Association of hyperhomocysteinemia to alcohol withdrawal in chronic alcoholics

This study is conducted in chronic alcoholics to assess the association of an Individual’s level of serum homocysteine with the success of achieving alcohol deaddiction in the patient. The patients’ nutrition status is also assessed. 50 chronic alcoholics admitted to a deaddiction center were inducted into the study. Patients underwent an 8 weeks holistic program to promote rehabilitation from alcoholism. All the patients were addicted to alcohol for 8 – 10 years. Of the 50 patients enrolled, 39 of them completed the 8 weeks program including complete abstinence from alcohol during this period. Fasting blood samples were collected on admission and again after 8 weeks of alcohol abstinence for analyses of serum homocysteine and serum prealbumin, transferrin, total proteins and albumin, gammaglutamyl transferase (GGT) and alanine transaminase (ALT). Of the 50 patients enrolled in the study, 39 completed the 8 weeks rehabilitation program. 11 patients discontinued within 2 weeks of admission. During the 8 weeks of complete alcohol abstinence, patients were given a balanced diet and multivitamin supplements. A significant improvement in their nutritional status was noted by the elevation of serum levels of prealbumin, transferrin, total proteins and albumin. Serum homocysteine levels decreased significantly (p<0.002) to normal levels from previous hyperhomocytenemia. This was accompanied by decrease in serum GGT and ALT levels indicating improved liver functions. Serum estimation of homocysteine in chronic alcoholics is important to assess whether the patient will have a successful rehabilitation. Normal homocysteine levels are achieved after dietary changes and abstinence from alcohol. Timely correction of hyperhomocysteinemia also provides successful rehabilitation.     

Predictors of learner satisfaction in an academic computer conference

This study tested the Adult Distance Study Through Computer Conferencing (ADSCC) model developed by Eastmond (1994), to determine if learner readiness, online features, and CMC‐related learning approaches are associated with learner satisfaction in an academic computer conference. All three variables were correlated with learner satisfaction and online features emerged as the best predictor of learner satisfaction. Results indicate interrelationships between the three variables. The ADSCC model was a good predictor of learner satisfaction. It provided a useful framework for understanding learner satisfaction by showing how to categorise the different components that influence satisfaction in an academic computer conference.     

Egg-laying preference for ethanol involving learning has adaptive significance inDrosophila melanogaster

To study the influence of negative or positive experience of the ingestion of ethanol in femaleDrosophila with thefast form of the Adh gene on the acceptance of a medium containing this substance as site for egg laying, flies raised on a medium without alcohol were kept (1) on a regular medium, (2) on a medium supplemented with ethanol, (3) on a medium supplemented with 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP, an inhibitor of the enzyme ADH), and (4) on a medium containing both ethanol and this inhibitor. Whereas theDrosophila exhibited no spontaneous egg-laying preference for ethanol, a preference was induced by the ingestion of this substance, which also led to an increase in the number of eggs laid. By contrast, ingestion of ethanol, associated with the inhibitor, reduced the number of eggs laid and led to an avoidance of ethanol-containing media. Flies treated with ethanol and 4-MP exhibited signs of sickness (reduction in locomotor activity and loss of balance). The egg-laying preference for the ethanol results from learning linked to the metabolic utilization of this alcohol. The adaptative significance of this learning is discussed.     

Ludwig Prandtl and boundary layers in fluid flow

In 1904, Prandtl proposed the concept of boundary layers that revolutionised the study of fluid mechanics. In this article we present the basic ideas of boundary layers and boundary-layer separation, a phenomenon that distinguishes streamlined from bluff bodies.     

Changing Pre-school Children's Conceptions of the Day/Night Cycle Changer les Conceptions d'Enfants d'Age Prescolaire sur le Phenomene du Cercle 'Jour-Nuit' Cambiar las Concepciones de los Ninos Preescolares en el Ciclo Dia/Noche

A semi-structured interview was individually administered to 33 children aged 5-6. The interview raised questions about the shapes of the Sun and the Earth as well as the cause of the day/night cycle. A teaching intervention designed to teach pre-school age children these concepts was then implemented with groups of 6-7 children. The intervention's effectiveness was consequently evaluated (after 2 weeks) using an interview similar to that conducted prior to the intervention. The results of the study showed that the majority of children readily accepted certain aspects of the scientific explanations of the day/night cycle. Specifically, the majority accepted that the Sun and the Earth are separate spherical objects, but fewer children attributed the day/night cycle to rotation of the Earth on its axis. Most seemed puzzled by the simultaneous movements of the Earth around the Sun and around its axis. Educational and research implications are discussed. Une semi-directive interview individuelle etait administree a 33 enfants de 5 a 6 ans. L'interview contenait des questions sur le scheme du soleil et de la terre et aussi sur la cause du cercle 'jour-nuit'. Une intervention didactique etait apres introduite aux groups de 6-7 enfants et ses resultats etaient finalement evalues, en utilisant la meme interview, deux semaines apres l'intervention. Les resultats de cet etude montrent que la majorite d'enfants ont accepte certains aspects des points de vue scientifiques concernant le cercle 'jour-nuit'. Plus specifiquement, la plupart d'enfants ont accepte que les schemes du soleil et de la terre ressemblaient a une sphere, mais moins d'enfants ont attribue le cercle 'jour-nuit' a la rotation de la terre autour du soi-meme. Quelques enfants n'ont pas developpe les correctes conceptions et c'etait apparent qu'ils avaient des difficultes a comprendre les mouvements simultanes de la terre autour du soleil et du soi-meme. Se administro individualmente una entrevista semiestructurada a 33 ninos de edades comprendidas entre los 5 y 6 anos. La entrevista incluja cuestiones sobre formas del sol y de la tierra y tambien la causa del ciclo dia/noche. Luego se introdujo una intervencion didactica a grupos de 6-7 ninos de edad preescolar para ensenarles estos conceptos. La efectividad de la intervencion file evaluada 2 semanas mas tarde, con una entrevista parecida a la realizada antes de la intervencion. Los resultados del estudjo mostraron que la mayoria de los ninos aceptaban facilmente ciertos aspectos de las explicaciones cientificas del ciclo dia/noche. Mas especialmente, la mayoria aceptaba que el sol y la tierra eran objetos esfericos diferentes, pero menos ninos atribuian el hecho de que el ciclo dia/noche se relacionara con la rotacion de la tierra alrededor de sil eje. Muchos parecian sorprenderse con los movimientos simultaneos de la tierra alrededor del sol y alrededor de si misma. Se discuten las implicaciones educativas y de investigacion.     

Detection of tubercular antibody and antigen in sera of bone and joint tuberculosis

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solubilized and DEAE fractionatedMycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇Ra excretory-secretory (ES) antigen viz., Mtb EST DE1 and affinity purified goat antibodies to the TCA solubilized ES antigen (Mtb EST) were explored in detecting tubercular antibody and antigen respectively in sera of bone and joint tuberculosis by indirect and sandwich ELISA. Out of total 36 bone & joint tuberculosis cases, tubercular antibody was detected by indirect ELISA in 30 patients (sensitivity 83%), while circulating tubercular antigen was detected by sandwich ELISA in 27 patients (sensitivity 75%). Out of 34 non tubercular disease control cases, 10 patients showed positive reaction for antibody while only 4 patients showed positive reaction for antigen. In another group of 34 healthy subjects who were screened, 4 individuals showed positive reaction for tubercular antibody and 2 cases for antigen. This study shows that antigen detection assay using affinity purified anti Mtb EST antigen antibody is superior with overall specificity of 91% as compared to antibody detection assay with 75% specificity in bone & joint tuberculosis.