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Background: CSOM is associated with functional damage to the ear which can present as SNHL; however published literature shows mixed associations. Study design and setting: Cross-sectional observational study at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology: The study sampling technique was non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Patients of either gender and between the ages of 10-50 years, diagnosed with CSOM within the last six months were included while patients with a previous history of SNHL, usage of ototoxic drugs, trauma to ear or those not willing to give consent for the study were excluded. SPSS v23.0 was used for data analysis and chi-square test was applied, keeping p-value of <0.05 as statistically significant. Results: From the total of 200 patients with mean age of patients 24.7 ± 8.42 years. The mean duration of CSOM was 6.56 ± 4.28 years. 145 (72.5 %) were male while 55 (27.5 %) female. SNHL was found to be positive in 36 (18 %) of patients while 165 (82 %) were negative for SNHL. With respect to duration to disease, SNHL was reported to be positive in 11 (10.9 %) of patients having duration of CSOM between 2-6 years while in 25 (25.3 %) of patients having CSOM for over 6 years. A significant difference of p-0.008 was observed in both the groups. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, SNHL is significantly associated with CSOM with higher frequencies observed in males and in patients with CSOM for longer durations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photodegradation study of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) has been carried out in the water (pH 7.0) and organic solvents (chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, 1‐butanol, 1‐propanol, ethanol, methanol, and acetonitrile) using developed and validated high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The test method was found to be simple, accurate (% recovery, 100.25%–101.08%), precise (%RSD < 2.00), and sensitive. The apparent first‐order rate constants are in the range of 0.85 (chloroform) to 4.25 × 10−4 min−1 (water). The values obtained for kobs were found to be linear as a function of the dielectric constant indicating the involvement of the dipolar intermediate in the reaction. The increase in the rate of degradation of this intermediate is enhanced by the polarity of the medium. Rates of photolysis for 5‐FU show a linear relationship with the solvent acceptor number (AN) which indicates the degree of solute–solvent interaction. The values of kobs were found to be linear to the inverse of the viscosity of the medium due to the diffusion‐controlled process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Proniosomes in oral controlled drug delivery system is well accepted. Presently, an attempt was made to develop cephradine (CP) Proniosomes to prolong its duration of action with better efficacy. Overall, eighteen formulation trials were developed using variable quantities of sorbitol (F0S-F8S) and maltodextrin (F0M-F8M) carriers along with span60 and cholesterol. Trials were evaluated for powder flowability, drug entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release. Based on the mentioned characteristics, formulations F4M and F4S were optimized. Stability test was performed on optimized Proniosomes for three months at temperature (2-8°C). Comparison for antimicrobial sensitivity against Staphylococcus aureus was also made between optimized and marketed conventional CP capsule. More than 80% drug release was observed in 22 hr in the trial formulations. The optimized CP Proniosomes were found to be highly stable with % drug entrapment efficiency of 78.60±0.15 and 88.41±0.19 respectively for F4M and F4S. The prepared Proniosomes possessed higher bactericidal activity against S. aureus than reference products (M1 and M2). In conclusion, CP Proniosomes have been successfully prepared using sorbitol/maltodextrin carrier. Sorbitol carrier exhibited marginally better drug entrapment efficiency and bactericidal activity than the maltodextrin trial and marketed brands. This effort offers improved drug delivery with the potential of more effective controlled therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the frequency, clinical presentation, and associated risk factors of carcinoma cheek in patients presenting at Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) department at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at ENT outpatient department of JPMC, Karachi, Pakistan. Two years data of patients with complain of non-healing ulcer of buccal mucosa for more than 4 weeks duration irrespective of age and gender were retrieved from medical record. Biopsy confirmed cases of carcinoma of cheek were noted along with the treatment history of the positive patients. The detailed history of the patients regarding demographic characteristics, smoking habits, and chewable tobacco habits were noted. Results: Of 330 patients, the mean age of the patients was 44.36 ±7.32 years. There were 251 (76.1%) males and 79 (23.9%) females. Carcinoma of cheek was observed in 277 (83.9%) patients. A significant association of carcinoma of cheek was observed with age (p-value <0.001), occupation (p-value 0.004), residence (p-value <0.001), marital status (p-value 0.031), and addiction of chewable tobacco (p-value <0.001). The chances of cheek carcinoma were 9 times significantly higher among addicted chewable tobacco patients as compared to those patients' who did not addict of chewable tobacco (aOR 9.48, 95% CI 1.88 - 47.6). Conclusion: The study revealed that carcinoma of cheek was considerably higher among patients presented with non-healing ulcer of buccal mucosa for more than 4 weeks duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamins are essential micronutrients required for normal growth and biochemical functions. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is a water-soluble vitamin present in dairy products, vegetables, wheat, egg yolk, and meat. A number of techniques have been used for the analysis of riboflavin alone and in mixtures including UV and visible spectrometry, mass spectrometry, fluorimetry, chromatography and electrochemical methods. This article presents a mini review of the analytical methods that are used for the determination of riboflavin (vitamin B2) in pharmaceutical products, food materials, and biological samples. These methods are based on spectral and electrochemical characteristics of riboflavin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]