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Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is known to be associated with ventricular tachycardia (VT); however, most investigations to date have focused on patients with known extra-cardiac sarcoidosis. The presence of CS is typically evaluated using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake on cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) or late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). In this study, we sought to determine the prevalence of primary CS and the relationship between myocardial 18F-FDG uptake and LGE in patients with VT without known sarcoidosis. We retrospectively identified 67 patients without known sarcoidosis or active ischemic heart disease (i.e. significant ischemic disease that had not been previously revascularized) referred for both CMR and PET for evaluation of VT. Standard cine- and LGE- CMR and cardiac PET protocols were used. Myocardial LGE was defined as signal intensity > 5 SDs above the mean signal intensity of normal myocardium. Cardiac PET images were considered positive if there was focal myocardial 18F-FDG uptake having greater activity than the left ventricular blood pool. 45 patients (67%) had LGE, while only 4 (6%) had myocardial FDG uptake. Nine percent of patients with LGE had FDG-uptake while none without LGE did, and 10% of the cohort had indeterminate FDG uptake presumably from poor dietary preparation. Of those with both FDG uptake and LGE, 3/4 ultimately received a clinical diagnosis of CS. 4.5% of patients without previously known sarcoidosis or active ischemic heart disease presenting with VT have newly diagnosed CS. Detection of CS can be increased using a CMR first approach followed by cardiac PET for patients with non-ischemic LGE.

Assembly of anisotropic nanocrystals into ordered superstructures is an area of intense research interest due to its relevance to bring nanocrystal properties to macroscopic length scales and to impart additional collective properties owing to the superstructure. Numerous routes have been explored to assemble such nanocrystal superstructures ranging from self-directed to external field-directed methods. Most of the approaches require sensitive control of experimental parameters that are largely environmental and require extra processing steps, increasing complexity and limiting reproducibility. Here, we demonstrate a simple approach to assemble colloidal nanorods in situ, wherein dopant incorporation during the particle synthesis results in the formation of preassembled 2D sheets of close-packed ordered arrays of vertically oriented nanorods in solution.

Norbelladine derivatives have garnered attention in recent years due to their diverse biological activities and pivotal role in the biosynthetic pathway of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. This study reports the synthesis and biological evaluation of four O,N-methylated derivatives of norbelladine. These derivatives were synthesized through a three-step process: forming imine intermediates from benzaldehydes with tyramine, hydrogenating them to secondary amines, and N-methylating these amines. The products were purified and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Their biological activities were assessed by evaluating their ability to inhibit Alzheimer's disease-related enzymes acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. Additionally, the cytotoxic activity of the novel derivatives was tested against cancer cell lines derived from hepatocarcinoma (Huh7), adenocarcinoma (HCT-8), and acute myeloid leukemia (THP-1) cells, and their antiviral properties against a human coronavirus (HCoV-OC43), a flavivirus (dengue virus), and a lentivirus (pseudotyped HIV-1). Docking analysis was performed to understand the impact of the N-methylation on their pharmacological relevance. The results indicate that while N-methylation does not significantly affect antiviral activity, it enhances butyrylcholinesterase inhibition for N-methylnorbelladine and 4′-O,N-dimethylnorbelladine. Overall, this work enhances our understanding of norbelladine derivatives, provides new tools for Alzheimer's disease research, and lays the groundwork for future pharmaceutical developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This interventional study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of buzz session teaching in large groups and assess undergraduate medical students' perceptions of the buzz session teaching method. The study involved 100 first-year medical students divided into two groups, i.e., group I as "buzz first" and group II as "didactic first" comprising 50 students each. The topic "Physiology of the Cerebellum" was taught to group I through a buzz session and to group II through a didactic lecture. After a week, group I received a didactic lecture on the topic "Anterolateral Pathway in the Spinal Cord," whereas group II was taught the same by a buzz session. The students of both groups underwent a multiple choice question exam related to the taught topic immediately and again after 15 days of the teaching session. All students were provided feedback on a five-point Likert scale for the buzz session. According to students' perceptions, buzz sessions boosted communication skills and confidence levels by 94.8% and 96.3%, respectively. Of the students, 93.7% felt that the buzz session helped them retain more information and 94.1% thought they made the classroom environment more lively. More buzz sessions were desired by 94.8% of the participants. There was no difference in the marks gained for the acquired topics using buzz sessions and didactic lectures as teaching methods (P > 0.05). The students scored more marks in the tests taken after the buzz session than after the didactic lecture at 15 days of instruction (P < 0.05). The study concluded that students enjoyed the buzz session teaching method. The buzz session increased short-term retention. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: In this current interventional study, we assessed the effectiveness of a buzz session as a novel teaching tool for large-group physiology instruction in first-year undergraduate medical students. Furthermore, we assessed student responses to see how the buzz session was perceived. Experimental evidence indicates that the buzz sessions led to greater retention after 15 days than the didactic lecture approach for physiology teaching in a preclinical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess the digital literacy skills of postgraduate students at B.R.A. Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, in response to the growing importance of digital competencies in academic and professional contexts. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire designed to assess key dimensions of digital literacy. A total of 120 questionnaire distributed to a sample of postgraduate students across various disciplines, out of which 107 responded. Once the data were collected, statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS and MS-Excel. The results presented in suitable tabular forms and charts, facilitating fair and comprehensive conclusions drawn from this study. The study found that smartphones are the primary device used for academic activities by 58.44% of respondents, while only 26.44% use computers or laptops regularly. This shift towards mobile learning may impact the depth of engagement with academic content. A significant contradiction exists between respondents' high search engine proficiency (95.21%) and their low ability to critically evaluate online sources (36.26%). Moreover, while many (45.26%) feel confident in their digital skills, a significant minority (8.25%) lacks confidence. This research contributes to the existing literature on digital literacy by providing specific insights into the context of B.R.A. Bihar University, a region that has received limited attention in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims While transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) assessment of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) is critically important, the current paradigm is subject to error and indeterminate classification. Recently, peak left atrial strain (LAS) was found to be associated with LVEDP. We aimed to test the hypothesis that integration of the entire LAS time curve into a single parameter could improve the accuracy of peak LAS in the noninvasive assessment of LVEDP with TTE. Methods and results We retrospectively identified 294 patients who underwent left heart catheterization and TTE within 24 h. LAS curves were trained using machine learning (100 patients) to detect LVEDP ≥ 15 mmHg, yielding the novel parameter LAS index (LASi). The accuracy of LASi was subsequently validated (194 patients), side by side with peak LAS and ASE/EACVI guidelines, against invasive filling pressures. Within the validation cohort, invasive LVEDP was elevated in 116 (59.8%) patients. The overall accuracy of LASi, peak LAS, and American Society of Echocardiography/European Association for Cardiovascular Imaging (ASE/EACVI) algorithm was 79, 75, and 76%, respectively (excluding 37 patients with indeterminate diastolic function by ASE/EACVI guidelines). When the number of LASi indeterminates (defined by near-zero LASi values) was matched to the ASE/EACVI guidelines (n = 37), the accuracy of LASi improved to 87%. Importantly, among the 37 patients with ASE/EACVI-indeterminate diastolic function, LASi had an accuracy of 81%, compared with 76% for peak LAS. Conclusion LASi allows the detection of elevated LVEDP using invasive measurements as a reference, at least as accurately as peak LAS and current diastolic function guideline algorithm, with the advantage of no indeterminate classifications in patients with measurable LAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been increasing interest in exploring the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in various fields, including education. Medical education is an area where AI can potentially have a significant impact, especially in helping students answer their customized questions. In this study, we aimed to investigate the capability of ChatGPT, a conversational AI model in generating answers to medical physiology exam questions in an Indian medical school. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2023 in an Indian Medical School, Deoghar, Jharkhand, India. The first midsemester physiology examination was taken as the reference examination. There were two long essays, five short essay questions (total mark 40), and 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQ) (total mark 10). We generated the response from ChatGPT (in March 13 version) for both essay and MCQ questions. The essay-type answer sheet was evaluated by five faculties, and the average was taken as the final score. The score of 125 students (all first-year medical students) in the examination was obtained from the departmental registery. The median score of the 125 students was compared with the score of ChatGPT using Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The median score of 125 students in essay-type questions was 20.5 (Q1-Q3: 18-23.5) which corresponds to a median percentage of 51.25% (Q1-Q3: 45-58.75) (P=0.147). The answer generated by ChatGPT scored 21.5 (Q1-Q3: 21.5-22), which corresponds to 53.75% (Q1-Q3: 53.75-55) (P=0.125). Hence, ChatGPT scored like that of the students (P=0.4) in essay-type questions. In MCQ-type questions, ChatGPT answered 19 correctly in 20 questions (score=9.5), and this was higher than the median score of students (6) (Q1-Q3: 5-6.5) (P<0.0001). Conclusion: ChatGPT has the potential to generate answers to medical physiology examination questions. It has a higher capability to solve MCQ questions than essay-type ones. Although ChatGPT was able to provide answers that had the quality to pass the examination, the capability of generating high-quality answers for educational purposes is yet to be achieved. Hence, its usage in medical education for teaching and learning purposes is yet to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]