Identification and Preservation of Intestinal Parasites Using Methylene Blue-Glycerol Mount: A New Approach to Stool Microscopy

We have tried a new approach to routine stool microscopy by using a combination of methylene blue and glycerol in wet mount preparation of fresh faecal samples for the demonstration of medically important intestinal parasites. This combination was evaluated for finding differences in the details and clarity of morphology and internal structures of parasites under low- and high-power microscopy as compared to iodine and saline mount. It was further evaluated to estimate the time taken by methylene blue-glycerol mount to dry up as compared to iodine and saline wet mount

Rankings of Economics Journals and Departments in India

This paper is the first attempt to rank economics departments of Indian Institutions based on their research output. Two rankings, one based on publications in international journals, and the other based on publications in domestic journals are derived. The rankings based on publications in international journals are obtained using the impact values of 159 journals found in Kalaitzidakis et al. (2003). Rankings based on publications in domestic journals are based on impact values of 20 journals. Since there are no published studies on ranking of domestic journals, we derived the rankings of domestic journals by using the iterative method suggested in Kalaitzidakis et al. (2003). The department rankings are constructed using two approaches namely, the `flow approach' and the `stock approach'. Under the `flow approach' the rankings are based on the total output produced by a particular department over a period of time while under the `stock approach' the rankings are based on the publication history of existing faculty members in an institution. From these rankings the trend of research work and the growth of the department of a university are studied.Departments,Economics, Journals, Rankings

Reinforcement Learning Algorithms for Uncertain, Dynamic, Zero-Sum Games

Dynamic zero-sum games are a model of multiagent decision-making that has been well-studied in the mathematical game theory literature. In this paper, we derive a sufficient condition for the existence of a solution to this problem, and then proceed to discuss various reinforcement learning strategies to solve such a dynamic game in the presence of uncertainty where the game matrices at various states as well as the transition probabilities between the states under different agent actions are unknown. A novel algorithm, based on heterogeneous games of learning automata (HEGLA), as well as algorithms based on model-based and model-free reinforcement learning, are presented as possible approaches to learning the solution Markov equilibrium policies when they are assumed to satisfy the sufficient conditions for existence. The HEGLA algorithm involves automata simultaneously playing zero-sum games with some automata and identical pay-off games with some other automata. Simulation studies are reported to complement the theoretical and algorithmic discussions

Beyond reverse pharmacology: Mechanism-based screening of Ayurvedic drugs

This paper reviews the pharmacology of Indian medicinal plants, starting with the historical background of European work on the subject beginning as early as the 17th century, and tracing its history through the work of Sen and Bose in the 1930‘s, and Vakhil’s historic 1949 paper on Sarpaghanda. The often crucial role of patient feedback in early discoveries is highlighted, as is the time lag between proof of pharmacological action and identification of the active principle, and subsequent elucidation of mechanism of action. In the case of Indian plants in the 20th century this process sometimes took almost 50 years. Reserpine and its mechanisms are given in detail, and its current relevance to public health discussed. The foundation of present day methods of pharmacology is briefly presented so the complexity of methods used to identify properties of Ayurveda derived drugs like forskolin and baicalein, and their bioavailability, may be better appreciated. Ayurveda derived anti-oxidants and their levels of action, immuno-modulators, particularly with respect to the NF-kB pathway and its implications for cancer control, are all considered. The example of curcumin derived from turmeric is explained in more detail, because of its role in cancer prevention. Finally, the paper emphasizes the importance of Ayurveda’s concepts of rasayana as a form of dietary chemo-prevention; the significance of ahar, diet, in Ayurveda’s aspiration to prevent disease and restore health thus becomes clear. Understood in this light, Ayurveda may transcend pharmacology as a treatment paradigm

Private schooling and mental models about girls' schooling in India

This paper presents disadvantaged households’ ‘mental models’ about low-fee private (LFP) schooling for their daughters in a study in Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh. It argues that assumptions in the dominant discourse on girls’ schooling in India obscure the complex negotiations and trade-offs disadvantaged families make when considering schooling choices for their daughters. Furthermore, they obscure a focus on change resulting from and intertwined with changing socio-economic structures and institutional contexts for schooling over time. The changing institutional context for education through increased LFP provision is the focus for analysis. Data show that participants were not selective in choosing the LFP sector by gender, and thought of it as representing the best chance for their daughters’ livelihoods