Nurturing the young shoots of talent: Using action research for exploration and theory building

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 19(4), 433-450, 2011, copyright Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1350293X.2011.623515.This paper reports the outcomes of a set of action research projects carried out by teacher researchers in 14 local education authorities in England, working collaboratively with university tutors, over a period of three years. The common aim of all the projects was to explore practical ways of nurturing the gifts and talents of children aged four–seven years. The project was funded by the Department of Education and Skills in England as part of the government's gifted and talented programme. The project teachers felt that their understanding of issues relating to nurturing the gifts and talents of younger children was enhanced through their engagement in the project. It was possible to map the findings of the projects to the English government's National Quality Standards for gifted and talented education which include: (1) identification; (2) effective provision in the classroom; (3) enabling curriculum entitlement and choice; (4) assessment for learning; (5) engaging with community, families and beyond. The findings are also analysed within the framework of good practice in educating children in the first years of schooling. Participating practitioners felt that action research offered them a suitable methodology to explore the complexity of the topic of giftedness through cycles of planning, action and reflection and personal theory building

Toxicity Study of Two Iron Containing Bhasmas, Swarna Makshika Bhasma and Kasis Bhasma.

Ayurvedic is largely practiced using ancient protocols and parameters. Though there is a need of scientific scrutiny of its principles of treatment, very few attempts have been made for its scientific and systemic validation. In the present investigation we tried to assess the toxicity profile of two iron containing bhasmas, swarna makshika and kasis bhasma. No significant Adverse Effect was observed for low dose range of swarna makshika and kasis bhasma tested animal. The higher dose range tested was well above and at an adequate safety distance of the recommended dose in humans. Though the animals treated with high dose of swarna makshika bhasma showed hepatotoxicity and for kasis bhasma high dose treated groups shows neurotoxicity or CNS depressant action. This study indicates that there are chances of hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity along with the clinical administration of higher doses of swarna makshika and kasis bhasma respectively .while low doses of both bhasmas was found to be safe. So both bhasmas are considered to be safe at clinically administered doses (9mg/kg for S.M.B and 4.5mg/kg for K.B). However, further detailed studies are required to know the long term chronic toxicity of swarna makshika and kasis bhasma

A Single Blinded Randomised Controlled Trial on the Efficacy of Adjunctive Collagen Cross-Linking in Healing of Suppurative Corneal Ulcers

INTRODUCTION: The cornea is the clear transparent dome shaped anterior-most part of the eyeball that serves as the major refracting surface for focusing of images on the retina. Infectious keratitis, or suppurative corneal ulcer, is characterized by a corneal epithelial defect with underlying stromal inflammation and destruction caused by multiplying organisms and their toxins. Associated uveal tissue and anterior chamber inflammation also occur. Collagen cross-linking (CXL), a procedure routinely used for control of progression of keratoconus, has been found to have beneficial effects on many types of corneal ulcers. An observational pilot study in our institution in 2013-2014, demonstrated a beneficial effect of CXL in suppurative corneal ulcers. OBJECTIVES: Primary objective: To determine the benefit of adjunctive collagen cross linking (cxl) in reduction of the “time to healing” of suppurative corneal ulcer. Secondary objectives: 1. To determine any difference in treatment failure rate (rates of perforation/keratoplasty/evisceration) of corneal ulcers treated with cxl as compared to the control group. 2. To assess the effect of risk factors (size of ulcer/diabetic status/type of organism)in outcome of corneal ulcer treatment with cxl compared to controls. METHODS: Study Design: Single-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial conducted at Department of Ophthalmology, Christian Medical College, Schell Campus, Vellore. The study had two arms: Interventional group: Patients with infective corneal ulcer who satisfy the inclusion and exclusion criteria on standard medical therapy randomized to adjunctive COLLAGEN CROSS-LINKING (CXL) Comparative group: Patients with infective corneal ulcer who satisfy the inclusion and exclusion criteria on standard medical therapy randomized to SHAM CXL. Patients with suppurative corneal ulcers were admitted after routine microbiological analysis (scraping for smear and culture), and assessed on a daily basis to determine response to treatment. All patients who fit the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomized tointerventional and control group. Inclusion Criteria: 1. Adults greater than 18 years of age. 2. Corneal ulcer size of 2mm to 6mm. 3. Ulcer infiltrate depth upto 2/3 of the corneal thickness. 4. Smear and/or culture positive for fungus or bacteria. 5. Patients who are willing for inpatient care. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Suspected viral keratitis. 2. Suspected acanthamoeba keratitis. 3. Corneal thinning greater than 50% on clinical assessment at presentation. 4. Any pre-existing corneal pathology. 5. History of previous collagen cross-linking. 6. Patients who are unable or unwilling to give consent. RESULTS: Our pilot study conducted in 2014 showed clinically significant reduction in duration of healing post adjunctive treatment of corneal ulcers with CXL. The present study is a randomized control trial to study the effectiveness of crosslinking as an adjuvant therapy in healing of ulcers. 44 patients were recruited fitting the inclusion criteria and were randomized to an Intervention group and sham cross linking (Control) group. 17 patients in each group completed treatment. All patients received topical antimicrobial therapy. Within 48 hours of enrollment either crosslinking or placebo treatment was started. Each patient in the study group received maximum of three sessions of cross linking. Symptom relief and time of healing were noted. The results were compared between the Intervention group and the Control group. Both groups showed similar healing time of 29.85 days of healing of ulcers, as well as similar success and failure rates. There was no difference in the time of healing between the two groups. (p value = 0.918). Hence, this study does not suggest that collagen cross linking adds any benefit to the time taken to for fungal corneal ulcers to heal. CONCLUSION: 1.Collagen crosslinking has no benefit in reducing the time of healing of ulcers. 2.CXL does not reduce or increase the failure rate of corneal ulcers. 3. There was no correlation between size of ulcer/diabetic status/type of organism and the outcome of corneal ulcer treatment with CXL compared to controls

More insights into bar quenching. Multi-wavelength analysis of four barred galaxies

The underlying nature of the process of star formation quenching in the central regions of barred disc galaxies that is due to the action of stellar bar is not fully understood. We present a multi-wavelength study of four barred galaxies using the archival data from optical, ultraviolet, infrared, CO, and HI imaging data on star formation progression and stellar and gas distribution to better understand the process of bar quenching. We found that for three galaxies, the region between the nuclear or central sub-kiloparsec region and the end of the bar (bar region) is devoid of neutral and molecular hydrogen. While the detected neutral hydrogen is very negligible, we note that molecular hydrogen is present abundantly in the nuclear or central sub-kiloparsec regions of all four galaxies. The bar co-rotation radius is also devoid of recent star formation for three out of four galaxies. One galaxy shows significant molecular hydrogen along the bar, which might mean that the gas is still being funnelled to the centre by the action of the stellar bar. Significant star formation is also present along the bar co-rotation radius of this galaxy. The study presented here supports a scenario in which gas redistribution as a result of the action of stellar bar clears the bar region of fuel for further star formation and eventually leads to star formation quenching in the bar region.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. Continuation on the letter paper (arXiv:1812.04178) to appear in main journa