Tooth ARcademy: A mobile app for teaching and learning of oral histology

by Nazlee Sharmin, Hady Abdallah, Elias Jirgees, Ava K. Chow

m-Learning is gaining popularity in health professional education; however, reports on mobile apps targeting didactic teaching and learning are scarce, particularly in the context of health professional courses such as histology. Histology is an essential foundational component of dental and medical education. At the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, instructors utilize photomicrographs from textbooks to teach students on the microanatomy of teeth, the development of tooth and facial regions, and developmental anomalies. Limited availability of high-quality tissue sections and time constraints present challenges for both students and instructors. To provide students with an accessible collection of diverse histological sections and to facilitate in-class interactive didactic teaching, we developed an Augmented Reality (AR)-based mobile app called Tooth ARcademy. The development of Tooth ARcademy comprises the following steps: selecting histology glass slides, digitizing the glass slides, curating and annotating the digital slides, preparing multiple-choice questions, and integrating the resources into the mobile app. Tooth ARcademy is available worldwide at no cost. The app has three modes. Instructors can use the AR-based Learn mode to create in-class activities and supplemental questions tailored to students with specific learning outcomes. The Practice mode enables students to study oral histology outside of class time. With the Quiz mode of Tooth ARcademy, students can self-assess their knowledge of oral histology by participating in quizzes. The knowledge of oral histology is essential for dental education. Tooth ARcademy is designed to create interactive and engaging learning environments both inside and outside the classroom. Besides some limitations of the current phase, Tooth ARcademy can be a valuable m-learning tool that benefits students and educators in dental, medical, and other professional schools.

Therapeutic application of nano-encapsulated pomegranate peel extract attenuated DSS-induced colitis: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory role and reduction of exaggerated response of endoplasmic reticulum stress

by Abdallah Tageldein Mansour, Safaa I. Khater, Hemmat M. Eissa, Helal F. Al-Harthi, Areej A. Eskandrani, Mohammed Ageeli Hakami, Wafa S. Alansari, Amirah Albaqami, Hanan M. Alharbi, Tarek Khamis, Doaa Ibrahim

The medicinal application of pomegranate peel extract enriched with polyphenols (PPE) as a therapeutic strategy for managing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is still limited. Integrating pomegranate peel extract (PPE) into an effective nanocarrier system could enhance its mechanistic actions, potentially aiding in the remission of colitis. Therefore, this approach aimed to enhance PPE’s stability and bioavailability and investigate mitigating impact of pomegranate peel extract-loaded nanoparticles (PPE-NPs) in a colitis model. Colonic injury was induced by 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and efficacy of disease progression after oral administration of PPE-NPs for 14 days was assessed by evaluating clinical signs severity, antioxidant and inflammatory markers, expressions of endoplasmic reticulum associated genes and histopathological and immunostaining analysis in colonic tissues. Clinical signs and disease activity index were effectively reduced, and the levels of fecal calprotectin were decreased in groups treated with PPE-NPs compared to DSS group. The colitic group showed a significant increase (P IL-17, TNF-α, and IL-1β (increased up to 2.99, 4.36 and 4.90 respectively unlike PPE-NPsIII that recorded reduced levels of CRP, MPO and NO (8,96, 78.30 and 123 nmol/g tissue respectively) and much lower (P CHOP, JUNK, ATF6, BIP, and Elf-2) and immunostaining expression regulation of key markers regulating autophagy (Beclin-2) in this group. The histopathological changes in the colon were less severe in the PPE-NPs received groups (especially at the level of 150 mg/kg) compared to DSS group. Collectively, these findings suggest that the nanoencapsulation of PPE enhances its effectiveness in promoting recovery of colonic tissue damage and achieving remission of colitis.

The feasibility of combining greening schoolyards and nutrition education in primary schools: A qualitative study

by Geertje van Wijk, Lisa van Antwerpen, Femke A. Hoefnagels, Sjef J. J. M. Staps, Marieke C. E. Battjes-Fries

Objective

An increasing number of children in the Netherlands is overweight or obese, which is largely attributable to an unhealthy lifestyle and unhealthy living environment. Nutrition education and greening the schoolyard, for example with a vegetable garden, have independently been studied and are shown to be effective in teaching children a healthy lifestyle and providing a healthy living environment. However, the feasibility of combining nutrition education and greening the schoolyard has not been studied yet. Therefore, this study aimed to provide insight into primary schools’ vision on making this combination, and the feasibility of doing so.

Methods

In this study a qualitative research design was used. The theoretical frameworks of Proctor et al. and Sekhon et al. were used to develop the interview guide. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of school teams and school directors. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the thematical analysis of Braun and Clarke.

Results

According to the interviewees, three facets are essential to make the combination of greening schoolyards and nutrition education feasible and successful. Firstly, the interviewees mentioned that the school team and school directors of schools must be able to see the connection between greening the schoolyard and nutrition education. Additionally, support is needed among the parents, school team, pupils and local community. Finally, the interviewees stated that schools must be able to integrate greening the schoolyard and nutrition education into their existing curriculum.

Conclusions

The results of this study showed that combining greening schoolyards and nutrition education in primary schools is feasible and successful when vision, support and integration are present. Future research should investigate the vision of the local community and parents on making the combination, and the effects of the combination on pupils and their environment.

Exploratory analysis of choriocapillaris vasculature as a biomarker of idiopathic epiretinal membrane

by Gee-Hyun Kim, Jiho Lee, Young-Hoon Park

Purpose

To investigate the preoperative choriocapillaris perfusion (CCP) as a biomarker in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM).

Materials and methods

28 patients (28 eyes) with unilateral iERM who received pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling were included for retrospective observational study. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and angiography (OCTA) was performed before and after PPV. Area, perimeter, and circularity of superficial foveal avascular zone (FAZ) were analyzed preoperatively in both eyes using OCTA. Preoperative CCP was also analyzed with binarized en-face OCTA images. Measurements of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) by OCT were conducted at the baseline and 6 months following the surgery. The correlations of preoperative OCT parameters with postoperative BCVA and CFT reduction were analyzed.

Results

CCP was significantly lower (p p p = 0.001, p p = 0.005), postoperative BCVA (β = 0.108, p = 0.023) and ratio of post- to preoperative CFT (β = 0.106, p = 0.044).

Conclusions

Preoperative CCP is a biomarker for poor functional and anatomical prognosis after surgery in iERM.