ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Every individual has different learning approaches in acquisition and processing of knowledge. Physiotherapy, an evolving allied health science profession, is developing rapidly. Exploration of learning approaches among physiotherapy students will help the academicians to enrich the quality of learning. This study aimed to analyze the learning approaches among physiotherapy students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 435 physiotherapy students. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students questionnaire was used to evaluate learning approaches in both preclinical and clinical students. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 21. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 435 participants, 233 (53.56%) in preclinical phase and 202 (46.44%) in clinical phase with a mean age of 19.01 ± 1.01 and 22.03 ± 1.43 years, respectively, participated in the study. Among the 435 students, 411 (94.49%) adopted the deep approach, while only 21 (4.83%) and 3 (0.69%) adopted strategic approach and surface approach, respectively. Preclinical students had significantly higher mean scores for strategic and surface approaches than clinical (P = 0.000) and (P = 0.000) using independent t-test, respectively. Out of the 435 students, 50 (11.45%) were male and 385 (88.51%) were female. Male students appeared less likely to adopt the deep learning approach than female students (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of learning approaches will assist the academicians to develop teaching and learning strategies and effective curriculum depending on the perspectives of students. Multiple methodologies focused on interactive student-centric approach should be utilized to enhance positive learning outcomes.
ABSTRACT
Retention of total activity of the subtilisin-like serine protease from Beauveria sp. MTCC 5184 (Bprot) in the vicinity of (1) 3 M GdnHCl for 12 h, (2) 50% methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide each for 24 h, and (3) proteolytic enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin, and proteinase K) for 48 h led to expect the enzyme to be a kinetically stable protein. Also, the structure of the protein was stable at pH 2.0. Biophysical characterization and conformational transitions were monitored using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, FTIR, and CD spectroscopy. Single tryptophan in the protein exists as two conformers, in hydrophobic and polar environment. The secondary structure of Bprot was stable in 3 M GdnHCl as seen in far-UV CD spectra. The active fraction of Bprot obtained from size-exclusion chromatography in the presence of GdnHCl (1.0-3.0 M) eluted at reduced retention time. The peak area of inactive or denatured protein with the same retention time as that of native protein increased with increasing concentration of denaturant (1.0-4.0 M GdnHCl). However, the kinetics of GdnHCl-induced unfolding as studied from intrinsic fluorescence revealed k unf of native protein to be 5.407 × 10(-5) s(-1) and a half-life of 3.56 h. The enzyme is thermodynamically stable in spite of being resistant to the denaturant, which could be due to the effect of GdnHCl imparting rigidity to the active fraction and simultaneously unfolding the partially unfolded protein that exists in equilibrium with the folded active protein. Thermal and pH denaturation of Bprot exhibited interesting structural transitions.
Subject(s)
Beauveria/enzymology , Subtilisin/chemistry , Subtilisin/metabolism , Enzyme Stability/drug effects , Guanidine/pharmacology , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Kinetics , Protein Conformation , Protein Denaturation/drug effects , Proteolysis , Solvents/pharmacology , TemperatureABSTRACT
Cytogenetic analyses were carried out in lymphocytes of 15 untreated tuberculosis (tb) patients and 15 other tb patients who had received combined tuberculostatic chemotherapy HRZ (isoniazid+rifampicin+pyrazinamide) for 2 months. The frequency of chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) did not show any statistically significant differences in the patients before treatment and after exposure to combined HRZ therapy as compared to controls (p > 0.05). However, we observed that the mitotic index was significantly decreased in both groups (p < 0.05). Based on the results of the present study, we believe there is no indication for a chromosome damaging effect of HRZ and their metabolites in human lymphocytes in vivo after treatment of tuberculosis patients with optimum doses.
Subject(s)
Antitubercular Agents/adverse effects , Isoniazid/adverse effects , Mutagens , Pyrazinamide/adverse effects , Rifampin/adverse effects , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/drug therapy , Adult , Cell Division/drug effects , Chromosome Aberrations , Drug Combinations , Female , Humans , Isoniazid/administration & dosage , Lymphocytes/drug effects , Male , Middle Aged , Mitotic Index , Pyrazinamide/administration & dosage , Rifampin/administration & dosage , Sister Chromatid Exchange , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/pathology , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/physiopathologyABSTRACT
A patient with typical features of Angelman syndrome--a genetically inherited disorder involving developmental delay, ataxia, episodes of paroxysmal laughter and brachiocephaly--was studied with single-photon emission tomography. Hypoperfusion found in the left frontal and left temporoparietal regions can provide insights into the functional cerebral pathology, which may be due to a disturbance of the developmental process related to a chromosomal abnormality.
