Regulation of metabolic pathways in liver and kidney during experimental diabetes: Effects of antidiabetic compounds

Diabetes has been classified as a disease of glucose overproduction by tissues, mainly liver and glucose underutilization by insulin requiring tissues like liver, adipose and muscle due to lack of insulin. There is, however, glucose over utilization in tissues not dependent on insulin for glucose transport like kidney, nerve and brain. There are serious complications due to this excess glucose in these tissues and their reversal is important for a good metabolic control and normalisation of other parameters. Insulin, trace metals and some plant extracts have been used to see the reversal effects of the complications of diabetes in liver and kidney in experimental diabetes. Almost complete reversal of the metabolic changes has been achieved in the activities of key enzymes of metabolic pathways in liver and kidney and an effective glucose control has been achieved suggesting a combination of therapies in the treatment of metabolic disturbance of the diabetic state.     

Can Spelling Checkers Help the Novice Writer?

This paper argues that one type of text analyser—the spelling checker—can help non-proficient writers. 16 students in a Singapore classroom wrote compositions by hand for one month; the following month they composed their compositions directly on the computer. Observations of students' composing behaviours and a comparison of the lexis used in two students' hand-written and computer essays show that students use the spelling checker for two functions: (a) word-correction, in which they locate and correct some of their spelling errors, and (b) word-generation, in which they use the spelling checker to generate words that are in their receptive but not their productive vocabularies. The spelling checker benefits those students whose initial writing ability is poor and whose writing is blocked by an emphasis on the mechanical aspects of writing.     

The potential of Accelerated Learning Programmes (ALPs) for conflict-ridden countries and regions: Lessons learned from an experience in Iraq

International Review of Education - Accelerated learning programmes (ALPs) provide a fast-track second-chance opportunity to complete formal education, enabling disadvantaged children and youth to...     

Great experiments in physics

Accurate measurement of angular sizes of stars became possible with the advent of stellar interferometry pioneered by Michelson and Pease which was limited to only the brightest giant stars. Only with the discovery of a new effect, by Hanbury Brown and Twiss, the measurement of stellar sizes became possible for a large number of stars. This method named after them had far reaching applications in nuclear and high energy physics.     

Immunomonitoring followed by optimal dec therapy for successful management of clinical filariasis in an endemic area

Lymphatic filariasis continues to be the major cause of clinical morbidity in India and other developing tropical countries. One of the major lacunae in the effective management of clinical filarial cases is the non-availability of a suitable diagnostic test for confirming filaria aetiology in acute, chronic and occult clinical cases where microfilariae (mf) are not usually seen in peripheral circulation. Studies in our laboratory have shown the usefulness of filarial antibody and antigen assays using microfilarial excretory-secretory (mf ES) antigen in detecting microfilaraemic, acute and chronic filarial cases and in confirming filarial aetiology in occult infections. Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) is the drug of choice for lymphatic filariasis. Different regimens of DEC have been explored in the treatment of microfilaraemic cases. Immunomonitoring has shown that the seroconversion of antigen and antibody positivity was found to be very helpful in determining appropriate period of DEC treatment for clinical relief and cure in clinical filarial patients and further they did not have recurrence in most of the cases. Optimal DEC (6mg/kg body wt/day for 21 days each month for 3–12 months) therapy was found to be very effective in acute and atypical clinical manifestations such as asthmatic bronchitis, pulmonary eosinophilia, monoarthritis, recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (URI), pneumonia (super imposed infections) in children and minimal hydrocele, epididymoorchitis, lymphangitis, lymphadenitis, acute abdomen, central serous retinopathy, tenosynovitis, pain and swelling in limbs and joints in adults living in filaria endemic areas.     

Meeting the Challenge of Professional Development: Design and Evaluation of a Telecommunications Mediated Course in Science,Mathematics, and Technology Education

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

A Dual Approach to a Linear Smoothing Problem

In this paper, the continuous-time linear Gaussian smoothing problem is investigated by utilizing a dual approach. It is shown that the smoothing problem is a dual of an optimal regulator with a jump condition on the trajectory. By solving the dual optimal control problem, basic results established earlier on this smoothing problem are derived in a simpler way. Results are also obtained for the discrete-time linear smoothing Gaussian problem.     

An Integrated Approach of the Potential Underlying Molecular Mechanistic Paradigms of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Coagulopathy

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a pandemic disease which has affected more than 6.2 million people globally, with numbers mounting considerably daily. However, till date, no specific treatment modalities are available for Covid-19 and also not much information is known about this disease. Recent studies have revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with the generation of thrombosis and coagulopathy. Fundamentally, it has been believed that a diverse array of signalling pathways might be responsible for the activation of coagulation cascade during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Henceforth, a detailed understanding of these probable underlying molecular mechanistic pathways causing thrombosis in Covid-19 disease deserves an urgent exploration. Therefore, in this review, the hypothetical crosstalk between distinct signalling pathways including apoptosis, inflammation, hypoxia and angiogenesis attributable for the commencement of thrombotic events during SARS-CoV-2 infection has been addressed which might further unravel promising therapeutic targets in Covid-19 disease.