Relationship of plasma homocysteine with lipid profile parameters in ischemic heart disease

The present study was undertaken to explore the relationship of plasma homocysteine with other biochemical parameters in ischemic heart disease. Plasma levels of total homocysteine was measured by HPLC—fluorescence detection with internal standard in 60 ischemic heart disease patients and were compared with 30 age matched normal healthy controls. The significant increase of plasma homocysteine was observed in both myocardial infarction and chronic stable ischemic heart disease patients when compared with the controls. The hyperhomocysteinemia appears be to due to increased body demand of vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B₁₂, B₆, B₂ either alone or in combination to regulate normal homocysteine metabolism.     

Protective Effect of Emblica officinalis Against Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Injury by Ameliorating Oxidative Stress in Rats

The effect of Emblica officinalis fruit extract (EFE) against alcohol-induced hepatic damage in rats was investigated in the present study. In vitro studies showed that EFE possesses antioxidant as well nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity. In vivo administration of alcohol (5 g/kg b.wt/day) for 60 days resulted increased liver lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls, nitrite plus nitrate levels. Alcohol administration also significantly lowers the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase and reduced glutathione as compared with control rats. Administration of EFE (250 mg/kg body weight) to alcoholic rats significantly brought the plasma enzymes towards near normal level and also significantly reduced the levels of lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls and restored the enzymic and non-enzymatic antioxidants level. This observation was supplemented by histopathological examination in liver. Our data indicate that the tannoid, flavonoid and NO scavenging compounds present in EFE may offer protection against free radical mediated oxidative stress in rat hepatocytes of animals with alcohol-induced liver injury.     

Kinetics of heart rate responses to exercise

In order to describe the kinetics of the reaction of the heart rate (HR) to the onset of exercise of constant intensity, the half-time (t1/2) of HR can be used. First in a study of exercise of intensity corresponding to 2 W kg-1 on a cycle ergometer, the t1/2 in 15 trained male rowers and 11 untrained male students was determined. In the trained subjects t1/2 was smaller than in untrained students, mean (+/- S.D.) values being 24.10 (+/- 3.36) s and 47.12 (+/- 4.08) s respectively. In both groups t1/2 was positively correlated with resting HR, r = 0.774 and 0.846 and negatively correlated with maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), r = -0.728 and -0.871 respectively (P less than 0.01). The regulation of HR in the transition range was concluded to be very similar to the regulation of VO2 and energy requirements. The second part of this work was concerned with responses to graded exercise. The linearity of the HR-exercise intensity relationship is maintained up to a submaximal exercise intensity beyond which the increase in exercise intensity exceeds the increase in HR. It was hypothesized that the point where HR departs from linearity in an incremental exercise test may be employed as a predictor of the ventilatory threshold (Tvent). To examine this, 28 trained male long-distance runners were tested on a treadmill and 17 untrained young male subjects were tested on a cycle ergometer using a continuous incremental protocol. The Tvent was determined from the dependence of VE on VO2 and/or VCO2. The VO2, HR and exercise intensity at Tvent were compared with the same parameters determined from the dependence of HR on exercise intensity. No significant differences were found between Tvent and HR break point levels. It was concluded from this second study that the HR break point level coincides with Tvent.     

Using socrative as an online homework platform to increase students’ exam scores

Socrative is an online assessment and student response tool that provides opportunities to increase student engagement in the classroom. We used Socrative as an online homework completing platform to increase students’ exam scores in physics. To explore the relationships among factors and the educational effectiveness of Socrative, data from 85 undergraduate students’ final and midterm grades, and their responses to an attitude survey were used. The ANCOVA results demonstrated that the use of Socrative positively influenced students’ exam scores and a fairly significant correlation was found between students’ attitudes toward Socrative and final exam scores. Moreover, the results of the survey showed that students have moderately positive attitudes toward the use of Socrative as an online homework assignment platform. This empirical study indicates that the use of Socrative can go beyond engaging and motivating students and can be used as an online homework completing tool.     

Quality of School Life: Development and Preliminary Standardisation of an Instrument Based on Performance Indicators in Scottish Secondary Schools

Improvement of the services offered by secondary schools in the UK has been a major concern for the educational authorities. One of the most widely accepted ways to test the quality of school services is the performance indicators approach. Performance indicators, as they stand, are quite complicated to use. Many of them could be criticised for not considering pupils views about their school but rather gathering adult-centred information, since it is teachers and not pupils who do the assessment. Therefore, a new student scale has been developed, based on performance indicators, and its properties are described as follows. The new Quality of School Life scale has shown good psychometric properties and it has proven easy to use and administer. It has been shown to reliably and validly measure pupils views about their quality of school life and school satisfaction. Results are discussed in relation to potential future use of the scale by educationalists.     

Experience-Driven Semantic Differentiation: Effects of a Naturalistic Experience on Within- and Across-Domain Differentiation in Children

Organized semantic networks reflecting distinctions within and across domains of knowledge are critical for higher-level cognition. Thus, understanding how semantic structure changes with experience is a fundamental question in developmental science. This study probed changes in semantic structure in 4–6 year-old children (N = 29) as a result of participating in an enrichment program at a local botanical garden. This study presents the first direct evidence that (a) the accumulation of experience with items in a domain promoted increases in both within- and across-domain semantic differentiation, and that (b) this experience-driven semantic differentiation generalized to nonexperienced items. These findings have implications for understanding the role of experience in building semantic networks, and for conceptualizing the contribution of enrichment experiences to academic success.     

The Expression and Perception of Feelings Between Students and Supervisors in a Practicum Setting

It was hypothesized that over a period of time the interaction between social work students and their field work supervisors would become similar and positive, based upon shared feelings and perceptions. The data presented tend to support this hypothesis. Stability in the student-supervisor relationship was reached after a period of intensive interaction, and positive dyadic feelings increased as interaction increased. At initial contact there were negative correlations between students and supervisors scores on the perception and expression scales, but after two quarters of continued interaction, these correlations became positive and significant. Finally, it was demonstrated that the students' expressions and perceptions of the relationship became similar to those of their supervisors as time passed.     

Book reviews

Lee, Irving J. and Lee, Laura L., Handling Barriers in Communication. Harper and Brothers, 49 East 33 Street, New York 16, New York. 1957, $5. Paper.

Auer, J. Jeffery, An Introduction to Research in Speech. Harper and Brothers, 49 East 33 Street, New York 16, New York. 1959, $5.

Brown, Charles T., Introduction to Speech. Houghton Mifflin Company, 432 Park Avenue South, New York 16, New York. 1955.

Uris, Dorothy, Everybody's Book of Better Speaking. David McKay Company, Inc., 119 West 40 Street, New York 18, New York. 1960, $4.95.

Braden, Waldo W., Speech Methods and Resources: A Textbook for the Teacher of Speech. Harper and Brothers, 49 East 33 Street, New York 16, New York. 1961, $6.50.

Marra, Waldo J., How to Streamline Your Letters. National Retail Credit Association, 375 Jackson Avenue, St. Louis 30, Missouri. Multilithed, paper.

Windes, Russell R. and Kruger, Arthur N., Championship Debating. J. Weston Walch, Box 1075, Portland, Maine. 1961 ; paper cover, $3.50 ; plastic cover, $4.50.     

Brexit: some implications for African higher education

This article considers how the decisions of the UK government, following the Brexit referendum, may impact on higher education in Africa. Ghana and South Africa are the two countries chosen to exemplify the claim that academic staff in African higher education will lose opportunities to acquire experience in British universities. Academic mobility between Africa and the UK is expected to fall significantly following Brexit.