Circadian Rhythm of Serum Cortisol in Female Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients have disturbed sleep patterns which may lead to altered circadian rhythm in serum cortisol secretion. The aim of this study was to assess circadian changes, if any, in serum cortisol levels in female patients with FMS. Cortisol levels were estimated every 6 h during 24 h period; in 40 female patients satisfying ACR criteria for FMS (Age 36.4 ± 9.9), and 40 healthy females without FMS (Age 33.8 ± 11.1). A significant difference in the night time serum cortisol level was observed among the patients and control groups (patients, 12.9 ± 9.7 controls 5.8 ± 3.0; p < 0.01). However, no significant difference was found in serum cortisol levels in patients and control groups in the morning (patients, 28.4 ± 13.2 controls, 27.6 ± 14.5; p > 0.05), afternoon (patients, 14.4 ± 5.6 controls, 14.0 ± 6.6; p > 0.05) and evening hours (patients, 10.9 ± 5.8 controls, 8.9 ± 3.6; p > 0.05). It could be concluded that there is an abnormality in circadian secretion of cortisol in female FMS patients.     

Student achievement conditioned upon school selection: Religious and secular secondary school quality in Bangladesh

In this paper we present new evidence on the impact of school characteristics on secondary student achievement using a rich dataset from rural Bangladesh. We deal with a potentially important selectivity issue in the South Asian context: the non-random sorting of children into madrasas (Islamic faith schools). We do so by employing a combination of fixed effects and instrumental variable estimation techniques. Our empirical results do not reveal any difference in test scores between religious and secular schools when selection into secondary school is taken into account. However, we document significant learning deficit by gender and primary school type: girls and graduates of primary madrasas have significantly lower test scores even after controlling for school and classroom-specific unobservable correlates of learning.     

Service Strategies for Higher Educational Institutions Based on Student Segmentation

Over the last decade, higher education institutions in the U.S. have faced increased competition and expenditures coupled with declines in financial support. Furthermore, they often have been forced to cater to the needs of an increasingly diverse group of students and must design service strategies based on the unique needs of each group. This paper advocates the use of target marketing principles to effectively and efficiently allocate resources among the various groups. Student registration data from a large, urban, public university, which is routinely available at little cost, is used to identify five student segments. These segments include traditional students, non-traditional students, a sizable international student segment, a graduating segment, and a group of transferees. The unique needs of each segment are identified and appropriate service strategies are formulated for each segment. The diversity of the segments establish the utility of using target marketing principles for designing service strategies and the viability of using registration database for such a purpose.     

Low cost demonstration experiment Lorentz force: Change in path of charged particles in magnetic field

The path of charged particles is affected when they enter a magnetic field. This change of path largely depends on the angle between the applied magnetic field and the direction of motion of the charged particle (and its velocity) entering the magnetic field. This is demonstrated by means of a simple, low-cost experiment. A high voltage is used to ionize the air between a spark gap. The flow of charged particles between the spark gap is altered by applying a magnetic field from a rare earth permanent magnet having surface magnetic field induction of 0.12 T.     

How is the body’s systemic nature manifested amongst high school biology students?

This study follows two groups of students (67 in all) through the 3 years of their high school biology education and examines the development of their systems thinking - specifically their models of the human body as a system. Both groups were composed of biology majors, but the students in one group also participated in a PBLbased extension program called “Medical Systems”. Data was gathered by means of concept maps, which the students completed at four strategic stages of the learning process: beginning of 10th grade, end of 10th grade, end of 11th grade and end of 12th grade. At the end of the 3 year learning process, the students’ showed more complex system models. They included a wider range of concepts in their maps, spanning hierarchy levels ranging from the molecular and cellular to the system level. We also found an increase in references to dynamic interactions, but this did not encourage the students to use cellular level processes when explaining phenomena that occur at the systems level. The impact of the PBL teaching method was strongly evident in the complexity of the Medical Systems program students’ concept maps, which heavily emphasized “hierarchy” and “diseases” as system characteristics.     

Great experiments in physics

Tunneling between two superconductors was first predicted theoretically and then observed experimentally. The discovery ofthis effect has led to measurements of extremely tiny magnetic fields, new standard measurements of volt amongst other things. The experiments in which Josephson effect was first observed is described.     

Study on Impact of Iron and Folic Acid on the Plasma Trace Minerals in Pregnant Anemic Women

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the causes that lead to significant mortality and morbidity among pregnant women and fetus. The present study was undertaken to explore oral iron supplementation can modify the metal contents in pregnant anemic women. Iron and folic acid supplementations was given to 500 anemic women (mild = 200, moderate = 200, and severe = 100) and 100 age matched non-anemic controls daily for 100 days. Blood index values and plasma trace minerals were estimated as per standard protocols. Haemoglobin and ferritin levels were found significantly increased (p < 0.001) in anemic and control subjects after treatment. Moreover, the serum transferring receptor levels and total iron binding capacity were found significantly decreased in all treated groups. Iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) levels were found increased (p < 0.01) after oral iron supplementation groups. Moreover, selenium (Se) manganese (Mn) and were found to be decreased in all treated groups. Data provides the conclusion that iron and folic acid supplementation recovered the essential trace minerals, except manganese, which may lead to various complications including peroxidation of vital body molecules resulting in increased risk for pregnant women as well as fetus.     

Estimation of the levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in cardiac blood samples by a simple and indigenous enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

Levels of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) were estimated in twenty four blood samples collected from the right and the left ventricles of the patients undergoing cardiac catheterization by an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) developed to the sensitivity of 5 pp/well and within 10% of interassay coeficient of variance. Simultaneously, levels of ANP in plasma samples from the systemic venous blood of seventy five normal subjects were also estimated which ranged between 25–60 pg/ml.