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Objectives: The present study describes the generic drug regulations and registration process in three ASEAN countries Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Methods: For the current study, the information has been taken from guidelines set forth by the respective regulatory authorities of three selected ASEAN countries concerning the technical guidelines available for generic drugs. Relevant data were also collected from regulatory websites and articles from reputed journals. Results: The process of site evaluation, pre-submission, dossier screening, registration and regulatory approval of generic drugs in Indonesia and Vietnam is quite similar concerning the regulations framed by their respective drug regulatory authorities. In Malaysia, Drug Control Authority accepts only web-based online submissions. The applicant for product registration must be registered with the Malaysian Register of Business (ROB) and should become a quest member at the NPCB website. Conclusion: From our studies relevant to the regulatory perspectives, it is concluded that Malaysia had well-framed drug regulations for generic drugs compared to Indonesia and Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of hexagonal MoO 3 (h- MoO 3) microrods was favoured at lower pH in the hydrothermal synthesis method. Symmetric and Hybrid supercapacitors were fabricated using h-MoO 3 /plastic bottle derived activated carbon (PAC) composite in 1 M Na 2 SO 4 aqueous electrolyte. The operating voltage for the aqueous electrolyte was maximized to 1.6 V with this combination. The wide operating voltage led to a maximum specific capacitance of 211 Fg-1, power density of 287 W kg−1 and 79% efficiency even at 5000 charge-discharge cycles for the hybrid supercapacitor combination. The combined effect of PAC micropores along with the 1-D rod-shaped h-MoO 3 , helped in faster charge-transfer, hence increasing the efficiency of supercapacitors. Further, the composites of defective PAC (PDAC) together with the h-MoO 3 when tested for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER), provided lesser onset potential and Tafel slope values of −0.23 mV and −93 mVdec−1. There was a change in the structural environment of carbon due to the heteroatom doping and dedoping producing defects in PAC, termed as PDAC. These defects together with the hexagonal microrods of MoO 3 provided fast electron transfer towards hydrogen adsorption/desorption hence effectively producing H 2. Image 1 • Maximum operating voltage for supercapacitor study up to 1.6 V with 1 M Na 2 SO 4. • Hybrid supercapacitor with maximum power density of 287 WKg-1. • 79% efficiency retained after 5000 charge-discharge cycles for hybrid combination. • PDAC/h-MoO 3 catalyzed HER at much lower Tafel slope value −98 mVdec−1. • Faster electron transport due to PDAC defects together with hexagonal MoO 3 microrods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus is the most common disorder among endocrine disorders that are associated with hypomagnesemia. So far many studies have shown that Mg levels are lower in diabetic patients. According to CARDIA Study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in young Adults) there was an inverse relationship between Mg intake and the incidence of diabetes. Mg depletion may cause an insulin-resistant state, poor glycemic control and disordered lipid metabolism in diabetic patients. Furthermore, poor glycemic control in diabetic patients is a well-known risk factor for Mg depletion. Serum Mg depletion has been reported in diabetic patients who had advanced retinopathy and poor glycemic control. It has been shown that diabetic patients, hypomagnesemia has been associated with poor glycemic control and urine albumin excretion and complications Material And Methods This study was conducted for 1 year in the outpatient department of General Medicine, A. J. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Mangalore starting from September 2019 to August 2020. Hospital based Observational study was conducted among 117 individuals. Diabetic patients were observed and serum magnesium levels were monitored. 23 patients were observed to have hypomagnesemia and the rest 92 were found to have normal serum magnesium levels. The results were analyzed using student ‘t’ test. Results The mean age in the hypomagnesemia group was 61.92 SD + .8.76, and in those with normal magnesium levels it was 60. 79 years SD + 8.90 years. In the hypomagnesemia group 52% were females and 48% were males and in those who had normal magnesium levels, 31.52%were females and 68.48% were males. 64 % in hypomagnesemia group and 12.77%, in the normal magnesium group had complications. The mean potassium in the normal magnesium group was 4.606 mEq/dl, hypomagnesemia group was 3.096 mEq/dl. The mean sodium in the normal magnesium group was 133.48 mEq/dL and in the hypomagnesemia group was 130.03 mEq/dL. Conclusion Prevalence of hypomagnesemia in diabetics is 25%. Prevalence of hypomagnesemia is significantly higher in patients with diabetic complications. Hypomagnesemia is significantly associated with glycemic control and potassium levels. No significant association was found to exist between hypomagnesemia, age and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposed work schedules EV in both V2G and G2V modes by considering dynamic electricity pricing. • The optimization model consists of mandatory and user-preferable constraints, such as SoC limits, c-rating/charging profiles, etc. that maintain system robustness. • Uncertainty management due to dynamic electricity pricing and battery performance is addressed. • A new improved marine predator algorithm is proposed and compared with the state-of-art algorithms. • Statistical metrics, Friedman's ranking test, and runtime are utilized to assess the performance of the IMPA. This paper presents a new solution to the problem of scheduling electric vehicles over a period of time. The primary objective is to minimize the total cost of the electricity price for charging/discharging by considering the battery capacity, C-rating, and other physical constraints. The battery life is improved by minimizing the charging/discharging cycles based on the minimum allowable State-of-Charge (SoC) deviation limit. A new Improved Marine Predator Algorithm (IMPA) is proposed by employing an opposition-based learning scheme to a recent marine predator algorithm to solve the proposed charge/discharge scheduling model, and the performance is compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms. Uncertainties in the end SoC mismatch and electricity price are considered to reiterate the scheduling plan. The statistical test results show that the proposed IMPA is better among other algorithms with the rank value of 2.33 under normal conditions and 1.667 with uncertainties at different intervals. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hysterectomy is the second most common surgery performed on US women. Baseline data from a large study of African-American women were used to examine correlates of premenopausal hysterectomy. Analyses were conducted on participants aged 30–49 years; 5, 163 had had a hysterectomy and 29, 787 were still menstruating. Multiple logistic regression was used to compute prevalence odds ratios for the association of hysterectomy with various factors. Hysterectomy was associated with region of residence: Odds ratios for living in the South, Midwest, and West relative to the Northeast were 2.63 (95% confidence interval (Cl): 2.38, 2.91), 2.02 (95% Cl: 1.81, 2.25), and 1.89 (95% Cl: 1.68, 2.12), respectively. Hysterectomy was inversely associated with years of education and age at first birth: Odds ratios were 1.96 (95% Cl: 1.74, 2.21) for >12 years of education relative to >16 years and 4.33 (95% Cl: 3.60, 5.22) for first birth before age 20 relative to age 30 or older. Differences in the prevalence of major indications for hysterectomy did not explain the associations. This study indicates that the correlates of hysterectomy among African-American women are similar to those for White US women. The associations with geographic region and educational attainment suggest that there may be modifiable factors which could lead to reduced hysterectomy rates. Am J Epidemiol 1999; 150: 1309-15. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In surveys with multiple waves of follow-up, nonrespondents to the first wave are sometimes followed intensively but this does not guarantee an increase in the response rate or an appreciable change in the estimate of interest. Most prior research has focused on stopping rules for Phase I clinical trials. To our knowledge there are no standard methods to stop follow-up in observational studies. Previous research suggests optimal stopping strategies where decisions are based on achieving a given precision for minimum cost or reducing cost for a given precision. In this paper, we propose three stopping rules that are based on assessing whether successive waves of sampling provide evidence that the parameter of interest is changing. Two of the rules rely on examining patterns of observed responses while the third rule uses missing data methods to multiply impute missing responses. We also present results from a simulation study to evaluate our proposed methods. Our simulations suggest that rules that adjust for nonresponse are preferred for decisions to discontinue follow-up since they reduce bias in the estimate of interest. The rules are not complicated and may be applied in a straightforward manner. Discontinuing follow-up would save time and possibly resources, and adjusting for the nonresponse in the analysis would reduce the impact of nonresponse bias. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cohort studies often conduct periodic follow-up interviews (or waves) to determine disease incidence since the previous follow-up and to update measures of exposure and confounders. The common practice of excluding nonrespondents from standardized incidence ratio (SIR) analyses of these cohorts can bias the estimates of interest if nonrespondents and respondents differ on important characteristics related to outcomes of interest. We propose an analytic approach to reduce the impact of nonresponse in the analyses of SIRs. Methods: Logistic regression models controlling baseline information are used to estimate the propensity, or the probability of response; the reciprocals of these propensities are used as weights in the analysis of risk. This is illustrated in the analysis of 15 years of follow-up of a cohort of US radiologic technologists after an initial interview to assess the risk at several cancer sites from occupational radiation exposure. We use information from the baseline survey and certification records to compute the propensity of responding to the second survey. SIRs are computed using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer incidence rates. Variances of the SIRs are estimated by a jackknife method that accounts for additional variability resulting from estimation of the weights. Results: We find that, in this application, weighting alters point estimates and confidence limits only to a small degree, thus providing reassurance that the results are robust to nonresponse. This indicates that results from the analyses excluding the missing data may be slightly biased and weighting helps in reducing the nonresponse bias. Conclusion: This method is flexible, practical, easy to use with existing software, and is applicable to missing data from cohorts with baseline information on all subjects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Context: Recent epidemiologic studies have raised the concern that calcium channel blocker use may increase the risk of cancer overall and of several specific cancers.Objective: To assess whether calcium channel blocker use increases the risk of cancer overall and of specific cancers.Design: Case-control drug surveillance study based on data collected from 1983 to 1996.Setting: Hospitals in Baltimore, Md, New York, NY, and Philadelphia, Pa.Patients: A total of 9513 patients aged 40 to 69 years with incident cancer of various sites and 6492 controls aged 40 to 69 years admitted for nonmalignant conditions.Main Outcome Measures: Incident cancer overall and 23 specific cancers.Results: Calcium channel blocker use was unrelated to the risk of cancer overall (relative risk [RR], 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9-1.3). Use was not significantly associated with increased risks of individual cancers, including those previously implicated, except cancer of the kidney (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1 -2.7). Recent use, use for 5 or more years, and use of individual calcium channel blocker drugs were also not associated with cancer incidence. Use of beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was generally unrelated to cancer overall or individual cancers, but both were associated with kidney cancer (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.5; and RR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-3.0, respectively).Conclusions: The present study suggests that the use of calcium channel blockers is unrelated to an increase in the overall risk of cancer or of individual cancers, except kidney cancer, which has been associated with hypertension or drugs to treat hypertension in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smoking and other forms of tobacco use remain the most significant worldwide public health problem. The dental practice is being identified as potential location for smoking cessation activity. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) promotes the chances of tobacco cessation, however, evidence related to prescription of the NRT in dental settings is lacking. This study aimed to assess and compare the attitudes, practices, beliefs, and barriers in prescribing NRT for tobacco cessation among dental interns and post-graduates (PGs). Methods: For a cross-sectional survey among 232 participants from 10 dental colleges in Bangalore, India, a 21-item questionnaire was developed: 11-item based on attitudes and practices toward tobacco cessation and 10-items regarding scope and challenges in prescribing NRT. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and test of proportions. Findings: Majority of participants reported ongoing tobacco cessation activity in their college. Statistically significant difference was found between interns and PGs for items related to tobacco cessation practice (assisting, providing follow-up visit). Regarding NRT, significant differences were seen for items related to practice (assisting, assessing motivation for NRT), belief (not an appropriate activity for dentist, a valuable resource, increase in quit attempts) and barriers (bitter taste, cost, and fear of addiction) (P < 0.050). The majority of the PGs suggested cessation center followed by health care workers and pharmacists for the provision of subsidized nicotine gums. Conclusion: Favorable practices and beliefs are seen regarding the prescription of NRT among interns and PGs although differences exist. Time, cost, and taste emerged as major barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dental caries is one of the most prevalent chronic oral diseases across the globe that can be both treated and prevented. Preventive management strategies can effectively arrest and even completely reverse the caries process. This article aimed to review the literature on different approaches explored towards arresting caries progression. Materials and Methods: Literature search of publications in Pubmed/Medline was carried out. Total 73 articles including clinical trials, invitro studies, case reports and review articles were reviewed. Results: Twenty-two clinical trials and invitro studies were selected for review. Most studies suggested use of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) as simple and effective caries arresting approach. Fluoride varnish treatment effectively arrests caries by inhibiting demineralization, resulting in highly significant caries reductions. Arginine with an insoluble calcium compound enhances arresting and reversing buccal, coronal and root caries. A few clinical studies have shown that sealants placed in caries fissures can arrest the caries process. Conclusion: Various fluoride containing agents are clinically effective in arresting progression of carious lesion. However, these materials should be used appropriately understanding their scope and limitations to arrest dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been few studies of risk factors for coronary heart disease in African American women. The authors investigated factors associated with prevalent coronary heart disease in data provided by participants in the Black Women's Health Study. In 1995, 64,530 US Black women aged 21–69 years completed postal health questionnaires. The 352 women who reported having had a heart attack (cases) were frequency matched 5:1 on age with 1,760 women who had not (controls); medical record review for 35 cases indicated that two-thirds had had a heart attack and the remainder had other coronary heart disease. Odds ratios, obtained from multiple logistic regression analyses, were significantly elevated for cigarette smoking, drug-treated hypertension, drug-treated diabetes mellitus, elevated cholesterol level, and history of heart attack in a parent. High body mass index (kg/m2) was associated with coronary heart disease in the absence of control for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and elevated cholesterol but not when they were controlled, suggesting that obesity may influence risk as a result of its effects on blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and cholesterol levels. Odds ratios increased with increasing parity and with decreasing age at first birth. These data suggest that important risk factors for coronary heart disease are similar in Black women and White women. Am J Epidemiol 1999;150:904-9. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract  Somatic embryogenesis from cultures of shoot apices, cotyledon and young leaves of in vitro shoots of Agave vera-cruz Mill. was studied. Embryogenic callus was obtained when explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium (1962) supplemented with L2 vitamins, 4.52 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d) or 5.37 μM ∝-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Somatic embryos differentiated from this embryogenic callus upon subculture to maturation/conversion medium containing cytokinin either alone or with auxin and l-glutamine. The best combination of growth regulators for development of somatic embryos was found to be 5.37 μM naphthalene acetic acid plus 0.91 μM zeatin and 40 g/l sucrose. The conversion frequency of somatic embryos to plantlets varied from 46–50%. Rooted plantlets were transferred directly to pots containing a soil, sand, and manure mixture without any hardening phase with 96–98% survival of the plantlets. Based on the histological observations, the potential origin of the somatic embryo is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transtheoretical model of behavior change developed by Prochaska and Diclemente by the year 1977 is one of the more popular theories that try to explain how people modify their own behavior. It is a model of intentional change that focuses on the decision-making abilities of an individual, rather than the social and biological influences on behavior. TTM is unique when compared to other theories of change as it illustrates changes which occurred over time. The principles of TTM apply to diverse populations including different work site groups such as medical, industrial, retail and governmental, as well as age groups, places of residence such as rural and urban, medical conditions and countries. TTM has been used with Intravenous drug users to reduce the risk of spreading HIV.Despite the limitations Transtheoretical Model are provided through different ways among various populations and settings which produce favorable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on a study which tested the hypothesis that long-term use of oral contraceptives before conception may increase the risk of gestational trophoblastic tumors. Subjects and methods; Results; Discussion of results.