This retrospective study compared the performance of preclinical medical students in the multiple-choice question (MCQ) and long essay question components of a comprehensive physiology final examination. During the 3 yr analyzed, 307 students had an average score of 47% (SD 9.9) in the long essay questions and 64% (SD 9.9) in the MCQs. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation (r = 0.62, P < 0.01) between MCQs and long essay questions. When student performance was grouped by final course grade, a statistically significant correlation between MCQ and long essay scores existed only for the 210 students who received a passing grade (r = 0.20, P < 0.01). The MCQ and long essay question scores were not correlated for the 57 students who failed (r = 0.25, P = 0.06) or for the 40 students who achieved honors and distinctions (r = -0.27, P = 0.11). MCQ scores were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than essay scores for each of the groups when analyzed by two-way ANOVA. The results of this study suggest that for most students, the strong correlation between scores on MCQs and essay questions indicates that student performance was independent of testing format. For students at either end on the performance spectrum, the lack of correlation suggests that the performance in one of the testing formats had a strong influence on the final course grade. In addition, those students who failed the course were likely to be weak in both testing modalities, whereas students in all grade groups were more likely to perform better in the MCQs than in the long essay questions.

The influence of seasons on the haematological indices were studied in the grey breasted guinea fowl (Numida meleagris galeata pallas) in the arid zone of Borno State. Blood samples for haematological analysis were collected from the wing vein of the birds. The RBC counts and PCV values were significantly (P<0.05) increased during the hot weather period compared to the values obtained in the cold period. This increase may be due to decreased plasma volume resulting from increase in body water loss at high ambient temperatures

Fansidar ® (sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine) and Coartem ® (artemether/lumefantrine) are drugs that destroy malarial parasites and also produce free radicals which cause hemolysis of malaria-parasitized erythrocytes. This study investigated the effect of these drugs on the viscoelasticity of erythrocytes of ten healthy female subjects using the BioProfiler. The concentration for each of the two drugs were determined based on the therapeutic dose as normal, half the therapeutic dose as low and double the therapeutic dose as high. For Fansidar ® , the concentrations were 0.15/0.01 mg/ml (low), 0.30/0.02 mg/ml (normal) and 0.60/0.04 mg/ml (high) based on the adult therapeutic dose of 1500/75 mg of sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine in the drug combination. For Coartem ® , the concentrations were 0.03/0.19 mg/ml (low), 0.06/0.38 mg/ml (normal) and 0.12/0.76 mg/ml (high) based on the adult therapeutic dose of 320/1920 mg of artermether/lumefantrine in the drug combination. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in viscosity, elasticity and relaxation time with Coartem ® at normal and high doses. Fansidar ® also showed significant (p < 0.05) reductions in these parameters only in the high dose. This suggests that Coartem ® generated significant free radicals at normal and high doses, with Fansidar ® only in the high dose, resulting in increased hemolysis and ultimately reduced viscoelasticity.

No abstract

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a major ingredient present in green tea, which has a high antioxidant activity. In this study, the effect of EGCG was investigated on paraquat-induced haemolysis of erythrocyte membrane. Erythrocytes were incubated in 0. 03, 0.3, 3.0 and 30 mg/mL EGCG, respectively and