Novice researchers are frequently inexperienced with basic concepts of research and successful scientific publishing. To strengthen their fundamental knowledge of scientific research, we recently conducted a brainstorming symposium at the 73^rd Indian Pharmaceutical Congress held in Hyderabad, India in July 2024. This report highlights the symposium's key components as well as the benefits that attendees experienced. The symposium was intended to equip faculty and postgraduate and doctorate students with the skills they need to succeed in scientific research and publishing. It sought to dispel the mystery around the research process, from conception to publication, highlighting the significance of a well-conceived, reliable, reproducible, and ethically sound experimental design. Participants acquired knowledge about developing research questions and hypotheses, crafting thorough research protocols, and using statistical techniques to increase the acceptability of their findings. Our team clarified the subtleties of data interpretation, making sure that participants advanced their research aptitude. The symposium also emphasized the significance of good communication for scientists, providing delegates with guidance on how to craft papers that concisely and compellingly convey their findings, thereby increasing the likelihood of their submissions being accepted by high-impact indexed journals. The presentations also covered the ethical aspects of academic publication, emphasizing the perils of predatory journals that jeopardize the credibility of scientific communication. This symposium was not only an educational event but also a crucial step in nurturing a new generation of scientists equipped with advanced research skills and driving innovation ethically and responsibly.

Magnolia bark is an important food supplement. Magnolol (ML), 3,3′-Neoligna-8,8′-diene-4,4′- diol, is a bioactive phenolic molecule found in the Magnolia family. Advanced Drug Delivery Systems (DDSs) have been able to enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce adverse effects of plant-derived bioactive. In the first part of the review, the bioactivities, mechanisms, and clinical prospects of ML are described. A brief explanation of the mechanisms of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardiovascular-protective, neuroprotective, and anti-cancer effects of ML is also provided. Later, the detailed biopharmaceutics of ML is described under solubility, dissolution, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetics. The solubility of ML in different media pH is also explained. The bioavailability of pure ML and its pharmacokinetics after parenteral and oral administrations are described. Further, pharmacokinetics after single and multiple doses of ML is also discussed. Finally, the reported advanced DDSs of ML are reviewed critically. Engineered crystals, solid dispersions, microstructures, and nanostructures of ML-loaded DDSs are reviewed.

Dietary supplements generally items which have the goal of boosting the person's wellness and general well-being and are often ingested at mealtime or in scheduled times in order to improve a person's dietary routine. Once an individual has a nutritional unbalance or as a shortage of certain nutrients, supplementation needs to be taken. Classes of dietary supplements include Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, Multivitamins, Multiminerals, Herbs, Carbohydrates, hormone activators and oil supplements are present in the form of pill, tablets, capsules and liquids. Supplements should enable individuals having limited nutritional consumption along with effectiveness and also have higher requirements, via strengthening nutrition significance. The risk associated with food supplements, toxicity of the supplements, market trends and future perspectives were also presented. Some include the technical as well as legislative obstacles currently encountered within supplements effectiveness, safety and quality studies. For each country there are separate regulatory approval frameworks and also labelling requirements for the import and export of the food product. So, dietary supplements play a crucial role in every individual.

Pharmaceutical Quality by Design is a systematic approach to product development that starts with specified objectives and emphasizes product knowledge, methodologies, and operational procedures. It is based on trustworthy science and excellent risk reduction. Risk analysis is a beneficial science-based approach that may assist in discovering the material properties and production variables that may have an impact on the critical quality attributes of the finished product when it comes to high-quality risk management. An active pharmaceutical quality system comprises quality risk management nineteen. It can offer a pro-active strategy for identifying, objectively assessing, and managing possible quality issues. Throughout the course of the product’s lifetime, it enables ongoing better performance results and product quality enhancement. This review article discusses various Quality by Design methodologies for risk assessment during research and development.

Among various treatment modalities available for the treatment of cancer, immunotherapy is one of the important strategies used for the management of different malignancies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used for the treatment of cancers based on immunotherapy. Immune checkpoints are implicated when the proteins on the immune cells identify and bind to the ligand on the surface of other cells. These proteins are referred as immune checkpoint proteins. As soon as the checkpoint protein and ligand combine, they convey an “off” signal to the immune cells and prevent the immune system from killing the cancerous cells. Thus, immunotherapy drugs such as immune checkpoint inhibitors act by inhibiting the checkpoint protein molecules. This act stops the “off” signal, permitting the immune cells to destroy the cancerous cells. Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1) and Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors have achieved clinical success with good overall survival rates in solid tumors. Considering remarkable outcomes in clinical investigations, various PD-L1 and PD-1 inhibitors have gained significant attention as onco-immunotherapeutic agents to treat various malignancies effectively. The present review aimed to explain the fundamentals of cancer immunotherapy, basics of checkpoints, inhibitors implicated in immune checkpoints, chemistry, clinical status, adverse events, resistance to checkpoint inhibitors and future scope.

The management of Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDs) is a substantial concern for healthcare systems at present. Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease, prion disease, Huntington’s disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are among these conditions. Pathogenic characteristics shared by these conditions include increased oxidative stress, misfolded proteins, dysfunctional mitochondria, excitotoxicity and neuro inflammation; these ultimately result in the deterioration of the structure and function of the nervous system. Despite extensive testing, there is currently no specific medication available to halt or cure the progression of these diseases. Therapy failure in neurodegenerative illnesses is often linked to the limitations posed by P-glycoproteins, the blood-brain barrier and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. Nevertheless, recent progress in nanotechnology presents an encouraging avenue for overcoming these constraints. By leveraging nanotechnology and developing nanomaterials that facilitate the delivery of active drug candidates, there is potential to overcome these challenges. Various approaches are being explored, including drug distribution through local delivery, physicochemical disruption of the blood-brain barrier, cell-penetrating peptides, receptor-mediated transcytosis and magnetic disruption. These methods aim to surmount the obstacles associated with drug delivery. This review succinctly covers the mechanism of nanoparticles, different types of nanoparticles used in treating NDs and potential future applications of nanotechnology in clinical neuroscience. The ultimate goal is to develop innovative therapeutic strategies for effectively managing and treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is an educational framework that focuses on achieving specific, measurable outcomes in terms of student learning and performance. Unlike traditional education models that emphasize content delivery and time-based progression, OBE starts with the end goals-what students should know, are able to do and be able to demonstrate after they complete a program. These outcomes are clearly defined and serve as the foundation for curriculum design, teaching methods and assessment strategies. A question paper is an essential tool in the educational assessment process, designed to evaluate students’ understanding, knowledge and skills in a specific subject area. The structure and content of a question paper are usually aligned with the learning objectives and outcomes of the course, ensuring that the assessment is both comprehensive and fair. A well-designed question paper not only measures students’ mastery of the subject matter but also provides valuable feedback to educators about the effectiveness of their teaching methods. In this publication we have provided detailed process for preparing the structured question paper. The proposed publication concludes that framing a question paper in line with OBE requires careful alignment with these predefined outcomes. The process of creating test questions should be addressed systematically. It involves aligning questions with specific learning outcomes, ensuring a variety of question types and difficulty levels and providing clear instructions and fair marks allocation. This approach helps in accurately assessing students’ achievement of learning outcomes and supports a more targeted and effective teaching-learning process.