Hepatoprotective studies of aqueous leaf and root extracts of Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn. against ethanol induced hepatic stress in rats

The liver is of vital importance in intermediary metabolism and in the elimination of toxic substances. To maintain the liver in a healthy condition is crucial for overall wellbeing of an individual.  A number of plants have been the sources of raw materials for various drug formulations used to treat liver ailments. Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn., is one of the medicinal plant used in Ayurveda which is well-known to have hepatoprotective property. In the present study, the hepatoprotection of aqueous leaf (LWBA) and root (RWBA) extracts of B.  acutangula, at doses 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg were evaluated on ethanol induced hepatic damage in Wistar strain, male albino rats (150-200 g body weight). The liver protective efficacy of the extracts was indicated by reduced levels of serum enzymes, bilirubin, lipid peroxidation and improvement in glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase and protein content in a dose dependent manner. The results obtained in the enzyme assays were supported by the histopathological observations. The findings shows that the LWBA extract has better hepatoprotection against ethanol induced liver injury than RWBA extract and also justify the Ayurvedic applications of B. acutangula in the management of liver diseases

Hepatoprotective studies of aqueous leaf and root extracts of Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn. against ethanol induced hepatic stress in rats

152-157The liver is of vital importance in intermediary metabolism and in the elimination of toxic substances. To maintain the liver in a healthy condition is crucial for overall wellbeing of an individual.  A number of plants have been the sources of raw materials for various drug formulations used to treat liver ailments. Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn., is one of the medicinal plant used in Ayurveda which is well-known to have hepatoprotective property. In the present study, the hepatoprotection of aqueous leaf (LWBA) and root (RWBA) extracts of B.  acutangula, at doses 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg were evaluated on ethanol induced hepatic damage in Wistar strain, male albino rats (150-200 g body weight). The liver protective efficacy of the extracts was indicated by reduced levels of serum enzymes, bilirubin, lipid peroxidation and improvement in glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase and protein content in a dose dependent manner. The results obtained in the enzyme assays were supported by the histopathological observations. The findings shows that the LWBA extract has better hepatoprotection against ethanol induced liver injury than RWBA extract and also justify the Ayurvedic applications of B. acutangula in the management of liver diseases

COLORECTAL CANCER AND ITS RISK FACTORS AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN SOUTHERN KARNATAKA, INDIA

Objective: To determine the association between certain socio-demographic and life style factors with colorectal cancer.Methods: This case-control study was conducted using a pre-designed questionnaire among 100 incident colorectal cancer patients and 200 unmatched controls attending a tertiary care hospital in southern Karnataka. Cases and the controls were interviewed and details regarding their socio-demographic factors were collected. Information on lifestyle factors such as dietary habits, physical activity levels and substance use were documented. They were also assessed for presence of existing co-morbidities and family history of colorectal and other cancers. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the association between various risk factors and colorectal cancer.Results: In the present hospital based study, mean age of the participants was less than 55 years. Sixty three percent of the cases and 54.5% of the controls were males. On multivariable analysis age ≥50years (OR=1.87; 95%CI=1.02-3.45), low physical activity (OR=5.66; 95%CI=3.10-10.34) and low frequency of fruits consumption (OR=4.10; 95%CI=2.21-7.50) and hypertension (OR= 4.65; 95% CI=1.32-16.44) showed a positive association with colorectal cancer.Conclusion: Promoting healthy dietary practices and physical activity among the middle aged population appears to be significant in the context of colorectal cancer prevention in the Indian subcontinent.Keywords: Colorectal cancer, Case–control, Risk factors, Lifestyle, Comorbidities

Approaches to learning and academic performance in pharmacology among second-year undergraduate medical students = Abordagens de aprendizagem e desempenho acadêmico em farmacologia entre estudantes de medicina do segundo ano

OBJETIVOS: Investigar a abordagem de aprendizagem de estudantes de medicina do segundo ano de graduação e se uma abordagem superficial ou profunda teve alguma correlação com as notas obtidas na disciplina de farmacologia e nos exames universitários. MÉTODOS: Um estudo transversal foi conduzido entre estudantes do segundo ano de medicina em seu quinto semestre. Para determinar a abordagem de aprendizagem dos alunos, como superficial ou profunda, usamos o questionário Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F), que contém 20 itens em forma de uma escala Likert de cinco pontos, sendo o seu uso adequado para ambientes de ensino superior. O alfa de Cronbach foi calculado usando as pontuações obtidas de uma amostra de 20 alunos para determinar a consistência interna. Para determinar a relação entre a abordagem de aprendizagem e as pontuações do exame, calculou-se a média das notas dos exames individuais e as pontuações dos exames universitários obtidas pelos alunos. RESULTADOS: Dos 170 alunos que participaram do estudo, 87 (51,2%) eram do gênero feminino. O alpha de Cronbach foi considerado bom tanto para a abordagem superficial quanto profunda. Enquanto o desempenho acadêmico foi significativamente melhor em mulheres (U=2571,5; p=0,001), nenhuma diferença baseada no gênero foi observada na abordagem de aprendizagem. Cinquenta (29,4%) estudantes tiveram uma pontuação mais alta para a abordagem superficial. Esse grupo teve escores de exame mais baixos em comparação com aqueles com escores iguais para abordagem superficial e profunda ou escores mais altos para a abordagem profunda. Uma fraca correlação negativa foi observada entre as notas do exame e a abordagem superficial (τb=-0,167; p=0,002). Quando analisada com base no gênero, encontrou-se uma correlação de magnitude fraca e negativa apenas no gênero feminino (τb=-0,173; p=0,02). CONCLUSÕES: Uma fraca correlação negativa foi observada entre as notas do exame e a abordagem superficial para a aprendizagem. Embora estatisticamente significativa, a diferença real entre os grupos foi de pequena magnitude. Portanto, se a promoção de uma abordagem de aprendizagem profunda melhora o desempenho acadêmico em termos de notas obtidas no exame, isso precisa ser confirmado por outros estudo

Influence of fabric orientation and compression factor on the mechanical properties of 3D E-glass reinforced epoxy composites

3-D E-glass fabric reinforced epoxy composites at 6 mm thickness were fabricated for various orientations of the binder yarn viz. 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° respectively. Tensile, flexural, interlaminar shear stress tests were conducted to ascertain the influence of binder yarn orientation on the mechanical properties of the composites. The composites with 0° binder yarn orientation showed the best strength followed by 90° whilst the others showed highly depleted traits in comparison. Shear stress induced at the interface of each lamina was seen as the major reason for drop in the strength. A secondary study was carried out to explore the effect of compression factor during fabrication on the mechanical properties of the composites. Laminates with varying thickness namely, 4 mm, 5 mm and 7 mm but, with same number of plies of 3D E-glass fabric at 0° orientation were fabricated. The test results were compared with the results of 6 mm composites from the primary study. The results showed that, compression factor affected the mechanical properties of the composites and had a direct relation with increasing compression factor up to a certain value beyond which a drop in properties was seen. Composites pressed to a thickness of 5 mm showed the best properties. Drop in properties was attributed to close packing of reinforcement and crushing of fibres leading to inefficient stress transfer. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to understand the modes of failure. The major failure modes observed were delamination, matrix cracking and debonding. Based on the results obtained, these composites can be seen as a material system for applications like ballistic armours, structural renovations and automobile components

Crossword puzzles versus Student-Led Objective Tutorials (SLOT) as innovative pedagogies in undergraduate medical education

AIMS: Small group teaching in Pharmacology offers an effective platform to encourage interaction amongst peers and self-directed learning. The present study is an attempt to assess and compare the effectiveness and perception of students on two different pedagogical methods: Crossword puzzles and Student Led Objective Tutorials (SLOT).METHODS: Second year undergraduate students who gave their informed consent were divided randomly into two groups: one which received crossword puzzle as a teaching learning method and the other had SLOT during which the students conducted an interactive quiz with multiple choice questions prepared by themselves. The students’ perceptions were recorded using a self-administered questionnaire. One week later, a unit test was conducted for both the groups and the performance of the students was compared. Statistical analysis was done using independent Student’s T test with SPSS version 15.0.RESULTS: Analyses revealed a statistical significant difference (P<0.001) between the mean marks obtained in the SLOT group (n= 74; 6.5±3.8) and the marks obtained in the crossword group (n= 87; 4.2±2.9), with the students in the tutorial group performing better. The students opined that SLOT sessions helped them to understand Pharmacology better whereas crossword sessions enabled them to memorize the names of the drugs.CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that SLOT sessions fared better compared to the crossword puzzles in terms of improving the students’ test scores. It fostered teamwork, self-directed learning skills and critical thinking. Crossword puzzles make the session more student friendly as it is fun and engaging but a careful design is inevitable as it may fail to test in-depth learning in students.OBJETIVOS: O ensino de farmacologia em pequenos grupos oferece uma plataforma eficaz para estimular a interação entre pares e a aprendizagem autodirigida. O presente estudo procurou avaliar e comparar a eficácia e percepção dos alunos em dois métodos pedagógicos diferentes: palavras cruzadas e tutoriais objetivos conduzido pelo aluno (SLOT).MÉTODOS: Alunos do segundo ano de graduação, que deram seu consentimento informado, foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: um que recebeu palavras cruzadas como método de ensino-aprendizagem e o outro teve SLOT onde os alunos realizaram um questionário interativo com questões de múltipla escolha elaborado por si mesmos. As percepções dos alunos foram registradas por meio de um questionário autoaplicável. Uma semana depois, um teste foi realizado para ambos os grupos e o desempenho dos alunos foi comparado. A análise estatística foi feita usando o teste T de student de amostras independentes.RESULTADOS: As análises revelaram uma diferença estatisticamente significativa (P <0,001) entre as notas médias obtidas no grupo SLOT (n = 74; 6,5±3,8) e as notas obtidas no grupo de palavras cruzadas (n = 87; 4,2±2,9), com os alunos do grupo tutorial tendo melhor desempenho. Os alunos opinaram que as sessões de tutoria objetiva conduzida pelos alunos os ajudaram a entender melhor a Farmacologia, ao passo que as sessões de palavras cruzadas lhes permitiram memorizar os nomes dos medicamentos.CONCLUSÃO: O presente estudo revelou que as sessões do SLOT se saíram melhor comparativamente àquelas com as palavras cruzadas em termos de melhorar as pontuações dos alunos nos testes, assim como promoveu o trabalho em equipe, habilidades de aprendizagem autodirigida e pensamento crítico. As palavras cruzadas tornam a sessão mais amigável ao aluno, pois é divertida e envolvente, mas um design cuidadoso é inevitável, pois pode falhar em testar o aprendizado em profundidade nos alunos

Immunomodulatory effect of leaf extracts of <em>Barringtonia acutangula</em> (L.) Gaertn.

689-693The presence of immunostimulant compounds in higher plants has been extensively reviewed but only a limited number of immunomodulatory products of plant origin have been reported. The present investigation was designed to get an in depth understanding of the efficacy of crude extracts of leaf of Barringtonia acutangula as immunomodulatory agent on experimental rats. The oral administration of aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts (LWBA and LMBA) of B. acutangula for 14 days was found to stimulate the non specific arm of immunity. Haemagglutinating antibody (HA) titre test was performed to know humoral antibody response of LWBA and LMBA extracts at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg doses. Results obtained showed significant (p &lt; 0.001) increase in antibody production in response to sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) at both doses when compared with Cyclophosphamide treated control group. Cyclophosphamide induced suppression of humoral immune response was significantly attenuated by daily oral treatment of LWBA and LMBA extracts at a dose of 400 mg/kg. LWBA extract showed slightly more HA titre than LMBA extract. The results justify that the LWBA and LMBA extracts of B. acutangula have a strong potential to be explored further as an immune-based herbal therapy

Structured Education for Sustainable Employment: Technology Enabled Queueing Theory Applications

Unemployment is a serious challenge that has been rising day by day. Skill development and creation of employment opportunities are key factors to address youth unemployment. This study emphasizes on the need for job-oriented education and to link education to employment. This study derives a mathematical model and tests the same using live university hiring data and attempts to integrate the three stakeholders, employers, education providers, and the young, each of whom have a unique approach, expectation, and understanding of the paradigm. Novel methodology inclusive of empirical evidence-based integration of objective fulfillment drafted into institutional pedagogy can help increase the success rate of education to employment from an Indian context especially Indian girls and women. The study outlines specific aspects of analytical intervention in this regard and focus-es on systematic training programs exclusively for vocational and skills amelioration executed to ad-dress this multidimensional challenge by adopting easily implementable software methodologies that are more easily implementable over a wide area network or an Internet-based application engine powered by information communication technology