Common school system : is there any other option?

Apart from accumulating abundant wealth, the G8 nations share something else too. These nations have a well-functioning public funded school system founded on the principle of neighbourhood schools. Without a Common School System (CSS) in some form or another, none of them would have reached where they are today. Scandinavian countries, Switzerland, China, South Korea and Cuba achieved universal school education decades ago. This success transcends ideological history or present economic persuasion. Can India hope to be an exception to this historical experience

Part I. Synchronization of the cell division cycle of HeLa cells in suspension cultures. Part II. Studies on chromosomal proteins of HeLa cells during the cell division cycle

Part I These studies investigate the potential of single and double treatments with either 5-fluorodeoxyuridine of excess thymidine to induce cell division synchrony in suspension cultures of HeLa cells. The patterns of nucleic acid synthesis and cell proliferation have been analyzed in cultures thus synchronized. Several changes in cell population during long incubation with 5-fluorodeoxyuridine or excess thymidine are also described. These results are subjected to detailed evaluation in terms of the degree and quality of synchrony finally achieved. Part II Histones and non-histone proteins associated with interphase and metaphase chromosomes of HeLa cells have been qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Histones were fractionated by chromatography on Amberlite CG-50 and further characterized by analytical disc electrophoresis and amino acid analysis of each chromatographic fraction. It is concluded that histones of HeLa cells are comprised of only a small number of major components and that these components are homologous to those of other higher organisms. Of all the histones, arginine-rich histone III alone contains cysteine and can polymerize through formation of intermolecular disulfide bridges between histone III monomers. A detailed comparison by chromatography and disc electrophoresis established that interphase and metaphase histones are made up of similar components. However, certain quantitative differences in proportions of different histones of interphase and metaphase cells are reported. Indirect evidence indicates that a certain proportion of metaphase histone III is polymerized through intermolecular disulfide links, whereas interphase histone III occurs mainly in the monomeric form. Metaphase chromosomes are associated with an additional acid-soluble protein fraction which is absent from interphase chromosomes. All of these additional acid-soluble proteins of metaphase chromosomes are shown to be non-histones and it is concluded that the histone/DNA ratio is identical in interphase and metaphase chromosomes. The bulk of acid-soluble non-histone proteins of metaphase chromosomes were found to be polymerized through disulfide bridges; corresponding interphase non-histone proteins displayed no evidence of similar polymerization. The factors responsible for the condensed configuration and metabolic inactivity of metaphase chromosomes are discussed in light of these findings. The relationship between histone and DNA synthesis in nondividing differentiated chicken erythrocyte cells and in rapidly dividing undifferentiated HeLa cells is also investigated. Of all the histones, only arginine-rich histones are synthesized in mature erythrocytes. Histone synthesis in HeLa cells was studied in both unsynchronized and synchronized cultures. In HeLa cells, only part of the synthesis of all histone fractions is dependent on concurrent DNA synthesis, whereas all histones are synthesized in varying degrees even in the absence of DNA synthesis. </p

Indian stillingia oil and tallow

The stillingia oil and tallow from the seeds ofSapium sebiferum Roxb., have been studied for their component fatty acids and component glycerides. The fatty acids composition was determined by Twitchell's lead-salt-alcohol method followed by systematic fractionation of the methyl esters under high vacuum. The glyceridic composition of the stillingia oil has been examined by permanganate-oxidation and bromination methods whereas the composition of the glycerides of the stillingia tallow was arrived at by using the low-temperature crystallization technique. The component fatty acids of the stillingia oil have been found to consist of caprylic (1.5%), capric (1.0%), myristic (0.97%), palmitic (2.8%), stearic (1.0%), oleic (9.4%), linoleic (53.4%), and linolenic (30.0%); the latter two are the major constituents. The glycerides of the oil were found to consist of disaturated-mono-linolein (7.9%), mono-saturated-dilinolein (7.9%), mono-oleo-di-linolein (6.1%), monolinoleno-di-linolein (45.7%), mono-linoleo-di-linolenin (10.7%), mono-oleo-di-linolenin (3.3%), and oleo-linoleo-linolenin (18.4%). The fatty acids composition of the stillingia tallow was found to be lauric (0.3%), myristic (4.2%), palmitic (62.3%), stearic (5.9%), and oleic (27.4%). The component glycerides were found to be trisaturated (31.2%), disaturated monounsaturated (64.0%) and monsaturated, diunsaturated (4.8%).Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: N

A new drying oil from the seeds of Buxus sempervirens Linn

NRC publication: Ye

Preparation of phenylhydrazide derivatives of some fatty acids: Indian Soap.J.

NRC publication: Ye