Evaluation of reference intervals of serum lipid profile from healthy population in Western Maharashtra

Fasting samples of 914 subjects from healthy population were analyzed for total cholesterol, triglyceride and three major fractions of lipoproteins i.e. high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low lipoprotein cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The values obtained were (in mg/dl) 165.7±30.2,88.36±31.2, 44.86±10.68, 101.66±29.8 and 18.11±7.35 respectively. When these subjects were grouped according to the age and sex, no appropriate differences were observed between most of the groups. Triglycerides were found to be low and HDL cholesterol was high in female when compared with male of similar age. Beyond age 40 years cholesterol level and low density lipoprotein cholesterol was found to be gradually increased in case of women. Minor difference was observed with dietary pattern. Present study suggests that clinical evaluation of patient should be made on the basis of these reference values for Western Maharashtra population.     

Plant latent defense response to microbial non-pathogenic factors antagonizes compatibility

Unlike microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) that are readily targeted by host immunity, microbial non-pathogenic factors (NPFs) appear negligible as they do not elicit defense. Little is known about whether and how NPFs may be monitored by hosts to control compatibility. Herein, a forward genetic screening isolated an Arabidopsis mutant with a loss of plant-rhizobacteria mutualism, leading to the disclosure of a plant latent defense response (LDR) to NPFs. The activation of LDR in the mutant, named rol1 for regulator of LDR 1, is triggered by several non-pathogenic volatile organic compounds and antagonizes plant compatibility with the beneficial bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens GB03. The activation of LDR in rol1 is mediated through the prokaryotic pathway of chloroplastic lipid biosynthesis. The rol1 root microbiome showed a reduced proportion of the Bacillaceae family. We propose that, parallel to the forefront immunity to MAMPs, LDR to certain NPFs provides a hidden layer of defense for controlling compatibility with commensal or beneficial microbes.     

Informational privacy, data mining, and the Internet

Privacy concerns involving data mining are examined in terms of four questions: (1) What exactly is data mining? (2) How does data mining raise concerns for personal privacy? (3) How do privacy concerns raised by data mining differ from those concerns introduced by ‘traditional’ information-retrieval techniques in computer databases? (4) How do privacy concerns raised by mining personal data from the Internet differ from those concerns introduced by mining such data from ‘data warehouses?’ It is argued that the practice of using data-mining techniques, whether on the Internet or in data warehouses, to gain information about persons raises privacy concerns that (a) go beyond concerns introduced in traditional information-retrieval techniques in computer databases and (b) are not covered by present data-protection guidelines and privacy laws.     

Recent Publications in Natural History

Principal Review: Edwards, Stephen R., Bruce M. Bell, and Mary Elizabeth King , comps. Pest control in museums: a status report (1980). Principal Review: Dubos, René . The Wooing of Earth: new perspectives on man's use of nature.     

Factor structure of intellectual and achievement measures for learning disabled children

The purpose of this study was to explore the factor structure of intelligence and achievement for learning disabled children. WISC-R, PIAT, and WRAT scores of 183 male, learning disabled students were factor analyzed. A factor structure was obtained. The factors were identified as: (a) language achievement, (b) perceptual organization, (c) verbal educative, and (d) mathematical achievement. These findings suggest that intelligence and achievement are composed of similar traits and skills. Therefore, comparison of individual achievement test scores with traditional Verbal, Performance, or Full Scale intelligence for learning disabled children may not be logical, since analysis of these tests reveals factorially complex skills.     

Cerebro-spinal and renal ochronosis: A rare case report

Alkaptonuria, a rare inborn error of tyrosine metabolism, characterized by the absence of homogentisic acid oxidase results in the accumulation of homogentisic acid in the body. Associated renal failure and cerebral infarction is rare and usually occurs in the later stages of the disease. We report a 55-year-old male who presented, initially with features of stroke and degenerative arthritis. He had pigmentation of sclerae, darkening of urine on long standing, abnormal renal profile, degenerative arthritis and cerebral infarction. Alkaptonuria was suspected and biochemical tests confirmed mild renal impairment, homogentisic acid in urine and homogentisic acid crystal was detected cytologically in urine sediment. Such a case of Alkaptonuric ochronosis with cerebrovascular and renal complications have been rarely reported in the previous literature.     

Solution of transients in active four-terminal networks

Matrix and operational methods together provide a compact, convenient and systematic solution of transients. This paper illustrates the application of these methods to the solution of active four-terminal networks. First, the matrices are written with the Laplacian operator, s, as the parameter. Second, the vacuum tube as a four-terminal network is reviewed. Third, an example is given which illustrates the use of the method.