Journal of the Medical Sciences 

About: Journal of the Medical Sciences is an academic journal published by Gadjah Mada University. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 0126-1312. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 2550 publications have been published receiving 6602 citations. The journal is also known as: Gadjah Mada Journal of the Medical Sciences & Journal of the medical sciences (Print).

Effectivity of E-Learning through Whatsapp as a Teaching Learning Tool

Abstract: Introduction: WhatsApp is a free messenger application that works across multiple platform and is being widely used among undergraduate students to send multimedia messages like photos, videos, audios along with simple text messages. Aims and Objectives: To assess the affectivity of social media like WhatsApp in delivering knowledge to 4th semester MBBS students and to compare the improvement of knowledge gain through e-learning and didactic lecture. Simultaneously, perception of learners about e-learning via WhatsApp will also be collated. Material and Methods: This prospective analytical interventional study was conducted in the department of Pathology from 01.02.2015 to 31.06.2015, on 4th semester MBBS students. Two groups of students were taught the same topics by two different T-L activities i.e., through WhatsApp and via didactic lectures. Assessment of knowledge was done by giving pre and post-test questionnaire of 20 marks for each topic. Perception of e-learning through WhatsApp was done by feedback form. Observation and Results: The post test results revealed that the learners with WhatsApp as a learning tool scored in the range of 5-20 marks while those with didactic lecture scored in the range of 3-17.5 marks and had an average of 11.6 and 11.9 score respectively. The two tailed t value between the two groups is 0.635 which is not statistically significant. Technical, educational and instructional advantages of teaching learning activity via WhatsApp out pars disadvantages. Facilitator’s availability and Learning anytime anywhere were top two advantages of learning through WhatsApp with 86.72% and 86.55% students agreeing to it. Message flooding, time consuming and eye strain were the other technical disadvantages observed in the present study with 63.23%, 75.28% and 68.53 students agreeing to it. Conclusion: Constant availability of facilitator and learning anytime anywhere has made WhatsApp a new and convenient tool for teaching learning activity. Though there is no significant difference between gain of knowledge from WhatsApp or didactic lectures, advantages (technical, educational or instructional) out pars the disadvantages. A few disadvantages, like message flooding and eyestrain can be overruled by making small groups and using mobiles with bigger screen. Enabling a Wi-Fi in the college campus can make its use cost effective.

Recent Advances in Heavy Metals Induced Effect on Male Reproductive Function—A Retrospective

Abstract: Reproductive hazards from metal exposure in males are one of the fastest growing areas of concern in toxicology today. Exposure to different heavy metals causes irreversible toxic insult to male reproductive system. Heavy metals produce cellular impairments at structural and functional level in male reproductive system. The effect of heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and arsenic on male reproduction has been studied in details in various experimental species. But data on humans are steadily building up. Metals could interfere with the gametogenic cells or Leydig cell or spermatozoa directly in semen. These effects may results in reduced fertility or associated with pregnancy wastage, congenital malformation associated with genetic diseases. Moreover, the features of heat stress protein (hsp), Androgen-Binding Protein (ABP), Cadherin and many other stressor protein along with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and neuro-endocrine mechanism are highly affected by these heavy metals exposure. Still the data are inadequate and need confirmation. The rapid industrialization and overgrowing urbanization, the toxic effects of heavy metals on male reproduction system have become a major health concern in the globe(1-2). The evidence of the past twenty years have shown disturbing trend in male reproductive health hazards due to careless use of these chemicals which caused detrimental effects on different organs. Therefore, broad-spectrum irreversible toxic actions at cellular and molecular level were observed mainly on reproductive system of human and experimental animals (3-4). Adverse effect of heavy metals on male reproduction: The potential toxicity of Metals, i.e., lead, cadmium, chromium, selenium and arsenic, caused alteration in sperm morphology, count, motility as well as biochemical disruptions of enzymes and hormones. Lead: Lead is widely used in acid battery plant refinery, smelter, fuel combustion industry, printing press and automobile exhaust where tetraethyl lead acts as anti- knocking agent. Toxicity is manifested in male reproductive system by deposition of lead in testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminalvesicle and seminal ejaculate. Lead has an adverse effect on sperm count and retarded the activity of alive sperm. Moreover, motility as well as prolonged latency of sperm melting both in exposed person and experimental animals were observed after lead exposure (5-6).Study with male CF-1 mice indicated the significant decrease in epididymal sperm count at low dose of lead exposure (0.25% via drinking water). Moreover the decreased motility and increased incidence of teratospermia at higher dose of lead exposure (0.50%) along with inhibition of post-meiotic cells mainly pachytene spermatocyte were noted. In the same experiment the detachment of gemminal cell layer from basal membrane, atrophy of Leydig cells plus interstitial edema and low density of seminal plasma were also observed. Experimental studies were conducted to note the potential comparative effects of lead acetate considering different routes of

Bioremediation Of Heavy Metal Toxicity-With Special Reference To Chromium

Abstract: All metals are toxic and our bodies require special transport and handling mechanisms to keep them from harming us. The toxicity occurs in humans due to environmental pollution via soil or water contamination or due to occupational exposure. Some of these metals are useful to us in low concentrations but are highly toxic in higher concentrations. These metal toxicity cause serious morbidity and mortality. Among these heavy metals chromium toxicity can cause serious carcinogenic, genotoxic and immunotoxic effects in humans and animals. Of the two oxidative states in which chromium can be present Cr (III) and Cr (VI), Cr (III) is essential for the human system whereas Cr (VI) has harmful effects. So, one of the ways of reducing Cr-toxicity in Cr-contaminated soil and water is to reduce soluble Cr (VI) to insoluble Cr (III). This can be achieved by microbial activity and is a cost-effective and environment friendly method. Many genera of microbes like Bacillus , Enterobacter , Escherichia , Pseudomonas and also some yeasts and fungi help in bioremediation of metals and chromium-contaminated soil and water by bio-absorption and bioaccumulation of chromium. The potential of bioremediation of metal toxicity and its impact on the environment is discussed. Key-words : Metal-toxicity, Chromium-toxicity, Bio-remediation, common effluent treatment plants. Metals when present in our body are capable of causing serious health problems, by interfering with, our normal body functions. Some of these metals are useful to the body in low concentrations like arsenic, copper, iron and nickel but are toxic at high concentrations. Other metals like aluminum, beryllium, cadmium, lead and mercury have no biological functions and are highly toxic disrupting bodily functions to a large extent. They disrupt bodily functions by accumulating in vital organs and glands in the human body such as in the heart, brain, kidney, bone and liver. They also displace vital nutritional minerals from their proper place in the body to provide biological functions e.g., lead or cadmium displaces calcium in an enzyme reaction disrupting the enzyme reaction to a large extent. As their impact in the body, is at such basic levels that they are the causal factors in multiple health problems. Metal causes genotoxicity as they affect the DNA and immunotoxicity as they are major irritants to the body. The genomic instability by these metals induces cancer (1). When we look at the immense impact of these metals in our body we wonder as to how these heavy metals enter our body. We get exposed to these metals from our surroundings whether our immediate environment or our place of work. These toxins can be present in foods and beverages, they might be present in the air we breathe and the exposure can also be through our skin. We can protect ourselves by wearing gloves, using protective breathing apparatus and eating food grown organically. But all the above protective mechanism do not let us fully escape from being exposed to

Effect of Processing on Nutritional Value of Rice (Oryza sativa)

Abstract: This research work was concerned with the loss of nutrients during the processing of rice using three different varieties such as Kernel, KSE and 86 rice. Rice samples were used for proximate analysis of nutritional factors of rice, like moisture, ash, fat, fiber and protein respectively. Concentration of minerals was determined by using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and Flame Emission Spectroscopy (FES) techniques. For mineral concentration rice samples were burnt and decomposed with concentrated nitric acid and absorbance of each sample and standards was noted. From graphs concentration of minerals (K, Na, Ca, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cd, Ni, Cr) was determined.

Plasticizer incident and its health effects in Taiwan

Abstract: The May 23, 2011, plasticizer incident was one of the most serious food safety issues that ever occurred in Taiwan. Most, if not all, plasticizer-contaminated food items were due to malicious replacement of palm oil with phthalate plasticizer(s) in the cloudy-agent formulas by two upstream manufacturers. The incumbent agencies in Taiwan took necessary actions to minimize the harm caused by the incident and to ease the panic of the general public. In this paper, the incident was briefly reviewed and the situations of phthalate exposure in general public and pregnant women were assessed. Subsequently, the associations between phthalates exposure and the adverse health effects, such as shortened anogenital distance in baby boys, premature thelarche in young girls, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and leiomyoma in women, and decreased semen quality in men, were discussed. Food safety issue has become a worldwide concern and early detection of potential new toxicants in the foods is indispensable. Therefore, it is imperative to establish an international network for early warning or sentinel on food safety.