Experimental analysis and gene expression programming optimization of sustainable concrete containing mineral fillers.

Rapid urbanization has led to a high demand for concrete, causing a significant depletion of vital natural resources, notably river sand, which is crucial in the manufacturing process of concrete. As a result, there is a growing need for environmentally sustainable alternatives to fine aggregate in concrete. Quarry dust (QD) has evolved as a viable and ecologically friendly substitute in response to this demand.

Bionic nanopore recognition receptors for single-molecule enantioselectivity studies of chiral drugs.

Background: Enantiodiscrimination of chiral drugs is critical for understanding physiological phenomena and ensuring medical safety. Although enantiomers of these drugs share identical physicochemical properties, they exhibit significant differences in pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological properties due to the differences in their three-dimensional shapes. Therefore, the development of effective methods for chiral recognition is of great significance and has been a hot topic in chemo/biological studies.

Empowering health professions educators: enhancing curriculum delivery through customized e-tutorial training on fundamental digital tools.

Introduction: In the dynamic landscape of education, the fusion of technology and learning, commonly termed "technology-enhanced learning" (TEL), has emerged as a transformative phenomenon. This study focuses on the imperative integration of TEL in medical education, recognizing the diverse digital literacy levels of adult learners. The exploration introduces the innovative E-Portal training program, designed to empower health professions educators with essential skills for proficiently employing digital tools in instruction.

Investigating the internal structure of multiple mini interviews-A perspective from Pakistan.

Background: Healthcare professionals require many personal attributes in addition to cognitive abilities and psychomotor skills for competent practice. Multiple Mini- Interviews are being employed globally to assess personality attributes of candidates for selection in health professions education at all level of entry; these attributes are namely, communication skills, critical thinking, honesty, responsibility, health advocacy, empathy and sanctity of life. Considering the high stakes involved for students, faculty, institutions and the society, rigorous quality assurance mechanisms similar to those used for student assessment must be employed for student selection, throughout the continuum of medical education.

Transforming professional identity of medical teachers in Pakistan by a certificate program in health professions education: a thematic analysis of reflective essays.

Introduction: A teacher's professional identity development is a dynamic and continuous process that requires rigorous, longitudinal, faculty development initiatives which are designed to work on individual professional growth. Impact of such programs must be evaluated by qualitative means to identify the process of change; The purpose of our study was to investigate whether and how our thoughtfully designed 6-month certificate program has transformed the professional identity of medical teachers.

Methods: The study was conducted in National University of Medical Sciences, Pakistan using thematic analysis, wherein a weekly task of guided reflective writing, on Moodle, was given.

Negative faculty role modelling - is it a reflection of deteriorating societal values?

Background: Negative faculty role modelling is an area of growing concern especially due to its implications on medical professionalism. The study aims to explore the impacts of negative role modelling on professionalism of medical students in the context of Pakistan.

Methods: This qualitative study is part of a larger study exploring impacts of role modelling on professionalism of students.

Development and validation of a questionnaire about hidden curriculum in medical institutes: A pilot study.

The goal of the current study was to develop and validate a questionnaire that would reveal characteristics of medical hidden curricula. It is an extension of the qualitative research that was done by researchers on hidden curriculum, and a second part of the qualitative was the creation of a questionnaire by a panel of experts. Using both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the quantitative portion, the questionnaire was verified.

Pachypodol attenuates Perfluorooctane sulphonate-induced testicular damage by reducing oxidative stress.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an endocrine disruptor chemical (EDC) with potentially adverse effects on the male reproductive system. Pachypodol (5,4'-dihydroxy-3,7,3'-trimethoxyflavone) is a promising flavonoid isolated from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth that shows a broad range of pharmacological properties. However, the potential curative effects of pachypodol on testicular toxicity are not available until now.

Evaluating the impact of faculty development programme initiative: Are we really improving skills in MCQ writing?

A series of seven workshops were conducted in 2018, at the National University of Medical Sciences and its affiliated institutes, to evaluate the effectiveness of a three-hour workshop in improving faculty competence in developing high quality test items. Participants' satisfaction was evaluated with a post-workshop feedback questionnaire. A self-made structured questionnaire was required to be filled as a pre-test and post-test assessment.

Capacitive and Conductometric Type Dual-Mode Relative Humidity Sensor Based on 5,10,15,20-tetra Phenyl Porphyrinato Nickel (II) (TPPNi).

(1) Background: A quest for a highly sensitive and reliable humidity monitoring system for a diverse variety of applications is quite vital. Specifically, the ever-increasing demand of humidity sensors in applications ranging from agriculture to healthcare equipment (to cater the current demand of COVID-19 ventilation systems), calls for a selection of suitable humidity sensing material. (2) Methods: In the present study, the TPPNi macromolecule has been synthesized by using a microwave-assisted synthesis process.

Biomimetic Molecular Clamp Nanopores for Simultaneous Quantifications of NAD and NADH.

NADH/NAD is pivotal to fundamental biochemistry research and molecular diagnosis, but recognition and detection for them are a big challenge at the single-molecule level. Inspired by the biological system, here, we designed and synthesized a biomimetic NAD/NADH molecular clamp (MC), octakis-(6-amino-6-deoxy)-γ-cyclomaltooctaose, and harbored in the engineered α-HL(M113R) nanopore, forming a novel single-molecule biosensor. The single-molecule measurement possesses high selectivity and a high signal-to-noise ratio, allowing to simultaneously recognize and detect for sensing NADH/NAD and their transformations.

Real-Time Label-Free Kinetics Monitoring of Trypsin-Catalyzed Ester Hydrolysis by a Nanopore Sensor.

Trypsin is an important proteolytic enzyme in the digestive system and its activity is a major indicator for evaluating diseases such as chronic pancreatitis. Here, we present a novel label-free method to detect trypsin kinetics using a nanopore technique. A mutant α-hemolysin (M113R) protein nanopore equipped with a polyamine decorated β-cyclodextrin (amβ-CD) was employed as a sensing platform for the real-time monitoring of the process of trypsin enzymatic cleavage of a substrate α-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl ester (BAEE) at the single molecule level.

Effect of solvent polarity and extraction time on in vitro antioxidant properties of Brassica oleracea Convar Capitata Var L. seeds.

Effect of solvent polarity and extraction time on antioxidant properties of Brassica oleracea seeds was optimized by response surface methodology using central composite design. A significant linear negative effect of solvent polarity on total extractable components (TEC), total phenolic acids (TPA), linoleic acid reduction capacity (LARC) and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (HRSC) and significant positive effect on iron chelating activity (ICA), reducing power (RP) and (DPPH RSC). Linear effect of solvent polarity on total antioxidant activity (TAOA) was also found to be positive but not significant.

Relationship between Student Performances in Non-Cognitive Skills in Multiple Mini Interview and Integrated Practical Examination.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the performances of students in non-cognitive skills in Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and Integrated Practical Examination (IPE) of the first year of medical school.

Study Design: Cross-sectional observation study with statistical support.

Place And Duration Of Study: Shifa College of Medicine/Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad between December 2015 and March 2016.

Optimization of extraction yield and antioxidant properties of Brassica oleracea Convar Capitata Var L. leaf extracts.

Effects of extraction time and solvent polarity on antioxidant properties of Brassica oleracea leaves were optimized by response surface methodology using a central composite design. Five extraction times (12, 24, 36, 48 and 60h) and solvent polarities (dipole moment - hexane: 0.0, diethyl ether: 2.

Exploring the trustworthiness and reliability of focus groups for obtaining useful feedback for evaluation of academic programs.

Background: At Shifa College of Medicine, evaluation is an integral part of the curriculum. We used focus groups as a tool to obtain in-depth information regarding students' experience with the new integrated, system- based curriculum. The purpose of this study was to explore the usefulness of focus groups in identifying important issues for curriculum improvement and to explore the trustworthiness and representativeness of data obtained through this strategy.

Formative assessment in undergraduate medical education: concept, implementation and hurdles.

Formative assessment, described as "the process of appraising, judging or evaluating students' work or performance and using this to shape and improve students' competence", is generally missing from medical schools of Pakistan. Progressive institutions conduct "formative assessment" as a fleeting part of the curriculum by using various methods that may or may not include feedback to learners. The most important factor in the success of formative assessment is the quality of feedback, shown to have the maximum impact on student accomplishment.

Working toward decreasing infant mortality in developing countries through change in the medical curriculum.

Background: High infant and maternal mortality rates are one of the biggest health issues in Pakistan. Although these rates are given high priority at the national level (Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, respectively), there has been no significant decrease in them so far. We hypothesize that this lack of success is because the undergraduate curriculum in Pakistan does not match local needs.