Multiple choice questions (MCQs) and short essay questions (SEQs) are common methods of the assessment of medical students in courses of pharmacology. Poorly constructed test items (questions) are a widespread problem resulting in failure to assess learning objectives. It has been reported that there are 36.0% to 65.0% flawed test items in medical education assessment tools. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate MCQs by determining the item writing flaws (IWFs) and to evaluate the SEQs by determining the cognitive level of each item. Four pharmacology tests were administered to third-year pharmacy students at Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Bayda, Libya. These were evaluated by determining the IWFs and the level of the cognitive domains. Based on Buckwalter’s modification of Bloom’s taxonomy cognitive level, for the SEQs, 30.0% of the questions were attempted to check recall of information, 26.0% were attempted to evaluate understanding and interpretation of data and 43.0% of the questions were attempted to check the application of knowledge for solving a particular problem. For the MCQs, 94.6% of the questions were attempted to evaluate the understanding and interpretation of data. For the IWFs, there were more than 40.0% of flawed questions. The most common writing flaws were the negative stem (47.4%), unfocused item (16.0%), non-homogenous in grammar and contents (10.0%), all the above (10.0%) and clang association (05.0%). In a short essay, the SEQs were of excellent quality because they were equally distributed among the three levels of cognitive (level I, II and III). On the other hand, the most common mistakes IWFs of the MCQs were the negative stem (47.0%) and the idea was not clearly and concisely stated in the stem (16.0%). This study concludes that questions in SEQs are valid to measure the learning objective but MCQs were not in pharmacology courses in Libya.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
In the present study, the bacterium Achromobacter xylosoxidans was isolated from tannery effluent sludge sample in Dindugal, Tamil Nadu, India and screened for its bio-control efficacy against selected plant pathogens viz., Alternaria solani, Curvularia lunata and Fusarium oxysporum under in vitro. It was observed that maximum percent inhibition of mycelial growth of C. lunata (95%), followed by A. solani (85%) and F. oxysporum (80%). An attempt was also made for testing its plant growth promoting traits such as production of Indole acetic acid (IAA), phosphate solubilization efficacy, Hydrogen cyanide (HCN), ammonia and catalase production. Significant amount of plant growth promoting traits were noticed. Further studies on mechanism of bio-control against plant pathogens and plant growth promoting activities of Achromobacter xylosoxidans need to be conformed under in-vivo condition.
Mano Matram Jagat; Mano Kalpitam Jagat - (“the world is as the mind sees and feels it; the world is as the mind thinks of it” (as qtd. by T.N.Sethumadhavan, 2010). So, our life is in the way we feel and perceive it. Humans are a mixture of emotions and reasons. Reasoning enables them to analyze and judge things with mathematical precision, while emotions help them to understand and empathize others that make them human. Traditionally, people with a high degree of logic and reasoning were believed to be intelligent and. The purpose of the IQ tests was designed to ascertain a person’s intelligence based on the reasoning and the logical aptitude of the person. IQ tests were found to be effective when a person is ‘not’ scared or angry or intrigue about specific things that aroused emotions. Emotions were considered disruptive in nature, which influences the process of thinking of a person (Woodworth, 1940). Mowrer (1960) opined that “emotions are of quite extraordinary importance in the total economy of living organisms and do not deserve being put into opposition with intelligence‟. The emotions are, it seems, themselves a higher order of intelligence.”
This paper investigates the deep learning techniques to improve radio resource management (RRM) in vehicular communication network (VCN). In this paper, the deep learning algorithms are highlighted which are used for RRM. Deep learning technique in RRM is basically used to train the model using various algorithms of resource management including network data. Various machine learning tools will be helpful to get best solutions for resource allocation in a large cellular network.
Customers shopping behaviors have altered because of technological advancement and widespread of internet access. The rise in online sales presents both opportunities and challenges for many e-commerce companies. To successfully increase the customers’ purchase intention, it is important to implement persuasion marketing strategies especially in the online environment, together with other traditional marketing techniques available. The goal of this study is to determine which technique, between Scarcity Tactics and Liking Tactics, has more impact on customers’ Purchase Intention. Zalora Indonesia, as one of the leaders in fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle e-commerce, is chosen to be the research object. Scarcity Tactics and Liking Tactics are the independent variables used in this study, with customers’ Purchase Intention as the dependent variable. Quantitative method using a causal strategy, with an online questionnaire has been delivered to 120 Zalora Indonesia buyers. According to the findings of this research, customers who buy online have the tendency to do purchases when Zalora Indonesia uses Scarcity Tactics and Liking Tactics in its marketing approach. Scarcity Tactics, however, has more influence on online Purchase Intention, whereas Liking Tactics has a promising but insignificant impact. Both Scarcity Tactics and Liking Tactics show influences in customers’ Purchase Intention as much as 60.2%.
Teaching and learning computer programming is challenging for many undergraduate first-year computer science students. During introductory programming courses, novice programmers need to learn some basic algorithms, gain algorithmic thinking, improve their logical and problem-solving thinking skills, and learn data types, data structures, and the syntax of the chosen programming language. In literature, we can find various methods of teaching programming that can motivate students and reduce students’ cognitive load during the learning process of computer programming, e.g., using robotic kits, microcontrollers, microworld environments, virtual worlds, serious games, interactive animations, and visualizations. In this paper, we focus mainly on algorithm visualizations, especially on the different models of data structures that can be effectively used in educational visualizations. First, we show how a vector (one-dimensional array), a matrix (two-dimensional array), a singly linked list, and a graph can be represented by various models. Next, we also demonstrate some examples of interactive educational algorithm animations for teaching and learning elementary algorithms and some sorting algorithms, e.g., swapping two variables, summing elements of the array, mirroring the array, searching the minimum or maximum of the array, searching the index of minimum or maximum of the array, sorting elements of the array using simple exchange sort, bubblesort, insertion sort, minsort, maxsort, quicksort, or mergesort. Finally, in the last part of the paper, we summarize our experiences in teaching algorithmization and computer programming using algorithm animations and visualizations and draw some conclusions.
Conservation agricultural (CA) practices prove to be beneficial in terms of resource utilization and maintenance of soil health. Rice-Wheat cropping system (RWCS) is the majorcropping system in Indo-Gangetic plains of India. CA practices are becoming popular in this cropping system as sustainable agricultural management practices. Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important primary nutrients and are required for crop growth. A field experiment was conducted during the period of 2015-2017 at Taraori village of Karnal district in Haryanato study the effects of conservation agricultural practices on P and K availability as well as uptake in rice-wheat cropping system. The experiment comprised of four treatments i.e. Transplanted rice + Conventionally tilled wheat (T1), Direct seeded rice + Zero tilled wheat with residue retention (T2), Transplanted rice + Zero tilled wheat (T3) and Transplanted rice + Zero tilled wheat with residue retention (T4). Results showed that P uptake was highest in T4 treatment in wheat crop. P uptake in rice was highest in T4 treatment while direct seeded rice (T2) showed lowest P uptake. CA practices also increased K uptake in both the crops. Practicing zero tillage in wheat increased the availability of soil phosphorus as compared to conventionally tilled treatment with highest value (34 kg ha-1) recorded in T3 treatment. But direct seeded rice soil showed lower values of soil available P. Similar to phosphorus, available potassium of soil also increased in all treatments. Highestvalue (341.5 kg ha-1) of available K was recorded in T4 treatment while it was minimum (307.2 kg ha-1) in T1. Residue incorporation in soil led to more availabilityof K in T2 and T4 treatment. This study features the significance of conservation agricultural practices over conventional practices in terms of increasing the uptake and availability phosphorus and potassium in soil. Key words : Conservation agriculture,
There is an upsurge in gestational diabetes mellitus with many devastating consequences for the mother and developing fetus. Insulin therapy remains a mainstay. However, insulin is expensive and comes with the pain of multiple injections. Therefore, there is a need to explore commonly administered oral hypoglycemic agents to cater for the increasing gestational diabetes mellitus-associated neurological complications. This study assesses the effects of glibenclamide, metformin and insulin on the pups’ prefrontal cortex in diabetic pregnant rats. 35 sexually matured adult female rats weighing between 120 g and 160 g were used and assigned into five groups (A to E) of seven rats each group. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (45 mg/kg and 35 mg/kg; ip). Hyperglycemic rats were treated with insulin (1.0 UI daily), metformin (200 mg/kg/day) and glibenclamide (0.6 mg/kg/day). Body weight and blood glucose levels were evaluated. Rats were sacrificed at 18-day gestation, the pups were harvested, and their brains were processed for tissue oxidative stress markers and various histological examinations. Glibenclamide and metformin caused a significant blood glucose reduction at 37.9% and 40.7%, respectively, compared to the insulin group (33.09%). There was no significant difference in the body-organ ratio in rats treated with metformin when compared to rats treated with insulin. Metformin and glibenclamide had a significant increase in tissue glutathione reductase and a decrease in malondialdehyde compared with insulin and diabetic control groups. The pups’ prefrontal cortex showed degenerated neuronal cells in the diabetic control animals. The diabetic rats treated with metformin and glibenclamide showed improved pyramidal neurons compared with diabetic and insulin groups. This study suggests that metformin and glibenclamide glycemic control may prevent and improve antioxidant enzymes and reverse some neurotoxic effects caused by streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
CoronaVirus’ is a hard hit on both Millennial consumers and marketers. It forced consumers and marketers to do the usual activities of buying and selling differently. Panic buying and herd mentality was widely noticed among millennials. Their unusual buying behavior which reflects behavior during a crisis is highly influenced by environmental stimuli. From this study, it is found that there has been a significant buying behavioral shift of global millennials in emerging markets (BRIC – Brazil, Russia, India, China; CIVETS – Columbia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa). It is evident that the initial marketing attempts of marketers failed during COVID-19 due to the lack of understanding of the significance of environmental and marketing stimuli in consumers’ purchase decisions. This study brings out the various positive substantial changes brought about through internetization in marketing goods and services to millennial customers during the pandemic. The pandemic enabled a rapid digital revolution in buying and selling using digital/online platforms. The study suggests the application of the Black Box Model by marketers in marketing and selling decisions. The Internet has been the most important tool used by customers and sellers to access what they need. This study is useful to marketers and upcoming entrepreneurs to understand that it is the consumer’s buying behavior that triggers and pushes marketers to sell differently.
Abstract In the existing investigation, experiments were carried out to assess the F2 population’s resultant of crosses between improved Basmati 370 and MAS25 for various agronomical and root traits cultivated under aerobic water conditions. Large variations for grain yield, root length, root dry biomass, root thickness and length/breadth ratio of grain have been displayed in segregating F2 populations. A close examination of phenotypic correlation exhibited that in the F2 population, root length was certainly matched up (r = 0.496) with root thickness. A DNA fingerprinting catalog for the currently studied F2 generation was arranged using 61 polymorphic SSR markers. Composite Interval Mapping (CIM) inspection with WinQTL cartographer version 2.5 disclosed 13 putative QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci), out of which 6 QTL were for root characters 7 QTL for agronomical characters situated on 1, 2, 3, 8 and 10 chromosomes. The QTL documented in the above-said generation, some promising F2 plants were also scrutinized and found in the homozygous or heterozygous state with high repetitions.
With the expansion of human societies, extending up to almost every corner of the earth, transforming it to be as per their condition, humankind has proved their extraordinary dominance on the earth. The dominating attitude of humans has not resulted pleasantly every time. Poverty is one such curse that has shamed the progressing world community. Christianity has dedicated a large portion of its ministerial approach towards the underprivileged. This paper presents a missiological approach to uplift the slum dwellers in the city of Pune with education and health reforms. A similar project was experimented in 2014 among homeless people. The project did well and the results were significantly progressive and potential. It is assumed that this paper will bring an insightful approach that benefits the slums in Pune and enhance the “serving the humanity” aspect of the Christian mission.
Obesity is a complex and challenging global public health concern. It is a major disease involving excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Obesity is dangerous and has been related to a range of long-term health issues that can impact adults and children. According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people worldwide are obese as of March 2022. In the Libyan situation, the prevalence of obesity has increased among the public over the last decade. This cross-sectional survey-based study is conducted by using self-structured designed questionnaire to evaluate the use of anti-obesity drugs and herbal products among Libyan people. Additionally, considered as an indirect method, pharmacist performance in obesity management was also evaluated. The investigators collected interview data from three different cities in the Northwest of Libya over a period of five months, 2019. A total of 170 participants who use weight loss products were randomly selected to participate in the study after obtaining their verbal consent. The participants' experience with weight reduction agents revealed that more than half of the participants (52.3%) used herbal products while 32.0% of the participants have used drugs of chemical origin and 15.6% have used both (herbal and drugs). The majority of the participants (91.4%) used these products without medical consultation which in turn led to failure to lose and maintain weight with 74.2% gaining weight after stopping using these products. In conclusion, poor pharmacist intervention in obesity management was revealed where the majority of the participants reported that Libyan community pharmacists had not been offering weight management services, monitoring weight loss progress, or explaining the risks of being overweight or obese.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Alternative Learning System (ALS) has been adopted in Philippine basic education, yet there is no academic institution in the region prepares ALS teachers in teaching life skills. ALS teachers graduated from different programs of teacher education for formal education. In response, an extension project was conceptualized and implemented to enhance the teaching capacity and effectiveness of ALS teachers. Case study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. It explored the transfer of life skills among ALS teachers. Data were collected from multiple sources. Interview and written responses, and feedback were analyzed using thematic narrative analysis. Other data were analyzed using document and descriptive analyses. The project had achieved its objectives and rated best by participants. These indicate that the project was implemented effectively and successfully. ALS teachers have acquired life skills and transferred them to others. Thus, the project has made a difference in the lives of these teachers.
Breast cancer commonly metastasizes to the bones, liver, lungs, and brain. However, metastasis to endocrine glands, particularly the adrenal and pituitary glands, is rare. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast who initially showed a favorable response to standard therapy. Surveillance imaging in late 2022 revealed a left adrenal mass, subsequently confirmed as metastatic breast carcinoma. Following laparoscopic adrenalectomy, she developed primary adrenal insufficiency. By mid-2023, she presented with pituitary metastases, resulting in hypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus, and severe visual impairment. Despite targeted radiosurgery, her disease progressed rapidly, and she died in December 2024. This case illustrates an unusual metastatic pattern involving both the adrenal and pituitary glands and demonstrates the potential for aggressive clinical behavior even in hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for atypical metastatic sites to ensure timely diagnosis and optimize palliative care strategies.
Peripheral nerves are more prone to damage during trauma. Though nerve grafts are used as an alternative method in treating it, the results are purely ambiguous. One such modern approach to treat peripheral nerve injury is bone marrow differentiated neuronal cells. Our present aim is to study the effect of in-vitro differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in the treatment of peripheral nerve injury in rats. Six weeks old rat weighing 80 gm was used for isolation and culture of BMSCs. The second passage cells were taken for neuronal differentiation. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry were performed with Anti goat IgG antibody indirectly conjugated with FITC to express nestin. In vitro differentiated BMSC along with PLGA Scaffold is injected into the site of peripheral nerve injury and the results were studied by ENMG, microdissection, and histopathology. The cells were expressed with Nestin goat polyclonal antibody. At the end of the second week, the rat reveals increased amplitude (8.3 mv) with decreased latency (0.8 ms) of the peripheral nerve. Micro dissection confirms the neuronal continuity of the injured peripheral nerve. Histopathology distinctly exhibit increased myelination and decreased endoneuronal space. In conclusion, neuronal differentiated BMSC, regenerate peripheral nerve injury faster than conventional methods and can be applied as an alternate therapy in peripheral nerve repair.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Background: Exhaust noise is known to be a major pollutant in the environment and workplaces due to the development of industry and transportation. Exhaust noise can be reduced to normal levels by mufflers or silencers. A reactive muffler efficiently dampens noise at low frequencies by reflecting sound waves. Therefore, muffler design is of great importance in exhaust noise reduction. Transmission loss (TL) is an essential characteristic of mufflers, demonstrating their acoustical properties. Any acoustical appliance is selected based on its damping performance and reliability. Predicting TL through experimentation is different from theoretical calculations. Methods: In the present study, a double-expansion chamber muffler was designed as a reflective muffler on a laboratory scale by equations. Next, TL was evaluated by an impedance tube applying a 4-microphone technique to determine the acoustical performance of the designed muffler. Results: Findings revealed that the TL of the muffler at 312 Hz frequency obtained 27.5 dB agreement with the required TL of the muffler of 25 dB. In addition, the TL of the muffler against frequency attenuates noise in broadband frequencies. Conclusions: These results indicated that the built muffler provides desired TL for exhaust chambers. Therefore, equations can be used as a precise method for muffler design. Furthermore, multi-expansion chamber mufflers are useful for reducing noise at a wide range of frequencies.
Gastrointestinal parasites constitute a serious problem to poultry production in Africa. But often times they are usually ignored by the majority of farmers. Whereas, it is one of the major leading causes of ill-health and high mortality rates in the poultry industry. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of chicken slaughtered at the Jalingo market. A total of 500 gastrointestinal tracts of local chicken comprising of 250 from males and 250 from females were collected from the poultry slaughtering and dressing section of the Jalingo market, and screened for gastrointestinal helminths using the saturated sodium chloride floatation techniques. An overall prevalence of 28.6% (143/500) was recorded with a prevalence of 16.8% (84/500) in males and 11.8% (59/500) females. Nine different species parasites comprising five nematodes and four cestodes, were recorded. Nematodes were the most predominant intestinal parasite with a prevalence rate of 89 (62.2%). And Ascaridia galli 45 (50.5%) was found to be the most prevalent nematode. Other nematodes observed were Capillaria annulata 13.4% (12/89), Heterakis gallinarum 2.2% (2/89), Strongyloides avium 32.5% (29/89), and Syngamus trachea 1.1% (1/89) having the lowest prevalence. Railliatina tetragona 57.4% (31/143) was the most prevalent cestode recorded. Other Cestodes were Hymenolepis carioca 27.7% (15/54), Raillietina cesticellus 12.9% (7/54), and Davainea proglottina 1.8% (1/54). No trematode was recorded in this study. This study showed that nematodes and cestodes were the common helminth parasites in local chicken. There is therefore the need for educating the farmers on the impact of gastrointestinal parasite infection in chicken and the need to institute good management practices so as to reduce their effects on productivity. Sex of the chicken had no statistically significant difference (X2 = 6.12, df = 1; P > 0.05) on the prevalence of helminths.
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is an embryonic interatrialdefect potentially associated withischemic cerebralstrokes. One option is the occlusion of the atrial shunt byendovascular means. This procedure is recommendedfor patients with a history of cryptogenic strokes.Patent foramen ovales (PFOs) are common in the general population (prevalence 20-30%) and do not constitute a pathology in their own terms. Nevertheless, a association has been established between the occurrence of certain cryptogenic ischemic strokes and the presence of a PFO. The risk appears higher when septal patency is associated with atrial septal aneurysm (ASA). The aim of this presentation is to study the association between the PFO and the occurrence of ischemic stroke, and the benefits of its closure.
Internship activities are carried out in universities to introduce the working world to students in the future. This is important to be examined, especially in terms of the effectiveness of the program that has been implemented. By conducting a survey of students who have undergone the internship process, a clearer picture can be obtained of overall student satisfaction in response to the placement process during the internship. There are five factors emerge from the data analysis, namely interpersonal skills, work environment, culture, challenges, and benefit.
The Cellular Manufacturing is adopted in batch type manufacturing industries nowadays for their production with increased productivity, less cost and time with effective control. The proposed optimization model is used to determine the cost of machine cells, i.e., machine duplication, part subcontract, inter intra cellular movements cost and cost of production associated with machine cell, such as machine reconfiguration and part inventory considering machine flexibility for various time periods. Initially, a mathematical model is proposed to calculate machine cell cost with and without considering machine flexibility, and then another lpp integer model is proposed to calculate the machine cell production and associated cost for the changes in the time period, part type, and volume considering machine flexibility. The manufacturing data in the incidence matrix and machine cell, and part family data in the block diagonal form are given as input to the optimization programming language Cplex and the output is given for the two mathematical models. The data relating to machine duplication, part subcontract, inter intracellular movement; machine reconfiguration, and part inventory are given. Two-dimensional shop floor layouts are presented in rectilinear coordinates for all the problems for easy analysis of material movement length and shop floor area