Introduction of pre and post lecture multiple choice question for second year undergraduate medical students in microbiology: a technique to assess knowledge acquired from the lecture

Background: Didactic lectures are the most commonly used method of teaching in many medical institutes. There are certain disadvantages in this method. It is essential to evaluate whether the learning objectives have been accomplished. In the present study pre and post lecture MCQs (Multiple choice questions) are introduced for second year medical students in microbiology lectures and to assess the effect on gaining and retention of knowledge acquired at the end of the lecture.Methods: The fourth semester medical students were divided into two groups of 35 each (study and control group). Both the groups were administered the pre and post lecture MCQs for two topics in parasitology. For the Study group the Pre test MCQs were prepared in such a way incorporating the learning objectives of the lecture. The pretest questions for the control group were prepared from an unrelated topic. Both the groups were administered the common post test questions. The mean, standard deviation and correlation coefficient (by spearman correlation coefficient) and p values were analysed.Results: The post test mean scores of both the groups were compared by unpaired t test and the p value was found to be statistically significant (less than 0.0001). The study group had a considerably higher mean score compared with the control group for both the lecture classes. There was a positive correlation between the pre and post lecture MCQS.Conclusions: Testing by introducing Pre and post lecture MCQ in lecture has an impact on retention of knowledge

MICROSCOPIC, PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF CRATEVA MAGNA (LOUR) DC. (LEAF)

Objective: Preliminary screening of phytochemicals is a valuable step, in the detection of the bioactive principles present in medicinal plants and subsequently may lead to drug discovery and development. In the present study, the identity, purity and strength of Crateva magna (Lour) DC. (Leaf), HPTLC, LC MS and phytochemical screening were analysed.Methods: Tests for Identity, Purity, and Strength of Crateva magna (Lour) DC. (Leaf) Botanical standards, Physicochemical constants such as Foreign matter, Total ash, moisture content, Acid insoluble ash, and water soluble ash and Extractive value such as Hexane, Chloroform, Ethyl acetate, Alcohol were determined. The Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis of various extracts was also determined. HPTLC, LCMS ANALYSIS was analysed.Results: Microscopic studies T S of Crateva magna leaf shows the presence of prominent midrib, upper and lower epidermis and lamina. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of dry powder and aqueous extracts of Crateva magna (Lour) DC. (Leaf) showed the presence of flavones, steroids, glycosides, sugar, alkaloids, quinones, phenols, coumarin and lignin. HPTLC of an Aqueous extract of the Crateva magna (Lour) DC. (Leaf). LC MS spectrum indicates may be the presence of bioactive compounds.Conclusion: The results revealed that aqueous extract of Crateva magna (Lour) DC. (Leaf) has suitable for anti ulcer study

Coated calcium phosphate scaffolds for bone tissue engineering produced by foam replica method

Tissue engineering (TE) is a growing field which provides helpful alternative strategies for conventional treatments in medicine. TE involves the smart combination of cells, biomolecules and engineered porous biomaterials in the form of 3D scaffolds. When it comes to bone regeneration the use of 3D scaffolds made of calcium phosphate is a well-known concept with a great potential. Here we present the foam replica method as a procedure suitable for producing highly porous scaffolds with the pore size in the range of 100-500 μm and the mean porosity of >90%. The obtained scaffolds were further coated with selenium nanoparticles (SeNp) and SeNp immobilized within poly(epsilon caprolactone) microspheres (PCL/Se). The purpose of such coating is based on the potential anticancer activity of SeNp as well as on their prolonged release from a biodegradable polymeric carrier. Scaffolds were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The cytotoxicity was determined employing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and all the samples have shown good biocompatibility. Based on these preliminary results the obtained system can be considered as a candidate for the repair of bone lesions and damages

A Possible Novel Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism for the Pharmacological Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoate: Implications for Use as a Therapeutic for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized in part by the preferential loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Although the precise etiology of PD is unknown, accumulating evidence suggests that PD involves microglial activation that exerts neurotoxic effects through production of proinflammatory cytokines and increased oxidative and nitrosative stress. Thus, controlling microglial activation has been suggested as a therapeutic target for combating PD. Previously we demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of a class of enzymes known as prolyl hydroxylases via 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate administration protected against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity, however the exact mechanisms involved were not elucidated. Here we show that this may be due to DHB's ability to inhibit microglial activation. DHB significantly attenuated LPS-mediated induction of nitric oxide synthase and pro-inflammatory cytokines in murine BV2 microglial cells in vitro in conjunction with reduced ROS production and activation of NFκB and MAPK pathways possibly due to up-regulation of HO-1 levels. HO-1 inhibition partially abrogates LPS-mediated NFκB activity and subsequent NO induction. In vivo, DHB pre-treatment suppresses microglial activation elicited by MPTP treatment. Our results suggest that DHB's neuroprotective properties could be due to its ability to dampen induction of microglial activation via induction of HO-1

Moisture Dependent Physical Properties of Black gram

Physical properties of Black gram are important during harvesting, cleaning and drying with machines and also during improvement of these machines. This study was conducted to evaluate some moisture-dependent physical properties of Black gram namely, grain dimensions, thousand grain mass, surface area, sphericity, bulk density, true density, porosity and angle of repose. As the moisture content increased from 8.696% to 21.951% d.b., the three axial dimensions of the Black gram increased and the arithmetic and geometric mean diameter ranged from 3.736 ± 0.14 to 4.276 ± 0.14 mm and 3.797 ± 0.13 to 4.322 ± 0.13 mm respectively. The hundred grain mass of Black gram were 42.52 ± 1.03 and 48.18 ± 0.45 kg. The sphericity values of Black gram increased from 79.69% to 82.82%. The bulk and true densities values for Black gram decreased with increase in moisture content. The porosity and angle of repose of Black gram increased from 38.06 to 42.60% and 28.4 to 32.2° respectively with increase in moisture content from 8.696% to 21.951% d.b

Bioremediation of Penicillin-Contaminated Poultry Faecal Waste using Betalactamase-Producing Bacteria

The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry farming has led to the contamination of the environment with antibiotic residues, posing significant risks to human health and contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we aimed to isolate betalactamase-producing bacteria from poultry faecal waste samples obtained from local poultry processing industries in Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India. The potential isolates were further characterized for betalactamase enzyme activity and their ability to degrade penicillin, a commonly used antibiotic in the poultry industry. Twenty poultry faecal waste samples were collected from regular poultry waste dumping sites. Microorganisms were isolated from these samples using the serial dilution and plating method on nutrient agar media. The isolated bacterial colonies were purified to obtain pure cultures for further analysis. The betalactamase-producing isolates were identified using the iodometric tube method, and four out of ten isolates showed positive results for betalactamase activity. These positive isolates were subjected to enzyme assay, and isolate 10 exhibited the highest enzyme activity with a concentration of 43U/ml, followed by isolate 7 with 30.5U/ml of enzyme. The potential betalactamase-producing isolate 10 was selected for its application in the degradation of penicillin in poultry faecal waste. The faecal waste samples were collected from the antibiotic-contaminated area of a poultry farm. After the addition of separated crude enzyme (5ml of 100U), the faecal sample was incubated for 15 days under specific conditions. HPLC analysis revealed a significant degradation of penicillin in the test sample treated with the betalactamase enzyme, with a degradation percentage of 48.6%. The results of this study indicate that betalactamase-producing bacteria can effectively degrade penicillin in poultry faecal waste. This bioremediation approach presents a potential solution to reduce antibiotic pollution in the environment and mitigate the risk of antibiotic resistance. Further research and application of such enzymatic degradation methods could contribute to sustainable and eco-friendly waste management practices in the poultry industry

Provider experiences with improvised uterine balloon tamponade for the management of uncontrolled postpartum hemorrhage in Kenya

AbstractObjectiveTo understand healthcare providers’ experiences with improvised uterine balloon tamponade (UBT) for the management of uncontrolled postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).MethodsIn a qualitative descriptive study, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between November 2014 and June 2015 among Kenyan healthcare providers who had previous experience with improvising a UBT device. Interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed.ResultsOverall, 29 healthcare providers (14 nurse-midwifes, 7 medical officers, 7 obstetricians, and 1 clinical officer) were interviewed. Providers perceived improvised UBT as valuable for managing uncontrolled PPH. Reported benefits included effectiveness in arresting hemorrhage and averting hysterectomy, and ease of use by providers of all levels of training. Providers used various materials to construct an improvised UBT. Challenges to improvising UBT—e.g. searching for materials during an emergency, procuring male condoms, and inserting fluid via a small syringe—were reported to lead to delays in care. Providers described their introduction to improvised UBT through both formal and informal sources. There was universal enthusiasm for widespread standardized training.ConclusionImprovised UBT seems to be a valuable second-line treatment for uncontrolled PPH that can be used by providers of all levels. UBT might be optimized by integrating a standard package across the health system

In-vitro screening of amylase producing halophilic bacteria isolated from seawater

In this study, eight halobacterial strains were isolated from seawater. Among the eight isolates, four strains grew well in nutrient medium with 40 g/100 mL of sodium chloride concentration. Amongst all, HA01 was found to show highest amylase activity than others. Highest amylase producing bacteria, i.e. HA01 was subjected for 16S rRNA sequence based identification and it was found to be Aquabacterium sp. strain AS02. The organism showed optimal amylase production at pH 7 and temperature of 42 °C and NaCl concentration of 3 M. The two substrates (banana peel and potato peel) were used for the amylase production among which banana peel showed that highest amylase activity of 6.12 U/mL than potato peel (4.27 U/mL)

Biodegradation of sulfanilic acid using Bacillus cereus AAA2018 from textile industry effluent contaminated soil

Biodegradation of hazardous aromatic compounds is emerging as a potential tool for reduction of environmental pollution due to their high toxicity and complex synthetic nature. In this study textile effluent was used as a microbial source for aerobic degradation of sulfanilic acid. Two adaptation techniques were followed to maximize uptake of sulfanilic acid, provided as a carbon and nitrogen source. The continuous enrichment and acclimatization media techniques were carried out for 20 days, respectively and both samples were screened for better degradation efficiency. The isolates were found to be similar to the colonies obtained from effluent. Sulfanilic acid degrading organism was identified as Bacillus cereus AAA2018 using 16S rRNA sequencing. Similarly, study was done for fungal strain Aspergillus japonicas. The bacterial strain showed subsequent reduction of sulfanilic acid at minimal salt concentration, whereas A. japonicus showed very little degradation efficiency comparatively. The comparative study of biodegradation capacity of sulfanilic acid was confirmed using GCMS in which product degradation profile of both bacterial and fungal strains included Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Phenol 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethyethyl) which gives an explanation for decrease in growth of bacterial culture as DMSO act as strong antibacterial agent