Inclusive education in India: interpretation, implementation, and issues

Children with disabilities are a minority that are not prioritised in the context of education programmes in India, although they are often found in many marginalised groups that are catered for if non-disabled ? for example, girls, scheduled tribe, scheduled caste, and other backward caste children. Inclusive education may be a way of merging these children’s needs in order to improve school quality and achieve EFA. However, a dominant special needs conceptualisation of IE in India, combined with negative attitudes towards disability, are currently preventing this approach. After exploring the relevance of disability and inclusive education in the context of EFA, this paper analyses the interpretation and implementation of inclusive education in India. The issues and constraints faced by the stakeholders involved, and the implications these may have, particularly for children with disabilities, lead to the conclusion that a twin-track approach to disability may assist not only in improving education access, but also the reconceptualisation of inclusive education as a school quality issue. In the long-term, it is hoped that this could assist in fulfilling the right to education for all children

Synthesis, radiolabelling and pharmacological evaluation of CO-releasing molecules

The combatting of drug-resistant cancerous cell lines and strains of P. falciparum remain major global health problems to date, with hundreds of thousands of related deaths per annum. Early identification of solid tumours and infections, as well as the discovery of drugs with new mechanisms of action, are paramount in the fight against drug resistance. This study investigates the synthesis, characterisation and biological evaluation of new Mn(I) and Re(I) tricarbonyl metallodendrimers, in addition to the formation of a new 99mTc complex for use in diagnostic imaging. Two series of mono- and multimeric picolylamine ligands based on polyamine scaffolds were prepared. One series of ligands was functionalised with Re(I)- and Mn(I)-tricarbonyl moieties following the [2 + 1] approach, to form a series of cationic complexes. In addition, a second series of neutral bidentate (N,N) Mn(I) complexes were prepared. The ligands and complexes were characterised using a range of spectroscopic and analytical techniques, including 1H, 13C{1H}, and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The stability and CO-release properties of the Mn(I) complexes were investigated using UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. A decrease in the MLCT absorption band suggests the release of CO. CO-release was confirmed using a monomeric Mn(I) complex as a model using the myoglobin assay. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of the Re(I) complexes was investigated against three cancerous cell lines (A431, DLD-1 and A2780) and one non-tumourigenic cell line (BJ). The complexes displayed moderate to good activity, with all IC50 values in the low micromolar range. The tetranuclear complex displayed the highest efficacy against the tested cell lines (IC50 = 6 – 14 µM). Selectivity towards the cancerous cell lines was observed for the tri- and tetranuclear complexes, with higher IC50 values against the BJ cell line. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of the Mn(I) complexes was evaluated against two cancerous cell lines (A431 and A375). The tetranuclear [2 + 1] Mn(I) complex displayed the best activity against both of the tested cell lines. The [2 + 1] complexes displayed higher in vitro activity than their bidentate counterparts. The complexes were evaluated as in vitro antiplasmodial agents against chloroquine-sensitive (NF54) and chloroquine-resistant (K1) strains of P. falciparum. The [2 + 1] Mn(I) complexes displayed enhanced activity over their Re(I) analogues and their bidentate counterparts. The tetranuclear [2 + 1] Mn(I) complex displayed the best activity against the K1 strain (IC50 = 0.99 µM) and the best resistance index (RI = 0.263) of all the tested complexes. Irradiation of selected Mn(I) complexes during incubation with the K1 strain resulted in an almost two-fold increase in activity of the [2 + 1] Mn(I) complexes, but a decrease in activity of the bidentate Mn(I) complexes. Formation of the monomeric radiolabelled product was achieved by reacting 99mTc(bpy)(CO)3 with a monomeric ligand. The product was isolated using preparative HPLC, but the retention time did not match that of the Re(I) analogue, likely due to the difference in counterion. Radiolabelling of the multimeric ligands was unsuccessful

A trapped mercury 199 ion frequency standard

Mercury 199 ions confined in an RF quadrupole trap and optically pumped by mercury 202 ion resonance light are investigated as the basis for a high performance frequency standard with commercial possibilities. Results achieved and estimates of the potential performance of such a standard are given

The Distribution and Island Endemism of Hawaiian Delphacidae (Homoptera) with Additional Lists of Their Food Plants

Volume: 5Start Page: 103End Page: 11

Some observations on Hawaiian forests and forest cover in their relation to water supply

"List of tree-seeds adaptable for planting in Hawaiian forests ... [by J.F. Rock]": p. 21-24

Leadership and Church Growth: The Case of Chuck Smith

How can we understand church growth in a way that is healthy and doesn’t lead pastors to exhaustion? This article answers this question by looking at the experience of the late Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement. It also explores some of the characteristics of the early church and compares Smith’s approach with church growth advocates. The observation and analysis bring about a better understanding of the role of the pastor and his mindset regarding church growth and a recognition of who is really responsible for growth

Pour une critique pharmacologique de la lecture numérique

La lecture numérique diffère de la lecture classique. L\u27industrie s\u27est emparée de l\u27économie de l\u27attention avant même qu\u27un nouvel art de la lecture ait pu se développer dans l\u27espace numérique. Comment alors éviter une catastrophe cognitive et culturelle

Leadership and Church Growth: The Case of Chuck Smith

How can we understand church growth in a way that is healthy and doesn’t lead pastors to exhaustion? This article answers this question by looking at the experience of the late Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement. It also explores some of the characteristics of the early church and compares Smith’s approach with church growth advocates. The observation and analysis bring about a better understanding of the role of the pastor and his mindset regarding church growth and a recognition of who is really responsible for growth