Writing Out Otherness

“Writing Out Otherness” is inspired by dancers, their journeys to identity, which are the result of who they are, their bodies AND where they are located in discourse, and in global markets. I stage crises of alterity, of the discomforts of participant-observation, of dichotomizing gazes, of performing pluralities of Asianness from within the glass walls of Euro-American dance discourse. Can one theorize about dance without betraying dancers? By what theories are we restraining performers, even in those writings that valorize resistance and interventions? How may the other, redefine himself or herself and be heard? How do we write non-violently so that identities can continue to travel amidst moving spaces, between cultures, persons, theories and theatres. One might call for a profound epistemological shift in re-valuing the links between senses, language, and receptors. But I plead that writings on dance disassociate from any singular foundational logic, and engage with the ways that writing is itself an activity, and like movement systems and the performance of identity, writing is always contingent on the temporal, socio-economic, geo-cultural deep structures

Uterine artery Doppler analysis at 11-14 weeks as a predictor of intra-uterine growth restriction

Background: Successful pregnancy results from reciprocity between placental and maternal cardiovascular system. Intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a condition which arises from insufficiency of placenta and can be seen as variations in waveforms in uterine artery (UtA). In our study, we studied, whether predictive accuracy of various UtA Doppler indices for IUGR in first trimester early enough to provide an intervention for prevention of IUGR, as it was a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality.Methods: The study design was a prospective observational study. UtA Doppler was done at 11-14 weeks in 120 pregnancies attending the outpatient and inpatient department of obstetrics and gynaecology, PCMS, Bhopal. The left and right UtA velocity waveforms were studied. Mean pulsatility index (PI), mean resistive index (RI) and diastolic notch were noted. Results obtained were analyzed and tabulated.Results: Amongst these, 25.86% developed IUGR. First trimester UtA mean RI and PI were remarkably elevated in patients who developed IUGR on follow up. No relationship was noted between diastolic notch and IUGR. Mean RI and PI were found to be good predictors of IUGR. Using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, the best cut-off of mean RI and mean PI to detect IUGR was 0.68 and 1.56 respectively.Conclusions: UtA Doppler at 11-14 weeks of gestation recognizes a huge proportion of women who will develop IUGR.

Comparison of Factors Associated With Run-Off-Road and Non-Run-Off-Road Crashes in Kansas

This study examines the trends, characteristics, as well as contributory causes associated with run-off-road (ROR) and non-run-off-road (NROR) crashes. Likelihood ratios of these causes for ROR crashes with respect to NROR crashes are assessed using the Bayesian Statistical Approach. Nighttime, weekends, adverse weather, rural area, gravel and curved roads, higher speed limits, wet and icy road surface, and utility vehicles are found to be the common characteristics of ROR crashes. Fell asleep, ill or medical condition, driving under the influence, too fast for conditions, tires and wheels, strong winds, freezing rain, shoulders, ruts, holes, and bumps are found to have the greatest likelihood ratios and as such have a greater role in contributing to ROR crashes than NROR crashes

Theorizing the Untheorized: The Indian Context of ODL Pedagogies

This paper is a deliberation on some crucial aspects of teaching-learning transactions in open and distance learning (ODL). This system, with its relative newness, has given cause for much debate within India regarding questions of 'openness', modes of pedagogy and teaching, the principles nurturing these modes and thus the ultimate question of 'quality' in education. The continuance of this debate also reflects the difficulty of any adequate theorization, which anchors knowledge-dissemination processes in institutions of higher education on the whole. The absence of an adequate contextual theorization keeps out of sight a sense of complacency in continuing with inherited assumptions regarding academic transactions in the ODL mode. Since ODL is still an evolving field in India, it is clear that unless some clarity is achieved with regard to the assumptions that guide academics in open and distance learning, the problematics of quality and equity must haunt this mode. Keywords: openness, pedagogy, quality, equity, exit-criteri

Caloric restriction causes symmetric cell division and delays aging in Escherichia coli

Aging is one of the most intriguing processes of biology and despite decades of research, many aspects of aging are poorly understood. Aging is known to occur in bacteria and yeast that divide with morphological asymmetry. Morphologically symmetrically dividing bacteria such as _Escherichia coli_ were assumed not to age until they were shown to divide with functional asymmetry leading to aging and death of some of the cells even in exponentially growing cultures. In asymmetrically dividing _E. coli_ the newly synthesized components are presumed to occupy one pole so that after division one of the daughter cells receives newly synthesized components whereas the other retains the older components. Mathematical models predicted that at the population level, asymmetric growth should result in higher growth rate and symmetric growth in higher growth yield. Therefore, arguably symmetric cell division should be selected in low nutrient environments and asymmetric division in nutrient rich environments. A further prediction was that lower substrate concentrations should strengthen repair mechanisms and suppress aging whereas higher substrate concentrations suppress repair and enhance aging. We show here that _E. coli_ divides more symmetrically under caloric restriction, that both genetic selection and phenotypic plasticity are important determinants of cell division symmetry and also that the proportion of cells that stop dividing and therefore are presumably dead is significantly lower in symmetrically dividing cultures. However, contrary to the prediction, symmetry was not always accompanied by reduced growth rate. These results demonstrate that asymmetry of division in _E. coli_ is not hardwired but responsive to the nutritional environment. This provides a new perspective on why caloric restriction increases lifespan in organisms ranging from microbes to mammals. Symmetry of division may be a mechanism spanning across the width of life forms but regulating aging in different ways in different forms

Standardization and evaluation of safety of a herbomineral formulation Articulin® forte tablets

In the earlier days physicians used to be the formulator and all the processes right from collection to dispensing were controlled by them. In last few decades, there has been tremendous growth in the field of herbal medicines. It has become necessary to lay down stringent parameters to ensure batch to batch consistency and reproducibility. Therefore, standardization of herbal formulations has become extremely essential in order to assess the quality, purity, safety and efficacy of drugs based on the amounts of their active principles. Heavy metal toxicity being a major safety issue in Ayurvedic formulations, it is essential to evaluate them for heavy metal content. Articulin® Forte Tablet is a well-known herbomineral formulation used for rheumatoid arthritis. In present studies, Articulin® Forte Tablets were evaluated for heavy metal contents

The Length-Biased Lognormal Distribution and Its Application in the Analysis of Data from Oil Field Exploration Studies

The length-biased version of the lognormal distribution and related estimation problems are considered and sized-biased data arising in the exploration of oil fields is analyzed. The properties of the estimators are studied using simulations and the use of sample mode as an estimate of the lognormal parameter is discussed