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Muhammad Farhan Sohail,1–3 Mubashar Rehman,4,5 Hafiz Shoaib Sarwar,2 Sara Naveed,1 Omer Salman,6 Nadeem Irfan Bukhari,7 Irshad Hussain,3 Thomas J Webster,5 Gul Shahnaz21Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore Campus, Lahore, 2Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 3Department of Chemistry, SBA School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, 4Department of Pharmacy, University of Lahore-Gujrat Campus, Gujrat, 5Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 6Department of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore Campus, 7University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Allama Iqbal Campus, Lahore, Pakistan Abstract: The oral delivery of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs is challenging due to low bioavailability, gastrointestinal side effects, first-pass metabolism and P-glycoprotein efflux pumps. Thus, chemotherapeutic drugs, including Docetaxel, are administered via an intravenous route, which poses many disadvantages of its own. Recent advances in pharmaceutical research have focused on designing new and efficient drug delivery systems for site-specific targeting, thus leading to improved bioavailability and pharmacokinetics. A decent number of studies have been reported for the safe and effective oral delivery of Docetaxel. These nanocarriers, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles, hybrid nanoparticles, dendrimers and so on, have shown promising results in research papers and clinical trials. The present article comprehensively reviews the research efforts made so far in designing various advancements in the oral delivery of Docetaxel. Different strategies to improve oral bioavailability, prevent first-pass metabolism and inhibition of efflux pumping leading to improved pharmacokinetics and anticancer activity are discussed. The final portion of this review article presents key issues such as safety of nanomaterials, regulatory approval and future trends in nanomedicine research. Keywords: anticancer, permeability enhancement, solubility enhancement, P-glycoproteins, efflux pump, first-pass metabolism

Akhtar Nadhman,1–3 Malik Ihsanullah Khan,1,2 Samina Nazir,4 Momin Khan,1,5 Gul Shahnaz,6 Abida Raza,2 Dilawar Farhan Shams,7 Masoom Yasinzai1,3 1Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, 2Nuclear Medicine Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute, 3Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences (CIRBS), International Islamic University, 4Nanosciences and Catalysis Division, National Centre for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University Campus, Islamabad, 5Department of Microbiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, 6Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 7Department of Environmental Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan Abstract: Lipid and protein oxidation are well-known manifestations of free radical activity and oxidative stress. The current study investigated extermination of Leishmania tropica promastigotes induced by lipid and protein oxidation with reactive oxygen species produced by PEGylated metal-based nanoparticles. The synthesized photodynamic therapy-based doped and nondoped zinc oxide nanoparticles were activated in daylight that produced reactive oxygen species in the immediate environment. Lipid and protein oxidation did not occur in dark. The major lipid peroxidation derivatives comprised of conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides, and malondialdehyde whereas water, ethane, methanol, and ethanol were found as the end products. Proteins were oxidized to carbonyls, hydroperoxides, and thiol degrading products. Interestingly, lipid hydroperoxides were produced by more than twofold of the protein hydroperoxides, indicating higher degradation of lipids compared to proteins. The in vitro evidence represented a significant contribution of the involvement of both lipid and protein oxidation in the annihilated antipromastigote effect of nanoparticles. Keywords: lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, Leishmania tropica, zinc oxide (ZnO), nanoparticles, reactive oxygen species (ROS), photodynamic therapy (PDT), doping

Background: Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (POGD) remains a common morbidity after gastrointestinal surgery. POGD is associated with delayed hospital recovery, increased length of stay, poor patient satisfaction and experience, and increased economic hardship. The I-FEED scoring system was created by a group of experts to address the lack of a consistent objective definition of POGD. However, the I-FEED tool needs clinical validation before it can be adopted into clinical practice. The scope of this phase 1 Quality Improvement initiative involves the feasibility of implementing percussion into the nursing workflow without additional burden. Methods: All gastrointestinal/colorectal surgical unit registered nurses underwent comprehensive training in abdominal percussion. This involved understanding the technique, its application in postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction assessment, and its integration into the existing nursing documentation in the Electronic Health Record (EHR). After six months of education and practice, a six-question survey was sent to all inpatient GI surgical unit nurses about incorporating the percussion assessment into their routine workflow and documentation. Results: Responses were received from 91% of day-shift nurses and 76% of night-shift registered nurses. Overall, 95% of the nurses were confident in completing the abdominal percussion during their daily assessment. Conclusion: Nurses’ effective use of the I-FEED tool may help improve patient outcomes after surgery. The tool could also be an effective instrument for the early identification of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (POGD) in surgical patients.

The extensive use of photocatalysis to address environmental concerns, energy production, and organic transformations has attracted attention in recent decades. The SnO/CSO photocatalytic materials were fabricated through a single-step hydrothermal method and comprehensively characterized using a muti-technique approach to demonstrate the physicochemical, morphological, and electronic features. According to the photocatalytic experiments, the SnO/CSO could remove >96 % of acid blue 92 (AB92) azo dye under optimum conditions, with rate constant 2.37 × 10−2 min−1. Furthermore, the photocatalyst significantly outperformed commercial TiO2 (P25), in reducing CO2 to CO and CH4 with a production rate of 10.8 and 1.18 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively, under visible light irradiation. The successful direct alkylation of amines to valuable organic compounds within 10 min of the reaction time with a conversion selectivity of >90 % was another capability of the materials, making it a good candidate for pharmaceutical synthesis purposes.

Introduction: Pain is a common phenomenon and an inevitable part of the childbirth process, and the effective control of this pain, like other acute pains, is an important issue for society and health. Many studies show that one of the main reasons for not choosing natural childbirth by mothers is the fear of natural labor and childbirth pain. The present study was performed with aim to compare the effect of effleurage massage and hot water bag in reducing the pain of the first stage of labor for primiparous women. Methods: This randomized clinical trial study with a control group was performed in 2015-2016 on 90 primiparous pregnant women admitted to the gynecology hospital of Tehran. The samples were randomly assigned to two intervention groups and one control group. The intervention group 1 received 15 minutes of massage, and in the intervention group 2, a hot water bag was placed in the back area in three times at dilatation 4, 6 and 8 cm for 15 minutes and the control group received routine care in the delivery room. In all three groups, pain intensity was measured using the VAS scale until the end of labor. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 24) and T-test, Chi-square, Fisher and analysis of variance with repeated measures. P0.001). Conclusion: In this study, both the use of hot water bag and massage therapy were effective in reducing pain during labor. Therefore, these interventions can be performed by midwives in care and treatment centers to make childbirth pleasant and improve the quality of mother and baby care.

Cutting oils are used in machining operations to reduce friction, provide lubrication and cooling properties, and prevent corrosion. Biological methods for treating wastewater from these oils have low efficiency. Therefore, other methods should be considered to treat this type of wastewater. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of electrocoagulation for treatment of wastewater containing cutting oil. In this regard, an electrochemical reactor equipped with two aluminum electrodes and a direct power source was used. The efficiency of the electrocoagulation process was evaluated by measuring the removal percentage of chemical oxygen demand in a certain time range. The effect of various operating parameters such as oil concentration, applied voltage, stirring speed, initial pH, distance, and surface of electrodes on the efficiency of the electrocoagulation process was investigated. The results of the experiments showed that reducing the oil concentration from 3% by volume to 0.5% by volume led to an increase in the efficiency of the purification process up to 97.3%. Increasing the voltage from 40V to 60V reduced the time required for wastewater treatment with the same efficiency from 50 min to 20 min. Decreasing the distance between the electrodes from 6 cm to 2 cm and increasing the effective area of the electrodes from 60 cm2 to 180 cm2 reduced the time required for purification to 20 min. Also, the results of the tests showed that the time required for the purification process at medium stirring speeds (150 rpm) is low. The obtained results showed that the removal percentage of chemical oxygen demand in the neutral environment was high (95.9%). Therefore, due to the simplicity of the method, low operating cost, and the ability to design on an industrial scale, the electrocoagulation method can be used for the treatment of wastewater containing cutting oil.

In the current work, the capability of uncoated titanium anode in the electrochemical treatment of textile wastewater has been investigated with the aim of simultaneously benefiting from electrooxidation and electrocoagulation treatment processes. In the present work, the feasibility of using uncoated titanium anodes for wastewater treatment is studied in an electrochemical pre-pilot set-up with polymeric casing and an electrical supply power of 150 W, operated under galvanostatic regime in batch mode, focusing on the current density as the main subject of assessment, and its performance is evaluated using metrics such as chemical oxygen demand removal and specific energy consumption. A noticeable finding of this work, is the flexibility of the set-up to combine the electrocoagulation and electro-oxidation mechanisms with the current density as the controlling parameter, leading to a remarkable decontamination capability, so that reductions in the total chemical oxygen demand as large as 75–80% in the neutral and 90–95% in the acidic environments were achieved. At low current densities (< 100 μA/cm2), the anodic corrosion was limited and the electro-oxidation was the dominant wastewater treatment mechanism. At high current densities (> 100 μA/cm2), the anodic corrosion was accelerated and the dominant wastewater treatment mechanism was switched to electrocoagulation. Along with the chemical oxygen demand removal capability, the energetic cost-effectiveness of the set-up was a major concern, particularly from the industrial point of view, which was assessed in both neutral and acidic environments, and it was realized optimization occurred at 600 μA/cm2, so that the specific energy consumption and the rate specific energy consumption, were both minimized at this current density, in respective order, 8.9 kWh/kgCOD and 3.52 kWh/kgCOD/h in neutral, and 10 kWh/kgCOD and 2.34 kWh/kgCOD/h in acidic environments.

Photocatalytic NO removal is usually accompanied by the generation of NO2, an intermediate with a higher toxicity than NO. Therefore, it is critically important to develop new photocatalysts capable of NO selective conversion. Herein, we report on the synergistic roles of cyano and hydroxyl functional groups in photocatalytic NO removal. According to the results, the NO2 production efficiencies on cyano/hydroxyl-group-modified g-C3N4 (DCN-O-R) was limited to 4.8%, which was lower than that of cyano-group-modified g-C3N4 (DCN, 38.6%) and pure g-C3N4 (CN, 50.0%). Meanwhile, the photocatalytic NO conversion efficiency over DCN-O-R was higher than that of DCN and g-C3N4. It was found that the insertion of cyano groups favorably changes the energy band of g-C3N4 towards the generation of •O2−. NO can only be oxidized to NO2 by the photogenerated holes. When NO2 is adsorbed on the surface of hydroxyl groups, it can be further oxidized to the product NO3− by •O2−. The synergistic effect of bifunctional groups regulates the conversion pathway from NO→NO2 to NO→NO2→NO3−. This work provides a strategy to abate toxic intermediates during the NO removal process, underlining the importance of surface/interface molecular engineering in regulating catalytic reaction pathways.

The fast growth of technology along with the expansion of industries has exacerbated environmental pollution. The diversity and broad application of various chemicals in the textile and agriculture industries, and eventually, the release of wastewater of such activities into the environment is a severe threat for aquatic ecosystems. Advanced oxidation methods based on the production of active species, such as hydroxyl radicals, nonselectively destroy a wide range of contaminants. Among the advanced oxidation methods, heterogeneous photocatalysts using semiconductors attracted a great deal of interest. In this project, Pd doped WO3 nanoribbons on a graphene substrate were prepared via the hydrothermal method and were used as photocatalysts to degrade a textile dye (Acid Blue 92). The effect of Pd and graphene incorporation on the surface properties, morphology, and photocatalytic activity of WO3 nanoribbons was investigated using XRD, BET, SEM, FTIR, DRS, and XPS techniques. The BET results demonstrated that the synthesis of WO3 nanoribbons on graphene oxide substrate and the reduction of obtained photocatalyst in the H2 atmosphere increased the surface area of the photocatalyst up to twice its normal size. In the next step, the ability of the photocatalyst to degrade blue-acid 92 textile dye in the presence of visible light was investigated and the degradation rate was calculated. The results confirmed that the reduced nanocomposite in the presence of H2 atmosphere in comparison with other samples has the highest dye degradation rate of 9×10-3min-1 with an efficiency of 60%. This nanocomposite, with its high surface area, facilitates the adsorption of dye-molecules on the active sites of the surface, thus greatly increasing the rate of degradation of the contaminant adsorbed on the photocatalyst surface. Eventually, different kinetic models were applied to investigate the reaction kinetics, and in each case, the correlation coefficient was calculated. The results of correlating the experimental data with the kinetics equations depicted that the dye degradation kinetics according to the Langmuir-Hinschlod model has a quasi-first-order mechanism.

Plain Language Summary Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women. The Pap-test is considered the most economical and efficient method for screening cervical cancer and is a simple method without any side effects. Given that awareness with proper methods regarding the initial symptoms, timely diagnosis and treatment are vital for controlling cancer. In this study, we assessed the effect of a blended educational program to promote performing Pap-test among 84 Iranian women. Therefore, a study to assess four main variables; knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and practice about PST was designed. We asked women aged 18–49 living in Andimeshk (Khuzestan, Iran) covered by 16 health centers. The educational program to increase women’s performance in the PST using online technology regarding participants' convenience, accessibility, and availability of educational content. Women were divided into two groups. One group received an educational program, the second group remained in control and did not receive any education. All women were asked for their knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and practice of PST three times immediately, 4 and 12 weeks after one-month training. Our assessment showed significant group differences at different times in knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and practice about PST. In conclusion, effective online education in sustaining the effects of the educational program in the experimental group happened. Moreover, we experienced an appropriate teaching method for restricted situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic to promote educational participation.

Background: Anxiety provides the grounds for coronary heart disease (CHD) or aggravates the symptoms of the disease. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of emotionally focused therapy (EFT) on anxiety in individuals with CHD. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design, control group, and follow-up stages. The statistical population of the study consisted of all heart patients in Tehran, Iran, from among whom 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling method. The study sample was randomly divided into experimental and control groups (15 individuals in each group). The experimental group received EFT training in nine 60-minute sessions, and the control group remained on the waiting list. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), developed by Beck, Epstein, Brown, and Steer (1988), was utilized to collect data in the pretest and posttest stages. Data analysis was conducted via descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software. Results: According to the obtained results, heart patients in the experimental group showed lower anxiety levels after receiving EFT (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of this research, EFT can be an effective intervention in reducing anxiety in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Objective Iran has a low incidence of cervical cancer (CC). The country is introducing an organized screening system, including human papillomavirus screening. Studies show a high dropout rate among eligible women in continuing testing. Methods This descriptive-analytic study was part of the first phase of a clinical trial conducted on a random sample of 400 women aged 18–49 in Andimeshk City, Khuzestan Province, in 2020. The data collection tool consisted of a man-made questionnaire that included domains of demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, practice, and self-efficacy in the Pap smear test. The data were analyzed with Stata-16 using linear and logistic regression models. Results The mean knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy scores were 6.80±2.33, 34.99±4.32, and 28.67±7.34, respectively. In the multiple models, every unit increase in the knowledge or attitude scores raised the mean self-efficacy score by 1.04 and 0.48, respectively (P

Polypharmacy may be considered as the customary practice to provide optimum care services to patients but inter resulted in augmented probability of multiple drug interaction. Keeping in view the importance of drug interaction possibility, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of ranitidine on pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin in the local population of Karachi, Pakistan. Amoxicillin and ranitidine are the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat duodenal ulcer caused by Helicobacter pylori. The current investigation was carried out as a single center, open label, two phase, single dose, randomized way in cross over manner to evaluate the potential of pharmacokinetic interaction among amoxicillin formulation and ranitidine in adult healthy male volunteers. Post dosing blood samples were collected at multiple time points that are 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 hours after administering amoxicillin 250mg capsule with and without ranitidine. For estimation of amoxicillin concentration in plasma, an HPLC method was developed and validated. The solvent system consisted of 0.025M phosphate buffer: acetonitrile (94:6 v/v). C18 column was employed with a flow rate of 1.0 ml/minute and at 230nm. A linear pattern with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 in the concentration ranges of 25μg/mL to 0.097μg/mL for amoxicillin and 25μg/mL to 0.048μg/mL for ranitidine was observed. Amoxicillin retention time was about 8 minutes and ranitidine retention time was around 12 minutes. Amoxicillin levels were computed and the concentrations were applied to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated by Kinetica TM 4.4.1 (Thermo Electron Corp. USA). The analysis of variance (two way) and t test (two one sided) were applied on log transformed pharmacokinetic parameters of amoxicillin. The Tmax was determined between amoxicillin alone and amoxicillin with ranitidine by Friedman test. The 90% confidence interval values for Cmax(calc) (0.687–0.743) and Tmax(calc) (1.148–1.742) for amoxicillin with or without ranitidine were not found within the FDA acceptable limits of 0.8–1.25. Study demonstrated the significant reduction in peak plasma levels of amoxicillin in presence of ranitidine. It is advisable to administer both drugs with time interval to avoid such interactions and increases in the bactericidal efficacy of amoxicillin.

The current study aimed to determine the community-based COVID-19 prevalence and compare the symptom-based and test-based prevalence rates in the Omicron peak (February 20 to March 20, 2022) to assess community involvement and provide effective healthcare. This cross-sectional and population-based study examined the prevalence of COVID-19 from February 20 to March 20, 2022, in the city of Khomein in Markazi Province (located in central Iran) through random cluster sampling. The period prevalence of recurrent Omicron symptoms was 37.69%. Factors such as residence in urban areas (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.95–1.66), number of COVID-19 vaccine doses (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67–0.95), the interval of last vaccination dose (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.97–1.11) and a history of COVID-19 (OR =1.20, 95% CI: 1.04–1.39) were among the most important risk factors for Omicron. Ongoing efforts to vaccinate high-risk populations as well as stronger actions to diminish the Omicron consequences are fundamental obligations of the health system.

Summary: Actinins are strain-sensing actin cross-linkers that are ubiquitously expressed and harbor mutations in human diseases. We utilize CRISPR, pluripotent stem cells, and BioID to study actinin interactomes in human cardiomyocytes. We identify 324 actinin proximity partners, including those that are dependent on sarcomere assembly. We confirm 19 known interactors and identify a network of RNA-binding proteins, including those with RNA localization functions. In vivo and biochemical interaction studies support that IGF2BP2 localizes electron transport chain transcripts to actinin neighborhoods through interactions between its K homology (KH) domain and actinin’s rod domain. We combine alanine scanning mutagenesis and metabolic assays to disrupt and functionally interrogate actinin-IGF2BP2 interactions, which reveal an essential role in metabolic responses to pathological sarcomere activation using a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy model. This study expands our functional knowledge of actinin, uncovers sarcomere interaction partners, and reveals sarcomere crosstalk with IGF2BP2 for metabolic adaptation relevant to human disease.

Introduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major cause of burden of diseases in women within the first 4 weeks of delivery. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the role of various factors in PPD in the northern and northeastern regions of Khuzestan province. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was undertaken as the first phase of a case-control study on 1424 mothers in the first 24 to 48 hours after childbirth between January 2019 and January 2020. The data collected covered three areas: baseline characteristics, medical history, and PPD. The latter was measured using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale with a cut-off point of equal to or greater than 12. The collected data were analyzed using Stata-16 software and simple and multiple Logistic Regression models. Results: The prevalence of PPD was estimated at 26.6% in the study sample. In the multiple model, the History of elective abortion (OR= 2.26, 95%CI=1.19, 4.27), delivery in the summer (OR= 2.11, 95%CI=1.39, 3.20), birth defect (OR= 2.09, 95%CI=1.10, 3.94), the history of infertility treatment (OR= 0.33, 95CI=0.18, 0.61) and living in urban areas (OR= 0.52, 95%CI=0.39, 0.70), had relationship with the chance of developing PPD. Conclusion: The results of this study, which sought to identify factors reinforcing and preventing PPD, can be used to identify mothers at risk for PPD. Moreover, it can help make appropriate interventions, including psychological and emotional support of mother during and even before pregnancy to alleviate PPD.

Background and Aim: Treatment and complications of type 1 diabetes can affect the mental status of patients and their quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of valerian capsule on anxiety and quality of life in the patients with type 1 diabetes. Material and Method: This study was a clinical trial and included 82 patients with type 1 diabetes (control group 40 and intervention group 42). Intervention group received one capsule of Sedamin (containing 530 mg of valerian root extract) every night one hour before bed time, for eight weeks. Control group received a placebo capsule. Beck Anxiety Inventory was completed before the study and also after the 4th and 8th weeks of the study, and quality of life questionnaire (DQOL) was completed before and eight weeks after the study. Using SPSS software, data were analyzed by independent t-test, paired samples t-test and one-way covariance with repeated measures. Results: The results showed that there was no significant difference in the anxiety scores between the two groups before the intervention and after four weeks of study. But we found a significant difference between the groups after eight weeks of study (p = 0.008). After the intervention, the quality of life scores in the intervention and control groups were 4.05 ± 0.7 and 3.23 ± 0.43 respectively indicating a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: The findings showed that use of valerian capsules for eight weeks reduced the anxiety in the patients with type 1 diabetes and improved their quality of life. We recommend use of this herbal medicine in the patients with type 1 diabetes and anxiety.

ABSTRACT Background and Aim: Considering the increasing trend of thyroid cancer and increased number of new cases we performed this study to determine the risk factors for thyroid cancer in Kurdistan Province. Materials and Methods: 80 patients and 80 controls were matched and entered into this case-control study from September 2009 to September 2016 in Kurdistan Province. Data were collected by reviewing the records of the patients, making phone calls and face-to-face interviews. Using SPSS v.20 software, data analysis was performed by chi-square test, T-test and logistic regression. Results: The results showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, marital status, residential place, and profession. Thyroid cancer showed significant relationships with obesity, history of thyroid cancer in family, use of levothyroxine and TSH level. Conclusion: The results of the study highlighted the importance of TSH level, obesity, history of thyroid cancer in family, and use of levothyroxine which can be considered as risk factors for thyroid cancer by education and health planners. Keywords: Risk factors, Thyroid cancer, Kurdistan Province. Received: Dec 18, 2017 Accepted: May 22, 2018

Today, Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are the most common rechargeable batteries used in electronic devices. SnO2 with theoretical specific capacity of 782 mAh/g is among the best anode materials for LIBs. In this report, Three-dimensional SnO2 nanowires (NWs) on carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film (SnO2 / CNT) is fabricated using a combination of vacuum filtration and thermal evaporation techniques. The resulting 3D heterostructure SnO2/CNT was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This fabricated SnO2/CNT electrode has been tested as a flexible and binder-free anode for LIB, which exhibits high initial discharge/charge capacity of 4.8/2.25 mAh/cm2 at a current density of 0.25 A/g, much larger than discharge/charge capacity of bare CNT film (2.2/0.3 mAh/cm2). Relatively high areal capacity of 1.23 mAh/cm2 has been achieved for the fabricated LIB with SnO2/CNT electrode after 20 cycles, proposing this material as a high performance flexible LIB anode material.

Background and Objectives: Osteoporosis is a preventable disease. Insufficient knowledge is one of the major causes of high prevalence of osteoporosis. In this study, the effect of education via email, was assessed on osteoporosis-preventive behaviors among female students. Methods: This clinical trial study (pretest, posttest and with control), was performed on 170 female students of Mazandaran University (state and non-medical university) in 2013. In this study, email was used as an educational tool to improve physical activity and calcium intake among female students. Data collection tool was a valid questionnaire consisting of 3 sections [demographic, calcium intake (FFQ), and physical activity (IPAQ)]. Emails were sent to the students during 4 weeks. Data were analyzed before and 3 months after the education using independent t-, paired t-, and Chi square tests. Results: The amount of calcium intake in the experimental group significantly increased after the education compared to the control group (p=0.009). Also, the score of physical activity significantly increased after education compared to the control group (p

Introduction: Physical and mental physiological changes associated with menopause is affected all the female body systems including the gastrointestinal tract that In fact, one of digestive disorders are constipation which in severe cases quality of life reduced. So this study was performed with the aim to determine constipation and its associated factors in postmenopausal Women in Roudan. Methods: Present study was cross sectional study. 450 postmenopausal subjects aging 46 to 65 years that referred to selected health centers in Roudan, were selected by convenience sampling in 2016. The data collection tools included a standard questionnaire based on the Rome III criteria by interviewing. The statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 16.0) software and data were analyzed using the dependent t-test‚ Chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results: The average age of participants was 56.88±4.74 years. The prevalence of constipation based on the Rome III criteria was 33.7% (168 individuals). There was a significant statistical relationship between constipation and the variables of education level, occupational status, marital status, economic situation, number of pregnancies, number of natural childbirths, history of pelvic floor surgery, daily sports activities, number of fruits and vegetables servings, number of milk and dairy products servings, and amount of sleep per day (by hour) (P

One of the best methods to prevent wound infection and speed up wound healing is wound dressing based on nanofiber–polymer scaffolds, which have acceptable antimicrobial performance and appropriate skin regeneration capabilities. In this paper, the electrospinning method was applied to synthesize the polyvinylpyrrolidone-acrylic acid hydrogel (PVPA)–eggshell membrane (ESM)–reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets nanocomposite dressings with different reduced graphene oxide contents (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 wt.%). Thus, smooth nanofibers were fabricated, including a high amount of rGO, which reduced the fiber diameter. Based on the results, rGO played an important role in water impermeability. The results showed that by increasing the rGO concentration from 0.5 to 2 wt%, the contact angle value increased persistently. Results showed that compared to PVPA–ESM, the mechanical strength and strain of PVPA–ESM/1 wt% rGO significantly enhanced 28% and 23%, respectively. Incorporation of 1 wt% rGO enhanced swelling ratio from 875% for PVPA-ESM to 1235% after 420 min, while increasing the rGO to 2 wt% increased the degradation rate of the composites. According to the in vitro cell culture studies, PVPA-ESM wound dressings with 0.5–1 wt% rGO content enhanced PC12 cell viability compared to the wound dressings without rGO nanosheets. Generally, rGO–loaded PVPA-ESM nanofiber wound dressing can be considered as a potential candidate to be used in skin regeneration applications.

Background and objectives: Adjustment is the most important sign of mental health. Determination of factors which affect adjustment is important. This study aimed to determine the relationship between personal and social adjustment with locus of control and gender in intelligent high school students in Kermanshah. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study 106 high school students of Kermanshah were selected randomly. Data collection tools were Ratter's locus of control scale, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) including 12 concepts of social and personal adjustment, and a demographic questionnaire. Data was analyzed by using correlation, ANOVA through SPSS16. Results: There was no significant difference between personal adjustment and gender. But social adjustment in girls’ intelligent was more than boys’ intelligent (p

Background: Distribution of Tuberculosis (TB) has a special template affected by geographic and social factors. Nowadays Geographical Information System (GIS) software is one of the most important and useful epidemiologic devise for identifying geographic areas and high risk population for infection by TB. Aim of this study was assessment of Tuberculosis distribution by GIS in Khuzestan province, Iran. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, documents of 6363 TB patients identified in Khuzestan province at the beginning of 2005 until the end of the September of 2012 were assessed and sampling method was census. The data was gathered by TB-Register Center. TB incidence was evaluated by GIS maps according to climatic and vegetation with 1:25,000 scale. The data was analyzed in SPSS software and means plot and Independent’s t-test, ANOVA with a significance level of less than 5% and Eta Correlation. Results: Spread of Tuberculosis in climatic and vegetation were plotted in GIS maps, cumulative incidence rate was calculated separately for each area. There was a statistical significant relationship between cumulative incidence rate of disease and climatic (P=0.017) and the Eta correlation coefficient was 0.379 (P=0.011). There was a statistical significant relationship between cumulative incidence rate of TB and vegetation (P=0.004) and the Eta correlation coefficient was 0.388 (P=0.188). Mean age and median age of patients were 39.3±18 and 35±6.5 years respectively. For women, mean age was 2.1 years older than men and this difference was statistically significant. (P=0.0001). Conclusion: The risk of TB infection is closely associated with the climatic and vegetation. So the risk of TB in extra-dry climate and vegetation of highland meadows is more than other areas. Special care and services to high-risk areas is recommended.

Objective (s): Obesity is a major public health problem worldwide. This study aimed to investigate on relationship between body image and depression, anxiety and stress among obese adolescent girls in Tehran, Iran. Materials: This was a cross-sectional study of 837 teen girls aged 13 to 18 years old in Tehran, Iran. Data were collected a three part questionnaire including questions on sociodemograhic information, the Multidimensional Body-self Relations (MBSRQ), and depression, anxiety and stress standard questionnaire (DASS-21). Pearson correlation coefficient was used for investigation of the relationship between body image and depression, anxiety and stress. Results: The findings showed that there was significant negative relationship between obesity and body image in adolescent girls with depression (P=0.001), anxiety (P=0.035) and stress (P

Background: Tuberculosis is still one of the main causes of mortality and disability in developing countries. Despite of socio-economic development of communities and controlling majority of communicable diseases, With respect to importance and high incidence of Tuberculosis in marginal provinces, the present study was aimed to assess the epidemiology of Tuberculosis. Methods: In this Descriptive-Analytical Retrospective Study, documents of 6363 patients diagnosed with TB in the beginning of March 2005 to the end of the September 2012 in Khuzestan province, Iran, by used census sampling size, were used. Demographic variables and other necessity data were recorded by TB-Register software and then these data were analyzed by SPSS 16.0 software and Chi-square and independent t-tests with a significance level of less than 5%. For comparison Tuberculosis incidence in consecutive years used by Poisson tests (with a significance level of less than 5%). Results: mean age of patients and median age of patients were 39.3±18 and 35±6.5 years, for women mean age was older 2.1 years than men and there was significant relationship to age (P=0.0001). Of all patients 75.7% were pulmonary tuberculosis, 2.7% were infected with HIV and 91.2% were new cases. Cumulative incidence in province was 148.84/100,000. Most prevalent in Non-pulmonary TB was Lymphatic glands. Poisson test showed that changing trends of TB incidence in study years was statistically significant (P

Objective (s): This study was, designed to evaluate the effect of an educational program on postpartum depression among primiparous women.Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study carried out in two urban health centers in Sanandaj, Iran. The intervention group received an educational program on postpartum depression in three sessions: 10-14 days, 6 and 8 weeks after delivery. Each session that lasted for 20 minutes. In addition, booklets were circulated to mothers for guidance. The control group (mothers) only received the routine postpartum care. Both groups completed The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale 8 and 12 weeks after delivery and were compared between two groups.Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups at baseline. However, there was a significant difference between depression scores in two groups one month after intervention (P=0.001).Conclusion: The results showed that the educational program among primiparous mothers was effective.Key Words: Educational program, Postpartum Depression, Prevention, primiparous

Background and Aim: Birth in the 21st century is characterized by interventions. That interventions increase the risk for mother and baby without improving outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of physiological birth and routine normal delivery on some of maternal and fetus outcomes. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 160 pregnant women. The participants were allocated in two groups of physiological birth (n=80) and routine normal delivery (n=80). Inclusion criteria were as following: Apgar score between one and five dilatation between three and four cm maternal age between 18-35 years gestational age between 37-40 weeks cephalic presentation and neonatal birth weight of 2500-4000 gr. Physiological birth care included labor begins on its own, freedom of movement throughout labor, continuous labor support, spontaneous pushing, no separation of mother and baby. Routine birth cares include routine interventions in labor or birth. Rate of cesarean, Apgar score and neonatal intensive care unit were evaluated in both groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16. The t-test, chi-square and Mann Whitney were the statistical tests of choice. Results: Rate of cesarean was significantly different between two groups (p=0.005). First minute Neonatal Apgar score was significantly different (p=0.011), but fifth minute Apgar was similar in both groups (p=0.470). The transmission to neonatal intensive care unit had also significant difference among two groups (p=0.029). Conclusion: The present study showed that the physiological birth is safe. It seems that the physiological birth decreases the rate of cesarean and transmission to neonatal intensive care unit, also improves the first minute neonatal Apgar scores.

Background . Fecalomas are hard dense masses separate from surrounding fecal material or bowel contents. This case report intends to provide a brief review of the literature and differential diagnosis for a pelvic mass in a pediatric patient. Case Presentation . The patient is a 5-year-old male presenting with worsening constipation and stool leakage over several months, found to have a rare calcified pelvic mass on abdominal X-ray consistent with a fecaloma. Conclusion . Fecalomas should be considered on the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients who present with chronic constipation and a calcified pelvic mass.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) spread pattern is influenced by geographic and social factors. Nowadays Geographic Information System (GIS) is one of the most important epidemiological instrumentation identifying high-risk population groups and geographic areas of TB. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between climate and geographic distribution of TB in Khuzestan Province using GIS during 2005-2012. Methods: Through an ecological study, all 6363 patients with definite diagnosis of TB from 2005 until the end of September 2012 in Khuzestan Province, southern Iran were diagnosed. Data were recorded using TB- Register software. Tuberculosis incidence based on the climate and the average of annual rain was evaluated using GIS. Data were analyzed through SPSS software. Independent t-test, ANOVA, Linear regression, Pearson and Eta correlation coefficient with a significance level of less than 5% were used for the statistical analysis. Results: The TB incidence was different in various geographic conditions. The highest mean of TB cumulative incidence rate was observed in extra dry areas (P= 0.017). There was a significant inverse correlation between annual rain rate and TB incidence rate (R= -0.45, P= 0.001). The lowest TB incidence rate (0-100 cases per 100,000) was in areas with the average of annual rain more than 1000 mm (P= 0.003). Conclusion: The risk of TB has a strong relationship with climate and the average of annual rain, so that the risk of TB in areas with low annual rainfall and extra dry climate is more than other regions. Services and special cares to high-risk regions of TB are recommended.

Background & Aim: Infants are very sensitive and special attention is needed to take care of their physical and mental health. Some studies showed that massage by parents can improve infants&apos sleep quality. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of massage with sunflower oil or sesame oil on infants&apos crying and sleep times. Methods & Materials: This triple-blinded clinical trial was conducted on 120 infants who were 10-15 days old, full-term, single, exclusively breastfed and with no history of hospitalization. The infants were assigned randomly into three groups of sunflower oil massage, sesame oil massage and massage with no oils. Mothers administered 15 minutes of massage to their infants twice per day (morning and afternoon) for 28 days. Times of crying and sleep were measured by a parents&apos information form at baseline, and at the end of the first, second, third, and fourth weeks of the study. Data were analyzed using the repeated measures ANOVA. Result: Within four weeks of following, decreasing pattern of infants crying time was not significant (P=0.18) however, the mean of crying time between the three groups was significant (P=0.007). The interaction effect of crying time and groups was not significant (P=0.18). Increasing pattern of infant sleep time was statistically significant in the fourth weeks of the following (P

Background & Aim: Infants are very sensitive and special attention is needed to take care of their physical and mental health. Some studies showed that massage by parents can improve infants sleep quality. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of massage with sunflower oil or sesame oil on infants crying and sleep times. Methods & Materials: This triple-blinded clinical trial was conducted on 120 infants who were 10-15 days old, full-term, single, exclusively breastfed and with no history of hospitalization. The infants were assigned randomly into three groups of sunflower oil massage, sesame oil massage and massage with no oils. Mothers administered 15 minutes of massage to their infants twice per day (morning and afternoon) for 28 days. Times of crying and sleep were measured by a parents information form at baseline, and at the end of the first, second, third, and fourth weeks of the study. Data were analyzed using the repeated measures ANOVA. Result: Within four weeks of following, decreasing pattern of infants crying time was not significant (P=0.18); however, the mean of crying time between the three groups was significant (P=0.007). The interaction effect of crying time and groups was not significant (P=0.18). Increasing pattern of infant sleep time was statistically significant in the fourth weeks of the following (P

Background & Aim: Postpartum depression is a severe and pervasive sadness with labile mood that affect 8-15% women after delivery. It can negatively impress mother-infant bonding. There are a lot of factors which make women vulnerable to postpartum depression so that controlling them can prevent from the postpartum depression incidence. Several researches have shown an association between serum cholesterol reduction and depression. The aim of present study is to determine relation between postpartum depression with total serum cholesterol changes before and after child birth in Lahijanian women in years 2006-2007. Methods & Materials: This research sought a descriptive-analytical design. Samples consisted of healthy Primigravidia women (101 persons) with normal labor, normal delivery at term, married, and a medium to high socio-educational level, without history of a depressive disorder, and metabolic disorders or hyperlipidemia. The excluded were the women with maternal or fetal complication before delivery, having problem with accepting infant gender, fetal death and being depressed during pregnancy. All women were visited in two stages: 3 weeks before the expected delivery and also 6 weeks after delivery. On both visits the Beck depression inventory and serum cholesterol registration questionnaire were completed. Data were collected using a questionnaire which had three sections: demographic characteristics, the Beck depression inventory and laboratory tests. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Spearman correlation coefficient and t-test) by SPSS computer software. Results: Findings indicated that serum cholesterol declined considerably in the postpartum period, also it was shown that there was a significant correlation between reduced serum cholesterol and postpartum depression (r=-0.331, P

Background & Aim: Postpartum depression is a severe and pervasive sadness with labile mood that affect 8-15% women after delivery. It can negatively impress mother-infant bonding. There are a lot of factors which make women vulnerable to postpartum depression so that controlling them can prevent from the postpartum depression incidence. Several researches have shown an association between serum cholesterol reduction and depression. The aim of present study is to determine relation between postpartum depression with total serum cholesterol changes before and after child birth in Lahijanian women in years 2006-2007. Methods & Materials: This research sought a descriptive-analytical design. Samples consisted of healthy Primigravidia women (101 persons) with normal labor, normal delivery at term, married, and a medium to high socio-educational level, without history of a depressive disorder, and metabolic disorders or hyperlipidemia. The excluded were the women with maternal or fetal complication before delivery, having problem with accepting infant gender, fetal death and being depressed during pregnancy. All women were visited in two stages: 3 weeks before the expected delivery and also 6 weeks after delivery. On both visits the Beck depression inventory and serum cholesterol registration questionnaire were completed. Data were collected using a questionnaire which had three sections: demographic characteristics, the Beck depression inventory and laboratory tests. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Spearman correlation coefficient and t-test) by SPSS computer software. Results: Findings indicated that serum cholesterol declined considerably in the postpartum period, also it was shown that there was a significant correlation between reduced serum cholesterol and postpartum depression (r=-0.331, P

Insulinoma in a patient with pre-existing diabetes is extremely rare. Only a small number of cases have been reported all over the world. We report a case of insulinoma in a patient with type 2 diabetes. A 63-year-old female was diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus six years ago, she was given metformin and sulphonylurea to control her glycemia, she had adequate glycemic control for many years, but thereafter, the patient has experienced hypoglycemia after cessation of the treatment since 8 months ago and was hospitalized for further examination, endogenous hypoglycemia was confirmed and the level of serum insulin and C-peptide were elevated. Endoscopic ultrasound showed a heterogeneous lesion in the head of the pancreas. Head pancreatectomy was done. In the postoperative period diabetes again developed and required oral agents for control.

Objective(s)Developing and validating a simple, efficient, reproducible and economic reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method for the quantitative determination of pefloxacin in bulk material, tablets and in human plasma. Materials and MethodsA shim-pack CLC-ODS column and a mobile phase constituting acetonitrile: 0.025 M phosphoric acid solution (13:87 v/v, pH 2.9 adjusted with KOH) were used. The flow rate was 1 ml/min and the analyses performed using ultraviolet (UV) detector at a wavelength of 275 nm using acetaminophen as an internal standard.ResultsThe developed method showed good resolution between pefloxacin and acetaminophen. It was selective to pefloxacin and able to resolve the drug peak from internal standard and from formulation excipients. The percentage of coefficient variation (CV) of the retention times and peak areas of pefloxacin from the six consecutive injections were 0.566% and 0.989%, respectively. The results showed that the peak area responses are linear within the concentration range of 0.125 µg/ml-12 µg/ml (R2= 0.9987). The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) for pefloxacin were 0.03125 µg/ml and 0.125 µg/ml. The intra-day and inter-day variation, RSD were 0.376-0.9056 and 0.739-0.853 respectively; also, inter-day variation with relative standard deviation (RSD) were 0.1465-0.821 in plasma. The accuracy results of 70%, 100%, and 130% drugs were 100.72%, 100.34%, and 100.09%, respectively.ConclusionThe method is linear, quantitative, reproducible and could be used as a more convenient, efficient and economical method for the trace analysis of drug in biological fluids, in raw material and tablets.

Purpose: To prepare, using non-solvent addition technique, diclofenac sodium-ethylcellulose microparticles with modified drug release properties. Methods: Microparticles were prepared by non-solvent addition phase separation method and characterized by micromeritics, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), dissolution test and thermal analysis. Results: The microparticles were whitish, irregular, aggregated, and in the size range of 390 - 442 μm size. Drug embedment efficiency was 89 - 91 %. Characterisation studies indicate that there was no strong chemical interaction between the drug and the polymer in the microparticles. Polymer concentration and sustained release behavior were directly proportional. Conclusion: Non-solvent addition phase separation is a suitable method for preparing diclofenac sodium-ethylcellulose multi-unit controlled release drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucopermeating nanoformulations can enhance mucosal penetration of poorly soluble drugs at their target site. In this work, thiolated chitosan (TCS)-lithocholic acid (LA) nanomicelles loaded with β-carotene, a safe phytochemical with anticancer properties, were designed to improve the pharmaceutical and pharmacological drug profile. The TCS-LA nanomicelles were characterized by FTIR to confirm the presence of the thiol group that favors skin adhesion, and to corroborate the conjugation of hydrophobic LA with hydrophilic CS to form an amphiphilic polymer derivative. Their crystalline nature and thermal behavior were investigated by XRD and DSC analyses, respectively. According to DLS and TEM, their average size was <300 nm, and their surface charge was +27.0 mV. β-carotene entrapment and loading efficiencies were 64 % and 58 %, respectively. In vitro mucoadhesion and ex vivo mucopenetration analyses further corroborated the potential of the nanoformulation to deliver the drug in a sustained manner under conditions mimicking cancer micro-environment. Anticancer studies in mice demonstrated that the loaded nanomicelles delayed skin cancer growth, as revealed by both morphological and biochemical parameters. Based on the results obtained herein, it can be concluded that drug-loaded TCS-LA is a novel, stable, effective and safe mucoadhesive formulation of β-carotene for the potential treatment of skin cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The growing popularity and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products among the general public worldwide has been well documented. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions (KAP) of Pakistani healthcare professionals (HCP) toward CAM and to document their views on integrating CAM education with the curriculum of undergraduate health science programs., Method: A cross-sectional study using simple random sampling was conducted for a duration of ten months among HCPs from Pakistan's twin cities: Islamabad and RawalpindiThe data were collected using a self-administered and validated (Cronbach's alpha: 0.71) questionnaire. This questionnaire consisted of five sections, namely; demographic, attitude, perception, integration and knowledge., Result: The response rate was 91.20% (500/456). The participants included 160 physicians, 155 nurses,and 141 pharmacists. The majority of the respondents were females, 67.50%, and unmarried (60.50%).The majority of HCPs participating in this study agreed that CAM modalities may benefit conventional medicine system. Likewise, most HCPs perceived different CAM therapies aseffective treatment options. More than 50% HCPs suggested CAM elective courses in the curriculum of the health sciences program.Overall, 79.17% of the HCPs have poor knowledge of CAM. Physicians have the highest knowledge score 25.63%, followed by pharmacists 21.99%, and nurses 12.26%. Knowledge status was significantly associated with age, profession, and experience of practice (p = 0.001,0.001 & 0.019)., Conclusion: This study revealed that despite the overall positive attitude of HCPs toward CAM, the score of knowledge is low. Therefore, the survey recommends evidence-based guidelines for the rationale use of CAM and updated syllabi of undergraduate health programs which will assist the future HCPs in increasing professionals' knowledge toachieve better health outcomes for the general public., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The emergence of MDR-TB is a global threat and an obstacle to the effective control of TB in Pakistan. A lack of proper TB knowledge among the staff in private pharmacies and the sale of compromised quality anti-TB drugs are the main instigators of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Thus, this study was aimed at investigating the quality and storage conditions of fixed-dose combination (FDC) anti-TB drugs along with the awareness of staff working in private pharmacies regarding the identification of potential patients with TB and dispensing the inappropriate treatment regimens contributing to MDR-TB., Methods: The study is completed in two phases. In phase I a cross-sectional study is performed using two quantitative research designs, i.e., exploratory and descriptive, to evaluate the knowledge of private pharmacy staff. The sample of 218 pharmacies was selected. While in phase II cross sectional survey is conducted in 10 facilities from where FDC anti TB drugs were sampled for analyzing their quality., Result: Results revealed the presence of pharmacists only at 11.5% of pharmacies. Approximately 81% of staff at pharmacies had no awareness of MDR-TB, while 89% of pharmacies had no TB-related informative materials. The staff identified that most of the patients with TB (70%) were of poor socio-economic class, which restricted their purchase of four FDCs only up to 2-3 months. Only 23% were acquainted with the Pakistan National TB Program (NTP). Except for MDR-TB, the results showed a significant correlation between the experiences of staff with TB awareness. Findings from the quality evaluation of four FDC-TB drugs indicated that the dissolution and content assay of rifampicin were not according to the specifications, and overall, 30% of samples failed to comply with specifications. However, the other quality attributes were within the limits., Conclusion: In light of the data, it can be concluded that private pharmacies could be crucial to the effective management of NTP through the timely identification of patients with TB, appropriate disease and therapy-related education and counseling, and proper storage and stock maintenance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Balquis, Sohail, Hamid, Ullah, Khan and Shahnaz.)

Topical treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis holds great promise for decreasing drug associated side effects and improving efficacy. This study was aimed to develop mannosylated thiolated chitosan-coated silver nanoparticles (MTCAg) loaded emulgel for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. MTC-Ag were synthesized via a chemical reduction method and were loaded into the emulgel. The nanoparticles had a zeta potential of +19.8 mV, an average particle size of 115 nm and a narrow polydispersity index of 0.26. In-vitro release profiles showed controlled release of silver ions from both the MTC-Ag and the emulgel-loaded MTC-Ag nanoparticles after 24 h. An ex-vivo retention study indicated 5 times higher retention of silver by the emulgel-loaded MTC-Ag than by the MTC-Ag nanoparticles. The in-vitro anti-leishmanial assay revealed that MTC-Ag had an excellent inhibitory effect on intracellular amastigotes, leading to ~90 % inhibition at the highest concentration tested. A 4-fold reduction in the IC 50 value was found for MTC-Ag compared to blank Ag nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity assay showed 83 % viability of macrophages for MTC-Ag and 30 % for Ag nanoparticles at a concentration of 80 μg/mL, demonstrating the improved biocompatibility of the polymeric nanoparticles. Drug release and retention studies corroborate the great potential of MTC-Ag-loaded emulgel for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The enteric system residing notorious Salmonella typhimurium ( S. typhi ) is an intracellular, food-borne, and zoonotic pathogen causing typhoid fever. Typhoid fever is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in developing and underdeveloped countries. It also increased the prevalence of multidrug resistance globally. Currently, available anti-bacterial modalities are unable to penetrate into the intracellular compartments effectively for eradicating S. typhi infection. Therefore, in this study, we developed nanostructured lipid-based carriers in the form of a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) for targeted delivery of ciprofloxacin (CIP) into the S. typhi intracellular reservoirs. Capryol 90, Tween 80, and Span 20 were finalized as suitable oil, surfactant, and co-surfactant, respectively, according to the pseudoternary phase diagram emulsifying region. Targeting capability and mucopenetration of the SNEDDS was attributed to the inclusion of amidated pluronic (NH 2 -F 127 ). Developed NH 2 -F 127 SNEDDS were characterized via physicochemical, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo evaluation parameters. The size of the SNEDDS was found to be 250 nm, having positively charged zeta potential. In vitro dissolution of SNEDDS showed 80% sustained release of CIP in 72 h with maximum entrapment efficiency up to 90% as well as good hemocompatibility by showing less than 0.2% hemolysis and 90% biocompatibility. The survival rate of S. typhi in macrophages (RAW 264.7) was minimal, i.e., only 2% in the case of NH 2 -F 127 SNEDDS. Macrophage uptake assay via nanostructures confirmed the maximum cellular uptake as evidenced by the highest fluorescence. Biofilm dispersion assay showed rapid eradication of developed resistant biofilms on the gall bladder. In vivo pharmacokinetics showed improved bioavailability by showing an increased area under the curve (AUC) value. Taken together, NH 2 -F 127 -SNEDDS can be utilized as an alternative and efficient delivery system for the sustained release of therapeutic amounts of CIP for the treatment of S. typhi.

Vancomycin (VAN) is an effective antibiotic due to its broad-spectrum bactericidal action. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), a powerful analytical technique is used for the in vitro/ in vivo quantification of VAN. The current study was aimed to detect the VAN from in vitro as well as the plasma after the extraction from blood of rabbits. The method was developed and validated according to International Council on Harmonization (ICH) Q2 R1 guidelines. Results showed that the peak of VAN was recorded at 2.96 and 2.57 min, respectively in vitro and serum. The coefficient of VAN turned out to be >0.9994 each for in vitro and in vivo samples. VAN was found linear in the range of 6.2-25000ng/mL. The values of accuracy and precision in terms of coefficient of variation (CV) were less than 2%, indicating the validity of the method. The values for LOD and LOQ were estimated to be 1.5 and 4.5ng/mL, correspondingly, which were lower than the values calculated from in vitro media. Furthermore, the score of the greenness found out to be 0.81, depicting good score using AGREE tool. It was concluded that the developed method was found accurate, precise, robust, rugged, linear, detectable and quantifiable at prepared analytical concentrations and could be used for in vitro and in vivo VAN determination.

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of pregnant women towards coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)., Methods: This on-site cross-sectional survey was conducted in the antenatal and fetal medicine clinics in a tertiary care hospital in North India. Pregnant women attending the maternal-fetal unit filled out a 31-item questionnaire assessing their KAP towards COVID-19. Correlation between KAP was assessed by using Spearman's rank correlation., Results: Some 302 questionnaires were analyzed: more than 90% of women had correct general knowledge of COVID, but only 12.3% scored 50% or more for pregnancy-related knowledge. Some 67% of women reported more than usual anxiety, and 7.7% reported severe anxiety levels. General knowledge improved with age, education, and occupation but pregnancy-related knowledge and anxiety score were unaffected by these variables., Conclusions: Pregnant women's knowledge of COVID-19 infection, in general, is excellent and they have the correct attitude towards preventive strategies. However, knowledge and attitude towards its effect on pregnancy are limited., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Singh et al.)