Effect of water extract of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichosanthes dioica</Emphasis> fruits in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

In rats with streptozotocin induced severe diabetes mellitus, aqueous extract of Trichosanthes dioica fruits at a dose of 1000mg/kg body weight daily once for 28 days reduced the levels of fasting blood glucose, postprandial glucose, asparate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, urine sugar and urine protein where as total protein and body weight was increased. No toxic effect was observed during LD50. Our study suggests that further detailed toxicity studies and mechanism of action of T. dioica would be useful for undertaking human trials.     

Adenosine deaminase levels in cerebrospinal fluid as a diagnostic test for tuberculous meningitis in children

Adenosine deaminase activity (ADA) was estimated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 30 patients of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and 10 patients each of partially treated pyomeningitis (PTM), aseptic meningitis (AM) and pyogenic meningitis (PM). Mean ADA levels in CSF of TBM patients were higher (18.22 U/L) as compared to 6.28 U/L, 3.43 U/L and 7.98 U/L in PTM, AM and PM respectively. This difference of ADA values in CSF between TBM and other types of meningitis was statistically significant (p<0.01) different. Sensitivity and specificity of ADA levels in CSF of children to diagnose tuberculous meningitis was 66.6% and 90% respectively at 10 U/L cut off of ADA levels in CSF. ADA levels in CSF could also differentiate PTM, AM and PM from TBM with a specificity of 90%, 100% and 80% respectively.     

Purification and characterization of chymotrypsin-like enzyme from rat plasma

A chymotrypsin-like enzyme was purified from rat plasma, involving ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatographgy on CM-sephadex and red sepharose. The purified enzyme effectively hydrolysed the ester substrates for chymotrypsin (N-acetyl L-tyrosine ethyl ester and N-acetyl L-tryptophan ethyl ester). The Km values for the two substrates were 2.2×10^?3M and 9.0×10^?3M respectively. The hydrolytic activity of the enzyme was inhibited by phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride and tosylphenylalanine chloromethylketone, suggesting the presence of serine and histidine at the active centre. The enzyme exhibited anionic nature and possessed a high molecular weight (MW 71,000) as observed by gel exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-200. The enzyme was stable upon exposure to pH 7.0–9.0, but was inactivated upon heat treatment at 60°C for 5 min.     

Assessment of Hematological Parameters in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients

The aim of the study was the assessment of hematological parameters in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Forty patients diagnosed with tuberculosis were recruited from the Institute of Thoracic Medicine on the basis of history, clinical examination, chest radiography, sputum examination and related laboratory parameters and were compared with age and sex matched healthy volunteers (n = 40). Hematological parameters and CRP in tuberculosis patients were determined. The mean values for serum hemoglobin level, RBC count and platelet count in PTB was found to be less (p < 0.001). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma C-reactive protein, WBC count in PTB subjects was increased (p < 0.001 for ESR & CRP, p < 0.05 for WBCs) and all were statistically significant. This study demonstrated that serum hemoglobin level, RBC count and platelet count was decreased in tuberculosis patients whereas ESR, CRP and WBC count was increased when compared with healthy controls.     

Quantitative Assessment of Expression of Lactate Dehydrogenase and its Isoforms 3 and 4 may Serve as Useful Indicators of Progression of Gallbladder Cancer: A Pilot Study

We have studied the expression of lactate dehydrogenase and its isoforms in gall bladder cancer, cholelithiasis and chronic cholecystitis. Quantitative and qualitative assays of lactate dehydrogenase and its various isoforms were carried out in the blood sera of patients and healthy controls along with parallel estimation of various liver function test enzymes. Statistical analysis was done using the software Graph Pad Prism. Significantly high expression of lactate dehydrogenase along with alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin (P ≤ 0.05) was observed in all the three clinical conditions as compared to controls. LDH showed an increasing trend from stage I to stage IV of GBC indicating a significant positive association with the disease progression. The levels of LDH 3 and 4 isoforms appeared significantly more elevated in GBC than cholelithiasis or chronic cholecystitis. We suggest that a careful estimation of total LDH and its isoforms 3 and 4 alone or along with alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin during different clinical stages, like chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis and GBC, may prove to be a potentially useful biomarker in the prognostic management of gall bladder diseases, specifically GBC.     

Gram-schmidt orthogonalization and legendre polynomials

In this section of Resonance, we invite readers to pose questions likely to be raised in a classroom situation. We may suggest strategies for dealing with them, or invite responses, or both. “Classroom” is equally a forum for raising broader issues and sharing personal experiences and viewpoints on matters related to teaching and learning science.     

Discovery of SM Higgs boson in ATLAS experiment

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN — the most expensive and complex instrument mankind has ever built to address some of the most fundamental questions of Nature — is colliding proton-on-proton at high energy since November 2009. The full data set delivered by the LHC over the last 4 years has been analyzed by the ATLAS and CMS experiments in their pursuit of the Higgs boson, the particle responsible for generating masses for the basic building blocks of matter. In this article I discuss in detail the building and commissioning of the detector, search strategy and results obtained by the two experiments with special emphasis on ATLAS.     

Evaluating E-resource Collections in a Business School Library: A Comparative Study of Aggregator Packages at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad Library

The need to continuously evaluate resource usage, whether in print or online, has been a challenge for libraries for a long time. The shift in resources to digital formats has made gauging the utility of resources more convenient as well as enabling cross database comparisons on various parameters. In this context, the article explores the aggregator databases subscribed by Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad library. The study compares EBSCO's Business Source Complete, EBSCO's Academic Search Premier, Proquest's ABI INFORM Complete, JSTOR, and Project Muse packages in terms of the features available, usage, and the most used journals in these packages.     

Diagnostic Role of Tumour Markers CEA, CA15-3, CA19-9 and CA125 in Lung Cancer

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic yield of the tumour markers carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 15-3, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 125, in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in a group of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples were collected in a group of 90 patients with benign or malignant pulmonary diseases. After appropriate processing, tumour markers were determined by enzyme immunoassay. The diagnostic yields (sensitivity, specificity and predictive values) in each environment (serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) were obtained by using "Receivers operating characteristic" curve. Determined individually, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 125, showed the greatest diagnostic accuracy in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Carbohydrate antigen 15-3 did so in serum. Carcinoembryonic antigen was the most relevant marker in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. For the factors evaluated in this study, determination of carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 125 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were clinically more useful markers in comparison with serum, although the latter may also be helpful in certain situations. Although there is no specific tumour marker for lung cancer, the combination of several can be used to diagnose most patients with lung cancer and also to rule out false positive and negative cases.     

Neural network approach to predict mobile learning acceptance

The proliferation of mobile computing technologies is playing major role in the growth of mobile learning (M-learning) market around the globe. The purpose of this paper is to develop a research model in the lines of commonly used models the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by incorporating constructs namely flexibility learning, social learning, efficiency learning, enjoyment learning, suitability learning, and economic learning that can predict M-learning adoption in a developing country. The data were collected from 388 students from all major universities/colleges in the capital city (Muscat) of Oman. The neural network modeling was employed to predict M-learning adoption. The neural network modeling results showed that flexibility learning, social learning, efficiency learning, enjoyment learning, suitability learning, and economic learning variables have significant influence on the intention of students to accept mobile learning. The key outcomes of this study suggest important determinants that can assist academic administrators and telecommunication service providers to enhance the adoption of M-learning with the help of suitable strategy.