Conservation of a room: A treatment proposal for Mark Rothko's Harvard Murals

A treatment with projected light for Mark Rothko's Harvard Murals (1962) is proposed. The group of five paintings on canvas has changed color due to the presence of a fugitive red pigment and excessive exposure to natural light in a room with large windows. For the conservation of Rothko's Harvard room, it is brought into context within his other commissions and environments. The original color of the works is determined by the digital restoration of contemporary photographs. With a camera projector system a compensation image is calculated that is projected onto the original canvas resulting in a restored color appearance. This approach of inpainting with light is compared with considerations of cleaning and inpainting in conventional conservation treatments. Overall lighting and architecture including the unusual wall color carefully chosen by Rothko play a key role in the treatment of the Mural cycle as an environment.     

The sun’s mysteries from space - I

This article in two parts presents a brief overview of the Sun’s mysteries revealed from space observations, using recent solar spacecrafts: Yohkoh, SOHO, TRACE and RHESSI.     

Spectrum of monoclonal gammapathies in Andhra Pradesh

In the present study, monoclonal gammapathy was identified in a total of 245 patients of plasma cell dyscrasias during period of 1987 to 2000. The monoclonal band was identified in serum by agar gel electrophoresis in all the cases and in urine in a few cases. Characterization of paraprotein (monoclonal immunoglobulin class and light chain type) was carried out by employing immunoelectrophoresis and/or immunofixation electrophoresis using heavy chain specific gamma, alpha, mu, delta and epsilon and light chain specific kappa (K), lambda (λ) antisera. Serum immunoglobulins Ig G, Ig A, and Ig M were estimated by immunoturbidometry. Serum urea, creatinine, uric acid, alkaline phosphatase, total proteins, albumin, calcium and phosphorus were estimated by using routine biochemical methods. Among the 245 cases, 73.1% monoclonal gammapathies were of secretory type and 7.3% were non-secretory. Monoclonal gammapathies were associated with 80.4% of multiple myeloma, 8.9% of solitary plasmacytoma, 4.1% of extra-medullary plasmacytoma, 3.3% of lymphoma and 2.9% of plasma cell leukemia. Classification of secretory monoclonal immunoglobulin revealed monoclonal immunoglobulin Ig G in 74%, Ig A 15% and Ig M in 2.9% cases.     

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The changes in the erythrocyte lipid peroxidation products (MDA), levels of glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid and plasma vitamin E (non enzymatic antioxidant parameters) and activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GP_X), catalase in erythrocytes and plasma glutathione - S - transferase (GST) activity were estimated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This work was undertaken to assess oxidative stress and anti oxidant status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It was observed that there was a significant increase in erythrocyte MDA levels, activities of SOD, GP_X, plasma GST and a significant decrease in erythrocyte GSH, ascorbic acid, plasma vitamin E levels and catalse activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis when compared to controls. The results of our study suggests higher oxygen free radical production, evidenced by increased MDA and decreased GSH, ascorbic acid, vitamin E and Catalase activity, support to the oxidative stress in rheumatoid arthritis. The increased activities of antioxidant enzymes may be a compensatory regulation in response to increased oxidative stress.     

Serum fructosamine in a random group of adult onset diabetics of Indian subpopulation

Serum fructosamine (SFRC) was estimated using single colour reading procedure in 50 normals and 160 adult onset random diabetics. Serum fructosamine levels were observed to be 1.86±0.321 m moles/L (Range 1.0 to 2.4) and 3.44±0.671 (Range 2.0 to 5.7) in normal and diabetic subjects respectively. Serum fructosamine levels as determined by the method adapted, were found to be unaffected by a transient rise in serum glucose levels during an oral glucose tolerance test. Significantly elevated SFRC concentration was also seen in diabetic groups in spite of different combinations of antidiabetic treatment. Attempts to correlate SFRC with duration and secondary complications of diabetes did show significant elevation in all the groups irrespective of duration and complications thus indicating poor glycemic control.     

浅析在高校中建立科研质量管理体系的意义、方法及需要注意的问题

通过分析高校科研质量管理体系建立的背景和意义,结合高校科研质量管理体系建设的实践经验,重点阐述高校建立科研质量体系的方法和步骤,提出了体系建立需要注意的问题并给出了相应对策.