Effect of Included Experience Program on the Attitudes of Pre-Service Teachers towards Students with Special Needs

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an included experience as well as professional development programme on the attitudes of pre-service teachers toward students with special needs. The intervention programme was given in 7 weeks to the pre-service teachers. The sample consisted of 42 pre-service teachers studying in bachelor degree programme of special education. Results provided evidence that after completing an included experience and receiving professional development programme, pre-service teachers had positive attitudes towards students with special needs.  The overall findings suggest that the included experience programme had significant effects on changing the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards students with special needs with special reference to all the aspects i.e academic, cognitive, emotional and social development. Key words: Included Experience, Pre-service Teachers, Students with Special Need

A comparison of two approaches to brachial plexus anaesthesia

Background: A prospective, double blind study was performed to compare the clinical effect of vertical infraclavicular and supraclavicular brachial plexus block using a nerve stimulation technique for upper limb surgery.Methods: Eighty patients undergoing upper limb surgery under infraclavicular or supraclavicular brachial plexus block were enrolled into this study. The infraclavicular brachial plexus block was performed using the vertical technique (group I; N=40). The supraclavicular brachial plexus block was performed using the Kulenkampf technique (group S; N=40). In both the groups 30 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine was used as the local anaesthetic. The block performance time, the duration of onset of sensory and motor block was evaluated in both the groups S & I. The quality of the block & associated complications were also assessed.Results: A significant difference in the block performance time with comparable duration of onset of sensory was noted between the two groups S & I. Greater incidence of Horner’s syndrome was noted in group S.Conclusions: Supraclavicular brachial plexus block may be easier to perform than infraclavicular brachial plexus block. The infraclavicular approach may be preferred to the supraclavicular approach when considering the complications

Ethnic Preparation of Haria, a Rice-Based Fermented Beverage, in the Province of Lateritic West Bengal, India

Haria is a rice-based fermented beverage that is popular among tribal and low income people in lateritic West Bengal and East-Central India. The principal ingredient of this beverage is low grade boiled rice (Oryza sativa L.), which is mixed with a traditional starter, called bakhar, and fermented within a heat-sterilized earthen pot for 3-4 days. The main aim of this study was to investigate the ethnobotanical importance and traditional process of haria preparation. The method adopted for this study was based on interactive questionnaires and laboratory experiments. It was found that the pH decreased during the course of fermentation with increased titratable acidity of 1.42%. The alcohol content was 2-3% (v/v) in the consumable beverages. This documentation will be useful for further exploitation of haria as a health drink

Cdk9 and H2Bub1 signal to Clr6-CII/Rpd3S to suppress aberrant antisense transcription

Mono-ubiquitylation of histone H2B (H2Bub1) and phosphorylation of elongation factor Spt5 by cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9) occur during transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), and are mutually dependent in fission yeast. It remained unclear whether Cdk9 and H2Bub1 cooperate to regulate the expression of individual genes. Here, we show that Cdk9 inhibition or H2Bub1 loss induces intragenic antisense transcription of ∼10% of fission yeast genes, with each perturbation affecting largely distinct subsets; ablation of both pathways de-represses antisense transcription of over half the genome. H2Bub1 and phospho-Spt5 have similar genome-wide distributions; both modifications are enriched, and directly proportional to each other, in coding regions, and decrease abruptly around the cleavage and polyadenylation signal (CPS). Cdk9-dependence of antisense suppression at specific genes correlates with high H2Bub1 occupancy, and with promoter-proximal RNAPII pausing. Genetic interactions link Cdk9, H2Bub1 and the histone deacetylase Clr6-CII, while combined Cdk9 inhibition and H2Bub1 loss impair Clr6-CII recruitment to chromatin and lead to decreased occupancy and increased acetylation of histones within gene coding regions. These results uncover novel interactions between co-transcriptional histone modification pathways, which link regulation of RNAPII transcription elongation to suppression of aberrant initiation

Hepatotoxic effect of Rifampicin as an Anti-Tuberculosis drug on male Albino rat

Tuberculosis is one of the serious airborne infectious diseases. Rifampicin is commonly used as anti-tuberculosis drug which creates drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Physiologically, liver maintains metabolic homeostasis and also regulates the detoxification process. The study of rifampicin mediated hepatotoxicity had been performed on male albino rat after its oral administration with a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight/day for 14 days. Several biochemical markers like serum glutamate pyruvate tranaminase (AST), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum total protein, serum bilirubin, serum cholesterol were considered to evaluate the toxicity. Significant elevation of level of AST (115.89%), ALT (134.40%), ALP (46.15%), serum cholesterol (91%) and bilirubin content (119.44%) had been observed in treated group compared with control group. High level of MDA content as lipid peroxidation marker was also been noticed in drug induced group. Histopathological studies had shown the disintegrated hepatolobular structure with dilated central vein. All these findings indicated that the selected dose of rifampicin is hepatotoxic; proper monitoring and care are essential during the treatment of tuberculosis. Keywords: rifampicin; hepatoxicity; anti-tuberculosi