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Social exchange theory and notions of reciprocity have long been assumed to explain the relationship between psychological contract breach and important employee outcomes. To date, however, there has been no explicit testing of these assumptions. This research, therefore, explores the mediating role of negative, generalized, and balanced reciprocity, in the relationships between psychological contract breach and employees’ affective organizational commitment and turnover intentions. A survey of 247 Pakistani employees of a large public university was analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques, and provided excellent support for our model. As predicted, psychological contract breach was positively related to negative reciprocity norms and negatively related to generalized and balanced reciprocity norms. Negative and generalized (but not balanced) reciprocity were negatively and positively (respectively) related to employees’ affective organizational commitment and fully mediated the relationship between psychological contract breach and affective organizational commitment. Moreover, affective organizational commitment fully mediated the relationship between generalized and negative reciprocity and employees’ turnover intentions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Organizational experiences can affect employees’ public service motivation (PSM) in a myriad of ways. Drawing on the institutional perspective of PSM theory, we argue that an individual’s PSM gets affected due to feelings of personal fit with the job requirements and indirect effects of perceived fit on job satisfaction is mediated through PSM. We expect that the direct effect of job fit on job satisfaction is contingent on the experience of work pressure, such that the effect would be stronger in low pressure conditions. Similarly, the indirect effect of personal job fit on job satisfaction is also contingent on the experience of work pressures. In conditions of high workload, the strength of the effect of job fit on job satisfaction through PSM may be weaker as compared with low work pressure conditions. Analysis of a survey of 213 respondents supports our hypotheses. Implications of these findings and future research directions are also discussed.

This paper facilitates the development and the implementation of an “Intersection Cross Traffic Warning System” (ICTWS) model for avoiding vehicle collision and prevents accidents at blind traffic intersection points. The developed system here uses a wireless communication system to warn collisions and alert the user of their respective vehicle while taking turns. The system uses Ultrasonic range finder sensors which detects the distance of the vehicles from the turning point and if the vehicle moves beyond the predefined limit then the system alerts it through indicator lights on the other side.

Association Introduction and hypothesis: We evaluated the effects of pulsed magnetic stimulation (PMS) on overall and different aspects of quality of life (QoL) in female patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods: This study involved 120 female SUI subjects aged ≥21 years old randomized to either active or sham PMS. Treatment involved two PMS sessions per week for 2 months (16 sessions). After 2 months, subjects could opt for 16 additional sessions regardless of initial randomization. The primary response criterion was a 7-point reduction in the total score of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life (ICIQ-LUTSqol) questionnaire. Follow-ups were conducted at months 1, 2, 5, 8, and 14. Results: At 2 months, 35 out of 60 (58%) subjects in the active arm and 21 out of 60 (21%) in the sham arm were treatment responders (≥7-point reduction) (p = 0.006). There was a significant difference in changes in the mean ± SE ICIQ-LUTSqol total score between the active and sham arms (M diff = −8.74 ± 1.25 vs −4.10 ± 1.08, p = 0.006). At 1-year post-treatment, regardless of number of PMS sessions (16 or 32 sessions), subjects who received active PMS (63 out of 94, 67%) were more likely to be treatment responders compared with subjects who did not receive any active PMS (3 out of 12, 25%; p < 0.001). The impact of PMS treatment was the greatest on the “physical activities” domain. Conclusions: PMS resulted in significant short- and long-term improvements in overall and various physical, social, and psychological aspects of QoL. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Eurycoma longifolia Jack is popularly sought in Southeast Asian countries for traditional remedies to improve sexual performance and fertility. 13α(21)-Epoxyeurycomanone and eurycomanone, two major quassinoids in a root extract (TAF2) were reported to improve rat spermatogenesis and fertility. Unfortunately, these quassinoids possess low bioavailability because of high aqueous solubility and low lipid membrane permeability. Often, other possible barriers may be P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux in the gut and presystemic hepatic metabolism. The present study attempted to solve these problems by formulating a lipid-based solid dispersion (TAF2-SD) of optimized mixture of TAF2 and emulsifiers, which was then orally administered to rats prior to sperm count analysis. The TAF2-SD-treated rats showed significantly twofold (p 0.001) and fourfold (p 0.001) higher sperm count than did TAF2-treated and vehicle-treated (control) rats, respectively. The study also demonstrated no significant in vitro ileal absorption changes of the quassinoids by P-gp efflux inhibitors and concentration change or secondary metabolite formation upon in vitro incubation with rat liver homogenates, suggesting that P-gp-mediated efflux and presystemic metabolism were not limiting their bioavailability. Further study on orally TAF2-treated rats confirmed that the area under the curve and bioavailability curve of each quassinoid in the absence and presence of ketoconazole were unchanged. Copyright © 2017 John WileySons, Ltd.

Purpose : To explore the anti-diabetic effects of Moringa oleifera extracts and fractions, and to identify their active/marker compounds. Methods : Five different aqueous ethanol extracts (95, 75, 50, 25 %v/v and 100 % water) of Moringa oleifera were given orally to normal rats to assess their hypoglycemic activities and effect on intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) data. Rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were used to assess acute and sub-chronic anti-hyperglycemic activities. The most active extract was further subjected to liquid-liquid fractionation into hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water; these fractions were screened for anti-diabetic activities. The most active extract, and fractions thereof, were then subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis. Standardization was achieved via thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and used to identify marker compounds. Results: Of all the extracts and fractions, 95 % (v/v) ethanol extract (at 1,000 mg/kg) and the butanol fraction thereof (at 500 mg/kg) were the most active, reducing blood glucose concentration after onetime (acute) administration to diabetic rats (p < 0.01). No significant hypoglycemic activity was apparent, and the materials had no effect on IPGTT performance by normal rats. TLC and HPLC identified quercetin 3-β-D-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, and cryptochlorogenic acid. Conclusion : An M. oleifera leaf extract exhibited anti-hyperglycaemic activity in diabetic rats only. This effect was likely attributable to cryptochlorogenic acid, quercetin 3-β-D-glucoside, and kaempferol 3-Oglucoside. Keywords : Anti-diabetic, Moringa oleifera , Cryptochlorogenic acid, Quercetin 3-β-D-glucoside, Kaempferol 3-O-glucoside, Streptozotocin

This paper implements & develops a wheel chair control for the physically challenged by employing head gesture recognition using MEMS technology. Tremendous advances have been made in the field of wheelchair technology; however, even these significant advances haven't been effective in helping unassisted quadriplegics to navigate the wheelchair. Here, a simple cost effective wheelchair is developed which can be controlled by simple head gestures for directions like left, right, front, and back. An accelerometer MEMS sensor is used to control the wheelchair through head gestures made by the impaired person and moves accordingly. This paper also presents the experimental results on the movement responses of the developed wheel chair with patients of varying weight.

Purpose: Despite significant differences in success rates between surgical and nonsurgical treatments for female stress urinary incontinence, a few cross-sectional surveys showed that most patients still prefer the latter. We evaluated the efficacy of the under studied nonsurgical treatment using pulsed magnetic stimulation for female stress urinary incontinence. Materials and Methods: This randomized, double-blind, sham controlled study was performed in 120 female subjects at least 21 years old with stress urinary incontinence. Treatment involved pulsed magnetic stimulation for 2 sessions per week for 2 months (16 sessions). After 2 months, subjects could opt for 16 additional sessions regardless of initial randomization. The primary response criterion was a 5-point reduction in the ICIQ-UI SF (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence-Short Form) score. Key secondary response criteria included objective and subjective cure, supplemented by other secondary criteria. Followups were performed at months 1, 2, 5, 8 and 14. Results At 2 months 45 of 60 subjects (75%) in the active arm vs 13 of 60 (21.7%) in the sham arm were treatment responders (p

We examine the effect of red tape on resigned satisfaction, Public Service Motivation (PSM), and negative employee attitudes and behaviors. Based on responses of 217 public servants, this study demonstrates the role of resigned satisfaction as a mediating mechanism for transferring the effect of red tape on negative employee outcomes. PSM was hypothesized as an individual difference variable that can either mitigate or exacerbate the indirect effect of red tape on employee attitudes and behaviors. Our study is among the first few that demonstrate the dark side of PSM. We found that PSM exacerbates the adverse effects of red tape on negative employee attitudes and behaviors and that these effects are transmitted through the mechanism of resigned satisfaction. These findings are at odds with the dominant conception that employees having higher levels of PSM tend to pursue their motivations of public service despite excessive formalization and procedural constraints.

Artemisinin, a poorly water-soluble antimalarial drug, presents a low and erratic bioavailability upon oral administration. The aim of this work was to study an agglomerated powder dosage form for oral administration of artemisinin based on the artemisinin/β-cyclodextrin primary microparticles. These primary microparticles were prepared by spray-drying a water-methanol solution of artemisinin/β-cyclodextrin. β-Cyclodextrin in spray-dried microparticles increased artemisinin water apparent solubility approximately sixfold. The thermal analysis evidenced a reduction in the enthalpy value associated with drug melting, due to the decrease in drug crystallinity. The latter was also evidenced by powder X-ray diffraction analysis, while 13C-NMR analysis indicated the partial complexation with β-cyclodextrin. Agglomerates obtained by sieve vibration of spray-dried artemisinin/β-cyclodextrin primary microparticles exhibited free flowing and close packing properties compared with the non-flowing microparticulate powder. The in vitro dissolution rate determination of artemisinin from the agglomerates showed that in 10 min about 70% of drug was released from the agglomerates, whereas less than 10% of artemisinin was dissolved from raw material powder. Oral administration of agglomerates in rats yielded higher artemisinin plasma levels compared to those of pure drug. In the case of the agglomerated powder, a 3.2-fold increase in drug fraction absorbed was obtained. © 2013 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists.

Summary The authors examined how perceived event-specific procedural and distributive justice about own and envied others’ outcomes interacts with episodic envy to predict counterproductive work behaviors. Our results were consistent with the attribution model of justice, finding that episodic envy significantly predicted counterproductive work behaviors aimed at envied others in the workplace and that this relationship was more pronounced when perceptions of procedural, but not distributive, justice about own or envied others’ outcomes were high rather than low. We tested a moderated-mediation model in which self-attributions for the outcome mediated the effect of episodic envy on counterproductive work behaviors and that the effect of envy was stronger when perceptions of own or others’ procedural justice were high rather than low. This research contributes to the literature on envy processes in the workplace and is the first to use a specific emotion, envy, as a proxy for a negative outcome in a demonstration of the attribution model of justice. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Objectives To examine the prevalence, characteristics, and impact of sexual dysfunction in our primary care referral population. Methods Participants seeking treatment for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) were recruited from general urology clinics. The subjects completed the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index, International Index of Erectile Function-5, and selected questions from the University of Washington Symptom Score. Additional information on demographics and medical and treatment history were also obtained. Sexual dysfunction was defined as self-reported erectile dysfunction (ED) or ejaculatory difficulty, or both. Results Of 296 participants with CP/CPPS, 214 (72.3%) reported sexual dysfunction. The National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index total score averaged 22.5 ± 6.9 for participants with sexual dysfunction compared with 20.4 ± 7.8 for participants who did not report sexual dysfunction (P = 0.03). Of the 214 participants with sexual dysfunction, 54 (25.0%) complained of ED only, 71 (33.4%) complained of ejaculatory difficulties only, and 89 (41.6%) complained of both ED and ejaculatory difficulties. Men reporting both ED and ejaculatory difficulty reported worse CP/CPPS symptoms (analysis of variance, P = 0.042) and worse quality of life (analysis of variance, P = 0.006) than men without sexual dysfunction. Conclusions Sexual dysfunction was reported by almost three quarters of patients with CP/CPPS. Patients with CP/CPPS and sexual dysfunction experienced substantially worse symptoms, particularly worse quality of life, than other patients with CP/CPPS. Sexual dysfunction merits consideration as an important aspect of CP/CPPS and a potential outcome measure.

Ibrahim M Abdulbaqi, Yusrida Darwis, Nurzalina Abdul Karim Khan, Reem Abou Assi, Arshad A Khan School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia Abstract: Ethosomal systems are novel lipid vesicular carriers containing a relatively high percentage of ethanol. These nanocarriers are especially designed for the efficient delivery of therapeutic agents with different physicochemical properties into deep skin layers and across the skin. Ethosomes have undergone extensive research since they were invented in 1996; new compounds were added to their initial formula, which led to the production of new types of ethosomal systems. Different preparation techniques are used in the preparation of these novel carriers. For ease of application and stability, ethosomal dispersions are incorporated into gels, patches, and creams. Highly diverse in vivo models are used to evaluate their efficacy in dermal/ transdermal delivery, in addition to clinical trials. This article provides a detailed review of the ethosomal systems and categorizes them on the basis of their constituents to classical ethosomes, binary ethosomes, and transethosomes. The differences among these systems are discussed from several perspectives, including the formulation, size, ζ-potential (zeta potential), entrapment efficiency, skin-permeation properties, and stability. This paper gives a detailed review on the effects of ethosomal system constituents, preparation methods, and their significant roles in determining the final properties of these nanocarriers. Furthermore, the novel pharmaceutical dosage forms of ethosomal gels, patches, and creams are highlighted. The article also provides detailed information regarding the in vivo studies and clinical trials conducted for the evaluation of these vesicular systems. Keywords: ethosomes, transdermal, lipid-based vesicles, delivery systems

This study proposes a design of a ternary logic inverter using graphene barristor (GB). To design a multiplevalued logic gate, controlling threshold voltages of the unit device should be easy. We determined that the doping concentration of the graphene can easily control the operation voltage of the GB. To realize an ideal ternary logic gate, the concept of a single pole triple throw switch is proposed and designed using the GB. The designed ratioless GB ternary inverter was simulated using SPICE and Mathematica. Voltage transfer characteristics of the proposed ternary invertershowed sharp ternary characteristics and its static power consumption was nearly zero.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The 5th International Consultation on Incontinence recommends that research in female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) should assess treatment impact on sexual function. Recent published studies have highlighted the interdependence between male and female sexual function. We evaluated the effect of the under-studied non-surgical treatment pulsed magnetic stimulation (PMS) on sexual function in female subjects with SUI and their partners. METHODS: Couples with female SUI partners, at least 21 years old and sexually active were recruited. SUI subjects received 16 or 32 PMS sessions (twice a week) depending on treatment response. Treatment responders were defined as a 5-point reduction in the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence-Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) (range 0 to 21). Prior to and at 6months post-treatment, the female subjects completed the ICIQ-UI SF, while both partners completed two key parameters; i) Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) questionnaire (range 0 to 96) and ii) single-item question on overall sexual experience, ‘Over the past 4 weeks, how satisfied have you been with your overall sexual life?’. The GRISS questionnaire is a highly recommended questionnaire by the 5th International Consultation on Incontinence with comparable male and female subscales to assess sexual function in couples, and has been translated and validated by our research team in the Malaysian population. RESULTS: 53 of 66 couples (80.3%) completed reassessments at 6-months post-treatment. Mean reduction (Mdiff) standard error (SE) in the ICIQ-UI SF score was -6.55 0.46 (p

There is currently no published information on the validity and reliability of the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction in the Asian population, specifically in patients with stress urinary incontinence, which limits its use in this region. Our study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of this questionnaire in the Malaysian population. Ten couples were recruited for the pilot testing. The agreement between the English and Chinese or Malay versions were tested using the intraclass correlation coefficients, with results of more than 0.80 for all subscales and overall scores indicating good agreement. Sixty-six couples were included in the subsequent phase. The following data are presented in the order of English, Chinese, and Malay. Cronbach's alphas for the male total score were 0.82, 0.88, and 0.95. For the female total score, Cronbach's alphas were 0.76, 0.78, and 0.88. Intraclass correlation coefficients for the male total score were 0.93, 0.94, and 0.99, while intraclass correlation coefficients for the female total score were 0.89, 0.86, and 0.88. In conclusion, the English, Chinese, and Malay versions each proved to be valid and reliable in our Malaysian population. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Purpose. Studies of the effects of stress urinary incontinence on the sexual function of couples are scarce. We prospectively evaluated couple sexual function and the relationship between sexual function and quality of life. We also compared quality of life in females with vs without stress urinary incontinence. Materials and Methods. Sexually active females at least 21 years old with or without stress urinary incontinence and their partners were recruited for study. To assess sexual function the couples completed GRISS (Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction) and a 1-item question on overall sexual experience, “Over the past 4 weeks, how satisfied have you been with your overall sexual life?” Additionally, females completed ICIQ-LUTSqol (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life) to assess quality of life. Results. For sexual function assessment 66 of 134 couples with (49.3%) and 95 of 176 without (54.0%) stress urinary incontinence were recruited. Females with stress urinary incontinence had lower overall sexual function, lower frequency of sexual intercourse, less satisfaction (each p

Ethnopharmacological relevance Swietenia macrophylla or commonly known as big leaf mahogany, has been traditionally used as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. Aim of the study The unwanted problem of antibiotic resistance in many bacterial species advocates the need for the discovery of the new anti-infective drugs. Here, we investigated the anti-infective properties of Swietenia macrophylla with an assay involving lethal infection of Caenorhabditis elegans with the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Materials and methods Using a slow killing assay, Caenorhabditis elegans was challenged with an infective strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14). The ability of Swietenia macrophylla seed ethyl acetate extract to promote the survival of infected worms was assessed by comparing the percentage of survival between extract treated and non-treated worm populations. The effect of Swietenia macrophylla towards PA14 growth, Caenorhabditis elegans feeding rate and degree of PA14 colonization in the worm gut was also evaluated. Lastly, using a fluorescent transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans strain and real time PCR, the effect of Swietenia macrophylla on the expression of lys-7, an immune response gene was also investigated. Results Our results demonstrate the ability of Swietenia macrophylla seed ethyl acetate extract in rescuing Caenorhabditis elegans from fatal PA14 infection. Consequently, we showed that the extract promotes the survival without exhibiting any bactericidal effect or perturbation of Caenorhabditis elegans feeding rate. We also showed that Swietenia macrophylla was able to restore the initially repressed lys-7 level in PA14 infected Caenorhabditis elegans. Conclusion Swietenia macrophylla extract is able to enhance the ability of Caenorhabditis elegans to survive PA14 infection without directly killing the pathogen. We further showed that the extract boosted the expression of a gene pivotal for innate immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Collectively, these findings strongly suggest the presence of compounds within Swietenia macrophylla seed that either reduces Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and/or enhance host resistance.

Summary A new sensitive and specific isocratic RP-HPLC-UV method was developed and validated for the determination of ondansetron in rabbit plasma using risperidone as an internal standard (IS). The sample preparation involved a simple deprotenization procedure with a mixture of 1 mL of acetonitrile and 50 μL of 10% w/υ zinc sulfate. Analysis was performed on a Phenomenex CN column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with 50 mM ammonium acetate (pH 3.5) and acetonitrile (35:65, υ/υ) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1. Column eluent was monitored at 310 nm. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 25–1000 ng mL−1 (r2 = 0.9999) with a limit of quantification (LOQ) 25 ng mL−1. The intraday and interday precision and accuracy were between 0.93% and 3.41% and −3.63% and 1.01%, respectively. The mean recoveries of ondansetron and risperidone were 85.87% and 99.80%, respectively. Ondansetroncontaining plasma samples were stable at −20°C for 14 days. The validated method was successfully a...

Background Acupuncture is an attractive treatment option for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) that has proved refractory to conventional medical treatments. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine the benefit of acupuncture because few studies have employed controls or had physiological outcome measures. Objective To determine the feasibility of a sham, or minimally invasive, acupuncture as a control for studies evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for chronic pelvic pain. Methods Participants were recruited from a double-blind randomised trial comparing acupuncture with a sham procedure for patients with CP/CPPS. Acupuncture or sham procedures were performed over a 10-week period. Sham acupuncture involved placement of short needles at sites 0.5 cm away from true acupuncture points (CV1, CV4, SP6 and SP9). Participants were asked to determine their procedure allocation at the end of treatment. A total of 35participants also agreed to have blood analyses for cortisol, β-endorphin and leucine-enkephalin. Results Thirty-five (78%) of the 45 participants randomised to the sham treatment thought they had received acupuncture compared with 27 (61%) of the 44 participants randomised to acupuncture (p=0.11). Biochemical data showed no differences between the groups immediately after treatment. Thirty-two (73%) of 44 acupuncture participants met the predefined clinical response criterion compared with 21 (47%) of 45 sham acupuncture participants (p=0.017, relative risk 1.81, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.1). At the end of the study, β-endorphin and leucine-enkephalin levels were both higher in the acupuncture group (pConclusions Minimally penetrating acupuncture was found to be a valid sham control and may prove useful for evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture for other conditions. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00260637)

The aims of the present research were to mask the intensely bitter taste of sumatriptan succinate and to formulate orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) of the taste masked drug. Taste masking was performed by coating sumatriptan succinate with Eudragit EPO using spray drying technique. The resultant microspheres were evaluated for thermal analysis, yield, particle size, entrapment efficiency and in vitro taste masking. The tablets were formulated by mixing the taste masked microspheres with different types and concentrations of superdisintegrants and compressed using direct compression method followed by sublimation technique. The prepared tablets were evaluated for weight variation, thickness, hardness, friability, drug content, water content, in vitro disintegration time and in vitro drug release. All the tablet formulations disintegrated in vitro within 37-410 s. The optimized formulation containing 5% Kollidon CL-SF released more than 90% of the drug within 15 min and the release was comparable to that of commercial product (Suminat®). In human volunteers, the optimized formulation was found to have a pleasant taste and mouth feel and disintegrated in the oral cavity within 41 s. The optimized formulation was found to be stable and bioequivalent with Suminat®.

Utilizing the reasoning of Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Stress and Coping and Approach-Avoidance framework the current study examines how and when Fear of negative evaluation (FNE) acts as a unique protective mechanism between supervisor undermining (SU) and deviant work behaviors (Organizational citizenship behaviors and negative gossips). Specifically, we hypothesized that employees who face supervisor undermining might depict decreased OCBs and engage in increased negative gossiping about the supervisors. Further we hypothesized that fear of negative evaluation (FNE) acts as an explanatory process through which supervisor undermining translates into higher OCBs and negative gossips. We also hypothesized that the supervisor undermining and fear of negative evaluation relationship will be strengthened for the individuals high on rejection sensitivity. Using moderated mediation process technique, adopting a three-wave design; and two source time lagged data collected from 206 dyads in the service sector ...

Management of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy remains challenging. Most therapies provide symptomatic relief with varying degrees of efficacy. Tocotrienols have modulatory effects on the neuropathy pathway and may reduce neuropathic symptoms with their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.To evaluate the efficacy of oral mixed tocotrienols for patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.The Vitamin E in Neuroprotection Study (VENUS) was a parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that recruited participants from January 30, 2011, to December 7, 2014, with 12 months of follow-up. This trial screened 14 289 patients with diabetes from 6 health clinics and ambulatory care units from 5 public hospitals in Malaysia. A total of 391 patients who reported neuropathic symptoms were further assessed with Total Symptom Score (TSS) and Neuropathy Impairment Score (NIS). Patients 20 years or older with a TSS of 3 or higher and an NIS of 2 or higher were recruited.Patients were randomized to receive 200 mg of mixed tocotrienols twice daily or matching placebo for 12 months. Patients with hyperhomocysteinemia (homocysteine level ≥2.03 mg/L) received oral folic acid, 5 mg once daily, and methylcobalamin, 500 μg thrice daily, in both groups.The primary outcome was patient-reported neuropathy TSS (lancinating pain, burning pain, paresthesia, and asleep numbness) changes at 12 months. The secondary outcomes were NIS and sensory nerve conduction test result.Of 391 eligible patients, 300 were recruited (130 [43.3%] male; mean [SD] age, 57.6 [8.9] years; mean [SD] duration of diabetes, 11.4 [7.8] years) and 229 (76.3%) completed the trial. The TSS changes between the tocotrienols and placebo groups at 12 months (-0.30; 95% CI, -1.16 to 0.56; P = .49) were similar. No significant differences in NIS (0.60; 95% CI, -1.37 to 2.65; P = .53) and sensory nerve conduction test assessments were found between both groups. In post hoc subgroup analyses, tocotrienols reduced lancinating pain among patients with hemoglobin A1C levels greater than 8% (P = .03) and normohomocysteinemia (homocysteine level2.03 mg/L; P = .008) at 1 year. Serious adverse events in both groups were similar, except more infections were observed in the tocotrienols group (6.7% vs 0.7%, P = .04). Results reported were of modified intention-to-treat analyses.Supplementation of oral mixed tocotrienols, 400 mg/d for 1 year, did not improve overall neuropathic symptoms. The preliminary observations on lancinating pain among subsets of patients require further exploration.National Medical Research Registry Identifier: NMRR-10-948-7327 and clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01973400.

A new, simple, rapid, sensitive and specific isocratic RP–LC–UV method was developed and validated for the determination of ondansetron in pharmaceutical dosage forms of orally disintegrating tablets, oral solution and injection. The LC separation was achieved on a Hypersil C4 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using a mobile phase of 50 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate anhydrous adjusted to pH 3.5 with orthophosphoric acid and acetonitrile (30:70, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1 and UV detection at 310 nm. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of quantification, limit of detection, robustness and solution stability. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 100–1,000 ng mL−1 (r 2 = 0.9996) with limit of detection and limit of quantification 50 and 100 ng mL−1, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy were between 0.79 and 2.37% and −0.64 and 1.65%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for analysis of ondansetron in the presence of excipients in commercially available pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Background: Little is known about how primary care physicians (PCPs) in Asia diagnose and manage prostatitis-like symptoms. This study investigated the clinical diagnosis of and care provided for prostatitis-like symptoms by PCPs in a Malaysian population, and compared these findings to reports from other areas. Methods: All members of the Penang Private Medical Practitioners’ Society were asked to complete a self-administered survey. Nonresponders were contacted after 3 weeks and received a telephone request after 6 weeks. Results: Of the 786 practitioners contacted, 669 considered themselves to be PCPs, including 279 (42%) who responded to the survey. Adult males with prostatitis-like symptoms typically constitute Conclusions: Despite the 8.7% prevalence found in a previous survey in this population, prostatitis remains underdiagnosed in Malaysia. In contrast to many other clinical settings, urologists in Malaysia see a large proportion of newly diagnosed and treatment-naïve prostatitis patients, providing an opportunity for clinical diagnostic and treatment studies.

Background There is currently a lack of randomized, sham-controlled trials that are adequately powered, using validated outcomes, to allow for firm recommendations on the use of magnetic stimulation for stress urinary incontinence. We report a protocol of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled parallel-group trial to evaluate the efficacy of magnetic stimulation for stress urinary incontinence. Methods/Design One hundred twenty subjects with stress urinary incontinence will be randomized in a 1:1 allocation to either active or sham magnetic stimulation using computer-generated, permuted blocks of variable sizes. Subjects will receive 2 sessions of magnetic stimulation per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total). The primary outcome is the improvement in severity of involuntary urine loss based on the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Short Form at the end of treatment sessions compared with baseline. Secondary outcomes include cure, stress urinary incontinence–related symptoms (incontinence episode frequency, urine loss in 1-hour pad test, pelvic floor muscle strength) and health-related quality of life (Patient Global Impression of Improvement, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life and EQ-5D). The safety of magnetic stimulation will also be assessed. Besides evaluation of clinical treatment effectiveness, cost-effectiveness analysis using patient-reported outcomes will be performed. Discussion This trial is designed to provide pending outcome information on this non-invasive treatment option. We intend to acknowledge the existing flaws in previous clinical trials and determine conclusively whether magnetic stimulation is effective for stress urinary incontinence. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01924728. Date of Registration: 14 August 2013. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0803-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Drawing on dual process model, the authors examined how and when supervisors’ Mach lead to abusive supervision. We tested our theoretical model using three source data. Our results suggest that supervisors’ Mach is positively associated with supervisors’ perceptions of competitive world views which in turn are associated with abusive supervision. We also tested a moderated mediation model, our results support the prediction that the mediated effect of supervisors’ Mach on subordinate’s perceptions of abusive supervision through competitive world views is stronger when subordinate performance is low. This research contributes to the literature on Machiavellianism and abusive supervision.

Studies in public administration hypothesize the direct effect of public service motivation (PSM) on employee attitudes and behavior. We examine the relationship between public employees’ perceptio...

Objective: To develop and validate a stability-indicating reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for the determination of colchicine in bulk and ethosomal gel nano-formulation.Methods: The chromatographic conditions were optimized using stainless steel Hypersil Gold C-18 analytical column with the dimensions of 250 mm x 4.6 mm ID x 5 µm. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and ammonium acetate buffer (20 mmol/l, pH=4.85) in the ratio of 32:68 v/v. The flow rate was set at 1 ml/min and the detection wavelength was 353 nm. The column was maintained at 30 °C and the injection volume was 10 µl. The stability of colchicine in different conditions was investigated by exposing the drug to stress degradation using acid, base, oxidation, heat and light.Results: There was no interference from excipients, impurities, dissolution media or degradation products at the retention time of colchicine 5.9 min indicating the specificity of the method. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 8.64 ng/ml and 26.17 ng/ml respectively. The drug showed good stability under heat, acid, oxidation and light, but substantial degradation was observed under alkali condition. The procedure was validated for specificity, linearity, accuracy and precision.Conclusion: A simple, rapid, specific and stability-indicating HPLC–UV method for the determination of colchicine in the pure and ethosomal gel was successfully developed. The developed method was statistically confirmed to be accurate, precise, and reproducible.

Background and Purpose— Previous cell-based and animal studies showed mixed tocotrienols are neuroprotective, but the effect is yet to be proven in humans. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the protective activity of mixed tocotrienols in humans with white matter lesions (WMLs). WMLs are regarded as manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease, reflecting varying degrees of neurodegeneration and tissue damage with potential as a surrogate end point in clinical trials. Methods— A total of 121 volunteers aged ≥35 years with cardiovascular risk factors and MRI-confirmed WMLs were randomized to receive 200 mg mixed tocotrienols or placebo twice a day for 2 years. The WML volumes were measured from MRI images taken at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years using a validated software and were compared. Fasting blood samples were collected for full blood chemistry investigation. Results— According to per-protocol (88 volunteers) and intention-to-treat (121 volunteers) analyses, the mean WML volume of the placebo group increased after 2 years, whereas that of the tocotrienol-supplemented group remained essentially unchanged. The mean WML volume change between the 2 groups was not significantly different ( P =0.150) at the end of 1 year but was significant at the end of 2 years for both per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses ( P =0.019 and P =0.018). No significant difference was observed in the blood chemistry parameters between the 2 groups. Conclusions— Mixed tocotrienols were found to attenuate the progression of WMLs. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT00753532.

Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the commonest liver disorders. Obesity, insulin resistance, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress have been identified amongst the possible hits leading to the onset and progression of this disease. Nutritional evaluation of NAFLD patients showed a lower-than-recommended intake of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a family of 8 isoforms, 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. Alpha-tocopherol has been widely investigated in liver diseases, whereas no previous clinical trial has investigated tocotrienols for NAFLD. Aim of the study was to determine the effects of mixed tocotrienols, in normalising the hepatic echogenic response in hypercholesterolaemic patients with ultrasound-proven NAFLD. Methods Eighty-seven untreated hypercholesterolaemic adults with ultrasound-proven NAFLD were enrolled and randomised into control group (n = 44) and tocotrienols group (n = 43). The treatment, either mixed tocotrienols 200 mg twice daily or placebo, had a 1-year duration. Normalisation of hepatic echogenic response, being the trial primary aim, was used in sample size calculations. The data were assessed according to intention to treat principle as primary outcome. Per protocol analysis was also carried out as secondary outcome measurement. Results Thirty and 34 participants concluded the study in the tocotrienols and placebo group respectively. Alpha-tocopherol levels were within the normal range for all subjects. As primary outcome, the normalisation of hepatic echogenic response was significantly higher for the tocotrienols treated group compared to the placebo group in the intention to treat analysis (P = 0.039; 95% CI = 0.896-6.488). As secondary objective, the per protocol assessment also showed significant rate of remission (P = 0.014; 95% CI = 1.117-9.456). Worsening of NAFLD grade was recorded in two patients in the placebo group, but none in the group treated with tocotrienols. No adverse events were reported for both groups. Conclusion This is the first clinical trial that showed the hepatoprotective effects of mixed palm tocotrienols in hypercholesterolemic adults with NAFLD. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00753532.

Purpose: Our study explores the mediating role of discrete emotions in the relationships between employee perceptions of distributive and procedural injustice, regarding an annual salary raise, and counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). Design/Methodology/Approach: Survey data were provided by 508 individuals from telecom and IT companies in Pakistan. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping were used to test our hypothesized model. Findings: We found a good fit between the data and our tested model. As predicted, anger (and not sadness) was positively related to aggressive CWBs (abuse against others and production deviance) and fully mediated the relationship between perceived distributive injustice and these CWBs. Against predictions, however, neither sadness nor anger was significantly related to employee withdrawal. Implications: Our findings provide organizations with an insight into the emotional consequences of unfair HR policies, and the potential implications for CWBs. Such knowledge may help employers to develop training and counseling interventions that support the effective management of emotions at work. Our findings are particularly salient for national and multinational organizations in Pakistan. Originality/Value: This is one of the first studies to provide empirical support for the relationships between in/justice, discrete emotions and CWBs in a non-Western (Pakistani) context. Our study also provides new evidence for the differential effects of outward/inward emotions on aggressive/passive CWBs.

Memcapacitor model based on its one possible physical realization is developed and simulated in order to know its limitation before making a real device. The proposed device structure consists of vertically stacked dielectric layer and MoS2 monolayer between two external metal plates. The Metal Insulator Transition (MIT) phenomenon of MoS2 monolayer is represented in terms of percolation probabilty which is used as the system state. Cluster based site percolation theory is used to mimic the MIT of MoS2 which shows slight discontinuous change in MoS2 monolayer conductivity. The metal to insulator transition switches the capacitance of the device in hysterical way. An Ioffe Regel criterion is used to determine the MIT state of MoS2 monolayer. A good control of MIT time in the range of psec is also achieved by changing a single parameter in the model. The model shows memcapacitive behavior with an edge of fast switching (in psec range) over the previous general models. The model is then extended into vertical cascaded version which behaves like a ternary device instead of binary. (C) 2016 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).