This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Problem: Wikipedia is a ubiquitous source of information for patients, medical students and junior doctors alike. This is despite medical educators discouraging students from Wikipedia as a source of medical information. Intervention: To address this disconnect, Osmosis' Director of Open Learning Initiatives created a novel Wikipedia-editing course structured to leverage the global network of Osmosis-subscribing students. The course was entirely video-conference based and lasted 4 weeks in July 2019. Students typically worked on an article by themselves though one article was selected by two students. Towards the end of the course, each student peer-reviewed another student's edited article. Outcomes:Twelve medical students, from 11 different medical schools across 3 different continents, enrolled in the course and 11 articles were assigned. A total of 8,775 words and 119 higher quality references were added whilst 35 lower-quality references were removed. An exit survey showed students had increased confidence in their ability to contribute to Wikipedia. Students also enjoyed collaborating with a global diversity of peers. Lessons Learned: Numerous students wished that the course had a longer duration. A couple students recommended more groupwork to be incorporated into the course. The global nature of the course meant that time zones proved a challenge to scheduling. Conclusion:Decentralized courses can leverage the large user bases of medical education companies, such as Osmosis, to teach students analytical approaches to online resources as well as improve the quality of publicly available health information on Wikipedia.
Cellulases catalyze the hydrolysis of 1,4-β-D-glycosidic linkages in cellulose and play a significant role in nature by recycling polysaccharide debris. This enzyme has enormous potential in industries such as textile wet processing, bio-stoning of denim fabric, biopolishing of textile fibres, softening of garments and removal of excess dye from the fabrics. Therefore, the research focused on obtaining new cellulose-producing microorganisms with higher specific activities and greater efficiency. By identifying a good strain, improving the production medium and using an alternative carbon source such as waste residue, this study aimed to lower the manufacturing cost of cellulase. This study was designed to assess the cellulase production by fungi isolated from water, soil, straw, dung, leaf and goat manure. In the present research, cellulase-producing fungal isolates obtained from waste samples were identified by morphological and microscopic features. On Congo red test, the largest zone of hydrolysis was found as 1.2 cm. From the morphological and microscopic test, the fungal strain was expected as Aspergillus sp. The assay of the enzyme cellulase was performed by measuring the release amount of reducing sugar. Optimization of process parameters was carried out for the isolate to maximize enzyme yield. On optimization, isolated fungal species showed maximum enzyme activity at a temperature of 30 °C and pH 6. Under optimized conditions of temperature and pH, agitation at 200 rpm with a 1 L/m air flow rate showed better cellulase activity. Cellulase production from Aspergillus sp. can be an advantage as the enzyme production rate is normally higher as compared to other fungi.
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