Integrating Sustainability-Oriented Ecologies of Practice Across the Learning Cycle: Supporting Transformative Behaviours in Transgenerational, Transnational and Transdisciplinary Spaces

The article examines the complexities associated with effectively and comprehensively tackling the climate change crisis. Focusing on the need for education, the authors discuss a model of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) that supports the development of competencies, coalition building and the capacity to support and maintain positive action. Drawing upon principles highlighted by the United Nations, the paper outlines the breadth and depth of knowledge required to support transformative ESD. Firstly enhancing comprehensive knowledge that develops cognitive, affective and axiological dimensions and proficiency. This enhances critical engagement with information and enables individuals to act responsibly and align with others in coalition building. The second element refers to collaborative partnership that is crucial for changes to be effective. This has been one of the most challenging barriers preventing positive action on the catastrophe pf climate change. Finally, the paper emphasizes the need to develop the competencies for supporting collective action, which will enable sustained action across transnational, transdisciplinary and transnational boundaries.

From Ideas to Action: Transforming Learning to Inspire Action on Critical Global Issues

Transforming learning from a passive to an active endeavor is critically important in today’s world. In 2015, the United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals that represent a global consensus on the world’s most pressing issues. Realizing these ambitious goals will require concerted action at all levels, including local action. Young people are valuable components of this, and their learning experiences should both inform and inspire them as current and future changemakers. From Ideas to Action articulates the theoretical basis of Smithsonian Science for Global Goals, a series of socio-scientific community research guides focused on achieving a systemic understanding of global problems with the goal of inspiring young people to take informed and sustained action to help address global issues.

From Ideas to Action: Transforming Learning to Inspire Action on Critical Global Issues

Transforming learning from a passive to an active endeavor is critically important in today’s world. In 2015, the United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals that represent a global consensus on the world’s most pressing issues. Realizing these ambitious goals will require concerted action at all levels, including local action. Young people are valuable components of this, and their learning experiences should both inform and inspire them as current and future changemakers. <i>From Ideas to Action</i> articulates the theoretical basis of Smithsonian Science for Global Goals, a series of socio-scientific community research guides focused on achieving a systemic understanding of global problems with the goal of inspiring young people to take informed and sustained action to help address global issues.

A CLINICAL COMPARATIVE STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RASNA SWADAMSTRADI KSHEERAPAKA WITH SUKUMARAM KASHAYAM IN SPASMODIC DYSMENORRHOEA

Many women are familiar with the experience of spasmodic dysmenorrhoea, one of the commonest gynaecological conditions that affects the quality of life of many in their reproductive years. This condition manifested as painful menstruation, is the most frequently encountered gynaecological complaint and it can be included under Udavartha yonivyapat, caused by Apana vata vaigunya described in Ayurvedic classics. As the condition has significant effect on quality of life, personal health, and working hours and there are several limitations and adverse effects in modern medicine, its Ayurvedic management is of great importance. Randomized clinical study was conducted in Govt. Ayurveda College Hospital for Women and Children, Poojappura to evaluate the effectiveness of Rasna swadamstraadi ksheerapaaka in spasmodic dysmenorrhoea and to compare its result with that of Sukumaram kashayam. Total 30 patients between the age group 15-35 yrs were taken in to the study who had complaints of severe or moderate lower abdominal pain and associated complaints such as low back ache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and allocated them into two groups. Study group were treated with Rasna swadamstraadi ksheerapaaka and control group with Sukumaram kashayam. Administration of drug started10 days before menstruation and continued till 4th day of menstruation for 3 consecutive cycles for study group and control group. Follow up without medicine was done for next 3 consecutive cycles for both the groups. Results were analyzed and compared statistically. The research drug Rasna swadamstraadi ksheerapaaka had shown effectiveness in controlling pain in spasmodic dysmenorrhoea and associated symptoms like low back ache and nausea, but in the case of vomiting, and diarrhoea it showed less sustained action in follow up period. The control drug Sukumaram kashayam had also shown effectiveness in controlling pain in spasmodic dysmenorrhoea and associated complaints nausea and low back ache. But in the case of vomiting, and diarrhoea this medicine also showed less sustained action in follow up period. On conclusion the study revealed that the research drug Rasna swadamstraadi ksheerapaaka and control drug Sukumaram kashayam are equally effective in treating spasmodic dysmenorrhoea, without any side effects.

Race, Antiracism, and Youth Development: From Awareness to Sustained Action

After yet more vivid examples of how Black people are far too often treated unjustly in America and the enormous response worldwide, it is high time to recognize racism in our field and promote a strong and sustained commitment to antiracist approaches to research, publishing, practice, and policy in the youth development field. This essay begins to make the case for such efforts and calls for sustained action in many areas. These are things we can and must do as a field that supports the positive development of all youth.

A broad mutational target explains a fast rate of phenotypic evolution

The rapid evolution of a trait in a clade of organisms can be explained by the sustained action of natural selection or by a high mutational variance, that is the propensity to change under spontaneous mutation. The causes for a high mutational variance are still elusive. In some cases, fast evolution depends on the high mutation rate of one or few loci with short tandem repeats. Here, we report on the fastest evolving cell fate among vulva precursor cells in Caenorhabditis nematodes, that of P3.p. We identify and validate causal mutations underlying P3.p's high mutational variance. We find that these positions do not present any characteristics of a high mutation rate, are scattered across the genome and the corresponding genes belong to distinct biological pathways. Our data indicate that a broad mutational target size is the cause of the high mutational variance and of the corresponding fast phenotypic evolutionary rate.

Fluid Drag With and Without Vortex-Induced Vibrations

Fluid drag is an integrated force that depends on the velocity of the fluid flow relative to the motion of a structure. In previous OMAE papers, we used nonlinear physics-based time-domain simulations to show how fluid drag evolves geometric changes in slender (long and thin) structures. We then showed how these changes physically determine the specific dynamic nature of the vibrations that the fluid can induce in the structure. Induced vibrations are four-dimensional oscillations in a marine riser, suspended pipe or other slender structure, whereby the maximum amplitude of deflection is generally perpendicular to the sustained action. The sustained action is often fluid drag. In this paper, we study the physical relationship between fluid drag and induced vibrations. By focusing on the nonlinear interaction between fluid and structure, we revisit a longstanding belief that vortex-induced vibrations amplify fluid drag. Using nonlinear physics-based simulations of a slender structure interacting with flowing fluid, we show how amplification depends on the type of vibration (imposed or free). In other words, drag amplification can occur when we impose a vibration on the structure, but does not occur when we allow sufficient geometric freedom so that the fluid merely induces the structure to vibrate. Using simple visual experiments, we confirm that Vortex-Induced Vibrations (VIV) do not amplify fluid drag. This result is consistent with basic energy conservation principles.

FORMULATION OF MICROEMULSION BASED GEL OF SALBUTAMOL SULPHATE AND IT’S IN VITRO STUDIES

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a microemulsion based gel system considering transdermal delivery of Salbutamol with a purpose to increase the solubility and membrane drug deliverance. Methods: Oleic acid was favored for oil phase owing to the proficiency of solubility in this study. Despite surfactant and co-surfactant was determined by virtue of their solubilizing strength wherewith they developed MEs. Accomplishing Franz diffusion cells equipped with cellulose membrane for in vitro study. The Polymer carbopol 934 were used for based gel preparation to enhance the viscosity of microemulsion for transdermal utilization. The advanced micro emulsion-based gel, which was assessed for pH, centrifugation, spreadability conductivity, drug content, viscosity, SEM, XRD and stability studies. Results: The process of drug escape from microemulsion gel-based was noticed to pursue Korsmeyer-peppas model kinetics. The designed, microemulsion gel-based displayed acceptable stability layer than 3 mo. Drug release microemulsion within 24 h was observed 74%. Conclusion: The results illustrate that deliberated effort to establish microemulsion based gel (F3) was likely to produce sustained action of drug release (78.3%) and be permitted auspicious vehicle for transdermal distribution of Salbutamol.

Higher order thalamus encodes correct goal-directed action

ABSTRACTThe thalamus is the gateway to the cortex. Cortical encoding of sensory information can therefore only be understood by considering the influence of thalamic processing on sensory input. Despite modulating sensory processing, little is known about the role of the thalamus during sensory-based behavior, let alone goal-directed behavior. Here, we use two-photon Ca2+ imaging, patch-clamp electrophysiology and optogenetics to investigate the role of axonal projections from the posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (POm) to the forepaw area of the primary somatosensory cortex (forepaw S1) during sensory processing and goal-directed behavior. We demonstrate that POm axons are active during tactile stimulus and increase activity specifically during the response and, to a lesser extent, reward epochs of a tactile goal-directed task. Furthermore, POm axons in forepaw S1 preferentially signaled correct behavior, with greatest activity during HIT responses. This activity is important for behavioral performance, as photoinhibition of archaerhodopsin-expressing neurons in the POm decreased overall behavioral success. Direct juxtacelluar recordings in the awake state illustrates POm neurons fire sustained action potentials during tactile stimulus. This tactile-evoked POm firing pattern was used during ChR2 photoactivation of POm axons in forepaw S1, revealing that action potentials in layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal neurons are inhibited during sustained POm input. Taken together, POm axonal projections in forepaw S1 encode correct goal-directed active behavior, leading to GABAA-mediated inhibition of L2/3 pyramidal neurons.

Development of Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride Thermoreversible Ocular Delivery System for the Treatment of Conjunctivitis

The present investigation deals with formulation and development of novel ophthalmic in situ gel formulation of Moxifloxacin in order to treat common disorder of conjunctivitis. The formulation contains combination of two polymers like Poloxamer 4–7 and chitosan both help in sustaining and increasing the drug release as well as retention time of drug at contact site. Thus developed formulation was evaluated for various parameters. The moxifloxacin in situ gel was found to be clear with ph in range of 6.8–7.0. The gelling time was also found to be quick with prolong retention up to 8 hrs. The optimized batch showed maximum release of 99.98% and was found to have sustained action when compared to marketed ophthalmic eye drop formulation. The formulation of Ophthalmic Thermosensitive in situ gel for Moxifloxacin was successfully prepared using Polymer combination of Poloxamer 407 and chitosan and found effective in the treatment of Conjunctivitis.