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Background: Chronic stress elevates the cortisol beyond normal levels, which affects cognition including learning & memory. This injurious effect is primarily mediated via over excitation of metabotropic glucocorticoid receptors (mGR). Methods: The present study was aimed to appraise the neuroprotective effects of naturally occurring molecule β-1,3-glucan by interfering with stress-cortisol-mGR axis. Our data of virtual screening (in silico) exhibited the promising interactions of β-glucan with the mGR. Therefore, the study was extended to evaluate its efficacy (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg/ i.p) in an animal model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS, 28 days) induced memory impairment. Results: Results of the current study revealed the β-glucan provided dose dependent protection against deleterious effects of stress on learning and memory associated parameters observed in Morris water maze (MWM) task. At higher tested doses, it has also significantly antagonized the stress induced weight loss and corticosterone elevation.

Herbal medicines has been the most cost-effective and valuable medical practice to cure diseases and emphasize modern health care treatment. The present research was conducted to assess the biological activities of 10 fractions obtained from methanolic extract which was derived from dried seeds of Sesamum indicum. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH radical scavenging, total antioxidant capacity and total reducing power assays. Highest free radical scavenging activity (80.3 ± 1.36%), total antioxidant capacity (104.7 ± 4.04 μg AAE/mg) and ferric reducing power activity (238.76 ± 1.23 μg AAE/mg) was shown by fraction SE. Fraction SE showed the highest phenolic contents (63.72 ± 1.5 μg GAE/mg) while fraction SG sample showed highest flavonoid contents (54.62 ± 2.61 μg QE QE/mg). Antibacterial activity was performed against four selected bacterial strains including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogens and Bacillus subtilis. Highest inhibition was shown by fraction SD (11 ± 1.04 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus, fraction SH against Bacillus subtilis (11 ± 1.06 mm) and fraction SB against Escherichia coli. All fractions were found inactive against the selected fungal strains. While performing antileishmanial activity, fraction SC showed highest percent mortality (78%) of Leishmania tropica. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, fraction SG showed significant LD50 value (23.48 μg/mL).

Introduction: Participation of students in learning determines their scholastic achievements. The current teaching systems do not assess student participation in learning rather than provide the grades based on knowledge recall. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a teaching strategy that can provide a standardized measure of student engagement in the learning process. Materials and methods: A quasiexperimental study undertaken in Rehman Medical College, Peshawar, KP, Pakistan (March–May 2018), involved 96 medical students (16 groups) of third professional MBBS present in small group format session on medical research. The participation assurance test administered after the lesson involved (i) written individual participation assurance test (iPAT) for individual performance, (ii) written team participation assurance test (tPAT) for team performance, (iii) perception-based peer evaluation pPAT for rating team members, and (iv) observer-based PAT (oPAT) by the facilitator for intra- and intergroup dynamics. Scores in numerical and Likert’s scales were analyzed by SPSS 22.0 for the descriptive and comparative analysis and correlations, keeping p ≤ 0.05 significant. Results: Mean iPAT was 54.66 ± 12.80 compared to mean tPAT 75.96 ± 19.85(p ≤ 0.001), mean pPAT was 20.83 ± 5.14 compared to mean oPAT of 16.50 ± 4.99 (p ≤ 0.001), and mean closed group oPAT was 4.19 ± 1.90 compared to open group oPAT of 12.31 ± 3.40 (p ≤ 0.001). A significant correlation was obtained for iPAT and tPAT (r = 0.564, p = 0.023). The groups achieving ≥60 iPAT marks showed the significant correlations of iPAT with tPAT (r = 0.869, p = 0.024) and closed group oPAT (r = −0.882, p = 0.017); the groups scoring below 60 in iPAT showed the significant correlations of iPAT with tPAT (r = 0.749, p = 0.013), open group oPAT (r = 0.636, p = 0.048), and total oPAT (r = 0.635, p = 0.048). Conclusion: The PAT was effective in assessing individual and team-based student participation and supports the adoption of the open group teaching strategy as more effective for student participation in learning.