The significance of fermentation is gaining more relevance due to the need for better preparation of plants, the desire for better plant constituents, and the aim for the preservation of medicinal plants. Hence, this study sets out to determine and compare the pH, proximate composition, chemical constituents, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects of 3-day and 7-day fermented seeds of Nigella sativa. The fermentation of the seed was done for 3 and 7 days using 2.5% sugar. The pH of the sample declined from 3.5 to 3.45 during the fermentation. The proximate composition (moisture, ash, lipid, protein, and carbohydrates) was higher for the 3-day fermented sample while fiber was higher for the 7-day sample. The phytochemical constituents (tannins, saponins, phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, phytates, oxalates, terpenoids, steroids, and glycosides) were higher for the 3-day than the 7-day sample. The Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry technique showed peaks that were characterized as 17 and 20 constituents on days 3 and 7 of the sample, respectively. The antioxidant capacity (ranging from 35.50% to 82.69% for the 3-day and from 37.50% to 84.99% for the 7-day sample) varies by the increasing concentration (7.81 mg/mL to 1000 mg/mL) of the sample. The diameter of zones of inhibition tested at different concentrations (25 mg/mL, 50 mg/mL, and 100 mg/mL) showed varying degrees of activity against Proteus vulgaris and Staphylococcus aureus. The zones obtained were higher 8-10 mg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and 10-12 mg/mL against Proteus vulgaris for the 7-day fermented sample while 8.0 to 9.0 mg/mL was obtained for the 3-day fermented against Staphylococcus aureus and 8.0 to 10.0 mg/mL against Proteus vulgaris. Overall, the results of this study indicated that fermentation contributed to enhancing the bioactive components and antioxidant capacity of the fermented seeds of N. sativa thereby supporting the use of fermentation in the production of value-added functional foods.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
In these researched analyses of different forging product for controlling the forging waste in forging process. In forging process forging waste are carry with forging operation which identify by parting line of products. Parting which defines the product upper and lower die meshing area. Those extra material are used in forging operation which goes to out side of die that material is called as waste of forging. The foraging waste are not use for further any product manufacturing process for their hardness. There for such waste are to controlled for increasing the product utilization any minimising the production cost. In that paper we concentrate to minimizing waste of forging by amylases of different products.
Abstract: Recent studies on hydrogels have shown them as promising biomaterials for numerous applications involving tissue engineering, drug-screening, drug-delivery, and 3-D bioprinting because they show unique physicochemical properties. The ability of these structures to hold large amounts of water is because of their hydrophilic nature that provides a soft and hydrated environment like natural tissues. This makes them ideal for mimicking the extracellular matrix and supporting cell growth and proliferation. In tissue engineering, hydrogels might be used to create scaffolds that promote cell growth and facilitate tissue regeneration. Hydrogels can also be engineered in such a way that they intimate the mechanical and biochemical in vivo characteristics making them a versatile tool for applications in tissue engineering. Hydrogels are being used in drug screening, as they can be functionalized with different biochemicals in order to match the microenvironment of specific tissues. This allows researchers to study how drugs interact with cells and tissues in-vitro conditions, which can lead to more efficient strategies for drug development. For applications in drug delivery hydrogels are designed to release drugs in a sustainable and controlled way, improving the drug efficacy and reducing the toxicity of drugs. Designing can also be done in a way that they can target specific tissues and cells making them a promising tool for personalized medicine. Hydrogels are being used in 3-D bioprinting, where they serve as bio-inks that can be fabricated into complex structures with high precision. In comparison to conventional technologies, this is a promising technique that allows the construction of complex three-dimensional structures in a sequential manner by a computeraided system. One major challenge in bioprinting is finding such material that is suitable for printing and also satisfies the mechanical strength requisite for tissue engineering applications. That is where hydrogels serve as the most appropriate model and have encouraging or favorable operation potential as cell-affable materials. This technique has revolutionized tissue engineering by allowing researchers to create functional tissues and organoids and spheroids. Overall, hydrogel-based tissue engineering, drug screening, drug delivery, and 3D bioprinting are exciting areas of research with great potential to significantly impact different areas of medicine and biology.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease mainly affects lungs and causes pulmonary tuberculosis. It can also affect intestine, meninges, skin, bones and other tissues of the body. Although the drugs alone can cure TB, it still remains a major public health problem worldwide. The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life and medication adherence in TB patients. The Quality of life was assessed using SF-36 in patients receiving DOTS treatment in initial or continuous phase while the medication adherence was analyzed using Morisky Green Levine Scale. Subjects were also counselled about their disease during their first visit and a follow up was done after a month. A total of 152 subjects were enrolled in the study of which majority of the subjects had Pulmonary TB (55.26%). Diabetes was found to be the most common comorbidity followed by HTN. The average Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental component summary (MCS) were found to be 44.34 and 39.60 respectively. Females had a better quality of life scores compared to males. High adherence was seen in 32.24% of patients while 28.29% had low adherence. Follow up was done for 135 subjects. 15 subjects defaulted and 2 of them died. There was a significant increase in the QoL scores and medication adherence after one month. A significant association was found between the Physical functioning (p=0.001) and emotional wellbeing (p=0.01) with Duration of treatment indicating that subjects who had completed more than one month of their treatment had marked improvement in Physical functioning and emotional well-being scores
Community acquired pneumonia is a prevalent disease in the Emergency Department (ED). The literature reveals that clinical practice could not be related with guidelines recommendations. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of the implementation of the recommendations of the Spanish society of Emergency Medicine in the Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa (Zaragoza) ED in the management of community acquired pneumonia. Use of Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) estimation was used to assess the adherence. This study was carried out from December, 2014 to February, 2015. Data was compared with the previous two months. The indicators management (discharge or admission decision, adequacy and anti-biotherapy) as well as the incidence of PSI estimation before and after the intervention in these parameters were evaluated. 209 patients were included, 97 before the intervention and 112 after the intervention. No significant differences were observed in the calculation of PSI. A significant decrease of admissions was observed after the intervention in the patients in whom the PSI was calculated (68.8% vs. 45.0%, p < 0.05). A greater use of the Observation Room was aimed at those patients in whom the PSI was calculated (06.3% vs. 17.5%, p < 0.05). PSI calculation significantly increased antibiotic prescription adherence (88.9% vs. 75.2%, p < 0.05). There were no modifications in the prescription after the intervention. In conclusion, PSI is a useful and effective measure to achieve a greater adherence to the recommendations. However, despite the positive trend in the use of the PSI and its interpretation, a low-intensity intervention is not sufficient to generalize its use.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Compliance with pharmacological therapy is the primary key to treating diabetes, but it has not received full attention from clinicians. Several systematic reviews of compliance factors have been conducted in several regions of the country. However, it does not feature studies from Indonesia. This study aims to systematically review the factors that can influence adherence to diabetes mellitus (DM) medication in Indonesia. A systematic literature review was conducted by searching the National (Garuda and Sinta) and International (PubMed and Science Direct) journal databases. Research that met the inclusion criteria was published from January 2011 to December 2020. The quality of the study was assessed using the SQAT guidelines. The research reporting method uses the PRISMA guidelines. Compliance factors are classified based on the domain of compliance factors, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A total of 370 scientific research articles from the Garuda database (n=36); Science Direct (n = 108); PubMed (n = 18); Sinta (n= 208). Three hundred forty-one research articles were excluded, 29 full-text screening articles, and 16 research articles met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Factors that influence adherence to taking diabetes medication are social and economic (income, education level, and occupation), factors of personnel and health systems (health workers), factors of patient therapy (amount of diabetes medication, frequency of taking medication, and drug products), factors patient's disease (blood sugar levels, disease duration), patient factors (gender, emotional factors, social support, level of knowledge, and treatment satisfaction), and disease management factors (pharmacy counseling and education). Factors that influence adherence to taking DM medication in Indonesia are very diverse and are multi-factor. These factors can serve as relevant intervention targets. Clinicians must consider adjusting the frequency of taking medication and providing social support to DM patients.
Financial literacy education is a lifelong asset that every individual needs to function and fit well in modern-day society. It provides the financially savvy better decision making, best investment alternatives and family wellbeing. Unfortunately, most consumers especially in this part of our world appear relatively less active and less confident in participating meaningfully in the financial sector due to a lack of knowledge about the complex nature of financial products and services and indeed the risk that goes with them. As a contribution in addressing this problem, this study looked at financial literacy education and its implication on the economic and social life of the teacher in the Upper East Region of Ghana. With a descriptive survey design, 118 participants responded to questionnaires. Results showed low levels of financial literacy among participants which can negatively affect their daily financial management. It is therefore definite that the financially literate has the advantage to undertake prudent alternative investment decisions and is able to make informed retirement planning. Being financially illiterate adversely affects one’s life in relation to the culture of savings, expenditure pattern, investment decisions and budgeting skills, making the individual economically insecure. The study has policy frontier implications; policymakers in the financial sector, governments, non-governmental organisations and equity owners are encouraged to come to the aid of consumers, especially teachers, by way of introducing professional teacher development programmes specifically tailored at uplifting their financial literacy knowledge and skills.
Fresh water crab was exposed in fluoride water at 96h the rate of oxygen uptake was higher in gills followed by hepatopancreas and muscle. On exposure to fluoride water, tissue respiratory rates decreased, effect on gill tissue appeared to be more pronounced than other tissues under the study. The rate of oxygen uptake in male was higher tha control animal. Rate of oxygen consumption showed a significant decrease in both sexes with increase in duration of exposure to fluoride.
This study was conducted to optimize the integration of solar-photovoltaic-distributed energy resources (SPVDERs) within the Nigerian power system networks using an AI-based Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) Algorithm. By employing a mixed research method, primary and secondary data were gathered to calculate flow analysis, NR method's equations, PSO's position update model, particle swarm optimizer algorithm, and application modeling including Solar-PV DER modeling. The AI-based PSO algorithm design was developed for optimizing SPV-DER integration in Nigerian power system networks, and key parameters and variables that needed consideration were identified. The study also established how the performance of the AI-based PSO algorithm could be evaluated and compared with other optimization techniques for SPV-DER integration within Nigerian power system networks. The study's results showed that voltage limits were within acceptable ranges, and solar power contributions were estimated at 880.10MW with 46,718 panels needed. The study concluded and recommended that investing in AI-powered tools for efficient power distribution; monitoring and resource optimization for sustainable energy sources would optimize performance and unleash Nigeria's sustainable energy potential.
India is not known as a country to be in for a bisexual person. Homosexual acts even within wedlock are a punishable offence in India. Legal battles over provisions in the Indian Penal Code which criminalizes any sexual act “against the order of nature” are rife. Even though Kerala has been hailed as a paradox inside India (mainly due to its human development parameters), the social, cultural and legal environment in the state is hostile to individuals who question hetero-normativity. Non-judgemental and unbiased scientific therapy or counselling are seldom available to sexual minorities. This paper is an attempt to map the experiences of a female who is openly bisexual, and is living in Kerala. An ethnographic interview was conducted where the experiences of the participant are explored, from the relationship dynamics as seen by her, to sexual experiences and difficulties in relationships. A reference is also made to the personal and social support systems that are in place for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community in Kerala and their role in initiating discourses regarding the topic. A few pointers for future studies in the topic, especially within the context of Kerala are also put forward.
Plants produce a diverse range of bioactive compounds making them rich source of different types of medicines. The plants are mostly cultivated for decoration and to enhance the appearance of houses, gardens, road sides, and also for commercial purposes such as floral decorations in form of bouquet. They are also source of fragrant oils for perfume making and cosmetic. However only very few of these plant species have found to be used in medicine and little or no literature exit on their chemical and biological activities. Araucaria columnaris is an ornamental plant, commonly known as Christmas tree, belonging to the family Araucariaceae. Plant resin was used for the present study, antibacterial activity and GC-MS analysis of Araucaria columnaris resin was carried out. The resin was subjected to solvent extraction using decreasing polarity solvents (aqueous, methanol, ethyl acetate and benzene). TLC profiling of all the extracts gives an idea about the presence of various phytochemicals and its fractions were checked for antibacterial activity against major clinical pathogens. It was found that fraction 4 (F4) of methanolic extact showed maximum zone of inhibition against Gram positive organisms. This fraction was subjected to GC-MS analysis; the result revealed the presence of a board range of many medicinal compounds and antioxidant activity of resin of Araucaria columnaris were identified.
Obesity is a complex and challenging global public health concern. It is a major disease involving excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Obesity is dangerous and has been related to a range of long-term health issues that can impact adults and children. According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people worldwide are obese as of March 2022. In the Libyan situation, the prevalence of obesity has increased among the public over the last decade. This cross-sectional survey-based study is conducted by using self-structured designed questionnaire to evaluate the use of anti-obesity drugs and herbal products among Libyan people. Additionally, considered as an indirect method, pharmacist performance in obesity management was also evaluated. The investigators collected interview data from three different cities in the Northwest of Libya over a period of five months, 2019. A total of 170 participants who use weight loss products were randomly selected to participate in the study after obtaining their verbal consent. The participants' experience with weight reduction agents revealed that more than half of the participants (52.3%) used herbal products while 32.0% of the participants have used drugs of chemical origin and 15.6% have used both (herbal and drugs). The majority of the participants (91.4%) used these products without medical consultation which in turn led to failure to lose and maintain weight with 74.2% gaining weight after stopping using these products. In conclusion, poor pharmacist intervention in obesity management was revealed where the majority of the participants reported that Libyan community pharmacists had not been offering weight management services, monitoring weight loss progress, or explaining the risks of being overweight or obese.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Creativity is regarded as one of the most complex of human behaviors. It can be influenced by a wide array of social, developmental and educational experience that leads to creativity in different ways in a variety of fields (Runco & Sakamoto, 1999). Opinions about the origin of creativity vary, and none of them explains the creative process completely. Creativity can be seen as the following: a divine quality, serendipitous activity, ‘planned luck’, endurance and ‘method’ (Cook, 1998a: p.6). Petrowski (2000: p.305) stated that “creativity research belongs to the baby-boom generation, beginning in earnest when Guilford directed the American Psychological Association in his 1950 presidential address to focus on this important but neglected area”. The existence of creativity as a modern term emerged from the results of the pioneering efforts of Guilford (1950) and Torrance (1962, 1974). Guilford and Torrance were psychometric theorists and they attempted to measure creativity from a psychometric viewpoint (Sternberg, 2006).
Background: Prescribing patterns in systemic hypertension vary from place to place. Studies have shown that cost could be one of the factors responsible for non-adherence to treatment among hypertensive patients. Nigerian pharmacoeconomics studies have not provided a general guide on cost-effective prescribing for hypertensive patients in the country. The aim of the study was to examine the prescribing patterns, do cost effectiveness and cost minimisation analyses of the commonly prescribed antihypertensives, and determine if cost is a major reason many of the hypertensive patients of the District Hospital are usually lost to follow up. Methods: 5267 adult (≥18 years) non-antenatal patients’ cards of 2016 were reviewed for hypertension. Examination of the prescriptions, cost-effectiveness and cost-minimisation analyses of the commonly prescribed antihypertensives were done. Results: 12.6% of the patients were hypertensive. 73% of these hypertensive patients were treated pharmacologically. 40.8% adhered to treatment. 73% of the adherent ones responded to treatment. Amlodipine was the most expensive prescribed antihypertensive (N22). Amiloride-hydrochlorothiazide with the largest cost effectiveness ratio (CER) (9) was the most cost effective of all the combinations. Lisinopril- hydrochlorothiazide (N17) was preferable to the triple combination of lisinopril-amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide (N39), and amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide (N32) in cost minimisation. Conclusions: Cost of drugs probably had played a significant role in non-adherence to treatment among hypertensive patients in the District Hospital in 2016, since moduretic with the largest CER (9) and nifedipine with the greatest BP reduction when combined with hydrochlorothiazide (56/22 mm Hg) were rarely prescribed.
The purpose of this meta-methods study (i.e., involving the full[er] integration of multiple methods research approaches and mixed methods research approaches) was to examine challenges experienced by students at Stellenbosch University that hinder their ability successfully to learn online during the emergency remote teaching that began in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, 1,932 students completed an online questionnaire. Analyses of the open-ended responses via WordStat 8.0.29 topic modeling (i.e., crossover mixed analysis) led to the identification of seven (challenge) themes that categorised the students’ challenges. In turn, via a principal component analysis of the themes (i.e., crossover mixed analysis), these seven themes were collapsed into four dimensions (i.e., meta-themes). A latent class analysis (i.e., qualitizing) yielded seven profiles of students. Disaggregating the themes by demographic and location variables led to the identification of subgroups who are most at risk for experiencing each challenge type. Implications of these and other findings are discussed.
Influenza A virus presents a significant public health burden worldwide, with the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic being the most dramatic example. Swine influenza viruses can be transmitted to humans through occupational exposures and in live pig markets. Novel variants can emerge in pigs because they can be infected by human, avian and swine strains. This study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence and serotypes of swine influenza in pigs from a major slaughter slab in southern Kaduna. Using competitive ELISA and haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) assays, 305 swine sera were analysed. The result showed an overall seroprevalence of 28.20% (n=86), with H3N2 7.87% (n=24) emerging as the most dominant subtype in circulation. Concurrent antibody detection of H1N1 in 5.26% (n=16) was also detected in boar 2.62% (n=8) and sows 2.62% (n=8). This study revealed swine Influenza H1N1 and H3N2 serotypes are in circulation in pigs in Kaduna State, and that reassortment in the instance of co-infection of swine host is possible.
During this research work, a theoretical study was done to compare the boiler efficiency by using two different fuels, i.e. commercial sawdust briquette and biomass briquette prepared using 850 μ coconut leaves, with sawdust as the binder. For preparing the biomass briquettes to leave of coconut were gathered, dried, milled, and sieved and sizes of 850μ were selected. The sized coconut leaves were then mixed in the company of sawdust that worked as a binder in 1:2 ratios, and compressed by means of a piston-type briquette machine, which was fabricated for the same. Ultimate and proximate analyses were carried out on the biomass briquette to determine their various compositions. Results from analysis were used to calculate the boiler efficiency by the indirect method using Indian Standard Boiler Efficiency IS 8753. Results from the analysis showed that boiler efficiency by indirect method for commercial sawdust briquette is 68.80% and boiler efficiency by indirect method for coconut leaves of 850μ, with sawdust as a binder is 61.17%. The reason for higher boiler efficiency for commercial sawdust briquette is due to its higher calorific value (4451.37KCal/gm) when compared to that coconut leaves briquette made from 850μ size with sawdust as a binder (3672.45KCal/gm). From proximate and ultimate analysis, the results showed a reduction in ash content percentage, moisture content, and rise in volatile matter percentage, when the comparison was along with the marketable sawdust briquette, which is of considerable significance. Additional properties akin to the percentage of hydrogen, fixed carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen were roughly the same as that of the commercially available sawdust briquettes. After calculating the boiler efficiency of the two biomass briquettes, coconut leaves with sawdust as binder exhibited the most optimistic trait and as it is more easily and readily available, thus making it more economically viable.
Pain according to WHO has been one of the greatest issues to plague man, in the bid to handle this issue of pain, man has sought to look for other means to reduce pain to its bare minimum. This study is aimed at investigating the analgesic activity of the methanolic extract of the African weaver ant using acetic acid-induced writhing, hot plate method, and formalin-induced pain models in Swiss mice. In the acetic acid test, the methanolic extract of Oecophylla longinoda (OL) was administered orally at 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight while aspirin was administered at 100 mg/kg and tween 80 served as standards. In the hot plate and formalin models, the extract was administered orally at two doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg while pentazocine at 10 mg/kg and tween 80 at 10 mg/kg served as standards. The methanolic extract of OL exhibited significant analgesic activity in all the models, with none less than the standard significant difference (p < 0.05) by increasing the reaction time of the mice after treatment in comparison to the control. The 400 mg/kg extract in the acetic acid-induced writhing response has a percentage inhibition of 52.7%, which shows how well the extract inhibits pain in mice. The methanolic extract significantly reduced pain response in mice, with a p-value of 0.03, 0.02, and 0.001 in all the test models, respectively. OL increased the pain threshold over time and significantly reduced the writhing response that mice experience from acetic acid. Furthermore, pretreatment with OL significantly and dose-dependently decreased the early and late phases of formalin-induced pain in mice. Thus, these findings suggest that the methanolic extract of OL acts on central and peripheral pain pathways.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Analgesic activity on two Cleome scaposa and Cleome brachycarpa by applying pressure-induced pain model
Considering the site (habitat) specific variations in the metabolic activities in the freshwater bivalves, we reported here the changes in the rate of oxygen consumption, rate of ammonia excretion and O: N ratio in the freshwater bivalve mollusc, Lamellidens marginalis (Lamark) from lotic and lentic water habitats on April-May during summer season. The adult freshwater bivalves, Lamellidens marginalis (82-84 mm shell length) from lotic and lentic water near Jayakwadi dam on Godavari river was selected for determination of rate of oxygen consumption, rate of ammonia excretion and O: N ratio. The adult bivalves from lotic water habitat showed high rate of oxygen consumption and low rate of ammonia excretion. The O: N ratio showed higher values in bivalves collected from lotic water than lentic water during summer season. The results of study are discussed in the light of possible physiological processes in freshwater bivalve molluscs.