Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity of methanolic leaf extract of Morinda lucida on alloxan induced diabetic rats

Healthy male wistar rats(30) of average weight of 150 – 190gm were randomly distributed into 5 gr. oups of six each. Group 1, normal control; each given only 0.2ml distilled water throughout the period of study; group 2 diabetic control, induced 150mg/kg b.w., i.p., administration of alloxan monohydrate and thereafter given 0.2ml distilled water throughout the period of study; group 3 and 4 diabetic (i.p., 150mg/kg b.w. alloxan), rats were orally administered methanolic leaf extract of Morinda lucida at 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg respectively for 15 days. Group 5 diabetic rat (i.p., 150mg/kg b.w. alloxan) were treated with 84mg/kg /b.w. of chlorpropamide once daily for 15 days. Serum glucose levels were found to decrease significantly (p<0.05) both in groups 3 and 4 compared to the control groups. Hypolipidemic status was found to improved significantly (p<0.05) by decreasing the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs) and low density hypoprotein (LDL) in both the treated groups compared to the control groups. These reductions were dose dependant and compared well with the values obtained in the standard drug control group. Thus, results of the study indicate that Morinda lucida methanolic leaf extract can be potentially used for diabetics to control glucose and lipid levels.Keywords: Morinda lucida, Diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemic effect, hypolipidemic effect, chlorpropamide, alloxan monohydrat

Risk factors and knowledge of Brucella infection in camels, attitudes and practices of camel handlers in Katsina State, Nigeria

The study was conducted to determine the risk factors to brucellosis in one-humped (Dromedary) camels and to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of camel handlers to Brucellosis in Katsina State, Nigeria. Camels in herds and those brought to the abattoir for slaughter in the north and central senatorial districts of Katsina State were sampled for the study. Structured questionnaires were administered to determine knowledge, attitude and practices of camel handlers to camel brucellosis in Katsina state, Nigeria Modified Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Serum Agglutination Test (SAT) with EDTA were used as screening and standard tests respectively. Out of a total of 980 camel sera tested, 11.2% and 10.5% were positive with RBPT and SAT, respectively. Female had OD 1.758 (95% CI = 1.157 – 2.669, p = 0.008) more chances of getting infected than males camels. There was statistical significant association (ᵡ2= 7.189, p = 0.007) observed in the prevalence rates in favour of females. It was also observed that camels of age group 16-20 years showed highest prevalence to brucellosis. There was statistical significant association (ᵡ2 = 13.602, p = 0.009) observed in the prevalence rates according to age. It was determined that there is very poor knowledge of camel brucellosis amongst stakeholders as a result they had a "lassez faire" attitude towards the disease and no practices towards prevention of infection either to them or their animals. There is the need to carry out awareness campaigns to enlighten camel owners, herdsmen, abattoir staff about the dangers of poor hygiene during meat and milk processing, the importance of use of protective clothing when carrying out these operations and the dangers of zoonotic diseases and the dangers of consumption of unpasteurized camel milk and milk products, the public health significance of the brucellosis and that there is the need to develop a strategic plan to decrease spread of brucellosis in the study area.Keywords: Brucella, Seroprevalence, Camels, KAP, Risk Factor

Modelling the Milky Way as a dry Galaxy

GalaxiesComputational astrophysic

Impact of bar resonances in the velocity-space distribution of the solar neighbourhood stars in a self-consistent N-body galactic disc simulation

Computational astrophysic

Particle density fluctuations

Event-by-event fluctuations in the multiplicities of charged particles and photons at SPS energies are discussed. Fluctuations are studied by controlling the centrality of the reaction and rapidity acceptance of the detectors. Results are also presented on the event-by-event study of correlations between the multiplicity of charged particles and photons to search for DCC-like signals.Comment: Talk presented at Quark Matter 2002, Nantes, Franc

Suppression of High-p_T Neutral Pion Production in Central Pb+Pb Collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 17.3 GeV Relative to p+C and p+Pb Collisions

Neutral pion transverse momentum spectra were measured in p+C and p+Pb collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 17.4 GeV at mid-rapidity 2.3 < eta_lab < 3.0 over the range 0.7< p_T < 3.5 GeV/c. The spectra are compared to pi0 spectra measured in Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 17.3 GeV in the same experiment. For a wide range of Pb+Pb centralities (N_part < 300) the yield of pi0's with p_T > 2 GeV/c is larger than or consistent with the p+C or p+Pb yields scaled with the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions (N_coll), while for central Pb+Pb collisions with N_part > 350 the pi0 yield is suppressed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Search for DCC in 158A GeV Pb+Pb Collisions

A detailed analysis of the phase space distributions of charged particles and photons have been carried out using two independent methods. The results indicate the presence of nonstatistical fluctuations in localized regions of phase space.Comment: Talk at the PANIC99 Conference, June 9-16, 199

Pion Freeze-Out Time in Pb+Pb Collisions at 158 A GeV/c Studied via pi-/pi+ and K-/K+ Ratios

The effect of the final state Coulomb interaction on particles produced in Pb+Pb collisions at 158 A GeV/c has been investigated in the WA98 experiment through the study of the pi-/pi+ and K-/K+ ratios measured as a function of transverse mass. While the ratio for kaons shows no significant transverse mass dependence, the pi-/pi+ ratio is enhanced at small transverse mass values with an enhancement that increases with centrality. A silicon pad detector located near the target is used to estimate the contribution of hyperon decays to the pi-/pi+ ratio. The comparison of results with predictions of the RQMD model in which the Coulomb interaction has been incorporated allows to place constraints on the time of the pion freeze-out.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figure

Present Status and Future of DCC Analysis

Disoriented Chiral Condensates (DCC) have been predicted to form in high energy heavy ion collisions where the approximate chiral symmetry of QCD has been restored. This leads to large imbalances in the production of charged to neutral pions. Sophisticated analysis methods are being developed to disentangle DCC events out of the large background of events with conventionally produced particles. We present a short review of current analysis methods and future prospects.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. Invited talk presented at the 13th International Conference on Ultrarelativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (Quark Matter 97), Tsukuba, Japan, 1-5 Dec 199