Digital Museums and Diverse Cultural Knowledges: Moving Past the Traditional Catalog

Web 2.0 technologies have introduced increasingly participatory practices to creating content, and museums are becoming interested in the potentials of “Museum 2.0” for reaching and engaging with new audiences. As technological advances are opening up the ways in which museums share information about the objects in their collections, the means by which museums create, handle, process, and transmit knowledge has become more transparent. For this to be done effectively, however, some underlying contradictions must be resolved between museum practices, which privilege the account of the “expert,” and distributed social technology practices, whose strengths lie in allowing for many, sometimes contradictory, perspectives. This article presents a theoretical position and framework for the adaptation of Web 2.0 technologies within the traditional work of the museum, in ways that support the generation and representation of knowledge in, by, and for diverse communities. We then expand on this theoretical perspective by discussing several case studies of exploratory work in this area, and close the article by presenting a few tactical, bottom-up initiatives that museums and distributed communities can take to facilitate the diffusion of this new conceptual framework. Though the subject of this article is online museums, the issues are relevant to all online collections, in particular portals, online public access catalogs (OPAC), and content management systems.     

Antidyslipidemic and Antioxidant Activities of Hibiscus rosa sinensis Root Extract in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats

The antidyslipidemic activity of Hibiscus rosa sinensis (Malvaceae) root extract has been studied in alloxan induced diabetic rats. In this model, oral administration of root extract (500 mg/kg bw. p.o.) for 15 days resulted in significant decreased in the levels of blood glucose, plasma lipids and reactivated post heparin lipoprotein lipase activity in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Furthermore, the root extract (50–500 μg) when tested for its antioxidant activity, inhibited the generation of super oxide anions and hydroxyl radicals, in both enzymic and non enzymic systems in vitro. The results of the present study demonstrated antidyslipidemic and antioxidant activities in root extract of H. rosa sinensis which could be used in prevention of diabetic-dyslipidemia and related complications.     

Hematological and Biochemical Parameters in Apparently Healthy Indian Population: Defining Reference Intervals

Clinical reference intervals among Indian population are poorly defined. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish local clinical laboratory reference intervals for healthy Indian population. The present study aimed to identify the 95 % reference interval for hematological and biochemical parameters in apparently healthy Indian population. We undertook a multicentric cross-sectional study conducted at Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation across India. Of which 10,665 reference individuals identified as healthy by physicians. The 95 % of the reference distribution was estimated using 2.5th and 97.5th percentile reference limits. The 95 % reference intervals for hemoglobin (Males: 12.3–17 g/dL; Females: 9.9–14.3 g/dL), platelet count (Males: 1.3–3.8; Females: 1.3–4.2 Lakhs/µL), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (Males: 2–22; Females: 4–55 mm/h), serum uric acid in males: 3.5–8.2 mg/dL, gamma glutamyl transferase (Males: 13–61 U/L), fasting blood glucose (Males: 78–110 mg/dL), total cholesterol (Males: 115–254 mg/dL), low density lipoprotein (Males: 60–176 mg/dL) and triglycerides (Males: 55–267 mg/dL, Females: 52–207 mg/dL) were different from currently used reference values. Additionally need for gender based partitioning were observed for triglycerides and gamma glutamyl transferase. The observed findings are of clinical significance and it needs to be validated with additional community based studies.     

The largest and oldest living organism

A fungus hidden beneath the soil surface in forest, estimated to be 1500–2400 years old, is the largest and oldest living organism.     

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.     

Antidyslipidemic and antioxidant activities of different fractions of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Terminalia arjuna</Emphasis> stem bark

Terminalia arjuna (T. arjuna) stem bark was successively extracted with petroleum ether (A), solvent ether (B), ethanol (C) and water (D). The lipid lowering activity of these four fractions A, B, C, and D was evaluatedin vivo in two models viz., triton WR-1339 induced hyperlipemia in rats as well as fructose rich high fat diet (HFD) fed diabetic- dyslipidemic hamsters. Hyperlipidemia induced by triton caused marked increase in the plasma levels of total cholesterol (Tc), triglyceride (Tg) and phospholipids (PL) in rats. After treament withT. arjuna fractions A, B, C, and D at the doses of 250 mg/kg per oral (p.o.),only the ethanolic fraction (C) exerted significant lipid lowering effect as assessed by reversal of plasma levels of Tc, Tg and PL in hyperlipidemic rats. In another experiment, feeding with HFD produced marked dyslipidemia as observed by increased levels of plasma Tc, Tg, glucose (Glu), glycerol (Gly) and free fatty acids (FFA) in hamsters. After treatment withT. arjuna fractions at the doses of 250 mg/kg p.o. only two fraction (B and C) could exert significant lowering in the plasma levels of lipids and Glu. in dyslipidemic hamsters.In vitro experimentT. arjuna fractions at tested concentrations (50–500 μg/ml) inhibited the oxidative degradation of lipids in human low density lipoprotein and rat liver microsomes induced by metal ions. These fractions when tested against generation of oxygen free radicals at the concentrations (50–500 μg/ml), counteracted the formation of superoxide anions (O⁻²) and hydrodyl radicals (OH) in non enzymic test systems. The efficacy ofT. arjuna fractions as antidyslipidemic and antioxidant agents was found, fraction C> fraction B> fraction A.     

Where Information Society and Community Voice Intersect

Information and communication technology (ICT) development initiatives have begun to acknowledge the power and importance of cultural and community-focused belief systems. Yet the vast majority of such initiatives tend to preidentify developmental goals that communities hold. Paulo Freire's writings have influenced development initiatives by introducing the possibility of working with communities to orient projects. While these “participatory” initiatives have involved soliciting community feedback relative to a research project whose goals were formulated in the university or development institution, they do not go far enough to harness actual visions held by communities. It is important to conceptualize a model and methodology of engaging communities to develop and articulate their own goals of information access and ultimately, an indigenous approach toward cultural, political, and economic aspects of development. This approach holds promise to sustain communities within a return on the investment and efforts of the researcher or institution. This article closes by describing a current initiative in Southern India that reflects the described methodology.     

Role of bilirubin, vitamin C and ceruloplasmin as antioxidants in coronary artery disease [CAD]

A study has been carried out on 250 CAD patients to see how the serum levels of three antioxidants i.e., Vitamin C, Bilirubin and Ceruloplasmin are related to the CAD risk factors and characteristics in these patients. The number of severe category CAD patients declined by 7–18% with increasing serum levels of the three antioxidants and, triple vessel disease declined by 14–20%. A decline of 39% in Myocardial Infarction (MI) occurred with increasing serum Ceruloplasmin. Serum Ceruloplasmin was significantly lower in the MI group compared to the non MI group CAD patients. There was a steady and a significant decline in the mean values of serum levels of cholesterol, Triglyceride, VLDL cholesterol along with BMI with increasing serum level. The study indicates that with increasing serum levels of the three antioxidants studied, the % MI along with % Triple vessel disease and severity of CAD goes down suggesting that the modifiable risk factors have to be suitably modified in order to maintain a reasonably high level of these antioxidants, as the risk factors are inversely related to the serum antioxidant levels.     

The riddle of theapparently hollow Himalaya

We recall here an application of Newton’s law of gravitation which suggested prima facie that the Himalaya may be hollow inside