Melilotus officinalis (l.) pallas: ethnopharmacology, biological and phytochemical investigation

Natural products the most significant source for pharmaceutical development have been investigated and utilized to alleviate diseases since early human history. Natural compounds from both terrestrial and marine organisms have been extensively used for the treatment of many diseases either in their natural form or as a template for synthetic modification. A variety of new chemical entities from natural resources at present are undergoing clinical trials. The government sector, industries and academic institutions also play an important role in the natural drug development for human health enhancement.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Urolithiasis management and treatment: exploring historical vistas of greco-arabic contribution

The purpose of the presenting review was to share the medicinal and surgical contribution of Greco-Arabic Muslim scientists in diagnosis, surgery and natural medicines for managing and treating urolithiasis. The contribution of Al-Antaki, Al-Baghdadi, Al-Baitar, Al-Bokhari, Al-Razi, Al-Zahrawi, Ibn Sina, and Ibn Zuhr was highlighted. The data compilation was preliminary, and much more efforts are still needed to restore the missing continuity in the history of medicine.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Competency of school heads in leading people influences school performance

Investigating school performance and competencies, especially on leadership, received a considerable attention in the past. In fact, there have been multitudes of evidence that leadership can impact school performance, student achievement, or outcome. Also, there was no single measurement of school performance. This study examined the influence of leadership and core behavioral competencies on the school performance of school heads. This was to build a new model of school performance. Using an explanatory research design, it administered a survey questionnaire to 192 randomly chosen school heads from the 37 districts of Department of Education Division of Surigao del Sur. Also, it used data mining for the performance ratings of school heads from the division office. Regression analysis tested three hypothesized models of school performance where leadership and core behavior competencies serve as independent variables. Results showed that leading people was a significant predictor of school performance. Thus, leading people can best explain the school improvement as a proposed model. The results have implications for future research, leadership practice, and theoretical development of school performance model among school heads.

Manuel Caingcoy Manuel caingcoy

Experimental investigation of double delta wings with different angles of attack at subsonic speeds

The wind tunnel experimental study has been carried out on a double delta wing of different geometrical configurations such as 80°/45°, 75°/45° and 70°/45° sweep angles given as Model I, Model II and Model III with various freestream velocities from 10 to 40 m/s with a step of 10 m/s in Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai, Low Speed Wind tunnel (HITSLSWT). The experiment is conducted for the measurement of lift and drag forces using single component force balance. The investigation was done to look into the effects of changing the double delta wing's leading edge sweep angles. Three differentmodels have been tested at various angles of attack ranging from0° to +16° and 0° to −16° with 4° and four different freestream velocities based on the delta wing’s chord. It is observed that the influence of variation of leading edge sweep angles affects the performance of aerodynamic characteristics of themodel. The increase in angle in attack with increased velocity gives better aerodynamic performance. This paper provides good insight into the aerodynamic force measurement of double delta wing and the low-speed performance of the models.

Boopathy Govindarajan Boopathy govindarajan

Development and evaluation of muco-adhesive buccal films containing metronidazole for the treatment of periodontal diseases

Gingivitis, a reversible inflammation of the gums leads to an advancement to periodontitis, a more severe and often irreversible stage characterized by the destruction of connective tissue and bone, potentially leading to tooth loss. This study was designed to develop and evaluate muco-adhesive buccal films containing metronidazole for localized treatment of periodontal disease, aiming to reduce systemic side effects and improve therapeutic efficacy. Thin films were prepared using chitosan as the primary polymer, combined with various copolymers (HPMC, MC, EC, PVP, HPC, and Carbopol) via the solvent casting technique. Thirteen formulations (F1-F13) were investigated for their ability to control the in vitro drug release, surface pH, folding endurance, drug content uniformity, and muco-adhesion, in addition to studying drug release kinetics. Formulations F12 (60.0% HPMC, 20.0% chitosan) and F13 (20.0% HPMC, 60.0% chitosan) showed optimal surface pH (≈6.7-7.0) with high muco-adhesion characteristics (49-51 Mn/m). Sustaining or expediting the drug release rate was manipulated by tailoring the polymer composition within the studied formulations. Examining drug release data has shown that the release kinetics followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model, indicating diffusion and polymer relaxation mechanisms. The study demonstrates that polymer selection, in addition to the chosen ratio allows customization of release kinetics, Formulation F9 (20.0% HPC, 60.0% Chitosan) was proven to have the ability to provide the most sustained release characteristics. These findings support the potential of chitosan-based muco-adhesive films as effective localized delivery systems for metronidazole in periodontal therapy.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

Accounting for managers

Financial accounting can be viewed as the process through which businesses record, summarize, and report their business transactions over a specified time (Yu, Lin, and Tang, 2018). Financial accounting aims to keep track of all business transactions that the business has engaged in over a specified time. Financial accounting also provides a snapshot of the financial health of the business entity. Financial accounting is crucial due to various factors. First, financial accounting ensures that proper financial statements are preferred in line with accepted accounting standards (Mita et al., 2018). Secondly, financial accounting ensures that the managers make crucial financial decisions in line with the financial statements. Financial accounting is also carried out to ensure that a business complies with the set taxation laws. Financial accounting is also crucial when valuing the business for significant events like merging and sale of the business (Homburg, Theel, and Hohenberg, 2020). Financial accounting can also provide evidence in case of legal suit and also provides crucial information to external and internal users of financial information.

Zamzam Abdelazim Zamzam abdelazim

Social factors influencing mental health: insights, preventive strategies, and policy recommendations

Introduction: Mental health disparities are deeply entrenched within the fabric of societal inequalities, shaped by structural factors that perpetuate intergenerational cycles of disadvantage. Addressing these disparities is crucial for promoting social justice and improving public health outcomes. Aim: This paper aims to synthesize high-quality evidence to elucidate the causal relationships between social determinants and mental health outcomes. It prioritizes pervasive social determinants that influence major mental disorders across the life course and outlines preventive strategies to mitigate these effects. Methodology: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, focusing on publications from the Global North from 2014 to 2024, to explore the influence of social determinants on mental health. Keywords such as "social determinants," "mental health outcomes," "preventive strategies," and "vulnerable populations" guided the search across databases like PubMed and Google Scholar. Results: The review highlights significant associations between mental health and social determinants such as socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic marginalization, and exposure to adverse environments. It underscores the heightened vulnerability of marginalized groups, including refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those living in poverty. The paper introduces a preventive framework to guide primary prevention efforts and reviews both primary and secondary strategies to improve mental health equity. Conclusion: Strategic interventions aimed at the root social causes of mental health disparities can substantially enhance public mental health. This paper provides seven strategic recommendations focused on social justice, offering a roadmap for researchers, policymakers, and public health professionals to address these pressing issues.

Prof.K.C Yadav Prof.k.c yadav

Vaccine storage and distribution between expanded program on immunization and medical store department in tanzania: a cost-minimization analysis

Background In 2016, the Tanzanian government shifted the vaccine supply chain responsibilities from the Medical Store Department (MSD) to the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to reduce costs. However, cost estimates that informed the decision were based on invoice value of vaccines and related supplies, rather than a proper economic evaluation study. Therefore, this study aims to compare the actual storage and distribution costs of vaccines and related supplies between MSD to EPI. Method Micro-costing approach was used to estimate resource use at MSD and EPI for the year 2018. Data were collected through a review of documents, warehouse databases, and interviews with key staff at MSD and EPI. We included both capital and recurrent costs. Microsoft Excel® was used for analysis with input data from the UNICEF forecasting tool, WHOs vaccine volume and capacity estimation tool, diesel generator calculator, and supply chain service fee estimator version 1.02. Results The total vaccine storage and distribution costs were estimated to be USD 1,996,286 at MSD and USD 543,648 at EPI. Distribution and program management costs represented 41% (USD 819,288) and 38% (USD 762,968) of the total costs at MSD, while storage and distribution costs represented 43% (USD 234,423) and 34% (USD 184,620) of the total costs at EPI, respectively. The cost drivers at MSD were fuel and transport (21%), receiving and dispatch (19%) and, program management personnel cost (14%), while at EPI were storage space (20%), program management personnel cost (18%) and fuel and transport (15%). Conclusion The storage and distribution of vaccines in Tanzania via the EPI reduced the vaccine supply chain cost to about 27% of the program costs at MSD.

DR. OMARY SWALLEHE Dr. omary swallehe

Affluent context aware systems based on the user behavior in mobile- pervasive computing environment

A huge number of embedded devices offer their services to the end users in pervasive environments. Context-aware discovery is a rich and very dynamic system extensively applied for combining the different mobile devices, sensors, actuators and software functions. Existing knowledge-based system using the Common KADS (CKADS) system represent contextual information but algorithm are not effective in predicting the user behavior. Current Location-aware Private Service Discovery (LPSD) considers the discovery path for reducing the distributed topology and flooding operations. LPSD in pervasive environment is not effective in accurately locating the required service by searching method. To present an architecture principle for accurately predicting the user behavior in mobile-pervasive computing environment, Affluent Context Aware Systems based on the User Behavior (ACAS-UB) is proposed in this paper. ACAS-UB mechanism contains the class of mobile devices that can sense (i.e.,) search the physical pervasive environment. Affluent means effectively engaged mobile devices in ACAS-UB mechanism which uses the context information. The ACAS-UB context information contains the judgment of the similar users and also the response from the other users for improving the effectiveness in pervasive environment user behavior prediction. Master-slave concept is used in the ACAS-UB mechanism for the easy collection of response information from the different users. ACAS-UB mechanism construct the user profile initially from the context information, then performs the similarity measure and finally work is to predict the user behavior. ACAS-UB mechanism provides the hints which are necessary to explore different options, rather than just limiting the options in mobile-pervasive computing environment. ACASUB mechanism is experimented on the factors such as message overhead in pervasive environment, scalability and approximately 10 % lesser processing time.

Dr H Shaheen Dr h shaheen

Management of hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis – a review of updates from the past decade

Hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute-pancreatitis (HTG-AP) is an important etiology of acute pancreatitis (AP). The treatment includes general management of AP with bowel rest, analgesia, and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Specific treatment of HTG-AP focuses on reducing serum triglyceride (TG) levels. Various modalities have been used, including heparin infusion, insulin infusion, plasmapheresis, and double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP). However, the extent to which TG reduction translates into a clinical response remains unclear. This review highlights the emerging evidence on the management of HTG-AP. Insulin therapy and plasmapheresis remain treatment options to reduce TG. DFPP is an emerging treatment modality to reduce TG levels in patients with AP. However, to what extent this translates into a better clinical response is yet to be answered in large and prospective study designs.

Karishma Karishma

A scoping review of changes to patient-doctor communication during covid-19

Effective communication between patients and doctors is fundamental to high-quality healthcare, patient safety, and overall satisfaction. However, the onset of COVID-19 has prompted significant shifts in communication from in-room and face-to-face interactions to virtual consults. The impact of this pandemic related change on patient-doctor communication goals, processes, attributes, and environment remains unclear. We undertook a scoping review involving the systematic search of seven academic databases for relevant articles published up to and including June 2021. In total, 47 articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria. We applied the patient-doctor communication framework to guide our deductive thematic analysis of articles included, sorting results from reported studies and position papers into themes and sub-themes. The theme of communication goals highlighted sub-themes related to patient safety, convenience, affordability, and satisfaction; preparation included sub-themes on technology interventions, workforce training, and digital literacy; participant attributes included compassion for doctors and rebuilding trust among patients; and communication process included issues related to telemedicine or video conferencing, challenges with diminished patient privacy, and distractions in the patient's home setting. Finally, the environment theme included insights into doctors' workload, isolation, and anxiety and how changes requiring increases in virtual consults iteratively altered confidence in care provision and communication with patients. Results of the scoping review provide important insights for strengthening virtual patient-doctor interactions, including target areas for training and professional development during and beyond the current pandemic.

mahuapatra1@gmail.com Mahuapatra1@gmail.com

Association of covid-19 severity with vitamin d and blood group

Vitamin D is a hormone which plays a vital role in immune response regulation, including the prevention of inflammation and autoimmunity. Insufficient vitamin D may increase the risk of infection. Vitamin D deficiency is not the only factor linked to an elevated risk of COVID-19 infection. Recent studies have discovered a link between SARS-COV-2 infection risk and blood type. This study was aimed to examine the association of vitamin D and blood groups with the severity of COVID-19. A retrospective study was conducted on 224 confirmed COVID-19 patients, aged between 18 and 89 years old. Patients were divided into three groups (asymptomatic, moderate, and severe cases), and serum 25(OH)D concentration and blood group were analyzed for all the patients. Data of the severe cases were obtained from Souq Althalath Isolation Center, Tripoli, Libya, while moderate and asymptomatic cases were obtained from Abushusha Polyclinic and Aldahmani COVID Filtration Center, during 22nd February 2021 and 28th April 2021 and serum 25(OH)D concentration and blood group were statistically analyzed for all the patients. The percentages of males and females were found to be 47.3% and 52.7%, respectively. Disease severity was distributed as follows: 12.5% asymptomatic, 44.6 % moderate and 42.9% severe. Most of the severe cases had vitamin D deficiency (88.5%). Among the severely ill patients, 39.6% had blood group A and 09.4% had group O, while 22.9%, and 28.1% had blood group B and AB, respectively. In contrast, among the asymptomatic patients, only 7.1% had group A and 85.7% had group O. Overall, the difference in the distribution pattern of blood group in the three severity categories was highly significant (p < 0.001). The prevalence of Rh positivity among asymptomatic, moderate and severe cases was 78.6%, 76.0%, and 60.4%, respectively. This study concludes that insufficient vitamin D levels might influence the severity of COVID-19. COVID-19 patients with blood group A and those who are Rh-positive could be more vulnerable to developing COVID-19 severity.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

Importance of herbaria in herbal drug discovery

The conservation of traditional medicinal knowledge opens the door towards modern aspects of herbal drug discovery. It started with knowledge exchange through ethnic groups through oral tradition and then in the documented form. Herbaria conserving identified and authenticated plants for future correspondence play an important role. In presenting the review, the authors have declared different auxiliary aspects of herbaria for phytomedicinal research.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Public knowledge, attitudes and practices related to eye diseases in southern indian population

Background: This study was conducted to determine the level of the public knowledge, attitudes and practices related to common eye diseases in the southern Indian population. Methods: A cross sectional population-based survey used a semi structured questionnaire on awareness, knowledge, attitude and practices related to eye diseases. Stratified multistage cluster random sampling method was used with a sample size of 867 adults >16 years based on, estimated awareness of cataract 70%, assuming an expected rate of 85%, design effect of 1.5, margin of error 4% with 95% confidence interval with 25% from urban areas and 75% from rural areas. A pilot study was conducted to validate the questions used in the main study. SPSS (version 19) used for analysis. Results: A total of 782/867 (90.1%) subjects participated in the survey, with females 47.4%. Awareness of major eye diseases for cataract 81.5%, glaucoma 47.8%, refractive error 74.3%, squint 89.0%, diabetic retinopathy 65.0% and age-related macular degeneration 36.7% respectively. 41.8% subjects reported wearing glasses either for distance, near or for both. Of the 777 subjects only 294 people underwent an eye examination by an ophthalmologist in the last two years (37.8%). 57.5% subjects had knowledge of the nearest eye care facility within five kilometers of their residence. Electronic media were the major source of information on eye health. Conclusions: Though the awareness levels of common eye diseases were quite high, the knowledge of cataract (10.4%) was poor. There is a need to increase the level of awareness for eye diseases like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

srinivasa reddy pallerla Srinivasa reddy pallerla

Online interviews for qualitative health research in africa: a scoping review

Online interviews can be powerful tools in global health research. In this article, we review the literature on the use of and challenges associated with online interviews in health research in Africa and make recommendations for future online qualitative studies. The scoping review methodology was used. We searched on Medline and Embase in March 2022 for qualitative articles that used internet-based interviews as a data collection method. Following full-text reviews, we included nine articles. We found that online interviews were typically conducted via Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook Messaging and E-mail chats. Online interviews were used in Africa because of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the need to sample participants across multiple countries or communities. Recruitment for online interviews occurred online, interviews were characterised by inaudible sounds, the inability to use video options and the challenges of including people with low income and education. We recommend that researchers critically evaluate the feasibility of online interviews within a particular African locality before fully implementing this data collection approach. Researchers may also collaborate with community-based organisations to help recruit a more socioeconomically diverse sample because of the potential of excluding participants with limited internet access.

Emmanuel Ekpor Emmanuel ekpor

Anticarcinogenic activity of capsaicin in hot chili pepper in relation to oral submucous fibrosis

A burning sensation on eating spicy foods purportedly supports the role of capsaicin, an active component of chili peppers, in the etiology of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Although the mast cell mediators and activated P2X receptors induce a constant burning sensation through an ATP-dependent mechanism, it is the activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV-1) receptor by capsaicin that aggravates it. The molecular basis for the burning pain in OSF is thus attributable to the activation of TRPV1. There is overwhelming evidence that confirms capsaicin has more of a protective role in attenuating fibrosis and is potentially therapeutic in reversing conditions linked to collagen accumulation. The activation of TRPV-1 by capsaicin increases intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i), upregulates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Sirtuin-1 (SIRT-1), to enrich endothelium-dependent vasodilation via endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The induction of vasodilation induces antifibrotic effects by alleviating hypoxia. The antifibrotic effects of capsaicin are mediated through the upregulation of antioxidant enzymes, downregulation of inflammatory genes and suppression of new collagen fibril formation. Capsaicin also demonstrates an anticarcinogenic effect by upregulating the cytotoxic T cells and downregulating regulatory T cells through the inhibition of angiogenesis and promotion of apoptosis. Judicious administration of capsaicin with an appropriate delivery mechanism may have therapeutic benefits in reducing pain sensation, rendering antifibrotic effects, and preventing the malignant transformation of OSF. This paper provides an overview of the molecular basis of capsaicin and its therapeutic application as an antifibrotic and anticarcinogenic agent for the treatment of OSF

Mohit Sharma Mohit sharma

The silent scream of skin cells: a brief review of slow electrical signaling in the epithelium

Epithelial cells, lining the skin and internal organs, play a crucial role as protective barriers and regulators of substance transport. Traditionally, these cells were not considered to employ electrical signaling for communication. However, recent investigations have unveiled that epithelial cells generate slow electrical signals, termed the "silent scream," in response to injury, thus challenging conventional views of intercellular communication. A recent experimental investigation provided compelling evidence for this phenomenon, demonstrating the ability of these cells to transmit electrical signals over considerable distances within the epithelium. The research utilized microelectrode array chips to precisely detect subtle electrical events in keratinocytes and Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells, revealing spiking activity characterized by slow propagation speeds, distinct from the rapid action potentials of neurons. The mechanisms underlying this novel signaling are explored, focusing on the involvement of mechanosensitive ion channels, calcium signaling, and Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release. Calcium ions, well-established intracellular messengers, appear to play a central role in this biological phenomenon. Integrating this newly discovered communication mode into the existing understanding of skin cell biology reveals a more intricate picture of how skin senses and responds to its environment. The implications of this finding extend to various facets of skin physiology and pathology, including wound healing, inflammation, and skin aging. In wound healing, where endogenous electric fields guide cell migration and promote repair, this unique type of electrical signaling potentially plays a crucial part. Furthermore, aberrant electrical signaling might contribute to chronic inflammatory conditions, and age-related changes in this signaling could underlie the functional decline observed in aged skin. The potential for other environmental stressors to trigger the epithelial-generated electric signals also warrants investigation. The exploration concludes by discussing potential technological applications, such as bioelectric sensors and enhanced wound healing therapies, and future research directions aimed at further elucidating the molecular mechanisms and functional roles of this non-excitable cell electrophysiology.

Mostafa Eissa Mostafa eissa

Antiemetic activity of tithonia diversifolia (hemsl.) a. gray leaves in copper sulfate induced chick emesis model

The current study was designed to explore the antiemetic effect of the methanolic extract of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray., leaves using chick emesis model to validate their folk use in G.I. disorders. Emesis was induced by the oral administration of copper sulfate 50mg/kg body weight to male chicks of four days of age. The antiemetic activity was determined by calculating the mean decrease in the number of retching compared to the control. Tithonia diversifolia leaves extract (150 mg/kg orally) showed a significant (p <0.05) antiemetic effect and was compared with the reference drug chlorpromazine.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Analysis of poverty and poverty alleviation measures and information technology: the case of jordan

This study reviews indicators of poverty and the government policies and strategies to reduce and alleviate poverty in Jordan and investigate the effects of information technologies (ITC) on the poverty in Jordan, Population growth rate, GDP at current prices, consumer price index, and human development index in addition to percentage of population use internet, percentage of export and import of ITC of the total trade are used as dependent variables. Data from different resource is collected from 1999 in which the internet started in Jordan till 2018 on the abovementioned variables. The results show that there are negative impacts of the percentage of population using internet on the poverty rate while there are positive effects of human development index and consumer price index on poverty

Iaeme

Postpartum depression and associated risk factors in libya

Postpartum depression is a major maternal health problem after childbirth. It can start at any time within the first year after delivery and continue for several years. It is characterized by an inability to experience pleasure, anxiety symptoms, panic attacks, spontaneous crying and depressed mood. Some women with postpartum depression even have thoughts of harming their child and self-harm. The aim of this study is to find out the status of postpartum depression and the associated factors among postnatal mothers at first-, fourth- and sixth-month. This study is a prospective descriptive study, carried out in three major health facilities in Misurata. This study consists of three-part questionnaire. Part 1 covers demographic characteristics of the participants, while part 2 explores the associated risk factors according to the variables used. Part 3 constitutes for the psychological evaluation of the participants. Hundred mothers (age are between 15 and 43 years) were enrolled in this study. The findings revealed that prevalence of depression is 60% and 22% are suffering from borderline depression. Development of depression was strongly correlated with the sleeping disturbances, state of the neonate after birth, excess consumption of stimulants, less weight acceptance by mothers during pregnancy and infant illness. There was a weak relation between depression and delivery state, maternal admission to hospital during current pregnancy, and infant gender dissatisfaction. No correlation was found with development of depression regarding miscarriage, maternal medical problems after delivery, previous child sex, maternal age, education, parity or neonate weight. Thus, this study shows that a chance of having miscarriage and unhealthy neonate increases with advanced maternal age. It also shows that caesarean section is associated with bad neonatal outcomes, more weight gain and having gestational diabetes or preeclampsia during pregnancy. Maternal sleeping problems are more pronounced in the first month, attributing for the baby care, compared with fourth and sixth months. The study indicates that depression is a common state of psychiatric disorders among Libyan women and should have an appropriate attention by physicians and gynecologists.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

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