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1.
Cureus ; 16(3): e56093, 2024 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38618353

RESUMO

Even though immunization can prevent illness, diphtheria, which is caused by toxic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae, remains a serious public health risk. Although the worldwide incidence has declined, it still poses a serious hazard in developing countries, such as Pakistan, where new data suggest an increase in cases. A significant proportion of patients with respiratory diphtheria experience cardiac complications, specifically myocarditis, which carries a high death risk of 50% to 75%. The diphtheria toxin's affinity for cardiac tissues is the cause of these consequences, which include arrhythmias and myocardial dysfunction. Recent studies from Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar show the seriousness of the situation, with 73 patients presenting with cardiac complications in just one year, resulting in a devastating fatality rate despite early management. This highlights the pressing need for increased awareness and all-encompassing immunization campaigns, particularly for children who have received insufficient vaccinations. Timely vaccination and booster doses are critical for reducing myocarditis-related mortality, mandating prioritizing immunization efforts to defend susceptible populations globally.

2.
Cureus ; 16(3): e56069, 2024 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38618403

RESUMO

Spinal anesthesia is one of the most widely used techniques in modern anesthesia practice. It involves the injection of local anesthetic drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the subarachnoid space. The choice of drug, its concentration, and baricity play a crucial role in determining the characteristics of the spinal block and has evolved over the years with continuous advancements in drug formulations and administration methods. Spinal anesthesia with hypobaric drugs represents a valuable technique in the armamentarium of anesthesiologists, offering distinct advantages in terms of targeted action, reduced systemic toxicity, and enhanced hemodynamic stability. This review aims to scan the characteristics of hypobaric drugs, factors influencing their spread within the spinal canal, challenges associated with their use, clinical applications in various surgical scenarios, and potential implications for patient outcomes and healthcare practice. PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant articles and a total of 23 relevant articles were selected for the review based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Hypobaric drugs have many advantages in high-risk morbidly ill patients for some select surgical procedures and daycare surgeries. The concentration and volume of hypobaric drugs need to be selected according to the extensiveness of the surgery and the desired block can be achieved by giving spinal injection in specific positions. The dynamic field of anesthesiology encompasses the integration of emerging technologies and evidence-based practices, which will contribute to further refining the safety and efficacy of spinal anesthesia with hypobaric drugs.

3.
Arch Gynecol Obstet ; 2024 Apr 16.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38625543

RESUMO

Gynecological health remains a critical aspect of women's overall well-being, with profound implications for maternal and reproductive outcomes. This comprehensive review synthesizes the current state of knowledge on four pivotal aspects of gynecological health: preterm birth, breast cancer and cervical cancer and infertility treatment. Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a transformative technology with the potential to revolutionize gynecology and women's healthcare. The subsets of AI, namely, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods, have aided in detecting complex patterns from huge datasets and using such patterns in making predictions. This paper investigates how machine learning (ML) algorithms are employed in the field of gynecology to tackle crucial issues pertaining to women's health. This paper also investigates the integration of ultrasound technology with artificial intelligence (AI) during the initial, intermediate, and final stages of pregnancy. Additionally, it delves into the diverse applications of AI throughout each trimester.This review paper provides an overview of machine learning (ML) models, introduces natural language processing (NLP) concepts, including ChatGPT, and discusses the clinical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in gynecology. Additionally, the paper outlines the challenges in utilizing machine learning within the field of gynecology.

5.
Drugs Aging ; 2024 Apr 02.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38564165

RESUMO

PURPOSE: Statins medications negatively affect age-associated loss of muscle mass and strength, termed sarcopenia, and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) integrity. However, their association with the sarcopenia-related-quality-of-life (SarQoL) is unknown. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, case control study, we recruited male nonusers (n = 75 and age 75.2 ± 5.9 years) and users (n = 77 and age 77.1 ± 6.2 years) of statins to evaluate SarQoL and handgrip strength (HGS). We also measured plasma C-terminal agrin fragment-22 (CAF22) as a marker of NMJ degradation. RESULTS: Statin users had higher CAF22, and lower HGS, and cumulative SarQoL scores than non-users (all p < 0.05). Plasma CAF22 exhibited negative correlations with SarQoL scores for physical and mental health, locomotion, functionality, activities-of-daily-living, and cumulative SarQoL in statins users and non-users (all p < 0.05). Lastly, the cumulative SarQoL scores exhibited positive associations with HGS and gait speed in the study participants (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, statin usage was associated with NMJ degradation and reduced SarQoL. Statins should be cautiously prescribed in patients with sarcopenia with reduced QoL.

6.
Heliyon ; 10(6): e27831, 2024 Mar 30.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38560687

RESUMO

This study aims to analyze the role of green transformational leadership and human resource management in organizational performance with the mediating effect of green innovation. The study also proposes the moderating role of commitment to management change. The study used a quantitative research method with a random sampling technique and surveyed 235 managers from the Cement industry across Pakistan. The statistical techniques used to assess the study's hypotheses were partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and SPSS. The findings show that green transformational leadership and HRM positively impact organizational performance, with green innovation partially mediating effect. Furthermore, affective commitment to management change strongly moderates the relationship between green innovation and organizational performance. In addition, the proposed relationship is based on the resource-based view (RBV) theory. Therefore, Managers and executives should adopt green principles and practices and build an environmentally friendly culture that encourages employees to engage in green behaviors and activities to improve organizational performance. To successfully implement green practices in a developing country like Pakistan, the Cement sector must understand how the cement industry improves its performance and whether employees demonstrate green innovation.

7.
Cureus ; 16(3): e55753, 2024 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38586741

RESUMO

Introduction Cerebral palsy (CP) characterizes a range of permanent, nonprogressive symptoms of postural and motor dysfunction caused by an insult to the developing central nervous system in a fetus or an infant. CP manifests early in life, often within the first two to three years of age. CP is associated with poor growth, that is the deviation from the normal growth parameters. The prevalence of CP ranges from 2.0 to 3.5 per 1000 live births in high-income countries which is comparable to the estimates from low-income countries. Antenatal and perinatal insults are among the most commonly reported causes of CP; however, a large number of cases do not have an identifiable etiology of CP. The current study aims to examine the relationship between malnutrition and gross motor function in children with CP. Materials and Methods This study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nehru Hospital, Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, Gorakhpur (UP) over a period of one year (August 2020 to July 2021) after obtaining ethical clearance from the College Research Council. Children of age 1-15 years with CP attending the pediatric outpatient and inpatient departments were enrolled as the study participants after obtaining informed consent from a legal guardian. Assessment of motor function was done using the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS). Associations of malnutrition across levels of gross motor function were tested using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test whichever was applicable. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 as significant. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Result We analyzed 110 children with a diagnosis of CP (median age 6.5 years, interquartile range (IQR) 4.4-9.0 years). The majority (65/110; 59%) of the patients were male, and 68 (61.8%) delivered at term gestation. The most common presenting symptom among children with CP was seizures (79/110; 72.3%), the second most common being delayed milestones among 73 (66.8%), followed by difficulty in breathing among 63 (57.5%). The association between the anthropometric index of participants and GMFCS was found to be highly significant. Conclusion Most CP patients were facing gross motor disturbances. Spastic type of CP was most frequent, and more than half of the patients experienced feeding difficulty. A statistically significant association was found between gross motor functioning and the prevalence of malnutrition and stunting.

8.
Indian Pediatr ; 61(4): 370-374, 2024 Apr 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38597102

RESUMO

Mumps is a global public health problem caused by mumps virus, a member of paramyxoviridae family. MMR (Mumps, Measles, Rubella), an effective vaccine, has been incorporated into routine immunization schedules in over 100 countries. On the contrary, in India, vaccine against mumps has not been included in the routine immunization schedule as mumps is still not viewed as a significant public health problem by the government to warrant such an intervention. An increasing number of mumps outbreaks being reported from many parts of the country in the recent past, is matter of concern. The current paper reviews the situation of mumps in India including the recent surge, and discusses the remedial measures to contain these outbreaks. We conclude that inclusion of Mumps component as MMR vaccine in the Universal Immunization Programme of India along with strengthening surveillance is required to tackle the situation.


Assuntos
Sarampo , Caxumba , Rubéola (Sarampo Alemão) , Humanos , Lactente , Caxumba/epidemiologia , Caxumba/prevenção & controle , Sarampo/epidemiologia , Rubéola (Sarampo Alemão)/epidemiologia , Vacina contra Sarampo-Caxumba-Rubéola , Índia/epidemiologia , Anticorpos Antivirais
9.
Trials ; 25(1): 228, 2024 Apr 02.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38566197

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Two million people in the UK are living with or beyond cancer and a third of them report poor quality of life (QoL) due to problems such as fatigue, fear of cancer recurrence, and concerns about returning to work. We aimed to develop and evaluate an intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), suited to address the concerns of cancer survivors and in improving their QoL. We also recognise the importance of exercise and vocational activity on QoL and therefore will integrate options for physical activity and return to work/vocational support, thus ACT Plus (+). METHODS: We will conduct a multi-centre, pragmatic, theory driven, randomised controlled trial. We will assess whether ACT+ including usual aftercare (intervention) is more effective and cost-effective than usual aftercare alone (control). The primary outcome is QoL of participants living with or beyond cancer measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: General scale (FACT-G) at 52 weeks. We will recruit 344 participants identified from secondary care sites who have completed hospital-based treatment for cancer with curative intent, with low QoL (determined by the FACT-G) and randomise with an allocation ratio of 1:1 to the intervention or control. The intervention (ACT+) will be delivered by NHS Talking Therapies, specialist services, and cancer charities. The intervention consists of up to eight sessions at weekly or fortnightly intervals using different modalities of delivery to suit individual needs, i.e. face-to-face sessions, over the phone or skype. DISCUSSION: To date, there have been no robust trials reporting both clinical and cost-effectiveness of an ACT based intervention for people with low QoL after curative cancer treatment in the UK. We will provide high quality evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding ACT+ to usual aftercare provided by the NHS. If shown to be effective and cost-effective then commissioners, providers and cancer charities will know how to improve QoL in cancer survivors and their families. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN: ISRCTN67900293 . Registered on 09 December 2019. All items from the World Health Organization Trial Registration Data Set for this protocol can be found in Additional file 2 Table S1.


Assuntos
Terapia de Aceitação e Compromisso , Neoplasias , Humanos , Qualidade de Vida , Assistência ao Convalescente , Sobreviventes , Análise Custo-Benefício , Neoplasias/terapia , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto , Estudos Multicêntricos como Assunto
10.
Inorg Chem ; 63(15): 7019-7033, 2024 Apr 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38557101

RESUMO

The creation of two-dimensional van der Waals (VDW) heterostructures is a sophisticated approach to enhancing photocatalytic efficiency. However, challenges in electron transfer at the interfaces often arise in these heterostructures due to the varied structures and energy barriers of the components involved. This study presents a novel method for constructing a VDW heterostructure by inserting a phosphate group between copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and boron-doped, nitrogen-deficient graphitic carbon nitride (BCN), referred to as Cu/PO4-BCN. This phosphate group serves as a charge mediator, enabling effective charge transfer within the heterostructure, thus facilitating electron flow from BCN to CuPc upon activation. As a result, the photogenerated electrons are effectively utilized by the catalytic Cu2+ core in CuPc, achieving a conversion efficiency of 96% for benzyl alcohol (BA) and a selectivity of 98.8% for benzyl aldehyde (BAD) in the presence of oxygen as the sole oxidant and under illumination. Notably, the production rate of BAD is almost 8 times higher than that observed with BCN alone and remains stable over five cycles. The introduction of interfacial mediators to enhance electron transfer represents a pioneering and efficient strategy in the design of photocatalysts, enabling the proficient transformation of BA into valuable derivatives.

11.
Cureus ; 16(2): e54702, 2024 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38524035

RESUMO

Objective The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of the clinical spectrum of diseases in patients with macrocytosis and to summarize the diagnostic evaluation of patients found to have macrocytosis on laboratory testing. Background This was a cross-sectional study that took place at the Department of Medicine in Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January to June 2023. Methodology One hundred and five patients with macrocytosis with mean corpuscular volume (MCV) values > 100 fL (80 to 100 fL) were inducted as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Informed consent was obtained from all patients. Complete blood counts (CBC), peripheral blood film, serum vitamin B12 levels, serum folate levels, renal function tests (RFTs), liver function tests (LFTs), and thyroid function tests (TFTs) were performed during the assessment. Results The commonest cause of macrocytosis was vitamin B12 deficiency followed by folate deficiency, combined vitamin B12 and folate deficiency, and other causes were also found in a few cases. Conclusion Serum vitamin B12 and folate deficiency are the most common preventable causes of macrocytosis.

12.
Front Nutr ; 11: 1365282, 2024.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38515524

RESUMO

In this study, the antimicrobial mechanism of plasma-activated water (PAW) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and the effectiveness of PAW in artificially contaminated Litopenaeus vannamei were investigated. The results demonstrated a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in viable counts of V. parahaemolyticus with increasing plasma discharge time (5, 10, 20, and 30 min) and PAW immersion time (3, 5, 10, 20, and 30 s). Specifically, the count of V. parahaemolyticus decreased by 2.1, 2.7, 3.3, and 4.4 log CFU/mL after exposed to PAW 5, PAW 10, PAW 20, and PAW 30 for 30 s, respectively. Significant cell surface wrinkling, accompanied by notable nucleic acid and protein leakage were observed after treatment with PAW. The permeability of the inner and outer cell membranes was significantly increased (p < 0.05), along with an increase in electrical conductivity (p < 0.05). The reactive oxygen species (ROS) within V. parahaemolyticus cells were significantly increased (p < 0.05), while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and the relative expression of the ompW, emrD, and luxS genes were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). A reduction number of 1.3, 1.8, 2.1, and 2.2 log CFU/g of V. parahaemolyticus in artificially contaminated L. vannamei was obtained with PAW for 5 min. The study elucidated that PAW could destroy cell membranes, leading to cell death. The findings would strengthen strategies for V. parahaemolyticus control and provide a potential application of PAW for preserving aquatic products.

13.
Sensors (Basel) ; 24(6)2024 Mar 16.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38544172

RESUMO

Physical exercise affects many facets of life, including mental health, social interaction, physical fitness, and illness prevention, among many others. Therefore, several AI-driven techniques have been developed in the literature to recognize human physical activities. However, these techniques fail to adequately learn the temporal and spatial features of the data patterns. Additionally, these techniques are unable to fully comprehend complex activity patterns over different periods, emphasizing the need for enhanced architectures to further increase accuracy by learning spatiotemporal dependencies in the data individually. Therefore, in this work, we develop an attention-enhanced dual-stream network (PAR-Net) for physical activity recognition with the ability to extract both spatial and temporal features simultaneously. The PAR-Net integrates convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and echo state networks (ESNs), followed by a self-attention mechanism for optimal feature selection. The dual-stream feature extraction mechanism enables the PAR-Net to learn spatiotemporal dependencies from actual data. Furthermore, the incorporation of a self-attention mechanism makes a substantial contribution by facilitating targeted attention on significant features, hence enhancing the identification of nuanced activity patterns. The PAR-Net was evaluated on two benchmark physical activity recognition datasets and achieved higher performance by surpassing the baselines comparatively. Additionally, a thorough ablation study was conducted to determine the best optimal model for human physical activity recognition.


Assuntos
Aprendizado de Máquina , Redes Neurais de Computação , Humanos , Atividades Humanas , Reconhecimento Psicológico , Exercício Físico
14.
Int J Biol Macromol ; 266(Pt 1): 130912, 2024 Mar 20.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38513896

RESUMO

Patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa) are more likely to develop bone metastases. Tumor cells thrive in the bone microenvironment, interacting with osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Given the PI3K/AKT pathway's metastatic potential and signal integration's ability to modulate cell fates in PCa development, drugs targeting this system have great therapeutic promise. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an anti-malarial medication commonly used to treat clinical conditions such as rheumatology and infectious disorders. We explored the anti-neoplastic effect of HCQ on PC3 and C4-2B cell lines in the bone microenvironment. Interestingly, HCQ treatment substantially decreases the viability, proliferation, and migration potential of PCa cells in the bone microenvironment. HCQ induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, even in the presence of osteoblast-secreted factors. Mechanistically, HCQ inhibited the activity of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which ultimately regulates the proliferation and migration of PCa cells in the bone. The binding energy for docking HCQ with PI3K was -6.7 kcal/mol, and the complex was stabilized by hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic forces, and van der Waals forces. Molecular simulations further validated the structural integrity of the HCQ-PI3K complex without altering PI3K's secondary structure. Our findings underscore the efficacy of HCQ as a potential therapeutic agent in treating PCa.

15.
Talanta ; 273: 125834, 2024 Jun 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38479031

RESUMO

In recent years, the conventional preparation of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) has attracted much attention due to their ultra-small size, tunable fluorescence, easy-to-engineer, as well as biocompatible material. Moreover, its great affinity towards cytosine bases on single-stranded DNA has led to the construction of biosensors, especially aptamers, for a broad variety of applications in food safety and environmental protection. In past years, numerous researchers paid attention to the construction of AgNCs aptasensor. Therefore, this review will be an effort to summarize the synthetic strategy along with the influences of factors on synthesis, categorize the sensing mechanism of aptamer-functionalized AgNCs biosensors, as well as their specific applications in food safety detection including heavy metal, toxin, and foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, a brief conclusion and outlook regarding the prospects and challenges of their applications in food safety were drawn in line with the developments in DNA-AgNCs.


Assuntos
Aptâmeros de Nucleotídeos , Técnicas Biossensoriais , Nanopartículas Metálicas , Prata , DNA , Espectrometria de Fluorescência , Corantes Fluorescentes
16.
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces ; 237: 113841, 2024 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38492412

RESUMO

Geraniol (Ger) is an essential oil molecule with excellent biological activity. High hydrophobicity and volatility limit its practical application. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are water-soluble cyclic oligosaccharides with hydrophobic cavities. Physical encapsulation of CDs to improve the solubility and stability of essential oil molecules is not satisfactory. Therefore, this study synthesized the γ-CD derivative (γ-CD-Ger) by grafting Ger onto γ-CD using a bromide-mediated method. Compared to the inclusion complexes (γ-CD/Ger) formed by both, the derivatives exhibit better solubility and thermal stability. The derivative has better antibacterial activity when the ratio of γ-CD to Ger was 1:2. In addition, the derivatives did not exhibit cytotoxic and hemolytic properties. These results indicate that this research provides a water-soluble antibacterial agent with a wide range of promising applications and offers new ideas for the application of alcohol hydrophobic molecules in aqueous systems.


Assuntos
Monoterpenos Acíclicos , Ciclodextrinas , Óleos Voláteis , gama-Ciclodextrinas , gama-Ciclodextrinas/farmacologia , gama-Ciclodextrinas/química , Solubilidade , Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Ciclodextrinas/farmacologia , Ciclodextrinas/química , Água/química
17.
J Colloid Interface Sci ; 661: 544-563, 2024 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38308894

RESUMO

The realization of 2D/2D Van der Waals (VDW) heterojunctions represents an advanced approach to achieving superior photocatalytic efficiency. However, electron transfer through Van der Waals heterojunctions formed via ex-situ assembly encounters significant challenges at the interface due to contrasting morphologies and potential barriers among the nanocomposite substituents. Herein, a novel approach is presented, involving the insertion of a phosphate group between copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and B-doped and N-deficient g-C3N4 (BDCNN), to design and construct a Van der Waals heterojunction labeled as xCu[acs]/yP-BDCNN. The introduction of phosphate as a charge modulator and efficient conduit for charge transfer within the heterojunction resulted in the elimination of spatial barriers and induced electron movement from BDCNN to CuPc in the excited states. Consequently, the catalytic central Cu2+ in CuPc captured the photoelectrons, leading to the conversion of CO2 to C2H4, CO and CH4. Remarkably, this approach resulted in a 78-fold enhancement in photocatalytic efficiency compared to pure BDCNN. Moreover the findings confirm that the 2D-2D 4Cu[acs]/9P-BDCNN sheet-like heterojunction effectively boosts photocatalytic activity for persistent pollutants such as methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB), and tetracycline antibiotics (TCs). The introduction of "interfacial interacting" substances to establish an electron transfer pathway presents a novel and effective strategy for designing photocatalysts capable of efficiently reducing CO2 into valuable products.

18.
Saudi J Biol Sci ; 31(4): 103962, 2024 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38419820

RESUMO

The control of infections is one of the key strategies to treat cuts, wounds, lung, and skin infections. In this study the folkloric use of Rumex dentatus (R. dentatus) roots in the mentioned conditions was scientifically investigated. The methanolic (MeOH) crude extract of R. dentatus root was fractionated (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and water) via bioassay-guided method, and its antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion and Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays against clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The antibiofilm activity was measured using the crystal violet staining method. The crude extract, fractions and sub-fractions tested showed the MICs values ranging from 200 to 1000 µg/mL respectively. Among the fractions, notably, the water fraction exhibited the highest activity against P. aeruginosa. The water fraction was then subjected to thin layer chromatography (TLC). Following spectrometric analysis using HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS, gallic acid and emodin were identified as the primary components within the same fraction, responsible for eliciting antibacterial and antibiofilm effects. The in-silico studies conducted with AutoDock Vina on the LasR protein, using both isolated gallic acid and emodin, confirm the binding affinity of these molecules to the active sites of the LasR protein that has regulatory role in building of biofilm formation and its pathogenicity. By scientifically validating the infection-controlling properties of R. dentatus, this research provides compelling evidence that supports its traditional use as reported in folklore. Moreover, this study contributes to our understanding of the plant's potential in managing infections, thereby substantiating its traditional therapeutic application in a scientific context.

19.
Heliyon ; 10(3): e25284, 2024 Feb 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38322847

RESUMO

Ustukhuddus (Lavandula stoechas L.) has been extensively used orally and topically in treating various neurological disorders, including dementia. The optimum potential of traditional dosage forms of Ustukhuddus is limited for various reasons. Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) is a novel means of drug delivery and is known to overcome the drawbacks associated with traditional dosage forms. The current study aimed at fabricating and evaluating Ustukhuddus hydro-alcoholic extract (UHAE) and essential oil (UEO) loaded matrix-type transdermal patches having a combination of hydrophilic - hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and hydrophobic - ethyl cellulose (EC) polymers. ATR-FTIR, DSC, XRD, and SEM analysis were carried out to study drug-polymer interactions, confirming the formation of developed patches and drug compatibility with excipients. We assessed the fabricated patches to evaluate their physicochemical properties, in vitro drug release, and permeation characteristics via ex vivo experiments. The physicochemical characteristics of patches showcased the development of good and stable films with clarity, smoothness, homogeneity, optimum flexibility and free from causing skin irritancy or sensitization. In vitro drug release and ex vivo permeation profile of developed patches were evaluated employing Franz diffusion cells. UHAE and UEO patches exhibited a cumulative drug release of 81.61 and 85.24 %, respectively, in a sustained-release manner and followed non-Fickian release mechanisms. The ex vivo permeation data revealed 66.82 % and 76.41 % of drug permeated from UHAE and UEO patches, respectively. The current research suggests that the formulated patches are more suitable for TDDS and hold potential significance in the treatment of dementia, contributing to enhanced patient compliance, thereby highlighting the implication of Unani Medicine in Nisyan (Dementia) treatment.

20.
J Colloid Interface Sci ; 663: 31-42, 2024 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38387184

RESUMO

The construction of van der Waals (vdW) heterojunctions is a key approach for efficient and stable photocatalysts, attracting marvellous attention due to their capacity to enhance interfacial charge separation/transfer and offer reactive sites. However, when a vdW heterojunction is made through an ex-situ assembly, electron transmission faces notable obstacles at the components interface due to the substantial spacing and potential barrier. Herein, we present a novel strategy to address this challenge via wet chemistry by synthesizing a functionalized graphene-modulated Z-scheme vdW heterojunction of zinc phthalocyanine/tungsten trioxide (xZnPc/yG-WO3). The functionalized G-modulation forms an electron "bridge" across the ZnPc/WO3 interface to improve electron transfer, get rid of barriers, and ultimately facilitating the optimal transfer of excited photoelectrons from WO3 to ZnPc. The Zn2+ in ZnPc picks up these excited photoelectrons, turning CO2 into CO/CH4 (42/22 µmol.g-1.h-1) to deliver 17-times better efficiency than pure WO3. Therefore, the introduction of a molecular "bridge" as a means to establish an electron transfer conduit represents an innovative approach to fabricate efficient photocatalysts designed for the conversion of CO2 into valued yields.

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