Sensitivity analysis in statistics teaching

The need to encourage what if questions for statistical thinking in a classroom environment is stressed in this article.     

Serum markers for early diagnosis of non-‘Q’ wave and ‘Q’ wave myocardial infarction

The present study conducted on twenty-five uncomplicated cases of acute myocardial infarction diagnosed by clinical and electrocardiographic findings indicated significantly increased level of cardiac Troponin-T and increased activities of the enzymes total creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, aspartate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase as compared to the twenty-five healthy control subjects. The level of cardiac Troponin-T and the activities of the enzymes total creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, aspartate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase was found to be higher in “Q” wave myocardial infarction patients as compared to the non-“Q” wave and the controls. Since cardiac Troponin-T has been shown to increase in unstable angina and renal failure without cardiac disease and creatine kinase-MB activity has been found to be normal in patients with unstable angina and increase very slightly in patients with renal failure, it was concluded that a combination of cardiac Troponin-T and creatine kinase-MB activity was sufficient for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.     

A Retrospective View of the Countrywide Classroom in India

The introduction of television in conventional higher education has been experimented with worldwide since the early 1950s. Several ways of putting television to effective use in higher education have been developed. One of the successful educational projects in the developing countries is the Countrywide Classroom Project in India. The traditional educational system at all levels remains compartmentalized which makes it necessary to use new and innovative means of education. With the intention of overcoming some of the numerous obstacles to knowledge and learning in the Indian context, the University Grants Commission initiated a unique educational experiment‐‐the Countrywide Classroom‐‐in 1984. Beginning with 1 hour of telecast of Countrywide Classroom programmes on all working days in Doordarshan, India's National Public Service Television network, it has now evolved to 20 hours of telecast per week. Over a period of time, a decentralized production system, using countrywide creative talent, came into being. The Countrywide Classroom has created a niche audience of youth and adults in cities, small towns and remote areas devoid of adequate educational facilities. This paper presents a discussion of the Countrywide Classroom Project, its infrastructure, production, transmission, limitations and future directions.     

在图像处理上做高性能离散傅立叶变换

我们介绍了一种利用高性能GPU来进行傅立叶变换的算法,包括级联式混合维数数FFT算法,无论是2的次幂大小或非2的次幂大小的。我们的级联式嘴法采用Stocldaam公式有效地利用了GPU的共享内存。我们通过把装置转换成基于块的多肿算法从而减小了内存装置的开销。对于非2次幂大小的情况,我们综合利用了小质数混合基FFr和Bluestein算法。     

Hyperhomocysteinemia: An emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease

Conclusion  There is considerable epidemiological evidence, which confirms the importance of plasma homocysteine as a powerful predictor of future risk of coronary heart disease and other complications of atherosclerosis. Treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia varies with the underlying cause. However, an inexpensive vitamin supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B 6 is generally effective in reducing homocysteine concentrations. Several randomised, controlled trials evaluating the effects of folic acid based supplements on homocysteine concentrations have been conducted over the last decade. In most patients, folic acid alone, and in combination of vitamin B12 and B6, has been shown to reduce homocysteine concentrations within four to six weeks after the initiation of therapy (34). However, no study has yet demonstrated that lowering of homocysteine by vitamin supplementation decreases the cardiovascular morbidity or mortality. Avoidance of excessive meat intake and increased consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits is a dietary measure, which has many health benefits, including a potential to reduce elevated homocysteine levels. The other reasonable approach is to determine levels of fasting homocysteine in high risk patients and it may be advisable to increase their intake of vitamin fortified foods and/or to suggest the daily use of supplemental vitamins. Several large scale randomised trials like Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE-2) Study, Mcmaster University, Canada, Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine (SERCH), Clinical Trial Service Unit, Oxford, U.K, Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study (CHAOS-2) University of Cambridge, U.K, Bergen Vitamin Study, University of Bergen Norway, Women's Antioxidant and Cardiovascular Disease Study (WACS) Harvard Medical School, U.S.A, Prevention with a combined inhibitor and folate in Coronary Heart Disease (PACIFIC) study, University of Sydney, Australia, and many others are ongoing to assess the effect of homocysteine—lowering by vitamin supplementation on risk of vascular disease.     

Risk prediction—Homocysteine in Coronary Heart Disease

Majority of patients who experience a Coronary Heart disease event have one or more of the conventional risk factors for atherosclerosis and so do many people who have not yet experienced such an event. Thus predictive models based on conventional risk factors have lower than the desired accuracy, providing a stimulus to search for new factors to predict accurately the risk of CHD. In this regard newer risk factors like homocysteine, Lp(a), insulin resistances are the important ones and are called as ‘novel risk factors’. The study was undertaken to find the prediction of CHD risk by homocysteine in comparison with other conventional risk factors. The data obtained suggests a very high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy with above 90% positive prediction value for homocysteine in CHD patients when compared to commonest conventional risk factors.     

Relationship Between Fetal Loss and Serum Gonadal Hormones Level in Experimental Antiphospholipid Syndrome Mouse

To investigate the effects of antiphospholipid antibodies on establishment of pregnancy and changes in hormones such as estradiol-17ß (E₂) and progesterone (P) levels in circulation. Hence, mice were immunized with human β2-Glycoprotein I (β2GPI) and the effect of these antibodies on fetuses weight, placental obsrvation, Serum levels of P and E₂ in pregnant mice, hematological were observed. Immunization of mice with human β₂-GPI resulted in elevated levels of antiphospholipid antibodies. The experimentally induced antiphospholipid syndrome mouse showed higher rate of fetal resorption, low number of viable fetuses, and “placental abnormalities”. In these animals, serum E₂ and P levels were reduced significantly. In addition, the blood cell variation among APS induced and control mice were determined. No significant variations were observed in number of Red Blood Cell count, White Blood Cell count and Hemoglobin content, while platelet number was significantly reduced as compared to control. These results clearly demonstrate that human β₂-GPI might be involved in causing gestational failure in APS by exerting their effect on serum hormones.