Hypolipidemic effect ofAlpinia galanga (Rasna) andKaempferia galanga (Kachoori)

The rhizome of bothAlpinia galanga andKaempferia galanga are widely used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, diabetes mellitus and obesity. Present study evaluated the hypolipidemic action of the ethanolic extract of these plantsin vivo. The oral administration of the extracts (20mg/day) of bothA. galanga andK. galanga effectively lowered the serum and tissue levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and significantly increased the serum levels of high density lipoproteins(HDL) in high cholesterol fed white wistar rats over a period of 4 weeks. The results are indicative of these plants in various lipid disorders especially atherosclerosis.     

Training to Use the Scientific Method in a First-Year Physics Laboratory: A Case Study

Journal of Science Education and Technology - In this work, a specific implementation of a so-called experimental or open-ended laboratory is proposed and evaluated. Keeping in mind the scheduling...     

Rapid bench-top fabrication of poly(dimethylsiloxane)/polystyrene microfluidic devices incorporating high-surface-area sensing electrodes

The development of widely applicable point-of-care sensing and diagnostic devices can benefit from simple and inexpensive fabrication techniques that expedite the design, testing, and implementation of lab-on-a-chip devices. In particular, electrodes integrated within microfluidic devices enable the use of electrochemical techniques for the label-free detection of relevant analytes. This work presents a novel, simple, and cost-effective bench-top approach for the integration of high surface area three-dimensional structured electrodes fabricated on polystyrene (PS) within poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidics. Optimization of PS-PDMS bonding results in integrated devices that perform well under pressure and fluidic flow stress. Furthermore, the fabrication and bonding processes are shown to have no effect on sensing electrode performance. Finally, the on-chip sensing capabilities of a three-electrode electrochemical cell are demonstrated with a model redox compound, where the high surface area structured electrodes exhibit ultra-high sensitivity. We propose that the developed approach can significantly expedite and reduce the cost of fabrication of sensing devices where arrays of functionalized electrodes can be used for point-of-care analysis and diagnostics.     

The Cauchy-Schwarz divergence and Parzen windowing: Connections to graph theory and Mercer kernels

This paper contributes a tutorial level discussion of some interesting properties of the recent Cauchy-Schwarz (CS) divergence measure between probability density functions. This measure brings together elements from several different machine learning fields, namely information theory, graph theory and Mercer kernel and spectral theory. These connections are revealed when estimating the CS divergence non-parametrically using the Parzen window technique for density estimation. An important consequence of these connections is that they enhance our understanding of the different machine learning schemes relative to each other.     

An implicit feedback approach for interactive information retrieval

Searchers can face problems finding the information they seek. One reason for this is that they may have difficulty devising queries to express their information needs. In this article, we describe an approach that uses unobtrusive monitoring of interaction to proactively support searchers. The approach chooses terms to better represent information needs by monitoring searcher interaction with different representations of top-ranked documents. Information needs are dynamic and can change as a searcher views information. The approach we propose gathers evidence on potential changes in these needs and uses this evidence to choose new retrieval strategies. We present an evaluation of how well our technique estimates information needs, how well it estimates changes in these needs and the appropriateness of the interface support it offers. The results are presented and the avenues for future research identified.     

The location of the tibial accelerometer does influence impact acceleration parameters during running

Tibial accelerations have been associated with a number of running injuries. However, studies attaching the tibial accelerometer on the proximal section are as numerous as those attaching the accelerometer on the distal section. This study aimed to investigate whether accelerometer location influences acceleration parameters commonly reported in running literature. To fulfil this purpose, 30 athletes ran at 2.22, 2.78 and 3.33 m · s^–1 with three accelerometers attached with double-sided tape and tightened to the participants’ tolerance on the forehead, the proximal section of the tibia and the distal section of the tibia. Time-domain (peak acceleration, shock attenuation) and frequency-domain parameters (peak frequency, peak power, signal magnitude and shock attenuation in both the low and high frequency ranges) were calculated for each of the tibial locations. The distal accelerometer registered greater tibial acceleration peak and shock attenuation compared to the proximal accelerometer. With respect to the frequency-domain analysis, the distal accelerometer provided greater values of all the low-frequency parameters, whereas no difference was observed for the high-frequency parameters. These findings suggest that the location of the tibial accelerometer does influence the acceleration signal parameters, and thus, researchers should carefully consider the location they choose to place the accelerometer so that equivalent comparisons across studies can be made.     

The integration of computer simulation and learning support: An example from the physics domain of collisions

Discovery learning is generally seen as a promising but demanding mode of learning that, in most cases, can only be successful if students are guided in the discovery process. The present article discusses a study on discovery learning with a computer simulation environment in the physics domain of collisions. In the learning environment, which is called Collision, students learned about collisions where two particles move in the same direction and interact via a conservative force in such a way that the total mechanical energy is conserved. In the experiment we conducted with Collision, we evaluated the effects of adding two different ways to guide students: model progression, in which the model is presented in separate parts; and assignments, small exercises that the student can choose to do. The effect of providing assignments and model progression was evaluated by comparing the learning behavior and learning results over three experimental conditions in which different versions of the simulation environment were presented: pure simulation, simulation plus assignments, and simulation plus model progression and assignments. Students' use of the environment was logged, their subjectively experienced workload was measured on‐line, and their learning was assessed using a number of assessment procedures. Providing assignments with the simulation improved students' performance on one aspect of a so‐called intuitive knowledge test. Providing the students with model progression did not have an effect. A subjective workload measure indicated that expanding the simulation with assignments and model progression did not raise the workload experienced by the students. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 597–615, 1999     

Intermittent hypoxia exposure in a hypobaric chamber and erythropoietin abuse interpretation

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of intermittent hypoxia exposure on direct and indirect methods used to evaluate recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) misuse. Sixteen male triathletes were randomly assigned to either the intermittent hypoxia exposure group (experimental group) or the control normoxic group (control group). The members of the experimental group were exposed to simulated altitude (from 4000 to 5500 m) in a hypobaric chamber for 3 h per day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after the first and the final exposures, and again 2 weeks after the final exposure. While serum EPO significantly increased after the first [from a mean 8.3 IU x l(-1) (s = 3.2) to 16.6 IU x l(-1) (s = 4.7)] and final exposures [from 4.6 IU x l(-1) (s = 1.4) to 24.8 IU x l(-1) (s = 9.3)], haemoglobin, percentage of reticulocytes, and soluble transferrin receptor were not elevated. Second-generation ON/OFF models (indirect rhEPO misuse detection) were insensitive to intermittent hypoxia exposure. The distribution of the urinary EPO isoelectric profiles (direct rhEPO misuse detection) was altered after intermittent hypoxia exposure with a slight shift towards more basic isoforms. However, those shifts never resulted in misinterpretation of results. The intermittent hypoxia exposure protocol studied did not produce any false-positive result for indirect or direct detection of rhEPO misuse in spite of the changes in EPO serum concentrations and urinary EPO isoelectric profiles, respectively.