MRI diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of spleen in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

ADC value of the diffusion weighted imaging is a measure of the perfusion of the organ. Portal hypertension (PH) is one of the essential manifestations of chronic liver disease. It was used in previous studies to assess indirectly assessing the fibrosis of the liver. However no studies have evaluated the ADC value of the spleen to assess the PH features in cirrhosis. We did a preliminary study to find the difference in ADC mapping of normal and cirrhotic patients. Then we analyzed the correlation of ADC value of the spleen in cirrhotic patients, to the severity of PH in the form of clinically significant PH (CSPH) and also the surrogate markers of PH. Materials and Methods: We prospectively evaluated 51 patients with chronic liver disease/ cirrhosis and 15 normal liver function patients in our hospital from the month of June 2014 to September 2014 with DWI of the abdomen.Their clinical and laboratory parameters were noted. Using 1.5 tesla, diffusion weighted imaging with ADC mapping was performed with b value of 0, 300, 500 and the ADC value of the spleen and liver were calculated . They were correlated with the severity of the PH in terms of CSPH and PH surrogate markers. Results: We found significant difference between the ADC mapping of the spleen in normal and cirrhotic patients ( ADC of the spleen is increased in cirrhotics). In chronic liver disease / cirrhotic patients, we also found a significant correlation between ADC value of the spleen and CSPH, as well as PH surrogate markers in the form of grade of esophageal varices and symptomatic hypersplenism. However the ADC of the liver alone correlated significantly with the severity of liver diseases ( Child Pugh status and MELD) Conclusion : Our study showed that ADC value of the spleen correlated well with the severity of PH. ADC measurements may allow for noninvasive evaluation of portal pressure and even in assessment of treatment response

ANTIDIABETIC AND ANTIHYPERLIPIDAEMIC ACTIVITY OF SONERILA TINNEVELLIENSIS FISCHER WHOLE PLANT IN ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Objective: The ethanol extract of Sonerila tinnevelliensis Fischer whole plant was investigated for its antidiabetic and antihyperlipidaemic effect in Wistar Albino rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced in Albino rats by administration of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg, i. p). The ethanol extracts of S. tinnevelliensis at a dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg of body weight were administered at single dose per day to diabetes induced rats for a period of 14 d. The effect of ethanol extract of S. tinnevelliensis whole plant extract on blood glucose, plasma insulin, creatinine, urea, glycosylated haemoglobin, serum lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein–cholesterol (VLDL-C), high density lipoprotein–cholesterol (HDL-C) and phospholipid (PL)] serum protein, albumin, globulin, serum enzymes [serum glutamate pyruvate transaminases (SGPT), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminases (SGOT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)] were measured in the diabetic rats. Results: The ethanol extract of S. tinnevelliensis whole plant elicited significant reductions of blood glucose (p<0.05), lipid parameters except HDL-C, serum enzymes and significantly increased HDL-C. The extracts also caused significant increase in plasma insulin (p<0.05) in the diabetic rats. Conclusion: The ethanol extracts of S. tinnevelliensis whole plant possesses significant antidiabetic and antihyperlipidaemic effects in alloxan induced diabetic rats

The Magnetoelastic Distortion of Multiferroic BiFeO3_3 in the Canted Antiferromagnetic State

Using THz spectroscopy, we show that the spin-wave spectrum of multiferroic BiFeO$_3$ in its high-field canted antiferromagnetic state is well described by a spin model that violates rhombohedral symmetry. We demonstrate that the monoclinic distortion of the canted antiferromagnetic state is induced by the single-ion magnetoelastic coupling between the lattice and the two nearly anti-parallel spins. The revised spin model for BiFeO$_3$ contains two new single-ion anisotropy terms that violate rhombohedral symmetry and depend on the direction of the magnetic field.Comment: 28 pages (main & supplementary), 2 figures (main article), 15 figures (supplementary material

A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE OF POLY CYSTIC OVARIAN DISEASE AMONG GIRLS IN A SELECTED COLLEGE AT KANCHEEPURAM DISTRICT, TAMILNADU

A descriptive study to assess the knowledge of poly cystic ovarian disease among girls in a selected college at Kancheepuram District, Tamilnadu. 140 samples were selected by using convenience sampling technique. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess the knowledge of poly cystic ovarian disease. The result showed that 0.71% of the girls had excellent knowledge 2.14% of the girls had very good knowledge,0% of the girls had good knowledge, 13.57% of the girls had average knowledge, 83.7% of the girls had below average knowledge