Experience of observation skill workshop intervention for ophthalmologists in fellowship training.

Background: To gauge the impact of an interventional workshop conducted to measure the observation skills of 34 postgraduates during induction into an ophthalmology fellowship.

Methods: A seven-hour workshop was conducted with the ophthalmology trainees. Trainees from the 2022 batch of ophthalmology fellowships (21 females and 13 males) were included in the study.

Experience of focused workshop intervention in presentation skills - Importance of foundational skills for ophthalmologists in training.

Background: The study was conducted to assess the impact of a workshop intervention designed to enhance presentation skills of ophthalmology fellows in training.

Methods: A 10-hour workshop on presentation skills was conducted for ophthalmology fellows in the 2022 cohort at a single institution. An email was sent to the 2022 cohort to recruit participants.

Probiotics: Potential novel therapeutics for microbiota-gut-brain axis dysfunction across gender and lifespan.

Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, present a health benefit for the host. While the beneficial effects of probiotics on gastrointestinal function are generally well recognized, new animal research and clinical studies have found that alterations in gut microbial communities can have a broad range of effects throughout the body. Non-intestinal sites impacted include the immune, endocrine, cardiovascular and the central nervous system (CNS).

Level of patient satisfaction at government Unani & Ayurvedic Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Objectives: This study was aimed to assess the level of patient satisfaction at Government Unani & Ayurvedic Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 165 patients attended at the out-patient department of Government Unani & Ayurvedic Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Patients who were equally or more than 18 years with a history of at least two referral visits were eligible to participate in the study.

Carboxymethylcellulose hybrid nanodispersions for edible coatings with potential anti-cancer properties.

Curcumin loaded lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles dispersions were fabricated from carboxymethylcellulose, stearic acid, polyethylene glycol and sesame oil using emulsion solvent evaporation method for their possible application as edible coatings for fresh vegetables and fruits. They were characterized by FTIR and TEM analysis. In addition, anti-bacterial, blood compatibility, cytotoxicity and anticancer studies were also carried out.

Novel core-shell dextran hybrid nanosystem for anti-viral drug delivery.

Zidovudine (AZT) is an antiviral drug extensively used for combating the global pandemic- HIV/AIDS. However, its uses are overshadowed by its short half -life, poor aqueous solubility and inability to cross physiological barriers. This study highlights a nanosystem consisting of dextran and stearic acid for AZT delivery.

Biofabricated silver nanoparticles incorporated polymethyl methacrylate as a dental adhesive material with antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against .

In this study, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) thin films incorporated with biofabricated silver nanoparticles were used to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against the cariogenic bacterium . For this, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were generated using SJ14 culture (MAgNPs) and extract from rhizome (CAgNPs). The AgNPs were further characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.

IgM response against amyloid-beta in aging: a potential peripheral protective mechanism.

Background: The immune system plays a major role in the pathogenesis of age-related dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). An insight into age-associated changes in the immune response to amyloid-beta (Aβ) in individuals without AD may be beneficial in identifying mechanisms preventing accumulation of Aβ.

Methods: We examined the response of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs), T cells, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy aged and young subjects to Aβ peptide 1-42, Aβ fibrils, and recombinant, nonaggregated tau-4 protein with a view to understand the role of peripheral immunity in AD.

Electrospinning over Solvent Casting: Tuning of Mechanical Properties of Membranes.

We put forth our opinion regarding the enhanced plasticity and modulation of mechanical properties of polymeric films obtained through electrospinning process in this article. In majority of the pharmaceutical, biomedical, and packaging applications, it is desirable that polymer based matrices should be soft, flexible, and have a moderate toughness. In order to convert inflexible and brittle polymers, adjuvants in the form of plasticizers are added to improve the flexibility and smoothness of solvent casted polymer films.

Kinetic study of gold nanoparticle mediated photocatalytic degradation of Victoria blue.

In the study, biogenic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used for the photocatalytic degradation of triphenylmethane dyes Victoria blue B (VBB) and R (VBR). The process was found to result in an approximate degradation of 65 and 52%, respectively, for VBB and VBR within a period of 8 h. The relative rate of photocatalytic degradation of VBB and VBR was identified to be 0.

Poly (vinyl pyrrolidone)-lipid based hybrid nanoparticles for anti viral drug delivery.

Zidovudine (AZT) is an antiviral drug with moderate solubility in water. It has limited application due to its short half life in vivo and consequent requirement for frequent administrations. To solve this problem, zidovudine loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/stearic acid (SA)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanoparticles (PSNPs) were developed.

Encapsulation of zidovudine in PF-68 coated alginate conjugate nanoparticles for anti-HIV drug delivery.

Retroviral drug delivery faces many challenges due to its low bioavailability, short half life and hydrophobicity. In this study, the anti viral drug zidovudine (AZT) was encapsulated inside the amide functionalised alginate nanoparticles (AZT-GAAD NPs) using emulsion solvent evaporation method. The amide derivative of alginate was prepared by coupling reaction with d,l glutamic acid using carbodiimide activation chemistry.

Zinc oxide-curcumin nanocomposite loaded collagen membrane as an effective material against methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles and curcumin are excellent antimicrobial agents. They have the potential to be used as alternative to antibiotics in wound infection management. In this study, ZnO-curcumin nanocomposite was synthesized and characterized.

Gelatin modified lipid nanoparticles for anti- viral drug delivery.

The major challenges to clinical application of zidovudine are its moderate aqueous solubility and relative short half-life and serious side effects due to frequent administrations. We investigated the preparation of zidovudine-loaded nanoparticles based on lipids which were further modified with the polymer gelatin. Formulation and stability of the modified nanoparticles were analysed from the physico-chemical characterizations.

Pattern separation and goal-directed behavior in the aged canine.

The pattern separation task has recently emerged as a behavioral model of hippocampus function and has been used in several pharmaceutical trials. The canine is a useful model to evaluate a multitude of hippocampal-dependent cognitive tasks that parallel those in humans. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate the suitability of pattern separation task(s) for detecting age-related changes in canines.

H3K9me3 Inhibition Improves Memory, Promotes Spine Formation, and Increases BDNF Levels in the Aged Hippocampus.

Unlabelled: An increasing number of studies show that an altered epigenetic landscape may cause impairments in regulation of learning and memory-related genes within the aged hippocampus, eventually resulting in cognitive deficits in the aged brain. One such epigenetic repressive mark is trimethylation of H3K9 (H3K9me3), which is typically implicated in gene silencing. Here, we identify, for the first time, an essential role for H3K9me3 and its histone methyl transferase (SUV39H1) in mediating hippocampal memory functions.

Effect of mitochondrial cofactors and antioxidants supplementation on cognition in the aged canine.

A growing body of research has focused on modifiable risk factors for prevention and attenuation of cognitive decline in aging. This has led to an unprecedented interest in the relationship between diet and cognitive function. Several preclinical and epidemiologic studies suggest that dietary intervention can be used to improve cognitive function but randomized controlled trials are increasingly failing to replicate these findings.

Synapse-specific IL-1 receptor subunit reconfiguration augments vulnerability to IL-1β in the aged hippocampus.

In the aged brain, synaptic plasticity and memory show increased vulnerability to impairment by the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1β (IL-1β). In this study, we evaluated the possibility that synapses may directly undergo maladaptive changes with age that augment sensitivity to IL-1β impairment. In hippocampal neuronal cultures, IL-1β increased the expression of the IL-1 receptor type 1 and the accessory coreceptor AcP (proinflammatory), but not of the AcPb (prosurvival) subunit, a reconfiguration that potentiates the responsiveness of neurons to IL-1β.

Exercise enhances memory consolidation in the aging brain.

Exercise has been shown to reduce age-related losses in cognitive function including learning and memory, but the mechanisms underlying this effect remain poorly understood. Memory formation occurs in stages that include an initial acquisition phase, an intermediate labile phase, and then a process of consolidation which leads to long-term memory formation. An effective way to examine the mechanism by which exercise improves memory is to introduce the intervention (exercise), post-acquisition, making it possible to selectively examine memory storage and consolidation.

Pyroglutamate-3 amyloid-β deposition in the brains of humans, non-human primates, canines, and Alzheimer disease-like transgenic mouse models.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, starting with pyroglutamate at the third residue (pyroGlu-3 Aβ), are a major species deposited in the brain of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. Recent studies suggest that this isoform shows higher toxicity and amyloidogenecity when compared to full-length Aβ peptides. Here, we report the first comprehensive and comparative IHC evaluation of pyroGlu-3 Aβ deposition in humans and animal models.

A preclinical cognitive test battery to parallel the National Institute of Health Toolbox in humans: bridging the translational gap.

A major goal of animal research is to identify interventions that can promote successful aging and delay or reverse age-related cognitive decline in humans. Recent advances in standardizing cognitive assessment tools for humans have the potential to bring preclinical work closer to human research in aging and Alzheimer's disease. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has led an initiative to develop a comprehensive Toolbox for Neurologic Behavioral Function (NIH Toolbox) to evaluate cognitive, motor, sensory and emotional function for use in epidemiologic and clinical studies spanning 3 to 85 years of age.

Caspase-3 activation as a bifurcation point between plasticity and cell death.

Death-mediating proteases such as caspases and caspase-3 in particular, have been implicated in neurodegenerative processes, aging and Alzheimer's disease. However, emerging evidence suggests that in addition to their classical role in cell death, caspases play a key role in modulating synaptic function. It is remarkable that active caspases-3, which can trigger widespread damage and degeneration, aggregates in structures as delicate as synapses and persists in neurons without causing acute cell death.