The effect of student centered pharmacology teaching in the form of clinical case scenario among M.B.B.S students

Background: Pharmacology teaching by conventional method is by didactic lectures and practical sessions. To cultivate interest and motivate students towards self directed learning, the best tool in teaching learning methodology available is case based learning. Aims and objective of the study was to analyze the effectiveness and acceptance of case based learning (CBL) of pharmacology among M.B.B.S Students.Methods: The second year M.B.B.S Students of the academic year 2014 and 2015 were enrolled in the study. Clinical case scenario was formulated as modules based on the common clinical cases which the student observe and encounter in clinical postings in wards. The students were divided in to four groups, 30 in each group with one facilitator. Each module of case based learning was evaluated with pre test and post test. The student perception was recorded by a five point likert scale feedback questionnaire at the end of the study.Results: The post test scores in all modules revealed significant improvement in student’s performance by CBL method when compared using “paired t test”. Majority of the students preferred more CBL sessions for rest of the academic year.Conclusions: Students centred pharmacology teaching by CBL method creates self-directed learning environment to explore more for better understanding and application of the theoretical knowledge gained towards clinical practice

Student’s perspective about pharmacogenomic applications and knowledge in pharmacovigilance domain

Background: Pharmacogenomics has is presence now in all major pharmacology text books parallel with another important chapter pharmacovigilance. Pharmacogenomics apart from therapeutic application it can greatly influence standard treatment protocols with prevention of adverse drug reaction. Since the future will be physicians practicing personalized medicine, this study was planned to assess the second year M.B.B.S Students knowledge and their perspective about pharmacogenomic application.Methods: A questionnaire to assess the knowledge about pharmacogenomics and current status of its application is formulated with yes or no, true or false option. The study was conducted on 120 M.B.B.S Students who passed out Pharmacology university exams. The questionnaires answered voluntarily were collected and the data was analysed and with results calculated in percentage.Results: 80% M.B.B.S students had sound knowledge about pharmacogenomics. 100% M.B.B.S student’s doctors were well aware about pharmacogenomics. 13.0% of students were not aware but wanted to know about it, while 7.25% of students were neither aware nor interested about pharmacogenomics.Conclusions: Most of the doctors were aware about the pharmacogenomics theoretically and they need to be updated about its clinical application in their practice by seminars, presentation and workshops

Natural treasures from Picrorhiza kurrooa: a computational exploration of drug-like properties and bioactivity of kutkin, cucurbitacin, apocynin and lupanine

Background: To analyse and predict the basic pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of four compounds of interest found in Picrorhiza kurroa (Kutkin, cucurbitacin, apocynin and lupanine) using computational bioinformatics tools. Methods: The chemical structures and molecular properties of the compounds were obtained from authentic sources and processed for data profiling. 2D structures were converted to 3D structures using ChemSketch software and PHASE module. In silico screening of the 3D structures was performed using bioinformatics prediction software to assess drug-likeness, absorption, blood-brain barrier penetration, enzyme interaction potential, skin penetration, and acute oral toxicity. Results: Kutkin exhibited poor drug-likeness and low oral absorption, while the other three compounds showed promising drug-like properties and good oral absorption. Cucurbitacin and lupanine were predicted to cross the blood-brain barrier, while Kutkin and Apocynin were not. None of the compounds were substrates for P-glycoprotein, but Kutkin and cucurbitacin were substrates for CYP3A4. All four compounds had low skin penetration. Acute oral toxicity varied, with cucurbitacin classified as highly toxic and the others as slightly toxic. Conclusions: Cucurbitacin, apocynin, and lupanine have potential for further development as therapeutic agents due to their favorable drug-like properties and good absorption. Kutkin's poor drug-likeness and low absorption make it less suitable for oral drug development. This information provides valuable insights for further research on the medicinal properties of Picrorhiza kurroa and the development of new drugs based on its active compounds

Analgesic activity of Alpinia galanga extract in mice models and TNF-alpha receptor computational docking analysis on its leads with pharmacokinetics prediction

Background: Alpinia galanga is an ayurvedic herb recognized and used across many traditional medicine systems for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. The present study scientifically validates the potential anti nociceptive action of ethanolic extract of Alpinia galanga by chemical, neurogenic and inflammatory nociception model in mice followed by identification of potential lead compound by computational analysis.Methods: The assessment of anti nociceptive action is evaluated by Acetic acid induced abdominal constrictions and Formalin assay on ethonolic extract of Alpinia galanga, followed by 20 compounds with known chemical structure of Alpinia galanga is subjected to computational analysis to predict possible lead compound with desirable pharmacokinetic and drug like features.Results: The percentage inhibition rate of Aspirin (100mg/kg) was 82.15% compared to Alpinia galanga (100mg/kg) 19.63%, (200mg/kg) 33.02% and (400mg/kg) 57.13% by acetic acid induced abdominal constrictions antinociceptive mice model. Alpinia galanga 400mg/kg (71.70%) had comparable percentage inhibition of nociception to standard group indomethacin (88.71%) in formalin induced nociceptive mice model. Among 20 compounds screened for pharmacokinetic and drug like features, Galanal B had the binding free energy -56.664 when compared to control compound 2AZ5-56.000.Conclusions: The Alpinia galanga extract had significant anti nociceptive activity and followed by computational analysis of 20 compounds with known chemical structure predicted Galanal B as lead compound with best insilico pharmacokinetic and drug like features

Environmental Shaping of Sponge Associated Archaeal Communities

Archaea are ubiquitous symbionts of marine sponges but their ecological roles and the influence of environmental factors on these associations are still poorly understood.We compared the diversity and composition of archaea associated with seawater and with the sponges Hymeniacidon heliophila, Paraleucilla magna and Petromica citrina in two distinct environments: Guanabara Bay, a highly impacted estuary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the nearby Cagarras Archipelago. For this we used metagenomic analyses of 16S rRNA and ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene libraries. Hymeniacidon heliophila was more abundant inside the bay, while P. magna was more abundant outside and P. citrina was only recorded at the Cagarras Archipelago. Principal Component Analysis plots (PCA) generated using pairwise unweighted UniFrac distances showed that the archaeal community structure of inner bay seawater and sponges was different from that of coastal Cagarras Archipelago. Rarefaction analyses showed that inner bay archaeaoplankton were more diverse than those from the Cagarras Archipelago. Only members of Crenarchaeota were found in sponge libraries, while in seawater both Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota were observed. Although most amoA archaeal genes detected in this study seem to be novel, some clones were affiliated to known ammonia oxidizers such as Nitrosopumilus maritimus and Cenarchaeum symbiosum.The composition and diversity of archaeal communities associated with pollution-tolerant sponge species can change in a range of few kilometers, probably influenced by eutrophication. The presence of archaeal amoA genes in Porifera suggests that Archaea are involved in the nitrogen cycle within the sponge holobiont, possibly increasing its resistance to anthropogenic impacts. The higher diversity of Crenarchaeota in the polluted area suggests that some marine sponges are able to change the composition of their associated archaeal communities, thereby improving their fitness in impacted environments

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

Student’s perspective about pharmacogenomic applications and knowledge in pharmacovigilance domain

Background: Pharmacogenomics has is presence now in all major pharmacology text books parallel with another important chapter pharmacovigilance. Pharmacogenomics apart from therapeutic application it can greatly influence standard treatment protocols with prevention of adverse drug reaction. Since the future will be physicians practicing personalized medicine, this study was planned to assess the second year M.B.B.S Students knowledge and their perspective about pharmacogenomic application.Methods: A questionnaire to assess the knowledge about pharmacogenomics and current status of its application is formulated with yes or no, true or false option. The study was conducted on 120 M.B.B.S Students who passed out Pharmacology university exams. The questionnaires answered voluntarily were collected and the data was analysed and with results calculated in percentage.Results: 80% M.B.B.S students had sound knowledge about pharmacogenomics. 100% M.B.B.S student’s doctors were well aware about pharmacogenomics. 13.0% of students were not aware but wanted to know about it, while 7.25% of students were neither aware nor interested about pharmacogenomics.Conclusions: Most of the doctors were aware about the pharmacogenomics theoretically and they need to be updated about its clinical application in their practice by seminars, presentation and workshops