Three Cases of Lead Toxicity Associated with Consumption of Ayurvedic Medicines

Ayurveda is a traditional form of medicine used by majority of the Indians. Here we report three cases of lead toxicity, following intake of Ayurvedic medicines. Three patients presented with blood lead levels (BLLs) of 122.4, 115 and 42.8 μg/dl respectively at the time of hospitalization. The first case was chelated with D- penicillamine, the second with calcium disodium ethylene diamino tetra acetate (EDTA) and the third with environmental intervention and education. Associated Ayurvedic products were collected from patients and analyzed for metallic concentration. Cessation of Ayurvedic medication along with chelation, nutritional intervention and education, reduced the BLL to 27.4 μg/dl in the first case after 1 year, 21.1 μg/dl after 9 months in the second and 18.2 μg/dl after 6 months in the third case.     

Garlic Oil and Vitamin E Prevent the Adverse Effects of Lead Acetate and Ethanol Separately as well as in Combination in the Drinking Water of Rats

Daily feeding of drinking water containing lead acetate (160 mg/l) or 10% alcohol by volume or a combination of both to rats for a month produced certain deleterious effects through oxidative stress. Both heavy metal lead and alcohol are capable of doing such damages. The deleterious alterations observed were in the parameters of blood, serum and tissues, viz; Hb, Pb, proteins, lipids, lipid per oxidation, Vitamins C and E levels and enzyme activities of AST, ALT, and catalase. Simultaneous feeding of either of the two antioxidants garlic oil (GO) and vitamin E at equal doses of 100 mg/kg/day, to the rats counteracted the deleterious effects of the above two chemicals significantly. The maximum damage was brought about by feeding of drinking water containing both lead acetate and alcohol. The protective effects of GO and Vitamin E were not significantly different. The mechanism of actions of the Vitamin E and GO is probably due to their efficiency as detoxifying agents and antioxidants, to scavenging free radicals as well as an independent action of GO on the removal of lead salt as lead sulfide.     

技术创新中的领先用户研究

现代企业为增强其竞争优势而日益重视产品和服务的创新。用户,尤其是领先用户,在创新过程中的作用越来越显著。本文介绍了领先用户的概念和领先用户研究的方法,以便我国企业在实践中准确理解市场需求,加速技术创新过程,最终取得创新的成功。     

西藏色季拉山藏药材生长区域气候特征的初步分析

选用西藏色季拉山2007年藏药材的野外调查资料以及自动气象站观测的气象数据,探讨了濒危藏药材的基本分布状况及其生长的区域气候特征。研究表明:从藏药材的分布来看,随着海拔高度的升高,藏药材的植株高度、盖度以及多度都呈现基本下降的趋势,药材属性与山体坡向的关系随着药材种类的不同而有所区别。从药材生长区域的总体气候特征来看,山顶降水量、相对湿度基本大于西坡和东坡,东坡基本大于西坡;山顶平均气温、地面温度低于西坡和东坡,东坡高于西坡;山顶风速基本大于西坡和东坡,西坡大于东坡;西坡以东风为主,山顶以南风为主,东坡以静风为主;随着海拔高度的升高,降水量逐渐减少,相对湿度、风速增加,温度降低;静风(东风)频率减小(增加);南风、SSW风频率随着季节不同而增加或者减小;东坡、西坡的温度(风速)随海拔高度的升高而降低(增大),东坡、西坡的降水量、相对湿度、风频率随着海拔高度的升高呈现基本相反的变化。     

A study of prolonged jaundice screen in healthy term babies

Prolonged jaundice in most of the term babies is associated with breast milk but in some cases it can be a marker for a range of hepatobiliary, hematological, metabolic, endocrine, infectious and genetic disorders that are associated with significant mortality and morbidity if not diagnosed in time. A diagnosis of conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia warrants urgent investigation. Protocols for investigating prolonged jaundice screen vary in complexity and the yield from screen has not been assessed. In order to address these issues, we carried out a study on healthy term babies referred to our day unit with prolonged jaundice. Infants were examined by pediatrician and investigations done as per unit protocol. Prolonged jaundice screen was found to be helpful in excluding biliary atresia and to support the diagnosis of breast milk jaundice. Present study concluded that negative prolonged jaundice screen is reassuring in healthy term babies and further investigations are unwarranted unless otherwise specified.     

The nature of lead users and measurement of leading edge status

“Lead users” are defined as being at the leading edge of markets, and as having a high incentive to innovate. Empirical research has shown the value of lead user need and solution data to new product development processes. However, the nature of the lead user construct itself has not been studied to date. In this paper we fill this significant gap by proposing and evaluating a continuous analog to the lead user construct, which we call leading edge status (LES). We establish the validity and reliability of LES and examine the characteristics of users having high levels of this variable. We also offer a first exploration of how LES is related to traditional measures in diffusion theory such as dispositional innovativeness and time of adoption (TOA). We find a strong relationship and explain how users with high LES can offer a contribution to both predicting and accelerating early product adoption.     

Genetic susceptibility to lead poisoning—A case report

Lead poisoning is well documented in persons occupationally exposed to lead. What is less known is, that even in persons working in lead based industries, the effect of lead and the appearance of signs and symptoms of lead poisoning is genetically determined. Three genes related to lead metabolism, exhibiting polymorphism have already been demonstrated-δALA-dehydratase, Vitamin D receptor gene and Hemochromatosis gene. These alleles determine the susceptibility of the individuals to lead. We present here a case of a lead acid battery worker, who presented without any signs and symptoms of lead poisoning except for a very high level of blood lead (82.8μg/dl and 47.5μg/dl 9 months later)     

Profiting from voluntary information spillovers: how users benefit by freely revealing their innovations

Empirical studies of innovation have found that end users frequently develop important product and process innovations. Defying conventional wisdom on the negative effects of uncompensated spillovers, innovative users also often openly reveal their innovations to competing users and to manufacturers. Rival users are thus in a position to reproduce the innovation in-house and benefit from using it, and manufacturers are in a position to refine the innovation and sell it to all users, including competitors of the user revealing its innovation. In this paper, we explore the incentives that users might have to freely reveal their proprietary innovations. We then develop a game-theoretic model to explore the effect of these incentives on users’ decisions to reveal or hide their proprietary information. We find that, under realistic parameter constellations, free revealing pays. We conclude by discussing some implications of our findings.     

Acetylation Pharmacogenetics and Renal Function in Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Activities of human hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes N-acetyl transferase (NATS) had earlier been recognized as a cause of inter-individual variation in the metabolism of drugs. Therefore acetylation of many drugs in human exhibit genetic polymorphism. The aim of the study was to investigate if acetylator status predispose diabetic mellitus patients more to the complications of renal disease, One hundred and twenty (120) diabetics consisting of (50) Type 1 (T₁) and 70 Type 2 (T₂) diabetes mellitus patients and 100 healthy individuals as controls were classified as slow or rapid acetylator using sulphamethazine (SMZ) as an in vivo probe. The percentage acetylation, recovery of SMZ, creatinine clearance and presence of urinary albumin were determined. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed in the percentage of SMZ acetylated between slow and rapid acetylators in control, T₁ and T₂ subjects. The ratios of slow to rapid acetylators for T₁, T₂ and control subjects were 1:4, 3:2 and 2:3 respectively. No significant differences were observed in the percentage of SMZ recovered in the urine of slow and rapid acetylators that are diabetics. The difference in creatinine clearance of slow and rapid acetylators in T₁ and T₂ were significant (P < 0.05). 29% out of 120 (24.2%) diabetics (T₁ and T₂) exhibited albuminuria out of which 25 (86.2%) had slow acetylator status. These findings suggest that slow acetylator status in diabetes mellitus could be a predisposing factor in the development of renal complications. This underscores the need for a rapid pharmacogenetic testing and therapeutic drug monitoring in such patients. However this inference could be further validated with a larger sample size.     

Influence of Bcl-1 Gene Polymorphism of Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene (NR3C1, rs41423247) on Blood Pressure,Glucose in Northern Indians

Glucocorticoids and its receptor are known to be involved in the dysregulation of hormone and lipid levels. Therefore, we evaluated the association of Bcl1 gene polymorphism of glucocorticoids receptor (GCR) gene variant with hormone and lipid levels in Northern Indians obese. A total of 435 obese and non-obese age matched subjects were included in the case–control study. Lipid and hormonal levels were estimated using standard protocols. Analysis of +646 C>G NR3C1 gene polymorphism was done using PCR–RFLP. The frequencies of GR Bcl1, C>G genotypes and alleles did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between obese and non-obese. The +646 G allele carriers had higher waist to hip ratio, blood pressure, insulin and glucose levels than non-carriers in obese subjects while diastolic blood pressure and glucose in non-obese. The NR3C1, +646 C>G polymorphism did not associate with obesity. However, the GG genotype may modulate blood pressure, blood glucose and hormonal levels in northern Indians.     

从服装设计市场化谈对服装设计课程教学的思考

现代社会,服装设计无时不受市场的影响,同时又无时不在引导着市场;服装设计课程的教学只有与市场结合起来,才有强大的生命力。     

整体浇注在铅锑冶炼中的应用

随着新型复合材料的研究与发展,多种新型的高温耐腐蚀材料在各类工业上面得到了广泛的应用。文章介绍了鑫华公司自把整体浇注应用到铅锑冶炼的筑炉工艺上后,采用新型耐火材料取代传统定型耐火材料以浇注方式对冶炼炉子的下料圈、炉墙进行整体浇注的实践。     

模拟胃酸环境下城市灰尘中铅的生物可给性

用二种方法（无机酸和酶混合模拟液及双酸模拟液）模拟研究了胃酸环境下杭州市城市灰尘中铅的生物可给性。研究结果表明,无机酸和酶混合模拟液的溶出量高于双酸模拟液的溶出量．灰尘中铅的生物可给性与胃酸的酸度和灰尘中铅的化学形态有关。灰尘中铅的溶出量随pH的下降而增加,当pH在3．5以上时,溶出量较低;当pH在2．5以下时,铅溶出量随pH的下降而显著增加。不同pH条件下,溶出的铅来自不同的化学形态,交换态和碳酸盐结合态优先溶出,在较低的pH条件下,有机结合态和氧化物结合态铅也可被部分溶出,表明具高比例的交换态和酸可溶态铅的灰尘有较大的潜在毒性。胃酸中磷酸盐的存在可降低铅的溶解,但当pH在2以下时,磷酸盐的作用不明显。在正常饮食的胃酸环境中（pH4～5）,灰尘中Pb的溶出比例不高。     

Blood Lead Level (BLL) in the Adult Population of Jodhpur: A Pilot Study

Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems. Routes of exposure to lead include contaminated air, water, soil, food, and consumer products. The possibility of lead exposure in humans is therefore of great significance from health point of view. Occupational exposure is a common known cause of lead poisoning in adults but current status of adults exposed otherwise is not known. School teachers representing wide local population were selected and asked to furnish information regarding possible lead exposure. Blood lead level (BLL) was estimated using anodic stripping voltammetry. The mean BLL was 6.89 ± 9.5 μg/dl (<3.5–>65 μg/dl) in representative adult population. Out of the total 16 % were found to be having BLL >10 μg/dl which has significantly decreased from leaded gasoline era. Those with increased BLL (>10 μg/dl) were found to have common determinants like usage of old metallic pipes for plumbing, water consumption without any purification system, usage of cosmetics and Ayurvedic/herbal medicines.     

中西医结合医学 在未来医学中的地位和作用——中医药学发展与中西医结合研究的思维模式

全面认识中医和西医是研究中西医结合的前提。只有把二者进行比较,才能清楚的看出各自的优势,进行相互补充,形成中西医结合。通过对中医,西医和中西医结合的形成和发展的时代,特点和作用的分析,提出了中医学发展和中西医结合研究思维模式,从五个方面做了解释。即:以中医形象思维思辨学为指导,以中医基础理论为"体",以现代科学技术方法为"用",以临床疾病为切入点,以"法"求"理"。