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Fulltext Transtubular Transoral Surgery for Excision of a Dystrophic Os Odontoideum: A Case Report

Ariffin MH, Ashfaq MM, Kang E

Malays Orthop J, 2016 Mar;10(1):50-52.
PMID: 28435547 MyJurnal DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.1603.009

Transoral approach to the cervico-medullary junction is a well-established procedure. However oropharyngeal complications in the form of soft tissue morbidity postoperatively do occur. We report a case of a teenage boy with traumatic quadriparesis secondary to compression of the cervico-medullary junction by an os odontoideum. Decompression was done via transoral approach through a tubular retractor system, hence obviating the need for the splitting or separate retraction of the soft palate and minimised the damage and violation of surrounding soft tissues. His neurological status improved and he was able to ambulate with support on fourth post-operative day with no soft tissue morbidity in the oral cavity. To our knowledge this is the first case reported using this technique. We conclude that adoption of this method would improve the traditional transoral approach and reduce the oropharyngeal complications.
Fulltext Molecular profiling of bacterial blight resistance in Malaysian rice cultivars

Javed MA, Ali SW, Ashfaq M, Tabassam J, Ali M, IhsanUllah M, et al.

Braz J Biol, 2022;82:e256189.
PMID: 36541981 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.256189

Bacteria blight is one of the most serious bacterial diseases of rice worldwide. The identification of genetic potential against bacterial blight in the existing rice resources is a prerequisite to develop multigenic resistance to combat the threat of climate change. This investigation was conducted to evaluate alleles variation in 38 Malaysian cultivars using thirteen Simple Sequences Repeats markers and one Sequence Tagged Sites (STS) marker which were reported to be linked with the resistance to bacterial blight. Based on molecular data, a dendrogram was constructed which classified the rice cultivars into seven major clusters at 0.0, 0.28 and 0.3 of similarity coefficient. Cluster 5 was the largest group comprised of ten rice cultivars where multiple genes were identified. However, xa13 could not be detected in the current rice germplasm, whereas xa2 was detected in 25 cultivars. Molecular analysis revealed that Malaysian rice cultivars possess multigenic resistance.
Fourth-Generation Antibiotic Gatifloxacin Encapsulated by Microemulsions: Structural and Probing Dynamics

Nazar MF, Yasir Siddique M, Saleem MA, Zafar M, Nawaz F, Ashfaq M, et al.

Langmuir, 2018 Sep 11;34(36):10603-10612.
PMID: 30109940 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01775

To overcome the increased disease rate, utilization of the versatile broad spectrum antibiotic drugs in controlled drug-delivery systems has been a challenging and complex consignment. However, with the development of microemulsion (μE)-based formulations, drugs can be effectively encapsulated and transferred to the target source. Herein, two biocompatible oil-in-water (o/w) μE formulations comprising clove oil/Tween 20/ethylene glycol/water (formulation A) and clove oil/Tween 20/1-butanol/water (formulation B) were developed for encapsulating the gatifloxacin (GTF), a fourth-generation antibiotic. The pseudoternary phase diagrams were mapped at a constant surfactant/co-surfactant (1:1) ratio to bound the existence of a monophasic isotropic region for as-formulated μEs. Multiple complementary characterization techniques, namely, conductivity (σ), viscosity (η), and optical microscopy analyses, were used to study the gradual changes that occurred in the microstructure of the as-formulated μEs, indicating the presence of a percolation transformation to a bicontinuous permeate flow. GTF showed good solubility, 3.2 wt % at pH 6.2 and 4.0 wt % at pH 6.8, in optimum μE of formulation A and formulation B, respectively. Each loaded μE formulation showed long-term stability over 8 months of storage. Moreover, no observable aggregation of GTF was found, as revealed by scanning transmission electron microscopy and peak-to-peak correlation of IR analysis, indicating the stability of GTF inside the formulation. The average particle size of each μE, measured by dynamic light scattering, increased upon loading GTF, intending the accretion of drug in the interfacial layers of microdomains. Likewise, fluorescence probing sense an interfacial hydrophobic environment to GTF molecules in any of the examined formulations, which may be of significant interest for understanding the kinetics of drug release.
Exploring the factors and barriers of healthcare professionals in tertiary care hospitals towards pharmacovigilance: a multicenter study from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Sharif MJH, Farrukh MJ, Khan FU, Khan Q, Ahmed SS, Kousar R, et al.

Curr Med Res Opin, 2022 Feb 15.
PMID: 35166143 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2022.2042992

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting is a cornerstone for a successful pharmacovigilance program as under-reporting of ADRs remains a major issue around the globe. The current study aimed to assess the knowledge attitude and practices of health care professionals regarding pharmacovigilance along with barriers and factors to encourage ADR reporting at tertiary care hospitals of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
METHODS: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was conducted, using the convenience sampling method to collect the data from doctors, nurses, and pharmacists working in seven tertiary care hospitals from seven districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, between July 2019 and March 2020.
RESULTS: During the study, a total of 830 questionnaires were distributed, out of which 669 were returned (response rate 80.6%). Overall, Healthcare professionals exhibited poor knowledge (79.5%) about ADR reporting and pharmacovigilance however, 73.5% of pharmacists were more knowledgeable as compared to 18.7% doctors and 13.8% nurses (p < 0.001). Moreover, poor reporting practices were displayed by 95.6% doctors, 94.4% nurses 94.4% and 75.5% pharmacists (p < 0.001). However, the majority of healthcare professionals showed an overall positive attitude (94%) towards ADR reporting. The most frequently cited barriers were unavailability of reporting forms (92.5%), absence of a professional environment to discuss ADRs (82.5%), and lack of training (81.8%) whereas, most common factors to encourage ADR reporting were obligatory reporting (85.9%) and provision of ADR management guidelines and training (84.3%). A significant relation was found between the healthcare professionals and their professional status with the overall knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores (p
Fulltext Pharmaceutical pollution of the world's rivers

Wilkinson JL, Boxall ABA, Kolpin DW, Leung KMY, Lai RWS, Galbán-Malagón C, et al.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2022 Feb 22;119(8).
PMID: 35165193 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113947119

Environmental exposure to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can have negative effects on the health of ecosystems and humans. While numerous studies have monitored APIs in rivers, these employ different analytical methods, measure different APIs, and have ignored many of the countries of the world. This makes it difficult to quantify the scale of the problem from a global perspective. Furthermore, comparison of the existing data, generated for different studies/regions/continents, is challenging due to the vast differences between the analytical methodologies employed. Here, we present a global-scale study of API pollution in 258 of the world's rivers, representing the environmental influence of 471.4 million people across 137 geographic regions. Samples were obtained from 1,052 locations in 104 countries (representing all continents and 36 countries not previously studied for API contamination) and analyzed for 61 APIs. Highest cumulative API concentrations were observed in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and South America. The most contaminated sites were in low- to middle-income countries and were associated with areas with poor wastewater and waste management infrastructure and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The most frequently detected APIs were carbamazepine, metformin, and caffeine (a compound also arising from lifestyle use), which were detected at over half of the sites monitored. Concentrations of at least one API at 25.7% of the sampling sites were greater than concentrations considered safe for aquatic organisms, or which are of concern in terms of selection for antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, pharmaceutical pollution poses a global threat to environmental and human health, as well as to delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.