Identifying Service Quality Attributes and Measuring Customer Satisfaction of Dhaka-Pabna Route Public Bus Service

Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh. A notable number of people have to go to and return from Dhaka every day. Most of the people use bus service. The situation of Dhaka-Pabna route bus service is not exception of this. Gradually the number of customer as well as service provider is increasing in this route. As a result, the service providers are facing competition to attract and retain customer. Measuring customer satisfaction is very important in attracting and retaining customer. This study was intended to identify service quality attributes in the long route public bus transit service and measure the customer satisfaction by surveying a number of 250 respondents. Finding shows that, overall 13% customers are very satisfied, 48% customers are somewhat satisfied, 32% customers are somewhat dissatisfied and 7% customers are very dissatisfied. Some recommendations are also provided to attract and retain customer

Fabrication of miconazole nitrate solid lipid nanoparticle loaded microneedle patches for the treatment of Candida albicans biofilms

The present study aimed to develop miconazole nitrate solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) loaded polymeric microneedle (MN) patches (SPs) via the vacuum micromolding approach. The SLNs were fabricated through melt emulsification of stearic acid using Tween 80. SPs were prepared using chitosan, gelatin (as base materials) and polyethylene glycol 400 (as a plasticizer). The prepared formulations were evaluated for various physicochemical parameters, including particle size, polydispersity index, encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity (in the case of SLNs), folding endurance, % swelling and insertion ability (in the case of SPs). Scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies were carried out for morphological and thermal analysis, respectively. Phase analysis was carried out via X-ray diffraction (XRD). In vitro tensile strength, drug release, anti-biofilm activity and in vivo anti-biofilm activity were studied to assess the efficiency of the SLN loaded polymeric formulation. Miconazole nitrate containing SLNs appeared as smooth-surfaced aggregates and displayed a particle diameter of ∼224 nm, polydispersity index of ∼0.32, encapsulation efficiency of ∼88.88% and loading capacity of ∼8.88%. SPs exhibited evenly aligned, uniform-surfaced, sharp-tipped projections, with an acceptable folding endurance of ∼300 and % swelling of ∼359%. DSC and XRD results confirmed the incorporation of the drug within the solidified lipid matrix as an amorphous solid. The miconazole nitrate lipidic nanoparticle containing polymeric formulation exhibited a tensile strength ∼1.35 times lower than the pure drug loaded counterpart. During in vitro studies, SPs released ∼94% miconazole nitrate within 150 minutes and reduced the mass of the Candida albicans (C. albicans) biofilm by ∼79%. After 10 days of treatment with SPs, C. albicans infected wounds were healed, confirming that the prepared formulations can be used for the management of fungal biofilms

De Novo and Bi-allelic Pathogenic Variants in NARS1 Cause Neurodevelopmental Delay Due to Toxic Gain-of-Function and Partial Loss-of-Function Effects

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are ubiquitous, ancient enzymes that charge amino acids to cognate tRNA molecules, the essential first step of protein translation. Here, we describe 32 individuals from 21 families, presenting with microcephaly, neurodevelopmental delay, seizures, peripheral neuropathy, and ataxia, with de novo heterozygous and bi-allelic mutations in asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (NARS1). We demonstrate a reduction in NARS1 mRNA expression as well as in NARS1 enzyme levels and activity in both individual fibroblasts and induced neural progenitor cells (iNPCs). Molecular modeling of the recessive c.1633C>T (p.Arg545Cys) variant shows weaker spatial positioning and tRNA selectivity. We conclude that de novo and bi-allelic mutations in NARS1 are a significant cause of neurodevelopmental disease, where the mechanism for de novo variants could be toxic gain-of-function and for recessive variants, partial loss-of-function

De Novo and Bi-allelic Pathogenic Variants in NARS1 Cause Neurodevelopmental Delay Due to Toxic Gain-of-Function and Partial Loss-of-Function Effects.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are ubiquitous, ancient enzymes that charge amino acids to cognate tRNA molecules, the essential first step of protein translation. Here, we describe 32 individuals from 21 families, presenting with microcephaly, neurodevelopmental delay, seizures, peripheral neuropathy, and ataxia, with de novo heterozygous and bi-allelic mutations in asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (NARS1). We demonstrate a reduction in NARS1 mRNA expression as well as in NARS1 enzyme levels and activity in both individual fibroblasts and induced neural progenitor cells (iNPCs). Molecular modeling of the recessive c.1633C>T (p.Arg545Cys) variant shows weaker spatial positioning and tRNA selectivity. We conclude that de novo and bi-allelic mutations in NARS1 are a significant cause of neurodevelopmental disease, where the mechanism for de novo variants could be toxic gain-of-function and for recessive variants, partial loss-of-function

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Non-compliance to medication in psychiatric patients

Objective: To find out the frequency and reason for non-compliance to medication in a sample of psychiatric outpatients. Design: It’s a descriptive and cross sectional observation. Setting: The study was conducted in Government Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases, Lahore. Methods: A survey of outpatients was conducted, using a questionnaire designed for this purpose. Trained and experienced psychiatrists administered the questionnaire. The psychiatrists afterwards categorized the causes of discontinuation of medication. Results: Total patients who were screened were 343, and among them 56 (16.32%) had stopped their medication. The commonest cause for discontinuation was inability to afford medication. Conclusion: Steady supply of medication to patients can improve the outcome of their illness

Synthesis of Sunscreen Dendrimer

Longevity and effectiveness of sunscreens and other UV-protectant lotions have been studied and researched for upwards of 90 years. Sunscreen lotions have been linked with prevention of a number of genetic mutations that may lead to skin cancers. The effectiveness of sunscreens is generally measured as Sun-protection Factor (SPF), which describes the minimal time that a sunscreen product can provide protection. Despite many advances in the field most sunscreens fail to deliver their claimed SPF protection. This is normally a result of human error; either in the amount applied, or the process of application. The focus of this research has been to investigate the use of second-generation dendrimers to increase the quantity of active sunscreen molecules present after application. Dendrimers, with their highly manipulatable physical and chemical properties, enable us to increase the “stickiness” of a sunscreen. This experiment focuses on finding optimal conditions to form a second-generation sunscreen dendrimer, and to test whether the sunscreen will retain its protective function in this context. *Indicates presenter &nbsp