Pharmacy

I mmune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) is a condition where the patient's immune system begins attacking its own red blood cells. It is the result of a type II antibody-mediated immune response directed against molecules expressed on the surface of erythrocytes. IMHA may occur as a primary disease without apparent cause or it may be secondary to another systemic insult. In secondary IMHA, RBC destruction occurs as a consequence of the immune system reacting to some condition being activated by an infectious agent, drug or toxin. There are several goals in evaluating patients with IMHA. First, the diagnosis must be confirmed; secondly, other conditions that cause IMHA and require specific treatment must be ruled out and finally, prognostic and complicating factors must be evaluated. Most patients evaluated for IMHA will need the following tests: Complete blood count, chemistry profile, slide agglutination test; Coombs' test, coagulation testing, abdominal ultrasound, chest X-rays, urinalysis, infectious disease and anti-nuclear antibody titers, besides bone marrow examination in rare cases. Most cases of IMHA can be diagnosed on blood smear examination, saline agglutination test and direct Coombs' test. IMHA occurs with greater frequency in cocker spaniels, Old English sheepdogs, Retrievers and standard poodles but any breed of dog may be affected. Middle-aged, entire female animals have increased risk of developing the disease. In our experience, it has also been recorded in cow, buffalo, horse and big cats, although diagnostic criteria somewhat differ. Under field conditions, it is a major cause of severe acute anemia but is generally under diagnosed. Naresh Kumar Sood has completed his PhD at Royal Veterinary College (Sweden), Fellow, IAVP, Diplomate, ICVP with 30 years of research and academic experience. He is currently working as a Professor and In-charge at Centralized Diagnostic Laboratory. He has 199 Research publications besides 41 technical publications, 47 lead papers, 3 review articles and chapters in 4 books and guided 9 Masters' and 2 PhD students. He is the Member of 12 professional societies and Headed 9 research projects. He has won over 40 research and teaching awards, comprising 10 student awards and he is a Reviewer for several international and national journals.

The randomized study, on school children’s at rural area of District Swat. A rural area of Jare village of Madyan was selected for the study. Total 100 subjects, both male and female, with apparently looking anemic were selected in the age range of 5-16 years. Out of the total 40 students were Anemic having percentage (40%), 10 were presenting Iron Deficiency anemia having percentage (19%) and 40 were normal students having frequency (40%). It was concluded from the study that in children it impairs physical and psychological development, reduces immunity to infections, poor academic performance and limits physical activity and most prevalent nutritional problem in the world. Early diagnosis is better to cure the disease.

Recently, research efforts have been directed toward medicinal plants and their extracts, as important sources of natural antioxidant. Lots of biologically active compounds are responsible for the antioxidant effects of yarrow -Achillea millefilium L. extracts. The aim of our study was to determine which of the process parameters of pressure enhanced solvent extraction of Millefolii herba is significant for its efficiency and weather there are interactions between the examined parameters. Compression time, decompression time and the number of cycles were identified as independent variables, while the content of total flavonoids, tannins and total polyphenols were selected as dependent variables. For obtaining the extract of M. herba, rich in antioxidative ingredients, compression time should be set on its higher level (2.0 min), decompression time on its lower level (1.30 min) and the number of cycles on its higher level (99).

Objective. To implement and assess the impact of a hybrid flipped-classroom activity designed to increase the motivation and confidence of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students in addressing the opioid crisis. Methods. Third-professional year student pharmacists were provided with reading material developed by federal agencies and professional pharmacy organizations, as well as Georgia-specific information covering medical amnesty and local resources for opioid-overdose prevention prior to class. They then attended a four-hour classroom session that included hearing a lecture on opioid pharmacology and opioid overdose, viewing training videos, and engaging in extensive discussion. The students voluntarily completed pre-and post-intervention assessments regarding opioid abuse and opioid overdose prevention. Results. Seventy of the 107 third-year students enrolled in the course completed the pre-intervention assessment (65% response rate), and 33 of the 70 completed the post-intervention assessment (47% retention rate). The students exhibited a high baseline motivation to assist in combating the opioid crises, but less confidence in their ability to intervene. Significant increases were seen in areas related to student confidence on the post-intervention assessment. Fewer changes were seen in areas related to student motivation. Conclusion. A "hybrid" flipped classroom activity increased the confidence of student pharmacists in their understanding of the physical and adverse effects of opioids and the application of reversal agents. Increased confidence may support increased intervention.

Dysmenorrhea is defined as difficult menstrual flow or painful menstruation. It is an ordinary gynecological problem among adolescent ladies which is severe enough to keep them from functioning at home, college or work place for a day or a two every month. Objective: To assess the knowledge and impact of dysmenorrhea among nursing students Material & Method : A descriptive study was carried out among 201 nursing students selected by purposive technique at M.M university, ambala Haryana by using structured knowledge questionnaire(KR 20= 0.72) and impact rating scale(chron α= 0.87) respectively from January 2016 to February 2017. Result: Most of students were of 19 to 21 yrs in age and 95% were unmarried. 78.6% received knowledge of dysmenorria from mothers. 100% students experienced dysmenorria in which 87.6% had regular cycle, 51.7% felt intermittent pain. Majority (57.2%) have good knowledge regarding dysmenorria and mildly affected by it followed by 41.3% are moderately affected b...

Background: Women advised about Breast Self-Examination (BSE) by health care professionals have greater knowledge, confidence and are more likely to practice it routinely. Many pharmacy organizations and indeed the World Health Organization (WHO) support the pharmacists’ role in public health. Background:  Women advised about breast self-examination (BSE) by healthcare professionals have greater knowledge, confidence and are more likely to practice it routinely. Many pharmacy organisations and indeed the World Health Organisation (WHO) support the pharmacists’ role in public health. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of clinical lectures on breast cancer on knowledge, attitude and practice of BSE among student pharmacists. Methods: This study was a descriptive pre/post-type survey. Final year students of the largest pharmacy faculty in Nigeria participated in the study. A 17-item pre-tested questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes and practices of BSE was given to each pa...

India is one of the few mega biodiversity countries with a rich diversity of flora and fauna, as well as a home for traditional health practices, remedies and therapies. Traditional medicine has been used for thousands of years with great contributions made by practitioners to human health, particularly as primary health care providers at the community level. Most of the populations especially in the rural areas depend on the oral knowledge of the Traditional Health Practices (THPs), remedies and therapies to meet their primary health needs. However, in view of the oral transmission of this folk knowledge over several generations, it is getting rapidly eroded. In order to prevent the erosion of THPs and to promote the safe and efficacious remedies used by the Traditional Health Practitioners a pilot study on Local Health Practices was undertaken with selected traditional health practitioners from 4 villages of Jorhat district, Assam. The study was undertaken by questionnaire, interv...

Background and purpose: Near-peer teaching is commonly used in experiential learning, residency training, and teaching certificate programs, but data on near-peer teaching in didactic course work are lacking. An innovative, near-peer learning opportunity that encouraged leadership and professionalism is described. Educational activity and setting: Thirty-six teams comprised of first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students presented a 15-min oncology patient case to faculty reviewers. Presentations were focused on calculations, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic application. Students were evaluated on communication skills, presentation skills, and presentation content. Additionally, students provided feedback about their perceptions of the laboratory experience. A chi-square test was used to determine significance or parity in student responses. Findings: The majority of the students (82%) felt the teams worked well together and 85% indicated that they played an important role on their team, with second-and third-year students rating this item significantly higher than first year students. Additionally, 85% of participating students expressed that this experience provided an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism. Summary: Integration of first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students into teams was an innovative and effective method to provide opportunity for leadership, professionalism, and near-peer teaching through evaluation and presentation of an oncology patient case.

Background and purpose: Near-peer teaching is commonly used in experiential learning, residency training, and teaching certificate programs, but data on near-peer teaching in didactic course work are lacking. An innovative, near-peer learning opportunity that encouraged leadership and professionalism is described. Educational activity and setting: Thirty-six teams comprised of first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students presented a 15-min oncology patient case to faculty reviewers. Presentations were focused on calculations, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic application. Students were evaluated on communication skills, presentation skills, and presentation content. Additionally, students provided feedback about their perceptions of the laboratory experience. A chi-square test was used to determine significance or parity in student responses. Findings: The majority of the students (82%) felt the teams worked well together and 85% indicated that they played an important role on their team, with second-and third-year students rating this item significantly higher than first year students. Additionally, 85% of participating students expressed that this experience provided an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism. Summary: Integration of first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students into teams was an innovative and effective method to provide opportunity for leadership, professionalism, and near-peer teaching through evaluation and presentation of an oncology patient case.

Sebuah peralatan medis dengan teknologi USG-gelombang, yang disebut Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS), sudah tersedia untuk mengukur kepadatan massa tulang / mineral (BMD) sebagai alat dalam mendiagnosis osteoporosis. Peralatan ini mengukur kuantitas USG-gelombang yang melewati tumit-tulang (kalkaneus). Hasil pengukuran disajikan dalam T-score dan Z-score.

Prehypertension is viewed as one of the most widely recognized conditions that are influencing individuals everywhere throughout the world. Prehypertension is for the most part connected with a few different difficulties including hypertension. As per the Seventh Report Joint National Committee (JNC-7) arrangement, the circulatory strain among typical and hypertension for example SBP 120-139 mmHg or DBP 80-89 mmHg is considered as Prehypertension. Deep breathing activity increase blood and oxygen stream to the cerebrum to work ordinarily. Breathing is the main capacity of the body that is both wilful and uncontrollable. Breathing procedure can affect wellbeing emphatically. METHODOLOGY: The study sample consists of 15 subjects having a prehypertension with age between 18 to 35 years. The subjects who met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. Inform and written consent was taken from the subjects. BP, RR and PR also taken as an outcome measure. Deep breathing exercise, Duration: 10 min every day for 4 weeks. RESULT: Outcome measurement was measured using Blood pressure (BP), Pulse rate (PR) and Respiratory rate (RR). Significance was assessed at 5% level of significance p<0.05 (2 tailed hypothesis test considered). CONCLUSION: our study has shown that active regular deep breathing exercise 10 minutes daily has considerably reduced each the pulse, blood pressure from 4 weeks. Thus, deep breathing exercise is suitable as a primary preventive strategy to attain blood pressure management in prehypertensive subjects.

GAMMA GLOBULIN HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT of many intensive investiga- tions because of its key position in the immunologic defenses of the body. More recently, by the use of fluorescent-labeled anti-gamma globulin, the tissue localization of gamma globulin has become possible.1 Gamma globulin has been demonstrated in lymph nodes, in the spleen, and in lymphocytes, reticulo-endothelial cells, and plasma cells. It was also found surrounding inflammatory processes and, most interestingly, in a number of disease processes where immunogenic mechanisms may play a role (e.g., thyroid disorders, lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, myasthenia gravis, hemolytic anemias, Sjogren's syndrome, glomerulonephritis, poly- arteritis nodosa, amyloidosis, and erythroblastosis fetalis). The hereditary and genetic factors in diabetes and glaucoma, as well as the pathologic endothelial proliferation seen in eyes with these diseases, raised questions as to possible immunogenic components. The clinically specific localizations of gamma globulin in the capillary aneurysms of diabetic retinopathy and in the trabecular meshwork of eyes with chronic open angle glaucoma are the major subjects of the present report.

The Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR) is used as an imaging biomarker for the detection of ovarian cancer (OC). FSHR is highly expressed on ovarian tumors and involved with cancer development and metastatic signaling pathways. A decapeptide specific to the FSHR extracellular domain is synthesized and conjugated to fluorescent dyes to image OC cells in vitro and tumors xenograft model in vivo. The in vitro binding curve and the average number of FSHR per cell are obtained for OVCAR-3 cells by a high resolution flow cytometer. For the decapeptide, the measured EC50 was 160 μM and the average number of receptors per cell was 1.7 × 10 7 . The decapeptide molecular imaging probe reached a maximum tumor to muscle ratio five hours after intravenous injection and a dose-dependent plateau after 24-48 hours. These results indicate the potential application of a small molecular weight imaging probe specific to ovarian cancer through binding to FSHR. Based on these results, multimeric constructs are being developed to optimize binding to ovarian cells and tumors.

The Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR) is used as an imaging biomarker for the detection of ovarian cancer (OC). FSHR is highly expressed on ovarian tumors and involved with cancer development and metastatic signaling pathways. A decapeptide specific to the FSHR extracellular domain is synthesized and conjugated to fluorescent dyes to image OC cells in vitro and tumors xenograft model in vivo. The in vitro binding curve and the average number of FSHR per cell are obtained for OVCAR-3 cells by a high resolution flow cytometer. For the decapeptide, the measured EC50 was 160 μM and the average number of receptors per cell was 1.7 × 10 7 . The decapeptide molecular imaging probe reached a maximum tumor to muscle ratio five hours after intravenous injection and a dose-dependent plateau after 24-48 hours. These results indicate the potential application of a small molecular weight imaging probe specific to ovarian cancer through binding to FSHR. Based on these results, multimeric constructs are being developed to optimize binding to ovarian cells and tumors.

Two hundred and forty day-old broiler chicks were used in an experiment to evaluate the effect of different inclusion levels of alkali-treated Pito mash (ATPM) on carcass characteristics and growth parameters. The chickens were grouped into 4 dietary treatments of 60 chickens per grouped, tagged T1, T2, T3 and T4. T1 was the control (non-ATPM). T2, T3, T4 contained 5, 10 and 15 % inclusion level of alkali -treated Pito Mash (ATPM) respectively. Each treatment replicated three times. Six chickens from each treatment were randomly selected and fasted for 12 hours for carcass analysis. The results indicated that chickens fed with the alkalitreated diets did show significantly (P > 0.05) difference in some carcass parameters evaluated; such as live weight, dressed weight, back weight, thigh weight, liver and wing weight, however, significant (P<0.05) variation in other parameters such as dressing percentage, breast weight, leg weight, neck weight, head weight and gizzard weight were observed. Weekly weight gain, live weight and dressed weight were also not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments but appeared to vary numerically across the treatments. Alkali -treated pito mash up to 15% inclusion level in the diets of broiler chickens (Starter and Finisher) could be applied for production without any adverse effects on the growth performance and carcass quality.

In this work, we describe the synthetic approach of pyrimidine-substituted derivatives, photoluminescence properties and theoretical calculations of the geometry optimization and electron density distribution on the molecules in the ground and excited states. According to calculations, the location of HOMO electron density is mainly located over the molecular region with highest electron-donor character (or lower electron-acceptor). On the other hand, the electronic transition from HOMO to LUMO promotes a change in the electron density distribution on the molecule. The simulations also reveal that plane of all aryl substituent's located at positions 2 and 6, are out of the pyrimidine ring plane and the absolute dihedral angles values between n-(p-phenyl) and pyrimidine ring planes are intrinsically dependent on the spatial HOMO distribution on the phenyl ring and p-substituent group. The higher donor character of the substituent leads to substantial changes in the absorption spectra. We also notice that the absorption changes are intrinsically related to the portion of ICT in the molecules, which are strongly dependent on polar interaction. All compounds present large Stokes shifts, higher than 3.370 cm -1 , and the emission spectra in solution present broad bands in the ultraviolet-visible region. On the other hand, the solid-state luminescence of 3a and 3c compounds shows emission band in the near-yellow color region 0.423, 0.475 (x, y) and 0.485, 0.542, respectively, in which the 5a and 5c compounds exhibit emission bands corresponding to the near-red color region 0.569, 0.415 and 0.608, 0.389, respectively.

Abstract: A rapid, simple and sensitive chromatographic method (RP-HPLC) has been developed for the simultaneous estimation of Metronidazole and Ofloxacin in combined pharmaceutical dosage form (suspension). The chromatographic resolution was achieved using mobile phase acetonitrile:methanol:water at 6.5:2.5:1 (v/v). An isocratic HPLC with a single Waters 510 pumps, Waters tunable absorbance detector and µ-Bondapack C-18 column was used. The wavelength for detection was 313 nm. The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min. The validation data showed that the method is sensitive, specific and reproducible for simultaneous determination of Metronidazole (MET) and Ofloxacin (OFLOX) in combined dosage form. Calibration curves were linear from 5-100 mg/ml-1(r2&gt;0.999) for MET and 5-65 mg/ml-1(r2&gt;0.997) for OFLOX. Mean inter- and intra- analysis standard deviation (SD) were less than 2%. The proposed method provided an accurate and precise analysis for simultaneous estimation of MET and OFLOX by RP-...

The advancement of technology in healthcare services has given rise to telepharmacy. The success of telepharmacy depends on the knowledge, attitude, and experience of pharmacy students. However, telepharmacy is relatively new in the Indonesian pharmacy education system. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire to evaluate pharmacy students' knowledge, attitude, and experience related to telepharmacy. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 442 pharmacy students. Among them, 97.96% demonstrated a high level of knowledge about telepharmacy, and 96.60% had a positive attitude toward it. However, 85.97% of students had limited experience with telepharmacy. While there was a significant correlation between knowledge and attitude, no such correlation was observed between attitude and experience. Conclusion: The findings revealed that pharmacy students had high knowledge and attitude, but limited experience with telepharmacy. Additionally, there is a significant correlation between knowledge of telepharmacy and a positive attitude towards its use. To better prepare future pharmacists to provide effective telepharmacy services, it is essential to integrate telepharmacy practice models into the curriculum.

Even though pharmaceutical care has been proven increasing patients' quality of life, pharmacists still have barriers to implement it. Our study aims to examine factors affecting pharmacists in the community to implement pharmaceutical care using a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). The study was a cross-sectional study. A structured DCE questionnaire was administered to 90 community pharmacists in Banyumas district, Indonesia. Respondents were chosen using a simple random sampling method. According to the literature review and expert opinions, the following six attributes were selected: pharmacists' confidence; willingness to implement pharmaceutical care; communication skill; knowledge and professional skill; availability of time; and availability of space in pharmacy. Eighteen choice sets were developed. Each choice sets comprised of two scenarios. Respondents were asked to choose the scenario they preferred the most. Data were analyzed using multinomial logit model. Of 90 questionnaires distributed, 67 were analyzed. Based on multinomial logit, all attributes had a significant effect on pharmacists' preferences to implement pharmaceutical care. The findings suggested that pharmacist association should train their member to increase professional skills, as well as the management of pharmacy should provide enough space to perform pharmaceutical care.

Even though pharmaceutical care has been proven increasing patients’ quality of life, pharmacists still have barriers to implement it. Our study aims to examine factors affecting pharmacists in the community to implement pharmaceutical care using a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). The study was a cross-sectional study. A structured DCE questionnaire was administered to 90 community pharmacists in Banyumas district, Indonesia. Respondents were chosen using a simple random sampling method. According to the literature review and expert opinions, the following six attributes were selected: pharmacists’ confidence; willingness to implement pharmaceutical care; communication skill; knowledge and professional skill; availability of time; and availability of space in pharmacy. Eighteen choice sets were developed. Each choice sets comprised of two scenarios. Respondents were asked to choose the scenario they preferred the most. Data were analyzed using multinomial logit model. Of 90 questio...

Pharmacists’ intervention in hospital setting is very beneficial both in patients’ clinical outcomeand economic aspect, in terms of cost avoidance due to adverse drug reactions. This study was conductedto calculate cost avoidance of adverse drug reactions (ADR) prevention in outpatient pharmacydepartment in Ramathibodi Hospital Thailand. A retrospective database review of hospital pharmacyinterventions preventing adverse drug reaction was conducted at second floor pharmacy unit, Somdech-PhraDebaratana Medical Center, Ramathibodi hospital between 1 July 2013 and 31 December 2013. Potentialcost avoidance of ADR was calculated using diagnosis-related groups (DRG’s) data. Results showedthat the detection of ADR was 0.239%. The most frequent ADR came from Penicillin group was accountedfor 32.4% of total case. The estimated cost avoidance generated during July-December 2013 was ThaiBaht (THB) 592,320 to THB 1,257,428 (USD 19,278 to USD 40,925, value 2013). It can be concludedthat hospital...

With the goal of developing novel and potent anticancer therapies, a new set of 1,3,4-trisubstituted pyrazole derivatives linked to different heteroaryl systems at C-4 position were prepared and estimated for their anticancer effects at NCI, USA employing a two stage procedure using 60 various human tumor cell lines. Anticancer evaluation disclosed that, compound 4c displayed super fat potency towards most human tumor cell lines with GI50 (0.52-5.15 μM), particularly against colon SW-620 cell line with GI50 (0.52 μM). At the same time, 4c was also selective against A498 and RXF 393 cell lines of renal cancer with GI50 0.58 and 0.86 μM respectively.

Educators/pharmacists at universities and in practice are tasked with preparing students for this role in community pharmacy. Accreditation standards worldwide define the expectations for undergraduate pharmacy curricula. In the United States, the Nonprescription Medicines Academy has provided an overview of self-care education, with some sites presenting the material as

Objective. To develop, implement, and assess an Internet-based vidcasting project to promote the pharmacist's role in public health. Design. This was a collaborative effort for 2 different courses taught at 2 different schools of pharmacy. Faculty members created a special instructional design for students to follow in planning, producing, and publishing video public service announcements on the Internet. Assessment. Formative and summative assessments, including course examinations, a grading rubric, student survey, and focus group, were implemented to evaluate student learning and public reaction. Students believed Internet video public service announcements served as a useful reference for patients and professionals, aided in promoting disease prevention and wellness initiatives, positively impacted patient-provider relationships, and increased awareness regarding significance and financial impact of disease burden. Conclusion. Producing a public health information video and vidcasting it on the Internet increased pharmacy students' self-esteem, respect for peers, creative and critical-thinking abilities, and understanding of the need for and importance of pharmacists providing accurate public health information.

The aim of this study is to determine whether Platanus orientalis (PO) which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and diuretic properties and used in the treatment of kidney stones as traditional folk medicine, will reduce or prevent the stone formation in the urinary system. To simulate the urolithiasis model 0.75% ethylene glycol (EG) and 1% ammonium chloride (AC) were applied to Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were divided into four groups (n=8). The control group was given standard drinking water for 5 weeks. EG group received 0.75% EG in their drinking water containing 0.75% EG and 1% AC. PO extract (100 mg/kg) was given orally for 5 weeks to the preventive group and for last 2 weeks to the therapeutic group, respectively. At the end of experiment, 24-hour urine and kidney samples were obtained. In urine samples, calcium and citrate levels were decreased and oxalate level was increased in the EG group. In kidney samples myeloperoxidase, caspase-3, N-acetyl-β-glycosaminidase (NAG) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β levels were increased while superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels were decreased in the EG group. These biochemical parameters returned to control levels in both PO treatment groups. Histological findings also correlate with these results. Our findings are suggested that PO treatments is effective in both preventive and therapeutic groups.

This study sought to investigate the differences in the quality of dried ginger samples obtained from two places in Zambia, Lusaka and Copperbelt in terms of their secondary metabolite differences and heavy metals content. Ten and eight batches of dried ginger obtained, respectively, from Lusaka and Copperbelt were analysed using untargeted Q/TOF-MS-based metabolomics and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The metabolomics approach yielded 11 differential metabolites that clearly discriminated between the samples from the two locations. Eight were found to be more abundant in the samples from Lusaka while three were present in greater amounts in the samples from Copperbelt. The results of the heavy metal content analysis for four selected elements, Cd, Pb, As and Cu, showed that the samples from Copperbelt recorded higher levels. However, all samples contained levels of the toxic metals, Cd and Pb above permissible limits, making them unwholesome for...

A rapid RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of metformin, glimepiride and pioglitazone from pharmaceutical dosage forms. A sensitive chromatographic separation was accomplished on C18 column (100 × 4.6 mm, 5 µ) with mobile phase consisting of Methanol: phosphate buffer (p H 3.6 adjusted with ortho phosphoric acid) in the ratio of 75:25 v/v, at a flow rate of 1.0 ml / min and monitored at 238 nm. The developed method was validated in terms of accuracy, precision, linearity and limit of detection, limit of quantification, robustness and solution stability. The proposed method can be used for the routine estimation of these drugs in combined pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Eje Temático del Trabajo: 10. Ética, Paz y Desarrollo Sostenible en las IES Tipo de Trabajo: Proyecto de investigación Uno de los desafíos que propone el paradigma de la responsabilidad social es el bienestar de la comunidad a través de la construcción de estilos de vida y hábitos saludables a los diversos grupos afectados por sus acciones para lo cual una de sus políticas es el uso racional de medicamentos. Esta política promueve el aprovechamiento de recursos que conllevan perjuicios de carácter sanitario y económico tanto al sujeto que los consume como a la comunidad de pertenencia, ya sea por falta de un resultado positivo a su afección o por incidencia de reacciones adversas. El propósito del trabajo consiste en describir el origen de la prescripción de medicamentos desde las ventas efectuadas en una obra social propia de una universidad de la provincia de Buenos Aires (República Argentina) durante el año 2015 y determinar así la influencia sobre determinados grupos etarios de los adquirentes. Se aborda una metodología cuantitativa que revela un consumo generalizado de determinados fármacos sin prescripción médica y una leve automedicación en la población más joven. Este diagnóstico corresponde al análisis preliminar del consumo indirecto de medicamentos que se lleva a cabo a fin de elaborar prácticas que promuevan su uso racional en el ámbito universitario.

The pharmacy internship program is designed to provide comprehensive training for interns to perform various roles in pharmacy practice. In Malaysia, the current internship program has been in place since 2004 in public health facilities, but has never been extensively evaluated. Aim: To assess the level of job satisfaction and perception of Provisionally Registered Pharmacists (PRP) towards the internship training provided. Methods: A cross-sectional nationwide survey was conducted amongst all PRPs undergoing training between December 2015 and February 2016 to assess their level of job satisfaction and perception towards the training requirements stipulated by the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia. Results: A total of 733 PRPs participated in the survey and the response rate was 95.8%. On the basis of the response received, 92.5% (n = 678) felt that the one year training period was 'just nice', 30.5% (n = 223) felt that the logbooks were 'too complicated', and 33.2% (n = 241) said the targets set by the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia were 'too high'. On a scale of 1 to 5, respondents rated 3.32 (SD 0.54) for mean score of job satisfaction. Significant factors influencing mean score of job satisfaction were: perceived fairness at the work place; perceived self-competence after one year of training; preceptors' competence; and pharmacy as a chosen career pathway. Conclusion: Intern pharmacists were fairly satisfied with the internship training in government

The purpose of this work was to assess the colloidal stability of novel milk-based formulations. Milk-based formulations were prepared in situ by adding into milk alkaline- or ethanolic-drug solutions containing an array of drugs namely; ketoprofen, tolfenamic acid, meloxicam, tenoxicam and nimesulide, mefenamic acid, cyclosporine A, danazol and clopidogrel besylate. The produced formulations were characterized by means of dynamic lightscattering, ζ-potential studies, atomic force microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy complemented with ab initio calculations and stability studies. The presence of the drugs did not induce significant changes in most cases to the particle size and ζ-potential values of the emulsions pointing to the colloidal stability of these formulations. Raman spectroscopy studies revealed interactions of the drugs and the milk at the intermolecular level. Complementary analysis with ab initio calculations confirmed the experimental observations...

Under oxidative stress conditions, endogenous antioxidant defenses are unable to completely inactivate the free radicals generated by an excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This state causes serious cell damage leading to a variety of human diseases. Natural antioxidants can protect cells against oxidative stress. Hypaodaphnis zenkeri (H. zenkiri) is a plant consumed as a spice in the Cameroonian diet, and its bark has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases. The present study aims at investigating the antioxidant activity, which includes free radical scavenging and protective properties of an extract from H. Zenkiri against oxidative damage on a liver homogenate. The free radical assays determined the scavenging activities of OPEN ACCESS 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl (OH), nitrite oxide (NO) and 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals and the enzymes, whose protection was to be considered in the liver homogenate, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. The antioxidative activities were studied using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), reductive activity, and phosphomolybdenum antioxidant power (PAP) methods. In addition, the phenolic contents of the extracts were examined. The results showed that these extracts demonstrated significant scavenging properties and antioxidant activities, with the hydro-ethanolic extract of the bark of H. zenkeri (EEH) being the most potent. This extract had the highest total polyphenol (21.77 ± 0.05 mg caffeic acid (CAE)/g dried extract (DE)) and flavonoids (3.34 ± 0.13 mg quercetin (QE)/g dried extract) content. The same extract had significantly greater protective effects on enzyme activities compared to other extracts. The high performance liquied chromatography (HPLC) profile showed higher levels of caffeic acid, OH-tyrosol acid, and rutin in the leaves compared to the bark of H. zenkeri. In conclusion, the ethanolic and hydro-ethanolic extracts of the bark and leaves from H. zenkeri showed an antioxidant and protective potential against oxidative damage.

This study was designed to investigate the protective effect of cardamom on renal tissue damage caused by pan masala. Experimental animals were divided into 3 groups, control, pan masala treated and cardamom along with pan masala treated. They were exposed till 12 months to observe changes histologically and ultrastructurally. Male Swiss mice were given orally pan masala at a dose of 2% of the feed which caused acute tubular necrosis along with dilation and atrophied glomerulus seen in its light microscopic structures, whereas ultrastructural changes showed pyknotic nucleus, swollen mitochondria and loss of membrane integrity. When cardamom was given at a dose of 0.2% along with pan masala or alone, damages were less showing normal glomerulus with less inflammation, and normal nucleus. It is, therefore, concluded that cardamom may be beneficial in preventing pan masala induced renal tissue damage and shows potential for clinical use.

Lifestyle factors such as weight, salt intake, and physical activity have shown to be important in treating hypertension. The object of this study was to describe feasibility and to assess the effectiveness of a multicomponent lifestyle intervention on high blood pressure (BP) of Iranian women. This randomized controlled trial was conducted in four health centers by recruiting 161 women aged 35-65 years with high BP and randomizing them to a 4-week lifestyle modification (n = 80) or control group (n = 81). BP level and other health behavioral factors were assessed before and after the 4-week intervention and also after 6 months. The mean systolic BP changed from 158.8 (±8.1) mmHg to 153.2 (±6.4) mmHg during 4-week and to 145.5 (±4.6)) mmHg after 6 months in the intervention group (P &lt; 0.001). There was a significant difference between two groups of study after 4-week mean = 5.6 (confidence interval [CI] = 5.1-6.6) and 6 months follow mean (CI = 12.3-14.6).(P &lt; 0.001) A signifi...

Our study suggests that a critical proportion of HIV patients in Greece face significant barriers to receiving optimal HIV care, according to diagnostic and clinical guidelines. Financial and social insurance status are the main variables that impact on access, despite the comprehensive and universal NHS coverage of antiretroviral treatment and HIV monitoring. Reforming and integrating NHS service provision together with addressing social barriers and discrimination are critical to ensuring care is offered as per standards to all people living with HIV in Greece.

Inadequate medication dispensing and management by healthcare providers can contribute to poor outcomes among HIV-positive patients. Gaps in medication availability, often associated with pharmacy workforce shortages, are an important barrier to retention in HIV care in Uganda. An intervention to address pharmacy staffing constraints through strengthening pharmaceutical management, dispensing practices, and general competencies of facility clinical and pharmacy staff was implemented in 14 facilities in three districts in eastern Uganda. Teams of staff were organised in each facility and supported to apply quality improvement (QI) methods to address deficits in availability and rational use of HIV drugs. To evaluate the intervention, baseline and end line data were collected 24 months apart. Dispensing practices, clinical wellness and adherence to antiretrovirals improved by 45%, 28% and 20% from baseline to end line, respectively. All clients at end line received the medications prescribed, and medications were correctly, completely and legibly labelled more often. Clients better understood when, how much and for how long they were supposed to take their prescribed medicines at end line. Pharmaceutical management practices also improved from baseline in most categories by statistically significant margins. Facilities significantly improved on correctly recording stock information about antiretroviral drugs (53%vs100%, P<0.0001). Coinciding with existing staff taking on pharmaceutical roles, facilities improved management of unwanted and expired drugs, notably by optimising use of existing health workers and making pharmaceutical management processes more efficient. Implementation of this improvement intervention in the 14 facilities appeared to have a positive impact on client outcomes, pharmacy department management and providers' self-reported knowledge of QI methods. These results were achieved at a cost of about US$5.50 per client receiving HIV services at participating facilities.

E levated blood pressure, or hypertension, is a well established and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, ischemic heart disease and heart failure (1-9). Approximately 40% of Canadians have hypertension by the age of 55 years (1,3) and for those who do not have hypertension by age of 55 years, the residual lifetime risk of developing hypertension is 90% (8). Hypertension is largely asymptomatic, and over 40% of adults with hypertension are unaware of their condition

1 So that comparisons of achievement test scores across campuses would be unaffected by variations in test preparation activities, the Austin Independent School District has set out to standardize all testwiseness instructions and practice testing across the school system. Appropriate preparation activity was defined as that which contributes to students' performance on the test near their true achievement levels, and which contributes more to their scores than would an equal amount of regular classroom instruction. The program concentrated on basic testwiseness skills, as advanced tactics often required more skill than the skill being measured by the test item. Research showed that test practice was beneficial if done once, near the time of the actual test. Skills taught to all students included: following directions, understanding item formats, understanding a test's terminology, symbols and procedures, using time wisely, checking answers, marking answers properly, knowing how to ask questions about the test, being physically ready to take the test, and thinking logically. The attached materials for preparing students (and teachers) for standardized tests include: Guidelines a for Test Administrators, Packets for the Preparation of Students for Standardized Testing, All-Purpose Answer Sheet, and Explanation and Examples of Testwiseness Cues. (PN)

African trypanosomiasis remains a life-threatening disease and there is nowadays an urgent need for im proved therapeutic agents for this pathology. In this cont ext, in order to create novel anti-protozoa prototy pe containing both a trypanocidal thiosemicarbazide moiety and an immuno-potentiating thalidomide-like, a hybrid str ucture was designed on the basis of a convergent synthesis pro cess, synthesized and assayed for its potential try panocidal activity. Initial biological results are very promising. The structure of the target compound was asc ertained on the basis of 13 C-NMR, IR spectroscopy and semi-empirical AM1/PM3 q uantum-mechanical calculations.

Cough -but is it asthma? EDITOR,-Although the scientific content of Sheila McKenzie's recent review is impressive,' I do not agree with her conclusions. There is a group of children that one often sees in clinic, usually preschool children who have had a chronic persistent nocturnal cough that may wake them three or four times a night. Although there may be a personal history of eczema and a family history of atopy in general, there is often nothing to suggest personal wheeze. In view of their age it is often difficult to demonstrate airways lability scientifically. Dr McKenzie's approach seems to offer these children and their parents little except tea and sympathy. It used to be my practice to offer this sort of child a trial of agonists. It had a success rate of approximately zero. I have rationalised this that cough is due to airways inflammation, mucous, and oedema and therefore not likely to respond to bronchodilators. It is also likely that the time course of action of short acting agonists make them ineffective at the most vulnerable time of the night. My current practice is to start such children, after a very thorough history and examination, on a six week course of inhaled steroids. In my experience the success of such practice is something like 80% and although it may upset the scientific purists it certainly pleases the parents. Clearly more research is required to elucidate this problem. I feel that in the absence of wheeze, however, that tests based on bronchial hyper-reactivity are not likely to be useful. Histological evidence of air- ways inflammation from direct bronchoscopy would be interesting but currently there is so little known about the early changes in child- hood asthma that such an approach at present would not produce useful results. A double blind randomised trial of the use of inhaled steroids in this situation would be one way forward and the measurement of breath nitric oxide to help clarify the degree of airway inflammation would also be one interesting approach for the future.2

Sodium azide has been used in plant biotechnology as a mutagen to induce genetic variation in plants for the purpose of improving traits such as yield, disease resistance, and stress tolerance, for more than four decades. It acts by causing random mutations and researchers can expose plant seeds and a variety of zygotic and vegetative explants to sodium azide for this purpose. Sodium azide can also be used in combination with other biotechnological tools, such as genetic engineering, to further enhance the genetic improvement of plants; for example, to induce mutations in plants that have been genetically modified to overexpress certain genes. Its sustained use over what has been plant biotechnology's most intense period of innovation speaks to the value of sodium azide as a tool for creating genetic diversity and facilitating the development of new plant varieties with improved traits. Its widespread application in plant biotechnology has led to a lot of variation across facilities/laboratories and species in terms of the methods of exposure, tissues targeted, concentrations used, mutagenic efficiency and biological consequences. The use of mutagens like sodium azide also raises ethical concerns around the unintended consequences and potential risks of mutagens to the environment and human health. This motivated the current review on the technical considerations for the use of sodium azide in plant biotechnology-assisted genetic improvement. Despite the challenges associated with the use of sodium azide (mainly related to a decline in growth) when the method of application is optimized (in terms of plant material, concentration and exposure method) the technique can be a valuable, low cost, option for developing new plant varieties with improved characteristics that can benefit agriculture and food security. Keywords Chemical mutagen • Mutagenesis • NaN₃ • Plant breeding • Temporary immersion bioreactors Sershen Naidoo and José Carlos Lorenzo are Contributed equally.

ROC curves (AUC) were 0.54 for RTMM, 0.56 for pharmacy re ll count and 0.52 for self-report, indicating low discriminatory capacity for each of the adherence measures. When we combined the self-report and pharmacy re ll count measures, sensitivity increased, ranging from 28% to 57% but speci city decreased, ranging from 83% to 53%. When all three measures were combined, we observed the highest value of sensitivity, ranging from 46% to 92%, and PPV, ranging from 32% to 36%, at high cut-offs ranging from 80% to 100%. Upon combination of three adherence measures, the AUC increased to 0.59. Our results show that adherence assessed exclusively by self-report, pharmacy re ll count or RTMM were insu ciently sensitive to predict virologic failure. Sensitivity markedly improved by combining all three measures, but the practical feasibility of such an approach would need to be studied.