Assessment of glycemic potential of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Musa paradisiaca</Emphasis> stem juice

The present study reveals the effect of Musa paradisiaca stem juice on blood glucose level (BGL) of normal & diabetic rats. The dose of 500 mg/kg bodyweight produces a significant rise of 28.3% in blood glucose level after 6h of oral administration in normal rats. Whereas, in sub diabetic rats the same dose produces a rise of 16.4% in blood glucose levels within 1h during glucose tolerance test (GTT) and a rise of 16% after 4 h in fasting blood glucose levels of severe diabetic cases. These results were unexpected and important to report as other species of Musa like Musa sapientum has been reported for its hypoglycemic effect.     

Serum markers for early diagnosis of non-‘Q’ wave and ‘Q’ wave myocardial infarction

The present study conducted on twenty-five uncomplicated cases of acute myocardial infarction diagnosed by clinical and electrocardiographic findings indicated significantly increased level of cardiac Troponin-T and increased activities of the enzymes total creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, aspartate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase as compared to the twenty-five healthy control subjects. The level of cardiac Troponin-T and the activities of the enzymes total creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, aspartate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase was found to be higher in “Q” wave myocardial infarction patients as compared to the non-“Q” wave and the controls. Since cardiac Troponin-T has been shown to increase in unstable angina and renal failure without cardiac disease and creatine kinase-MB activity has been found to be normal in patients with unstable angina and increase very slightly in patients with renal failure, it was concluded that a combination of cardiac Troponin-T and creatine kinase-MB activity was sufficient for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.     

Effect and feasibility of wearable physical activity trackers and pedometers for increasing physical activity and improving health outcomes in cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose:This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of wearable devices for improving physical activity and healthrelated outcomes in cancer survivors.Methods:CINAHL,Cochrane,Ebscohost,MEDLINE,Pubmed,ProQuest Health and Medical Complete,ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source,ScienceDirect,and SPORTDiscus databases were searched for randomized controlled trials published before September 1,2020,that evaluated interventions involving wearable devices in cancer survivors.Standardized mean differences(SMDs)were calculated to assess effects on physical activity and health-related outcomes.Subgroup analyses were conducted to assess whether the effects differed by interventions and cancer characteristics.Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.Results:Thirty-five trials were included(breast cancer,n=15,43%).Intervention durations ranged between 4 weeks and 1 year.Most trials(n=25,71%)involved pedometer-based physical activity interventions.Seven(20%)involved Fitbit-based interventions,and 3(9%)involved other wearable physical activity trackers(e.g.,Polar,Garmin).Compared to usual care,wearable devices had moderate-to-large effects(SMD range 0.54-0.87,p<0.001)on moderate-intensity physical activity,moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity,total physical activity,and daily steps.Compared to usual care,those in the intervention had higher quality of life,aerobic fitness,physical function,and reduced fatigue(SMD range=0.18-0.66,all p<0.05).Conclusion:Wearable physical activity trackers and pedometers are effective tools that increase physical activity and improve health-related outcomes in individuals with cancer.Identifying how these devices can be implemented for longer-term use with other intervention components remains an area for future research.     

Serum Paraoxonase (PON1) Activity in North-West Indian Punjabi’s with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Human serum paraoxonase-1 (PON1), an enzyme on HDL prevents oxidation of LDL thereby preventing the development of atherosclerosis. Studies done so far have lead to conflicting results. As studies are lacking in North-West Indian Punjabi’s, a distinct ethnic group with high incidence of coronary artery disease, we determined PONase activity in this population. It has been postulated that sudden lowering of serum PONase may lead to precipitation of acute myocardial infarction. We determined serum PONase activity and lipids in 100 patients each of AMI (within 24 h of onset), stable CAD and 100 age and sex matched healthy controls. These were again determined after 6 weeks in AMI patients. The mean serum PONase activity was lowest in AMI patients (23.26 U/ml) followed by stable CAD patients (102.0 U/ml) where as in controls was highest (179.8 U/ml). In patients with AMI, activity was significantly higher at 6 weeks as compared to that after acute event (49.39 %; p < 0.05). Sudden lowering of serum PONase activity in a population which already has lower activity may be one of the risk factors for development of AMI.     

Metabolic Bone Profile of Healthy Adult North Indian Population from Chandigarh Urban Bone Epidemiological Study (CUBES)

We aimed to estimate metabolic bone profile in a large cohort of healthy, adult Indian population to generate reference standards of serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 25 (OH) Vitamin D and iPTH, and also to find out the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in healthy population. Apparently healthy people in the age group of 20–80 years, residing in the union territory of Chandigarh were chosen. Fasting samples for serum calcium, phosphate, albumin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 25 (OH) D and iPTH were collected and were processed on the same day. We recruited 930 healthy subjects from different subsectors of Chandigarh. Final analysis was done for 915 subjects. Out of this, 530 (58%) were women and 385 (42%) were men. The study participants were divided into two groups, less than and more than 50 years for the men and pre and post-menopausal for the women. The serum calcium, phosphate, ALP and iPTH were significantly higher in the post-menopausal women compared to the pre-menopausal women. The median plasma 25 (OH) D in men and women was 12.5 ng/mL and 14.3 ng/mL, respectively. 25 (OH) D deficiency was seen in 65.4% of individuals. 25 (OH) D levels co-related negatively with iPTH levels (r = − 0.4, p < 0.0001), and showed an increasing trend with age. We have thus presented metabolic bone profile of healthy, adult north Indian population. These reference values can be used for diagnosis and monitoring of various MBDs. Vitamin D deficiency is still rampant in our population in spite of increasing awareness.     

Entrepreneurial Community College Presidents: An exploratory qualitative and quantitative study

Tertiary Education and Management - This study examined the entrepreneurial, nontraditional fundraising behaviors and activities of 23 community college presidents using interview and survey data....     

Musculoskeletal Anatomy Knowledge Retention in the Macquarie University Chiropractic Program: A Cross-Sectional Study

Attrition of anatomy knowledge has been an area of concern in health professions curricula. To ensure safe and effective clinical practice, the study of chiropractic requires a good knowledge of musculoskeletal anatomy. In this study, musculoskeletal limb knowledge retention was investigated among students in the 5-year chiropractic program at Macquarie University, Australia. A test of 20 multiple-choice questions, categorized into low-order (LO) and high-order (HO) cognitive ability according to Bloom’s Taxonomy, was developed. Students enrolled in the program were invited to participate with 257 of the 387 choosing to participate, (response rate ranging 56%–72% per year level). No attrition of knowledge across the years was observed, instead, a significant increase in knowledge, measured by total LO and HO scores (P < 0.0005), throughout the program. There were significant increases in both low and high cognitive scores which were not uniform, with high-order scores increasing significantly in the last two year levels. The increase of knowledge, may be explained, at least partially, by the vertical and horizontal integrated curriculum. Retrieval of knowledge, especially in clinically applied formats, may have led to an enhanced ability to apply anatomy knowledge and account for the increased scores in the high-order knowledge seen in the later clinical years. Evaluating anatomy knowledge retention at different cognitive levels seems to provide a better assessment and is worth considering in future anatomy educational research.     

Effect of intrauterine contraceptive device on concentration of inorganic phosphorus and cholesterol in human uterine fluid

Uterine fluid, basically the endometrial secretion, is in dynamic exchange by influx and efflux with the oviducal and cervical fluids. During investigation the uterine fluid of both parous and IUCD women was collected and evaluated for inorganic phosphorus and cholesterol. The results of parous women were compared with the results of IUCD women. The trend of fluctuation in inorganic phosphorus concentration during different phases of menstrual cycle were same in both parous and IUCD women. But there was an increase in concentration in case of IUCD women in all stages of the menstrual cycle. After comparison with parous women a decrease in uterine fluid cholesterol concentration during proliferative period and increase during luteal period of IUCD women was observed. This increase in inorganic phosphorus and decrease and an increase in cholesterol concentration in IUCD women might be responsible in making uterine fluid environment unfavourable for sperm survival and blastocyst implantation.     

Evaluating the impact of online discussion boards on student engagement with group work

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the use of an online discussion board as an assessment item on students learning performance in relation to group work based on Social Learning Theory. The study uses survey questionnaires at the beginning and end of semester together with student grade information. The data analysis consists of (1) a regression analysis to explore the relationship between student interaction and performance and (2) a repeated measures ANOVA to explore changes in attitude and perceived encouragement. Student's perceptions at the outset were found to be important as was the use of the online discussion board as a learning tool even when it is not assessed. Further, students' attitude to the online discussion board improved through the semester however the online assessment task did not encourage domestic students to be more engaged in group-based activities. In contrast, international students were more encouraged to participate in group-based activities at the end of the semester. The study has implications for online group activities in education.