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  1. Fulltext Impact of Safety Culture on Safety Performance; Mediating Role of Psychosocial Hazard: An Integrated Modelling Approach
    Naji GMA, Isha ASN, Mohyaldinn ME, Leka S, Saleem MS, Rahman SMNBSA, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 08 13;18(16).
    PMID: 34444314 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168568
    We conceptualize that safety culture (SC) has a positive impact on employee's safety performance by reducing their psychosocial hazards. A higher level of safety culture environment reduces psychosocial hazards by improving employee's performance toward safety concerns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how psychosocial hazard mediates the relationship between safety culture and safety performance. Data were collected from 380 production employees in three states of Malaysia from the upstream oil and gas sector. Structural equation modeling was implemented to test the suggested hypotheses. The proposed model was evaluated using structural equation modeling. A stratified sampling with a Likert 5-point scale was used to distribute the questionnaires. Furthermore, the proposed model was tested using the simulation of the structural equation and partial. According to our findings, all hypotheses were significant. A review of prior studies was used to select the items of the dimension for the data collection. Safety culture was assessed with psychosocial hazard to determine its direct and indirect impact on safety performance. Results suggest that to enhance safety performance (leading and lagging), psychosocial concerns in the workplace environments should be taken into consideration by employees. In addition, the findings showed that the psychosocial hazard fully mediates the relationship between safety culture and safety performance.
  2. Fulltext Development of Waste Polystyrene-Based Copper Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites and Their Mechanical, Electrical and Thermal Properties
    Ahmad W, Ahmad Q, Yaseen M, Ahmad I, Hussain F, Mohamed Jan B, et al.
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2021 Sep 13;11(9).
    PMID: 34578688 DOI: 10.3390/nano11092372
    The current study reports the effect of different wt. ratios of copper oxide nanoparticle (CuO-NPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as fillers on mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of waste polystyrene (WPS) matrix. Firstly, thin sheets of WPS-rGO-CuO composites were prepared through solution casting method with different ratios, i.e., 2, 8, 10, 15 and 20 wt.% of CuO-NPs and rGO in WPS matrix. The synthesized composite sheets were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrical conductance and mechanical strength of the prepared composites were determined by using LCR meter and universal testing machine (UTM). These properties were dependent on the concentrations of CuO-NPs and rGO. Results display that the addition of both fillers, i.e., rGO and CuO-NPs, collectively led to remarkable increase in the mechanical properties of the composite. The incorporation of rGO-CuO: 15% WPS sample, i.e., WPS-rGO-CuO: 15%, has shown high mechanical strength with tensile strength of 25.282 MPa and Young modulus of 1951.0 MPa, respectively. Similarly, the electrical conductance of the same composite is also enhanced from 6.7 × 10-14 to 4 × 10-7 S/m in contrast to WPS at 2.0 × 106 Hz. The fabricated composites exhibited high thermal stability through TGA analysis in terms of 3.52% and 6.055% wt. loss at 250 °C as compared to WPS.
  3. Fulltext Chitosan/Poly Vinyl Alcohol/Graphene Oxide Based pH-Responsive Composite Hydrogel Films: Drug Release, Anti-Microbial and Cell Viability Studies
    Khan MUA, Yaqoob Z, Ansari MNM, Razak SIA, Raza MA, Sajjad A, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Sep 16;13(18).
    PMID: 34578025 DOI: 10.3390/polym13183124
    The composite hydrogels were produced using the solution casting method due to the non-toxic and biocompatible nature of chitosan (CS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The best composition was chosen and crosslinked with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), after which different amounts of graphene oxide (GO) were added to develop composite hydrogels. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle was used to analyze the hydrogels. The samples were also evaluated for swelling abilities in various mediums. The drug release profile was studied in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at a pH of 7.4. To predict the mechanism of drug release, the data were fitted into kinetic models. Finally, antibacterial activity and cell viability data were obtained. FTIR studies revealed the successful synthesis of CS/PVA hydrogels and GO/CS/PVA in hydrogel composite. SEM showed no phase separation of the polymers, whereas AFM showed a decrease in surface roughness with an increase in GO content. 100 µL of crosslinker was the critical concentration at which the sample displayed excellent swelling and preserved its structure. Both the crosslinked and composite hydrogel showed good swelling. The most acceptable mechanism of drug release is diffusion-controlled, and it obeys Fick's law of diffusion for drug released. The best fitting of the zero-order, Hixson-Crowell and Higuchi models supported our assumption. The GO/CS/PVA hydrogel composite showed better antibacterial and cell viability behaviors. They can be better biomaterials in biomedical applications.
  4. Association between grit and academic achievement among undergraduate pharmacy students in Malaysia
    Abubakar U, Azli NASM, Hashim IA, Kamarudin NFA, Latif NAIA, Badaruddin ARM, et al.
    Curr Pharm Teach Learn, 2021 05;13(5):550-555.
    PMID: 33795109 DOI: 10.1016/j.cptl.2021.01.013
    INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the level of grit and its association with academic achievement among pharmacy undergraduate students in Malaysia.

    METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a public university in Malaysia. Data were collected using an electronic, validated, pre-tested modified version of the short Grit scale between December 2019 and January 2020. Correlation between grit and self-reported cumulative grade point average (CGPA) was examined.

    RESULTS: Of 444 students invited to participate, 247 completed the questionnaire (response rate 55.6%). Mean age was 21.4 ± 1.5 years, and 70.6% were female. The mean grit score was 3.1 ± 0.4 (out of 5.0). Students had higher scores in the perseverance of effort subscale (3.3 ± 0.7) than the consistency of interest subscale (2.9 ± 0.5). Students with self-reported CGPAs ≥3.50 had higher mean grit (3.3 ± 0.4) than those with CGPAs of 3.00 to 3.49 (3.0 ± 0.4) and 

  5. Fulltext Polystyrene Microplastics Exposure: An Insight into Multiple Organ Histological Alterations, Oxidative Stress and Neurotoxicity in Javanese Medaka Fish (Oryzias javanicus Bleeker, 1854)
    Usman S, Abdull Razis AF, Shaari K, Amal MNA, Saad MZ, Mat Isa N, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 09 07;18(18).
    PMID: 34574375 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189449
    Microplastics (MPs) have become pollutants of concern due to their unknown human health effect and negative impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. There is increasing number of experimental research on MPs globally with its effects not fully understood; recent animal studies explore its effects on the intestines, yet on other vital organs. Javanese medaka fish was exposed to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) beads for a period of 21 days. Histological alterations, intestinal oxidative stress, permeability and neurotoxicity were evaluated. Significant inflammatory changes and tissue damage were observed in the intestine, liver and kidney. Intestinal oxidative stress and permeability were found to be significantly increased. In the brain, neurotoxicity characterised by a significant induction of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme were elucidated. This study provided an insight into the multiple organ effect of microplastics exposure, necessitating further exploration and identification of biomarkers to be utilised for biomonitoring population at risk in the future.
  6. Fulltext Synthesis, Kinetics, Binding Conformations and Structure-activity Relationship of Potent Tyrosinase Inhibitors: Aralkylated 2-aminothiazole-ethyltriazole Hybrids
    Sadiq Butt AR, Abbasi MA, Rehman AU, Siddiqui SZ, Raza H, Hassan M, et al.
    Iran J Pharm Res, 2021;20(2):206-228.
    PMID: 34567157 DOI: 10.22037/ijpr.2020.15521.13145
    Considering the diversified pharmacological importance of thiazole and triazole heterocyclic moieties, a unique series of S-aralkylated bi-heterocyclic hybrids, 7a-l, was synthesized in a convergent manner. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR, and EI-MS spectral studies. The structure-activity relationship of these compounds was envisaged by analyzing their inhibitory effects against tyrosinase, whereby all these molecules exhibited potent inhibitory potentials relative to the standard used. The Kinetics mechanism was ascertained by Lineweaver-Burk plots, which revealed that 7g inhibited tyrosinase non-competitively by forming an enzyme-inhibitor complex. The inhibition constants Ki calculated from Dixon plots for this compound was 0.0057µM. These bi-heterocyclic molecules also disclosed good binding energy values (kcal /mol) when assessed computationally. So, these molecules can be considered promising medicinal scaffolds for the treatment of skin disorders.
  7. Complementary role of p57kip2 immunostaining in diagnosing hydatidiform mole subtypes
    Zainal N, Kampan NC, Rose IM, Ghazali R, Shafiee MN, Yussoff NH, et al.
    Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig, 2021 May 21;42(3):311-316.
    PMID: 34018382 DOI: 10.1515/hmbci-2020-0086
    OBJECTIVES: Gestational trophoblastic disease comprises of a spectrum of pregnancy-related tumours which includes complete (CHM) and partial hydatidiform moles (PHM). Accurate diagnosis and subclassification of HM subtypes are crucial as prognosis differs. Histopathological examination using haemotoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining remains the basis for diagnosing HM, with only 80% accuracy. p57kip2 is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI) protein and is strongly paternally imprinted, being expressed from maternal allele. Therefore, complete mole (CHM) with only paternal genome has nearly absent expression of p57kip2 compared to partial mole (PHM) having both paternal and maternal genomes. This study is aimed to determine usefulness of p57kip2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis in the diagnosis of HM subtypes.

    METHODS: A total of 82 archived paraffin embedded HM tissues with subtypes classified based on H&E staining - 39 (47.5%) CHM, 41 (50.0%) PHM and two (2.43%) unclassified molar pregnancy were retrieved. All tissue samples were subjected for p57kip2 IHC analysis and HM subtypes were then reclassified.

    RESULTS: A total of 66 cases (80.5%) were re-classified as CHM, 14 cases (17.1%) as PHM and two cases (2.4%) were decidual and cystic tissues. Analysis using p57kip2 immunostaining showed a diagnostic discrepancy of 33.0% from routine H&E staining and helps to improve the characterisation of the HM subtypes specifically at early gestations which have less distinctive morphologies.

    CONCLUSIONS: IHC using p57kip2 monoclonal antibody should be considered as a routine ancillary test to H&E in improving the diagnosis of HM subtypes particularly in developing countries with limited resources.

  8. Fulltext Dengue fever and insecticide resistance in Aedes mosquitoes in Southeast Asia: a review
    Gan SJ, Leong YQ, Bin Barhanuddin MFH, Wong ST, Wong SF, Mak JW, et al.
    Parasit Vectors, 2021 Jun 10;14(1):315.
    PMID: 34112220 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04785-4
    Dengue fever is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease in Southeast Asia. Insecticides remain the most effective vector control approach for Aedes mosquitoes. Four main classes of insecticides are widely used for mosquito control: organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids and carbamates. Here, we review the distribution of dengue fever from 2000 to 2020 and its associated mortality in Southeast Asian countries, and we gather evidence on the trend of insecticide resistance and its distribution in these countries since 2000, summarising the mechanisms involved. The prevalence of resistance to these insecticides is increasing in Southeast Asia, and the mechanisms of resistance are reported to be associated with target site mutations, metabolic detoxification, reduced penetration of insecticides via the mosquito cuticle and behavioural changes of mosquitoes. Continuous monitoring of the status of resistance and searching for alternative control measures will be critical for minimising any unpredicted outbreaks and improving public health. This review also provides improved insights into the specific use of insecticides for effective control of mosquitoes in these dengue endemic countries.
  9. Green bioprocessing of protein from Chlorella vulgaris microalgae towards circular bioeconomy
    Azmi AAB, Chew KW, Chia WY, Mubashir M, Sankaran R, Lam MK, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2021 Aug;333:125197.
    PMID: 33930672 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125197
    The work aimed to study the potential in producing a system with high microalgal protein recovery and separation by utilizing a one-step or integrated downstream process. This in turn enables green biorefinery of protein, contributing to circular bioeconomy whereby less energy, labor, and cost are required for the process. By utilizing electric three phase partitioning flotation system, high protein recovery yield, R of 99.42 ± 0.52% and high separation efficiency, E of 52.72 ± 0.40% system was developed. Scaling up also showed high protein recovery yield with R value of 89.13 ± 1.56%. Total processing duration (extraction, separation, and purification) was also significantly reduced to 10 min. This system showed remarkable potential in reducing processing time, alternatively cost of production, benefiting microalgal downstream processing. Concisely, through this system, microalgal bioprocessing will no longer be complex allowing a wide array of potentials for further studies in this field.
  10. Fulltext Thymoquinone, as a Novel Therapeutic Candidate of Cancers
    Almajali B, Al-Jamal HAN, Taib WRW, Ismail I, Johan MF, Doolaanea AA, et al.
    Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 2021 Apr 16;14(4).
    PMID: 33923474 DOI: 10.3390/ph14040369
    To date, natural products are widely used as pharmaceutical agents for many human diseases and cancers. One of the most popular natural products that have been studied for anticancer properties is thymoquinone (TQ). As a bioactive compound of Nigella sativa, TQ has shown anticancer activities through the inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The anticancer efficacy of TQ is being investigated in several human cancers such as pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, hepatic cancer, cervical cancer, and leukemia. Even though TQ induces apoptosis by regulating the expression of pro- apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes in many cancers, the TQ effect mechanism on such cancers is not yet fully understood. Therefore, the present review has highlighted the TQ effect mechanisms on several signaling pathways and expression of tumor suppressor genes (TSG). Data from relevant published experimental articles on TQ from 2015 to June 2020 were selected by using Google Scholar and PubMed search engines. The present study investigated the effectiveness of TQ alone or in combination with other anticancer therapeutic agents, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors on cancers, as a future anticancer therapy nominee by using nanotechnology.
  11. Fulltext Compact Elliptical UWB Antenna for Underwater Wireless Communications
    Alhawari ARH, Majeed SF, Saeidi T, Mumtaz S, Alghamdi H, Hindi AT, et al.
    Micromachines (Basel), 2021 Apr 07;12(4).
    PMID: 33917167 DOI: 10.3390/mi12040411
    The increasing needs of free licensed frequency bands like Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and 5G for underwater communications required more bandwidth (BW) with higher data transferring rate. Microwaves produce a higher transferring rate of data, and their associated devices are smaller in comparison with sonar and ultrasonic. Thus, transceivers should have broad BW to cover more of a frequency band, especially from ultra-wideband (UWB) systems, which show potential outcomes. However, previous designs of similar work for underwater communications were very complicated, uneasy to fabricate, and large. Therefore, to overcome these shortcomings, a novel compact elliptical UWB antenna is designed to resonate from 1.3 to 7.2 GHz. It is invented from a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer with a dielectric constant of 2.55 mm and a thickness of 0.8 mm. The proposed antenna shows higher gain and radiation efficiency and stability throughout the working band when compared to recent similarly reported designs, even at a smaller size. The characteristics of the functioning antenna are investigated through fluid mediums of fresh-water, seawater, distilled water, and Debye model water. Later, its channel capacity, bit rate error, and data rate are evaluated. The results demonstrated that the antenna offers compact, easier fabrication with better UWB characteristics for underwater 5G communications.
  12. Fulltext Synthesis and α-Glucosidase Inhibition Activity of 2-[3-(Benzoyl/4-bromobenzoyl)-4-hydroxy-1,1-dioxido-2H-benzo[e][1,2]thiazin-2-yl]-N-arylacetamides: An In Silico and Biochemical Approach
    Saddique FA, Aslam S, Ahmad M, Ashfaq UA, Muddassar M, Sultan S, et al.
    Molecules, 2021 May 20;26(10).
    PMID: 34065194 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26103043
    Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disorder and has affected a large number of people worldwide. Insufficient insulin production causes an increase in blood glucose level that results in DM. To lower the blood glucose level, various drugs are employed that block the activity of the α-glucosidase enzyme, which is considered responsible for the breakdown of polysaccharides into monosaccharides leading to an increase in the intestinal blood glucose level. We have synthesized novel 2-(3-(benzoyl/4-bromobenzoyl)-4-hydroxy-1,1-dioxido-2H-benzo[e][1,2]thiazin-2-yl)-N-arylacetamides and have screened them for their in silico and in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition activity. The derivatives 11c, 12a, 12d, 12e, and 12g emerged as potent inhibitors of the α-glucosidase enzyme. These compounds exhibited good docking scores and excellent binding interactions with the selected residues (Asp203, Asp542, Asp327, His600, Arg526) during in silico screening. Similarly, these compounds also showed good in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitions with IC50 values of 30.65, 18.25, 20.76, 35.14, and 24.24 μM, respectively, which were better than the standard drug, acarbose (IC50 = 58.8 μM). Furthermore, a good agreement was observed between in silico and in vitro modes of study.
  13. Fulltext Development of Biopolymeric Hybrid Scaffold-Based on AAc/GO/nHAp/TiO2 Nanocomposite for Bone Tissue Engineering: In-Vitro Analysis
    Aslam Khan MU, Al-Arjan WS, Binkadem MS, Mehboob H, Haider A, Raza MA, et al.
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2021 May 17;11(5).
    PMID: 34067844 DOI: 10.3390/nano11051319
    Bone tissue engineering is an advanced field for treatment of fractured bones to restore/regulate biological functions. Biopolymeric/bioceramic-based hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds are potential biomaterials for bone tissue because of biodegradable and biocompatible characteristics. We report synthesis of nanocomposite based on acrylic acid (AAc)/guar gum (GG), nano-hydroxyapatite (HAp NPs), titanium nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), and optimum graphene oxide (GO) amount via free radical polymerization method. Porous scaffolds were fabricated through freeze-drying technique and coated with silver sulphadiazine. Different techniques were used to investigate functional group, crystal structural properties, morphology/elemental properties, porosity, and mechanical properties of fabricated scaffolds. Results show that increasing amount of TiO2 in combination with optimized GO has improved physicochemical and microstructural properties, mechanical properties (compressive strength (2.96 to 13.31 MPa) and Young's modulus (39.56 to 300.81 MPa)), and porous properties (pore size (256.11 to 107.42 μm) and porosity (79.97 to 44.32%)). After 150 min, silver sulfadiazine release was found to be ~94.1%. In vitro assay of scaffolds also exhibited promising results against mouse pre-osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) cell lines. Hence, these fabricated scaffolds would be potential biomaterials for bone tissue engineering in biomedical engineering.
  14. Fulltext Insights into the Role of Biopolymer Aerogel Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
    Yahya EB, Amirul AA, H P S AK, Olaiya NG, Iqbal MO, Jummaat F, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 May 17;13(10).
    PMID: 34067569 DOI: 10.3390/polym13101612
    The global transplantation market size was valued at USD 8.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.5% over the forecast period. The increasing demand for tissue transplantation has inspired researchers to find alternative approaches for making artificial tissues and organs function. The unique physicochemical and biological properties of biopolymers and the attractive structural characteristics of aerogels such as extremely high porosity, ultra low-density, and high surface area make combining these materials of great interest in tissue scaffolding and regenerative medicine applications. Numerous biopolymer aerogel scaffolds have been used to regenerate skin, cartilage, bone, and even heart valves and blood vessels by growing desired cells together with the growth factor in tissue engineering scaffolds. This review focuses on the principle of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and the role of biopolymer aerogel scaffolds in this field, going through the properties and the desirable characteristics of biopolymers and biopolymer tissue scaffolds in tissue engineering applications. The recent advances of using biopolymer aerogel scaffolds in the regeneration of skin, cartilage, bone, and heart valves are also discussed in the present review. Finally, we highlight the main challenges of biopolymer-based scaffolds and the prospects of using these materials in regenerative medicine.
  15. In Vitro Cytotoxicity and Anti-inflammatory Cytokinine Activity Study of Three Isolated Novel Compounds of Prismatomeris glabra
    Alkadi KAA, Ashraf K, Adam A, Shah SAA, Taha M, Hasan MH, et al.
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 12 21;13(1):116-122.
    PMID: 34084057 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_279_19
    Objectives: The aim of the present study was to isolate and evaluate cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activities of new novel compounds isolated from Prismatomeris glabra.

    Materials and Methods: Dried root of P. glabra was extracted under reflux with methyl alcohol, fractionated through the vacuum liquid chromatography technique, and evaporated and then purified the compounds using column chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. THP-1 cells were treated with amentoflavone, 5,7,4'-hydroxyflavonoid, and stigmasterol with various concentrations (0-30 µg/mL) and then incubated with MTS reagent for 2h. Treatment was done for 24, 48, and 72h. Then, effects of these compounds were also tested on PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-6 expression in human THP-1-derived macrophage cells for 24h.

    Results: Three new compounds such as amentoflavone, 5,7,4'-hydroxyflavonoid, and stigmasterol were isolated. After 24h of incubation, a significant decrease in cell viability was reported with IC50 values of amentoflavone, 5,7,4'- hydroxyflavonoid, and stigmasterol (21 µg/mL ≡ 38 M), (18 µg/mL ≡ 66 M) and (20 µg/mL ≡ 48.5 M), respectively. Whereas for 48 and 72h treatment showed a less decreased cell viability compared with 24h treatment. These compounds also showed a significant reduction in the production of TNF-α, IL-6, and PGE2 in a dose-dependent manner.

    Conclusions: The isolated new compounds showed significant cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory effects.

  16. Fulltext An Overview of Phytochemical and Biological Activities: Ficus deltoidea Jack and Other Ficus spp
    Ashraf K, Haque MR, Amir M, Ahmad N, Ahmad W, Sultan S, et al.
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2021;13(1):11-25.
    PMID: 34084044 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_232_19
    Ficus deltoidea Jack (Moraceae) is a well-known medicinal plant used in customary medication among the Malay people to reduce and mend sicknesses such as ulcers, psoriasis, cytotoxicity, cardioprotective, inflammation, jaundice, vitiligo, hemorrhage, diabetes, convulsion, hepatitis, dysentery injuries, wounds, and stiffness. Ficus deltoidea contains a wide variety of bioactive compounds from different phytochemical groups such as alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, saponins, sterols, terpenes, carbohydrates, and proteins. The genus Ficus has several hundreds of species, which shows excellent therapeutic effects and a wide variety of helpful properties for human welfare. Searching information was collected by using electronic databases including Web of Science, Science Direct, Springer, SciFinder, PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar. This review is, therefore, an effort to give a detailed survey of the literature on its pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, phytochemical, and pharmacological properties of Ficus and its important species. This summary could be beneficial for future research aiming to exploit the therapeutic potential of Ficus and its useful medicinal species.
  17. An insight into the role of Artificial Intelligence in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
    Verma RK, Pandey M, Chawla P, Choudhury H, Mayuren J, Bhattamisra SK, et al.
    CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets, 2021 May 11.
    PMID: 33982657 DOI: 10.2174/1871527320666210512014505
    BACKGROUND: The complication of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has made the development of its therapeutic a challenging task. Even after decades of research, we have achieved no more than a few years of symptomatic relief. The inability to diagnose the disease early is the foremost hurdle behind its treatment. Several studies have aimed to identify potential biomarkers that can be detected in body fluids (CSF, blood, urine, etc) or assessed by neuroimaging (i.e., PET and MRI). However, the clinical implementation of these biomarkers is incomplete as they cannot be validated.

    METHOD: To overcome the limitation, the use of artificial intelligence along with technical tools has been extensively investigated for AD diagnosis. For developing a promising artificial intelligence strategy that can diagnose AD early, it is critical to supervise neuropsychological outcomes and imaging-based readouts with a proper clinical review.

    CONCLUSION: Profound knowledge, a large data pool, and detailed investigations are required for the successful implementation of this tool. This review will enlighten various aspects of early diagnosis of AD using artificial intelligence.

  18. Fulltext A Conceptual Framework of the Way Forward to a Community Pharmacist-General Practitioner Collaborative Medication Therapy Management Model for Chronic Diseases in Malaysian Primary Care: A Qualitative Study
    Mubarak N, Raja SA, Khan AS, Kanwal S, Saif-Ur-Rehman N, Aziz MM, et al.
    Risk Manag Healthc Policy, 2021;14:1615-1627.
    PMID: 33907479 DOI: 10.2147/RMHP.S296113
    BACKGROUND: There is a growing global interest in formulating such policies and strategic plans that help devise collaborative working models for community pharmacists (CPs) and general practitioners (GPs) in primary care settings.

    OBJECTIVE: To conceptualize a stakeholder-driven framework to improve collaboration between CPs and GPs in Malaysian primary care to effectively manage medicines in chronic diseases.

    DESIGN AND SETTING: A qualitative study that involved individual semi-structured interviews of the leadership of various associations, guilds, and societies representing CPs, GPs, and Nurses in Malaysia.

    METHODS: This study collected and reported data in accordance with the guidelines of the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting of Qualitative Studies. Key informants were recruited based on purposive (expert) sampling. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were coded based on the principles of thematic analysis in NVivo.

    RESULTS: A total of 12 interviews (5 CPs, 5 GPs, and 2 nurses) were conducted. Five themes emerged: Theme 1 highlighted a comparison of community pharmacy practice in Malaysia and developed countries; Theme 2 involved current practices in Malaysian primary care; Theme 3 encompassed the advantages of CP-GP collaboration in chronic diseases; Theme 4 highlighted the barriers which impede collaboration in Malaysian primary care; and Theme 5 delineated the way forward for CP-GP collaboration in Malaysia.

    CONCLUSION: The actionable insights obtained from the Malaysian stakeholders offered an outline of a framework to enhance collaboration between CPs and GPs in primary care. Generally, stakeholders were interested in CP-GP collaboration in primary care and identified many positive roles performed by CPs, including prescription review, adherence support, and patient education. The framework of the way forward includes: separation of CP and GP roles through a holistic revision of relevant legislation to grant an active role to CPs in chronic care; definition of protocols for collaborative practices; incentivization of both stakeholders (CPs and GPs); and design and implementation of an effective regulatory mechanism whereby the Malaysian Ministry of Health may take a leading role.

  19. Fulltext Process Optimization of In Situ Magnetic-Anisotropy Spark Plasma Sintering of M-Type-Based Barium Hexaferrite BaFe12O19
    Mohammed HG, Albarody TMB, Susilawati S, Gohery S, Doyan A, Prayogi S, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2021 May 18;14(10).
    PMID: 34070195 DOI: 10.3390/ma14102650
    This paper introduces a new spark plasma sintering technique that is able to order crystalline anisotropy by in-series/in situ DC electric coupled magnetic field. The process control parameters have been investigated on the production of anisotropic BaFe12O19 magnets based on resulted remanence (Mr). Sintering holding time (H.T.), cooling rate (C.R.), pressure (P), and sintering temperature (S.T.) are optimized by Taguchi with L9 orthogonal array (OA). The remanent magnetization of nanocrystalline BaFe12O19 in parallel (Mrǁ) and perpendicular (MrꞱ) to the applied magnetic field was regarded as a measure of performance. The Taguchi study calculated optimum process parameters, which significantly improved the sintering process based on the confirmation tests of BaFe12O19 anisotropy. The magnetic properties in terms of Mrǁ and MrꞱ were greatly affected by sintering temperature and pressure according to ANOVA results. In addition, regression models were developed for predicting the Mrǁ as well as MrꞱ respectively.
  20. Fulltext Perceptions, Expectations, and Experience of Physicians About Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Care Services in Pakistan: Findings and Implications
    Hayat K, Mustafa ZU, Godman B, Arshed M, Zhang J, Khan FU, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2021;12:650137.
    PMID: 34054528 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.650137
    Background: Optimal collaboration between pharmacists and other healthcare professionals such as physicians is integral in implementing pharmaceutical care. However, there are concerns regarding the role of pharmacists, especially among low- and middle-income countries. This study explored the perceptions, expectations, and experience of physicians working in various hospital settings of Punjab, Pakistan, about pharmacists and their roles. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire consisting of four sections was administered from October to December 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used for data analysis using SPSS. Results: Six hundred and seventy-eight physicians participated in this study with a response rate of 77.9%. Most of the physicians reported minimal to no interaction with pharmacists (n = 521, 76.8%). However, more than three-quarters of physicians (n = 660, 97.3%) accepted pharmacists as evidence-based sources of drug information. In addition, many physicians (n = 574, 84.7%) strongly agreed that pharmacists should attend patient care rounds to respond promptly to questions related to patient medication. A limited number of physicians (n = 124, 18.3%) assumed that pharmacists were advising their patients regarding the judicial use of their drugs. Median expectation and experience score had a significant association with age, experience, and education of physicians (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The perception of physicians was positive toward certain roles of pharmacists, coupled with high expectations. However, their experience was low, with most of the activities of pharmacists due to inadequate interprofessional coordination.
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