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Recent increases in the incidence of diabetes in developing countries have been associated with complications resulting in mortality and morbidity. A case control study of 120 subjects attending out patient department of Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh was done with an aim to evaluate alteration of serum lipid profile and HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients and compare with age matched healthy control. Of the total cases, 60 were Type 2 diabetic patients and 60 were apparently healthy persons recruited for the study. These patients and control subjects were classified as male (50%) and female (50%). Fasting lipid profile and HbA1c% were measured by following the standard laboratory methods. The study subjects had relatively poor glycemic control. The mean HbA1c was 9.21±1.19% in diabetes patient and 4.71±0.60% was in control. The mean fasting blood glucose level was 10.18±1.56mmol/L in diabetes patient and 4.51±0.48mmol/L in control. The mean total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, HDL-CLDL-C were 211.93±11.83mg/dl, 156.90±7.96mg/dl, 35.20±3.17mg/dl133.20±3.99mg/dl in diabetes patient accordingly and the mean total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, HDL-CLDL-C were 159.72±4.89mg/dl, 117.45±12.97mg/dl, 44.23±2.75mg/dl92.15±5.67mg/dl in control group accordingly. The study revealed that the most common abnormality seen was decreased serum HDL-Cholesterol levels (91.67%). Hypertriglyceridaemia present in 81.67% patients, 78.34% had high LDL-Cholesterol and 73.34% had hypercholesteromia. Diabetic males had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL-Cholesterol compared to diabetic females and diabetic females had significantly lower levels of HDL-Cholesterol compared to diabetic males. It was concluded from the results of this study that, diabetic patients are more prone to develop dyslipidaemia. Thus early diagnosis of dyslipidemia and good glycaemic control can be used as a preventive measure for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in type 2 diabetics.

In heavy nuclei, the structure generating the slow-neutron resonance spectrum extends downward in energy to ~(1–2) MeV excitation and, of course, upward as well until particle emission becomes significant, thereby generating an Embedded Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (EGOE) spectrum built on a secular mean-density function. In this extended chaotic domain, principles and methods for the calculation of one-point quantities (e.g., level densities, spin-cutoff factors, occupancies, etc.,) have been well developed during the last several years. The economy and the resultant generic forms follow from the dominance of unitary symmetries, central limit theorems, and quantum chaos. In this paper, techniques used for level densities are illustrated by a detailed study of several heavy nuclei, the input data being taken from the observed low-lying spectrum and the far-separated neutron-resonance spectrum, this in itself saying much about long-range spectral rigidity. Explicit forms for the interacting particle state densities, expectation values, and expectation-value densities of operators in Hamiltonian eigenstates are given. Extension of the formalism to two-point functions that deal with spectral fluctuations, transition strengths, and analysis of measures for broken symmetries and which involve the same formal structure is indicated; higher order correlation functions are of little immediate interest because they define quantities only rarely measurable.PACS Nos.: 21.10Ma, 21.60Cs, 24.60–k, 24.60.Lz

Industrial effluent from a tannery was used for the growth of algae in a medium containing various inorganic salts. Growth of algal cells became visible after 7 d. Two species of protozoa were observed to proliferate in the algal culture containing no organic supplement in the medium. The culture was kept bacteria-free by the use of antibiotics and was perpetuated for at least 150 d with no decline in the protozoan population. Efficient growth of protozoa in a culture of algae elucidated new modes of nutrition in protozoa. Cr(VI) was added to the medium to check the resistance of algae and protozoa against this heavy metal. Protozoa showed different degrees of resistance. The results indicate the importance of algae and protozoa in the process of bioremediation.

This article provides the complete description of resultsfrom the Phase I data set of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). ThePhase I data set is based on a 0.65 kt-year exposure of heavy water tothe solar 8B neutrino flux. Included here are details of the SNO physicsand detector model, evaluations of systematic uncertainties, andestimates of backgrounds. Also discussed are SNO's approach tostatistical extraction of the signals from the three neutrino reactions(charged current, neutral current, and elastic scattering) and theresults of a search for a day-night asymmetry in the ?e flux. Under theassumption that the 8B spectrum is undistorted, the measurements fromthis phase yield a solar ?e flux of ?(?e) =1.76+0.05?0.05(stat.)+0.09?0.09 (syst.) x 106 cm?2 s?1, and a non-?ecomponent ?(? mu) = 3.41+0.45?0.45(stat.)+0.48?0.45 (syst.) x 106 cm?2s?1. The sum of these components provides a total flux in excellentagreement with the predictions of Standard Solar Models. The day-nightasymmetry in the ?e flux is found to be Ae = 7.0 +- 4.9 (stat.)+1.3?1.2percent (sys.), when the asymmetry in the total flux is constrained to bezero.

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) is a 1,000 tonne heavy water Cerenkov‐based neutrino detector situated 2,000 meters underground in INCO’s Creighton Mine near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. For the neutrinos from 8B decay in the Sun SNO observes the Charged Current neutrino reaction sensitive only to electron neutrinos and others (Neutral Current and Elastic Scattering) sensitive to all active neutrino types and thereby can search for direct evidence of neutrino flavor change. Using these reactions and assuming the standard 8B shape, the ve component of the 8B solar flux is φe = 1.76−0.05+0.05(stat.)−0.09+0.09 (syst.) × 106 cm−2s−1 for a kinetic energy threshold of 5 MeV. The non‐ve component is φμτ = 3.41−0.45+0.45(stat.)−0.45+0.48 (syst.) × 106 cm−2s−1, 5.3σ greater than zero, providing strong evidence for solar ve flavor transformation. The total flux measured with the NC reaction is φNC = 5.09−0.43+0.44(stat.)−0.43+0.46 (syst.) × 106 cm−2s−1, consistent with solar models. For charged current events, ...

Nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs) represent a superfamily of structurally related ligand-activated transcription factors, which regulate diverse biological activities like growth, development, and homeostasis. Recently, it has been demonstrated that certain members of the NHR superfamily are degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in a ligand-dependent manner. Though the signal for the down-regulation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is not yet known, phosphorylation at specific amino acid residues or coactivator binding to receptors could lead to their degradation by the 26S proteasome. Activation and degradation seems to be an engineered cyclic mechanism, which provides tight control over diverse cellular processes. The degradation process involves extensive loss of proteins and requires expenditure of cellular ATP. That seems to be inevitable for a more important aim, that is efficient and appropriate regulation of transcription. Down-regulation of receptors would lead to an attenuated transcriptional response because the number of receptor molecules available to activate transcription would decrease over time. One of the obvious reasons for down-regulating NHRs thus seems to be to prevent the cell from overstimulation by the hormones or other activating signals. Nuclear receptor turnover may also reset the transcriptional apparatus in preparation for a subsequent response. Since inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway disturbs the transcriptional activitity of some of the nuclear receptors such as estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors, it is also possible that the degradation of NHRs may enable recycling of components of receptor-cofactor complexes and general transcriptional machinary. Understanding the mechanism of nuclear hormone receptor degradation and its relation to transcription may lead to novel insights of therapuetic intervention.

Solar neutrinos from the decay of 8B have been detected at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) via the charged current (CC) reaction on deuterium and by the elastic scattering (ES) of electrons. The CC reaction is sensitive exclusively to νe, while the ES reaction also has a small sensitivity to νμ and ντ. The flux of νe from 8B decay measured by the CC reaction rate is φCC(ν e )=[1.75±0.07(stat.) −0.11 +0.12 (syst.)×0.05(theor.)]×106cm−2s−1. Assuming no flavor transformation, the flux inferred from the ES reaction rate is φES(ν x )=[2.39±0.34(stat.) −0.14 +0.16 (syst.)]×106cm−2s−1. Comparison of φCC(νe) to the Super-Kamiokande collaboration’s precision value of φES(νx) yields a 3.3σ difference, assuming the systematic uncertainties are normally distributed, providing evidence that there is a nonelectron flavor active neutrino component in the solar flux. The total flux of active 8B neutrinos is thus determined to be (5.44±0.99)×106 cm−2 s−1, in close agreement with the predictions of solar models.

Three protozoa belonging to genera Euglena, Vorticella and Stylonychia collected from industrial wastes were cultured in a medium containing inorganic salts, basically meant for the growth of algae. Protozoa showed rapid growth in the medium. Hexavalent chromium (K2Cr2O7) at a concentration of 5 micrograms/L in the medium adversely affected the growth of protozoa. At the end of eight days of Cr administration, the population of Euglena, Vorticella and Stylonychia increased 8-, 4.5- and 10-fold, respectively, as against 30-, 6.75- and 50-fold increase in the control cultures. No apparent death phase and no change in activity or morphology of protozoa was observed at this Cr concentration. The protozoa were also exposed to different metal ions, viz. Pb (2.42 mmol/L), Cr (0.48 mmol/L), Cd (0.36 mmol/L), administered in the culture medium for a period of 2 years. The metal tolerance for S. mytilus and V. microstoma was PbCrCd. E. proxima could not tolerate any of the long-term metal treatments. Because of the ability of these protozoa to tolerate high concentrations of heavy metals, their potential role in remediation of heavy metals from industrial wastewater is considered.

A gram-positive, chromium (Cr)-resistant bacterial strain (ATCC 700729) was isolated from effluent of tanneries. It was grown in media containing potassium dichromate concentration up to 80 mg ml(-1) of the medium. The dichromate reducing capability of the bacterium was checked by estimating the amount of Cr VI in the medium before and after introduction of bacterial culture. The influence of factors like pH of the medium, concentration of Cr, and the amount of the inoculum was studied to determine the ability of the bacterium to reduce Cr VI in the medium under various conditions. In a medium containing dichromate 20 mg ml(-1) more than 87% reduction of dichromate ions was achieved within 72 h. The feasibility of the use of this bacterial strain for detoxification of dichromate in the industrial wastewater has been assessed. The isolated strain can be exploited for specific environmental clean-up operations.

Three bacterial strains were isolated from effluents of leather (CMBL Cr13, CMBL Cr14) and steel (CMBL Cr15) industries for their possible use in chromium(VI) detoxication of industrial waste. CMBL Cr13 was found to tolerate chromium(VI) up to a concentration of 45 g/L in the medium, while CMBL Cr14 and CMBL Cr15 could tolerate up to 40 g/L. These bacteria were also checked for resistance to other metals. They resisted a lead concentration of 1 g/L and cadmium concentration of 550 mg/L in the medium. They showed optimum growth at pH 7.3-7.5 at a temperature of 35-37 degrees C. CrVI-reducing ability of the three strains ranged from 70 to 80% after 3 d of incubation. The possible use of these bacteria in environmental cleanup is discussed.

It is known that iron is essential for cell growth and viability and that iron deprivation results in an inhibition in the synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides. However, steps leading to eventual cell death during iron deprivation are not fully understood. In the present study, we report that cellular iron-deficiency produced by exposure of human leukemic CCRF-CEM cells to gallium or the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFX) resulted in the inhibition of cell growth, condensation of chromatin, and the formation of DNA fragments (DNA-ladder), findings that are characteristic of apoptotic cell death. These effects of gallium and DFX were detected after a 48-hour incubation with cells and could be prevented by ferric ammonium citrate (FAC). Iron-deprivation produced a small increase in the endogenous expression of bcl-2 protein. Our studies provide additional information regarding the mechanism of cytotoxicity of gallium and DFX, and suggest, for the first time, a role for iron in the suppression of apoptotic cell death.

A simple method, based on the Gram-Charlier expansion, to separate the smooth and fluctuating parts of the level density is developed. Applications to spectra arising from large shell model calculations are considered. Fluctuations in the energy levels are studied. It is found that with this proper decomposition, even long range correlations agree with the predictions of the random matrix theory.

Nuclear level densities are obtained by first calculating the density for non-interacting particles using the Darwin–Fowler method and then folding in approximately the effects of the residual two-body interaction. For the former, the equations resulting from the method of steepest descent are solved numerically with a realistic set of single particle energies and the latter is then incorporated using statistical spectroscopy considerations. Good agreement with experimental data is found.

The activities of glycerophosphate and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) acyltransferases were determined using lung microsomes in the presence of lung fatty acid binding protein (FABP). The synthesis of phosphatidic acid (PA) was increased two- to fourfold in the presence of FABP as compared to albumin. Lung FABP did not increase the incorporation of palmitoyl CoA into phosphatidylcholine. The results indicate that FABP-bound fatty acyl CoA may be a preferred substrate for glycerophosphate acyltransferase.

The activities of glycerophosphate and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) acyltransferases were determined using lung microsomes in the presence of lung fatty acid binding protein (FABP). The synthesis of phosphatidic acid (PA) was increased two- to fourfold in the presence of FABP as compared to albumin. Lung FABP did not increase the incorporation of palmitoyl CoA into phosphatidylcholine. The results indicate that FABP-bound fatty acyl CoA may be a preferred substrate for glycerophosphate acyltransferase.