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Fulltext Impact of HEXACO Personality Factors on Consumer Video Game Engagement: A Study on eSports

Abbasi AZ, Nisar S, Rehman U, Ting DH

Front Psychol, 2020;11:1831.
PMID: 32849078 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01831

This article aims to uncover novel insights into personality factors and consumer video game engagement modeling. This research empirically validates the role of specific HEXACO personality factors that foster consumer engagement (CE) in electronic sports (eSports) users. Using a survey-based approach, we incorporated the HEXACO 60 items and consumer video game engagement scales for data collection. Data were collected from eSports users, with 250 valid responses. WarpPLS 6.0 was used for partial least squares-structural equation modeling analyses comprising measurement and structural model assessment. The results showed that the reflective measurement model is reliable and sound, whereas the second-order formative measurement model also meets the criteria of indicator weights and collinearity values variance inflation factor (VIF). The results based on the structural model indicate that openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness positively predict CE in eSports. This article is first among others that conceptualizes and validates the HEXACO personality traits as a reflective formative model using the hierarchical component model approach. The research model carries the explanatory capacity for CE in eSports concerning personality dimensions as indicated by the HEXACO model. It highlights the potential benefits of such research especially to marketers who could potentially employ personality modeling to develop tailored strategies to increase CE in video games.
Smart pH-responsive co-polymeric hydrogels for controlled delivery of capecitabine: Fabrication, Optimization and in vivo toxicology screening

Rehman U, Sarfraz RM, Mahmood A, Hussain Z, Thu HE, Zafar N, et al.

Curr Drug Deliv, 2021 Feb 11.
PMID: 33583374 DOI: 10.2174/1567201818666210212085912

BACKGROUND: Despite exhibiting promising anticancer potential, the clinical significance of capecitabine (a potent prodrug of 5-fluorouracil used for treatment of colorectal cancer) is limited owing to its acidic and enzymatic hydrolysis, lower absorption following the oral administration, poor bioavailability, short plasma half-life and poor patient compliance.
OBJECTIVES: The present study was aimed to fabricate the capecitabine as smart pH-responsive hydrogel network to efficiently facilitate its oral delivery while shielding its stability in the gastric media.
METHODS: The smart pH sensitive HP-β-CD/agarose-g-poly(MAA) hydrogel network was developed using an aqueous free radical polymerization technique. The developed hydrogels were characterized for drug-loading efficiency, structural and compositional features, thermal stability, swelling behaviour, morphology, physical form, and release kinetics. The pH-responsive behaviour of developed hydrogels was established by conducting the swelling and release behaviour at different pH values (1.2 and 7.4), demonstrating significantly higher swelling and release at pH 7.4 as compared with pH 1.2. The capecitabine-loaded hydrogels were also screened for acute oral toxicity in animals by analysing the body weight, water and food intake, dermal toxicity, ocular toxicity, biochemical analysis, and histological examination.
RESULTS: The characteristic evaluations revealed that capecitabine (anticancer agent) was successfully loaded into the hydrogel network. Capecitabine loading was ranged from 71.22% to 90.12%. An interesting feature of hydrogel was its pH-responsive behaviour which triggers release at basic pH (94.25%). Optimum swelling (95%) was seen at pH 7.4. Based upon regression coefficient R2 (0.96 - 0.99) best fit model was zero order. The extensive toxicity evaluations evidenced good safety profile with no signs of oral, dermal or ocular toxicities, as well as no variations in blood parameters and histology of vital organs.
CONCLUSION: Our findings conclusively evinced that the developed hydrogel exhibited excellent pharmaceutical and therapeutic potential and thus can be employed as pH-responsive system for controlled delivery of anticancer agents.
Formulation and development of thymoquinone-loaded ufasome hydrogel for effective treatment of onychomycosis

Ali MS, Rehman U, Gupta G, Alsayari A, Wahab S, Goh KW, et al.

Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol, 2026 Jan;399(1):1515-1535.
PMID: 40813484 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-025-04505-0

Chronic fungal nail infections like onychomycosis are challenging to treat due to drug resistance, long treatment durations, and poor nail penetration of conventional antifungals. Here, we report the formulation and evaluation of a thymoquinone-loaded ufasome hydrogel (TQ-UFs-Gel) designed for enhanced transungual delivery. TQ-UFs were prepared by thin-film hydration of sodium oleate and cholesterol, optimized via a central composite design to yield vesicles ~ 191.50 ± 0.23 nm in size with 80.05 ± 0.34% entrapment efficiency and PDI 0.18 ± 0.32. The hydrogel was formed by incorporating TQ-UFs into 1% Carbopol 940. Physicochemical characterization included pH, spreadability, viscosity, texture profile analysis, in vitro release (Franz diffusion), ex vivo bovine hoof permeation, nail clipping drug loading, and HET-CAM irritation testing. The optimized TQ-UFs-Gel exhibited shear-thinning behavior (viscosity 987 → 387 cP), pH 5.9 ± 0.23, spreadability 8.7 ± 0.12 cm, and firmness 191.7 g. In vitro release showed a biphasic profile (39.90% in 2 h; 90.10% in 24 h), fitting the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (R2 = 0.9537). Ex vivo studies demonstrated 95.20 ± 0.8% cumulative permeation and flux 3.29 µg/cm2/h, versus 70.30 ± 0.2% and 2.97 µg/cm2/h for control gel. Nail clipping analysis confirmed increased TQ loading (1.43 µg/mg vs. 0.68 µg/mg for free TQ). Antifungal assays against Trichophyton mentagrophytes showed a significant CFU reduction for TQ-UFs compared to free drug, and HET-CAM tests indicated minimal irritation (IrS 0.41 ± 1.20). TQ-UFs-Gel demonstrated sustained release, enhanced nail permeation, and antifungal activity with low irritation potential, supporting its potential as a transungual delivery system for onychomycosis treatment.
Fulltext Malay Validation of Copenhagen Psychosocial Work Environment Questionnaire in Context of Second Generation Statistical Techniques

Isha ASN, Javaid MU, Zaib Abbasi A, Bano S, Zahid M, Memon MA, et al.

Biomed Res Int, 2020;2020:7680960.
PMID: 32090111 DOI: 10.1155/2020/7680960

Psychosocial hazards present in workplaces are being actively investigated by researchers from multiple domains. More research and resources are required to investigate the debilitating consequences of these hazards in the developing and underdeveloped countries where this issue remains one of grave concern. This study aims at investigating the psychometric properties of Malaysian version of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire for reliability and validity purpose. The Malaysian version of COPSOQ is a multidimensional questionnaire; it comprises of 7 major formative constructs and 28 variables with an additional inclusion of two variables which are organizational loyalty and physiological health biomarkers (blood pressure and body mass index) that explicate a reflective construct which has 93 items all catering to assess psychosocial determinants present in workplace environments. Each formative second-order construct is further categorized into different reflective first-order constructs. The focus of this study was only on first-order reflective constructs. Probability sampling was used for data collection from 300 respondents working in industries with a response rate of 100%; structural equation modeling technique was applied for data analysis. All psychometric analysis performed on reflective constructs gave reliable results which demonstrate the validity of Bahasa Melayu (BM-COPSOQ) and its comprehensiveness of including relevant dimensions particularly in context to Asian region. The BM-COPSOQ will fill up the knowledge gap and provide a bridge between researchers, work professionals and practitioners, and many other workplaces for the best understanding of psychosocial work environment.