in women with PCOS along with elevated hsCRP.     

Modifying Negative Attitudes Towards School Work Through Group Contingencies

Teaching a class of secondary school students can be either an exciting or a frustrating experience. Some students tend to be enthusiastic and self-motivated when engaged in certain learning tasks, but the evidence for poor motivation and a lack of enthusiasm is also present. The task of teaching demands that we should not lose sight of the fact that one of our primary responsibilities is to provide effective academic instruction in our classrooms. When we encounter some classroom problems such as negative attitudes towards school work, we should therefore not dismiss the difficulties as insurmountable, nor should we assume that because of their age, behaviour modification procedures will not be effective for secondary school students.     

Analogical Instruction in Statistics: Implications for Social Work Educators

This paper examines the use of analogies in statistics instruction. Much has been written about the difficulty social work students have with statistics. To address this concern, Glisson and Fischer (1987) called for the use of analogies. Understanding of analogical problem solving has surged in the last few decades with the integration of psychology and artificial intelligence. However, the application of analogies has not been examined further in social work literature. This work uses cognitive science to discuss the five steps of analogical problem solving. Implications for statistics instruction in social work are discussed with examples.     

Wollemi pine: Living fossil from jurassic landscape

As recently as 1994, the dinosaur of the plant kingdom, Wollemi pine (Wollemi nobilis) has been discovered in its site of origin, the Wollemi National Park, 150 km from the city of Sydney, Australia. This giant grows to a height of 40m with a trunk diameter of over 1m. All possible steps have been taken to conserve this giant in its own World Heritage Area. It is also being exploited to grow commercially to be released to the public by the year 2005. With increasing human interference on the environment, the rate of extinction of species is exceeding the rate of origin of new species. The tragedy is that many species including the giants of the living world might disappear even as efforts are on to discover yet-to-be identified species. NS Leela is a retired Professor and Head of the Department of Zoology, MES College, Bangalore, She is interested in popularising science through her writings in Kannada and English.