Non enzymatic glycosylation of IgG and their urinary excretion in patients with diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is a major cause of end stage renal disease. Increased excretion of albumin has widely been recognized as an early manifestation of diabetic nephropathy particularly in subjects with diabetes mellitus. However, certain other proteins besides albumin may be excreted in high amount during early phase of diabetic nephropathy. The serum and urinary IgG, Glycosylated hemoglobin, fructosamine and glycosylated IgG were evaluated in the present study. Thirty-two patients of Type 2 Diabetes without any complications, thirty-one patients of Type 2 Diabetes with nephropathy, twenty-six patients of non-diabetic nephropathy and forty normal healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. Subjects were grouped based on their serum creatinine level. Serum IgG, glycosylation of IgG and urinary IgG excretion were increased significantly in diabetic patients compared to healthy controls, which were further increased significantly in chronic renal failure patients with respect to the clinical stage of nephropathy. A positive correlation was observed between glycosylation of IgG and IgG excretion (R²=0.5995, 0.7114 respectively) in diabetic patients without any complications and diabetic nephropathy patients only, suggesting a significant role of IgG glycosylation in the vascular clearances of IgG during diabetic nephropathy.     

Clinical correlation of alteration of endogenous antioxidant-uric acid level in major depressive disorder

Derangement of antioxidant levels in major depressive disorder had been correlated with oxidative damage. The effect of Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors on endogenous antioxidant uric acid levels in major depressive disorder has never been examined. This was a prospective; open labeled, parallel, 12 weeks study, in which serum uric acid levels and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score were estimated in age and sex matched thirty-six healthy and forty major depressive disorder subjects before and after fluoxetine and citalopram treatment. Significant decrease in serum uric acid (P<0.0001) was observed in newly diagnosed major depressive disorder subjects when compared to healthy subjects. The trend was reversed after 6 weeks more significantly after 12 weeks of treatment with improvement in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score. Also, Significant and negative correlation was found between Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score and serum uric acid level (r= −0.864, P<0.001) after 12 weeks of treatment. Treatment with fluoxetine or citalopram reverses endogenous antioxidants like uric acid and improves Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score in major depressive disorder.     

Virtual worlds vs books and videos in history education

In this paper, we investigate an application of virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI) as a technological combination that has a potential to improve the learning experience and engage with the modern generation of students. To address this need, we have created a virtual reality replica of one of humanity's first cities, the city of Uruk and populated this city with AI-controlled 3D avatars, which re-enact everyday life of ancient Sumerians in the period around 3000 B.C. Our hypothesis is that by immersing students into this environment and allowing them to learn by browsing through it and interacting with its virtual citizens can be more engaging and motivating than simply reading the corresponding history text or watching an educational video. To confirm this assumption, we have designed a study with three groups of students. One group was given a historical text about Uruk and everyday life of its citizens (created by our subject matter experts), the second group was shown a documentary video on Uruk and the third group was immersed into virtual Uruk and engaged into interactions with its virtual inhabitants. The outcomes of the study suggest that not only did people in the third group provide much more positive qualitative feedback about the learning experience, but they also showed a better comprehension of the study material by performing (on average) 20% better than the first two groups on the mini-exam that was conducted as a part of this study.     

State literacies and inequality: Managing Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic

For decades, Haitians have immigrated to the Dominican Republic in search of a better life, yet such hopes have been elusive for many. Since the 1980s, in the midst of shifting economic and political conditions, changing interpretations of the Constitution have increasingly denied Dominican citizenship to children born to Haitians in the Dominican Republic. Drawing on qualitative interviews with people of Haitian descent, the article demonstrates how citizenship claims are textually mediated, and it examines how agents of the Dominican state exert authority over Haitian- and Dominican-born people of Haitian descent through literacy events and literacy practices. Specifically, we consider not only how the withholding of documents shaped immigrants’ lives but also how state agents selectively and arbitrarily interpreted documents, such as passports, visas, birth certificates, and national identity cards, based upon various factors, including witnesses to the social interaction, whether bribes were forthcoming, and the state agent's determination of the social and economic value of the document bearer. While dominant development discourses routinely suggest that literacy skills provide a protective factor and potentially redress inequality, we demonstrate that literacy events are yet another social interaction in which authorities with power easily impose their interpretations on vulnerable populations.     

Association Between Urinary IgG and Relative Risk for Factors Affecting Proteinuria in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Abnormal glomerular permeability is the primary step towards the glomerulosclerosis. The progression rate of glomerulosclerosis is proportionate to abundance and severity of lesions created at incipient stage, which is reflected as proteinuria even though eGFR remains in the normal range. Therefore, there is a current need to find out the association between relative risks for the factors leading to proteinuria. The relations could be more informative, if it is with respect to the macromolecules like “IgG” excretion in urine. Type 2 diabetic patients were selected for this study with eGFR > 75 ml/min/1.73 m² and grouped into four quartiles based on UIgGCR. The markers of key factors affecting progression of proteinuria were estimated through biochemical tests. The impact of these markers on proteinuria was accessed by applying multinomial logistic regression. The adjusted odds ratio for the UGAGCR was 1.186 (95 % CI: 1.061–1.327) P < 0.003 in highest quartiles of UIgGCR, followed by odds ratio for markers of collagen catabolism 1.051 (95 % CI: 1.025–1.079) P < 0.001, and USACR 1.044 (95 % CI: 1.013–1.077) P < 0.006 respectively. The marker of glycation, i.e., glycated hemoglobin showed the highest odds ratio 5.449 (95 % CI: 1.132–26.236) P < 0.035. In addition, odds for the systolic blood pressure was observed 1.387 (95 % CI: 1.124–1.712) P < 0.002. The higher odds inform and could help to discriminate the diabetic patients with fast progressive diabetic nephropathy. The study describes critical relationship between the urinary excretion of IgG and factors leading to proteinuria in type 2 diabetic patients.     

Science Academies Refresher Course in condensed matter and statistical physics February 28–March 13, 2011

Information and Announcements

Science Academies Refresher Course in condensed matter and statistical physics February 28–March 13, 2011     

The effects of Common Knowledge Construction Model sequence of lessons on science achievement and relational conceptual change

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Common Knowledge Construction Model (CKCM) lesson sequence, an intervention based both in conceptual change theory and in Phenomenography, a subset of conceptual change theory. A mixed approach was used to investigate whether this model had a significant effect on 7th grade students' science achievement and conceptual change. The Excretion Unit Achievement Test (EUAT) indicated that students (N = 33) in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores (p < 0.001) than students in the control group (N = 35) taught by traditional teaching methods. Qualitative analysis of students' pre‐ and post‐teaching conceptions of excretion revealed (1) the addition and deletion of ideas from pre‐ to post‐teaching; (2) the change in the number of students within categories of ideas; (3) the replacement of everyday language with scientific labels; and (4) the difference in the complexity of students' responses from pre‐ to post‐teaching. These findings contribute to the literature on teaching that incorporates students' conceptions and conceptual change. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 25–46, 2010     

Hyperammonemia and hepatic status during valproate therapy

The present study was conducted to assess correlation of ammonia levels with valproate levels in epileptic patients presenting with valproate toxicity and also whether liver enzymes and ammonia levels could serve as biochemical marker of valproate toxicity. 100 patients with epilepsy who had received valproate therapy for more than 12 months and had presented with valproate toxicity and 100 controls were included in the study. The serum valproate, ammonia and liver enzymes were measured in these subjects. In patients with valproate toxicity, the mean level of serum valproate was 110.91 ± 28.68 mg/dL (therapeutic range 50–100 mg/dL). Serum ammonia was higher (86.37 ± 39.90 μg/dL) in patients with valproate toxicity compared to controls (68.73 ± 30.07 μg/dL). Out of 100 patients, only 37 patients had serum valproate level > 120 mg/dL and 22 patients had raised levels of valproate as well as ammonia. Age < 30 years and serum ammonia > 69 μg/dL is risk factors for valproate toxicity. Serum ammonia, liver enzymes should be regularly investigated in patients on valproate therapy for early diagnosis of valproate toxicity.     

Iron deficiency and anemia in vegetarian mothers and their newborns

Blood haemoglobin, serum iron, iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation and ferritin levels were determined in two groups of mothers as well as their cords—strict vegetarians (lactovegetarians) and non-vegetarians (omnivores), closely comparable in age, weight, parity and gestation period but differing in their diet and food habits. All these parameters, except total iron binding capacity, were found to be significantly lower in vegetarian mothers and their cords as compared to nonvegetarian mothers and their cords, respectively, despite receiving supplemental iron for six months. Further, there was a greater incidence of anemia and iron deficiency in mothers consuming only vegetarian diet. Moreover, a significant correlation existed between mother's ferritin to cord ferritin confirming that maternal iron deficiency does affect neonatal iron status. All these observations suggest that strict vegetarian mothers as well as their newborns have a greater incidence and risk of anemia and iron deficiency.     

Effect of ageing on some free radical scavengers and the metabolic consequences in rats

Activities of antioxidant enzymes involved oxygen free radical metabolism in the liver and lung were investigated in 2,4, and 30 months old Wistar albino rats. The levels of SOD, GSH-Px, GSH and protein-SH were decreased whereas MDA increased, in the liver as well as the lung of the old rats (30 months old) compared to the young rats (2 and 4 months old). The data suggests that the failure of the free radical protective mechanism may be one of the important contributors to the process of ageing.