Development of ITS sequence-based markers to distinguish Berberis aristata DC. from B. lycium Royle and B. asiatica Roxb.

The stems of Berberis aristata DC. (Berberidaceae) are used in the South Asian traditional medicine as a key ingredient in formulations for eye care, skin diseases, jaundice, rheumatism and also in diabetes. B. lycium Royle and B. asiatica Roxb. are traded as equivalents of B. aristata. Conventional macro-morphology and microscopic examination does not aid in critically distinguishing the three species. DNA markers were developed by amplifying and sequencing the complete internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, 5.8S rRNA and ITS2) from the genomic DNA, using universal primers. The markers developed are efficient and reliable in authenticating B. aristata, B. asiatica and B. lycium. These are useful as molecular pharmacognostic tool in quality control of raw drugs

IT for Creativity in Problem Formulation

Creativity is fostered by distributed cognitive activity as individuals interact with artifacts and with each other, often with the aid of artifacts. In this design science research-in-progress, we describe a software artifact known as Theory Garden that was developed to facilitate distributed cognitive activity. We detail an experimental process through which we are assessing the potential for this artifact to facilitate creative outcomes in the context of problem formulation. The experiment involves two different phases: one that addresses managerial problem definition, and one that deals with the requirements processes of software development teams. We conclude with potential implications of this research, should we find evidence that Theory Garden software does support more creative outcomes

Book Review (My Life with the Taliban )

My Life with the Taliban’ is the autobiography (written in 21 small chapters along with an epilogue and assisted by Character List in the beginning and a Chronolgyy and Glossory at the end) of Abdul Salam Zaeef who was the Taliban’s ambassador to Pakistan in 2001 and one of the most well-known faces of the movement following the 9-11 attacks and a principal actor in its domestic and foreign affairs.. The book has been translated for the first time from the Pashto, which shares more than a personal history of an unusual life. The recent history of Afghanistan is the focus of this traumatic life story. It is an account about how a poor village boy ended up being the ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, and thus being kidnapped; in defiance to all human and international conventions, and remained under arrest in Guantanamo, returning to Kabul in 2005 as a so- called reconciled Taliban to be used by the Afghan government as a conduit for talks. There he regrew his long black beard, acquired an iPhone and wrote this memoir.&nbsp

Patient leadership: Taking patient experience to the next level?

NHS England commissioned the project described in this article to explore how patients and carers can, acting as leaders, make a real difference in improving experience of care. The work was carried out on a collaborative basis, co-designing the scope of the research with patient leaders and commissioners. We gathered case examples across England that had involved patient leaders in using patient and carer feedback to improve experience of care. A Patient Leaders Expert Advisory Group selected four case examples that were visited to undertake a more detailed study and subsequently discussed and agreed the key learning points and conclusions. The Advisory Group chair provided a patient leader view on the project. The main learning points were that in order for patient leadership to have a significant impact on improving experience of care, health organisations should invest in patient leaders, put robust feedback mechanisms in place and develop the culture and systems to act on feedback. Our findings identified ten building blocks that provide a basis for success, including a set of key roles across systems. Our conclusion is that patient and carer leaders can raise the profile of improving experience of care and have a real impact on action being taken in response to patient and carer feedback

A stabilized discontinuous Galerkin method for variational embedding of physics-based data

A stabilized variational framework that admits overlapping as well as non overlapping coupling of domains for a variety of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) is employed in this work. This method accommodates non-matching meshes across the interfaces between the subdomain boundaries and allows for sharp changes in mechanical material properties. Interface coupling operators that emanate via embedding of Discontinuous Galerkin ideas in the continuous Galerkin framework provide a unique avenue to embed physics-based data in the modeling and analysis of the system. Physics-based data, either in discrete or in distributed form can be embedded via the interface operators that are otherwise devised to enforce continuity of the fields across internal discontinuities. The least-squares form of the interface coupling operators is exploited for its inherent linear regression type structure, and it is shown that it helps improve the overall accuracy of the numerical solution. Method is applicable to multi-PDE class of problems wherein different PDEs are operational on adjacent domains across the common interface. The method also comes equipped with a residual based error estimation method which is shown to be applicable to test problems employed. Different test cases are employed to investigate the mathematical attributes of the method

BOOK REVIEW (My Forbidden Face)

The book under review “My Forbidden Face” has been written by a young Afghan woman from Kabul under the pen name of Latifa, on the account of security. She and her family had death threats and she had to be careful as she still had friends and families back in Afghanistan, who faithfully recorded events over a five-year period as they happened to her and her family in their country (Afghanistan) after it was taken over by the Taliban. It was written after her and her family's escape to France in May 2001 and was brought to Europe in an operation organized by a French-based Afghan resistance group and Elle Magazine. Since then she has been writing My Forbidden Face in collaboration with Chekeba Hachemi, They both live in Paris. This is her first book. Written in seven small chapters, along with an afterword, the book gives an unusual information, as according to Latifa, though she was well-off, so things were seen from a different perspective, than the underprivileged yet she also faced subjugation. This book is a true, gloomy and brutal saga of many violations of human rights towards women in Afghanistan and an informative description of the political overthrow by the Taliban, the rapid revolution of terror and chaos to sustain control and suffocate its citizens.&nbsp

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

Book Revie

Benign Metastatic Leiomyoma Presenting as a Hemothorax

Uterine leiomyomas have been reported to metastasize to various organs including the lungs, skeletal muscles, bone marrow, peritoneum, and heart. They may present with symptoms related to the metastases several years after hysterectomy. These tumors regress after menopause, and it is rare to detect active tumors in postmenopausal women. Despite their ability to metastasize, they are considered to be benign due to the lack of anaplasia. Pulmonary benign metastasizing leiomyoma is usually detected in the form of pulmonary nodules incidentally on imaging. Tissue biopsy of these nodules is required to identify them as benign metastasizing leiomyomas. Immunohistochemical analysis and molecular profiling may further help detect any malignant transformation in it. Untreated pulmonary benign metastasizing leiomyoma may result in the formation of cystic structures, destruction of lung parenchyma, and hemothorax and may cause respiratory failure. Surgical resection and hormonal therapy help prevent progression of this disease and provide an avenue for a cure