Antiglycation and Antioxidant Activities and HPTLC Analysis of Boswellia sacra Oleogum Resin: The Sacred Frankincense

Purpose: To evaluate antiglycation and antioxidant activities as undertake HPTLC analysis of Boswellia sacra resin.Methods: Sub-fractionation of the crude methanol extract of Hougari regular (HR) grade resin of Boswellia sacra was carried out by vacuum liquid chromatography. Free radical scavenging and antiglycation activities of sub-fractions were characterized in order to assess their anti-aging properties. Furthermore, high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis of Boswellia sacra resins was also carried out.Results: Polar fractions of the extract obtained exhibited the highest antiglycation activity while nonpolar fractions showed more than 50 % inhibition in superoxide anion scavenging assay. Scavenging activity of reactive oxygen species results indicate that non-polar sub-fractions showed > 50 % inhibition, except Shabi frankincense (SF) oil which showed 33 % inhibition. Dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) fraction, 40 % dichloromethane (CH2Cl2)/n-hexane sub-fraction, and SF oil showed moderate activity in di(phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (DPPH) assay. Furthermore, HPTLC analysis indicates the presence of 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KBA) and 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) along with some other terpenoids.Conclusion: Various sub-fractions of Boswellia sacra exert effective antiglycation and antioxidant activities. The extracts should be studied further for possible formulation into pharmaceutical products.Keywords: Frankincense, Boswellia sacra, Terpenoids, HPTLC, Antioxidant, Antiglycatio

Phytochemicals as Potential Epidrugs in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) prevalence has significantly increased worldwide in recent years due to population age, obesity, and modern sedentary lifestyles. The projections estimate that 439 million people will be diabetic in 2030. T2DM is characterized by an impaired ß-pancreatic cell function and insulin secretion, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, and recently the epigenetic regulation of ß-pancreatic cells differentiation has been underlined as being involved. It is currently known that several bioactive molecules, widely abundant in plants used as food or infusions, have a key role in histone modification and DNA methylation, and constituted potential epidrugs candidates against T2DM. In this sense, in this review the epigenetic mechanisms involved in T2DM and protein targets are reviewed, with special focus in studies addressing the potential use of phytochemicals as epidrugs that prevent and/or control T2DM in vivo and in vitro. As main findings, and although some controversial results have been found, bioactive molecules with epigenetic regulatory function, appear to be a potential replacement/complementary therapy of pharmacological hypoglycemic drugs, with minimal side effects. Indeed, natural epidrugs have shown to prevent or delay the T2DM development and the morbidity associated to dysfunction of blood vessels, eyes and kidneys due to sustained hyperglycemia in T2DM patients.This work was supported by CONICYT PIA/APOYO CCTE AFB170007. NC-M acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Horizon 2020 Program (PTDC/PSI-GER/ 28076/2017)

Relationship Between Ergonomic Awareness and Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Staff Nurses in Oman: An Observational Study

Objectives: To detect the level of ergonomic awareness related to work-related musculoskeletal disorders among 200 staff nurses in a tertiary hospital. The additional objective was to study the relationship of such awareness with the prevalence of these disorders. Methods: A group of 25–45-year-old staff nurses and a body mass index of ≤ 30 kg/m2, with at least one year working experience were randomly selected from different wards of the Royal Hospital, Muscat. The study excluded nurses who were on leave and those who had sustained traffic accidents or sports injuries in the preceding year. Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was used to measure the work-related musculoskeletal disorders experienced by the nurses. A second questionnaire was administered to measure their ergonomic awareness. The data was statistically analyzed. Correlations were established by Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (ρ). Results: The participants were 200 staff nurses (male = 30 male, female = 170). Analysis of the ergonomics awareness construct indicated ‘agreement’ as an overall response with a mean of 3.2±0.6, indicating fair ergonomic awareness. For CMDQ, 50.3% reported discomfort in the low back region, 15.0% in the neck, and 6.9% in the right lower leg. The left wrist, left forearm, and right upper arm had the least reported discomfort (< 1.0%). The correlation between ergonomic awareness and working ability was weakly positive, yet statistically significant (ρ = 0.210; p=0.003). Correlations were not statistically significant between ergonomic awareness and discomfort (ρ = -0.031; p=0.664) and between ergonomic awareness and total frequency (ρ = 0.109; p=0.123). Conclusions: There is a strong need to develop practical ergonomic awareness among nursing staff for a sustainable and safe work environment

Lasia spinosa Chemical Composition and Therapeutic Potential: A Literature-Based Review

Lasia spinosa (L.) is used ethnobotanically for the treatment of various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of the lungs, bleeding cough, hemorrhoids, intestinal diseases, stomach pain, and uterine cancer. This review is aimed at summarizing phytochemistry and pharmacological data with their molecular mechanisms of action. A search was performed in databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar using the keywords: "Lasia spinosa,"then combined with "ethnopharmacological use,""phytochemistry,"and "pharmacological activity."This updated review included studies with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments with compounds of known concentration and highlighted pharmacological mechanisms. The research results showed that L. spinosa contains many important nutritional and phytochemical components such as alkanes, aldehydes, alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, fatty acids, ketones, lignans, phenolics, terpenoids, steroids, and volatile oil with excellent bioactivity. The importance of this review lies in the fact that scientific pharmacological evidence supports the fact that the plant has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antidiarrheal, antihelminthic, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, and antinociceptive effects, while protecting the gastrointestinal system and reproductive. Regarding future toxicological and safety data, more research is needed, including studies on human subjects. In light of these data, L. spinosa can be considered a medicinal plant with effective bioactives for the adjuvant treatment of various diseases in humans.This work was supported by Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT) PIA/APOYO CCTE AFB170007. N.C.-M. acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Horizon 2020 Program (PTDC/PSI-GER/28076/2017)

Evaluating a strategy to assist undergraduate healthcare students to gain insights into the value of interprofessional education experiences from recently qualified healthcare professionals

This mini project has been funded by The Higher Education Academy: Health Sciences and Practice (January 2010 - July 2011).LondonNumerous studies have highlighted the complexity of preparing undergraduate healthcare professional for interprofessional practice (Reeves, et all 2007). A significant challenge is one of perceived relevance of undergraduates in relating interprofessional education experiences to the realities of practice (Johnson 2005). Longitudinal survey indicate the importance of the readiness of different groups of students to learn (Coster et al 2008). Thus if student s can gain insights into the purpose and application of interprofessional education to their future practice from those who have recently gone before they may be more willing to engage with such learning opportunities. This exploratory pilot study aimed to evaluate a strategy designed to assist undergraduate healthcare students to gain insights from recently qualified healthcare professionals into the value of pre-registration Interprofessional Education (IPE) experiences. The secondary aims of the study were to enable participating undergraduate healthcare students develop research skills and to examine how the views from the healthcare professionals could inform the development of pre-registration IPE.sch_phyArmitage, H., Connolly, J. and Pitt, R. 2008. Developing sustainable models of interprofessional learning in practice - The TUILIP project. Nurse Education in Practice, 8, p. 276-282. Ateah, C.A., Snow, W., Wener, P., MacDonald, L., Metge, C., Davis, P., Fricke, M., Ludwig, S. and Anderson, J. 2011. Stereotyping as a barrier to collaboration: Does interprofessional education make a difference? Nurse Education Today, 31, p.208-213. Atherton, J. S. 2009. Learning and Teaching; About the site [online] Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/whatlearn.htm [Accessed: 26 May 2011] Barr, H. 2009. Interprofessional education as an emerging concept. In: Bluteau, P. and Jackson, A. eds. Interprofessional education: making it happen. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan: 3-36. Boyatzis, R.E. 1998. Transforming qualitative information: thematic analysis and code development. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry. 2001. Learning from Bristol: The Report of the Public Inquiry into Children's Heart Surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary 1984-1995. The Stationary Office, London. Bryman, A. 2001. Social research methods. Oxford University Press, Oxford. CAIPE 1997. Interprofessional education - a definition. CAIPE Bulletin, 13, 19. Clouder, L. 2003. Becoming professional: exploring the complexities of professional socialization in health and social care. Learning in Health and Social Care, 2 (4) p.213-222. 55 Coster, S., Norman, I., Murrells, T., Kitchen, S., Meerabeau, E., Sooboodoo, E and d'Avray, L. 2008. Interprofessional attitudes amongst undergraduate students in the health professions: A longitudinal questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 45, (11), p.1667-1681. Craddock, D. 2010. Students' attitudes towards interprofessional education across professional groups: Lessons learnt from a national study. In, 2nd International Interprofessional Health and Social Care Conference, Manchester, GB, 06 - 07 Jul 2010..Available from: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/165533/ [Accessed 1st December 2010] Curran, V.R., Sharpe, D., Forristall, J. and Flynn, K. 2008. Attitudes of health sciences students towards interprofessional teamwork and education. Learning in Health and Social Care, 7 (3), p.146-156. Davies, K., Harrison, D.L., Clouder, D.C., Gilchrist, M., McFarland, L. and Earland, J. 2011. Making the transition from physiotherapy student to interprofessional team member. Physiotherapy, 97: 139-144. Department of Health 2001. Investment and reform for NHS staff - taking forward the NHS plan. London: Department of Health. Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S. 1998. The landscape of qualitative research - theories and issues. Sage Publications, London. Earland, J., Gilchrist, M., McFarland, L. and Harrison, K. 2011. Dietetics students' perceptions and experiences of interprofessional education. The Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 24, p.135-143. Forte, A. and Fowler, P. 2009. Participation in interprofessional education: An evaluation of student and staff experiences. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 23 (1), p.58-66. Freeth, D. Reeves, D., Koppel, I., Hammick, M. and Barr. H. 2005. Evaluating Interprofessional Education: A Self-Help Guide: Occasional Paper no. 5. Higher Education Academy: Health Sciences and Practice Network. 56 Gibson, M., Diack, L. Healey, T., Bond, C. and McKenzie, H. 2008. The Aberdeen Interprofessional Health and Social Care Education Initiative - Final Report to the Scottish Government. The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen and University of Aberdeen. Available from: http://www.caipe.org.uk/resources/ [Accessed 5th January 2011] GMC 2009. Medical students: professional values and fitness to practice. General Medical Council. Hammick, M., Freeth, D., Koppel, I., Reeves, S. and Barr, H. 2007. A best evidence systematic review of interprofessional education: BEME Guide no.9. Medical Teacher, 29: 735-751. Hoffman, S.J., Rosenfield, D., and Naismith, L. 2009. .What attracts students to interprofessional education and other health care reform initiatives? Journal of Allied Health, 38(3), p.e75-e78. Hoffman, S.J., Rosenfield, D., Gilbert, J.H. and Oandasan, I.F. 2008. .Student leadership in interprofessional education: benefits, challenges and implications for educators, researchers and policymakers. Medical Education, 42(7), p.654-61. House of Commons Health Committee (2003) The Veronica Climbi Inquiry Report; Sixth Report of Session 2002-3. Available online: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmhealth/570/570.pdf [Accessed 11th August 2010] HPC. 2008. Standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Health Professional Council. Hylin, U., Lonka, K. and Ponzer, S. 2011. Students' approaches to learning in clinical interprofessional context. Medical Teacher, 33: e204-210. Jarvis, P., Holford, J. and Griffin, C. 1998. The theory and practice of learning. London: Kogan Page. 57 Jasper, M. 2003. Foundations in nursing and health care: beginning reflective practice. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Johnson, R. 2005. Exploring students' views of interprofessional education: 1 year on. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 12 (5), p.215-221. Langton, H. 2009. Interprofessional education in Higher Education Institutions: models, pedagogies and realities. In: Bluteau, P. and Jackson, A. (eds) Interprofessional education: making it happen. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan: 37-58. Mackay, D.J. 2002. Interprofessional education: An action learning approach to the development and evaluation of a pilot project at undergraduate level. PhD Thesis. University of Salford. Available from: http://usir.salford.ac.uk/2037/ [Accessed 15th January 2011] NMC 2008. The code: standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Oandasan, I.O., Reeves, S. 2005. Key elements for interprofessional education, part 2: factors, processes, outcomes. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 19 (S1), p.39-48. O'Halloran, C., Hean, S., Humphries, D. and Macleod-Clark, J. 2006. Developing common learning: The New Generation Project undergraduate curriculum model. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 20, p.12-28. Olenick, M., Ryan Allen, L. and Smego, R.A. Jr. 2010. Interprofessional education: a concept analysis. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 1: 75-84. Petticrew, M. and Roberts, H. 2006. Systematic reviews in the social sciences: a practical guide. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Pollard, K. 2009. Student engagement in interprofessional working in practice placement settings. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18, p.2846-2856. 58 Pollard, K., Rickaby, C. and Miers, M. 2008. Evaluating student learning in an interprofessional curriculum: the relevance of pre-qualifying inter-professional education for future professional practice. Project Report. Health Sciences and Practice, The Higher Education Academy. Available online at: https://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/7240/ [Accessed: 25th June 2010] Pollard, K.C. and Miers, M.E. 2008. From students to professionals: Results of a longitudinal study of attitudes to pre-qualifying collaborative learning and working in health and social care in the United Kingdom. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 22 (4), p.399-416. Pollard, K.C., Miers, M.E., Gilchrist, M, and Sayers, A. 2006. A comparison of interprofessional perceptions and working relationships among health and social care students: the results of a 3-year intervention. Health and Social Care in the Community, 14 (6), p.541-552. Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) 2010. Statement of common purpose for subject benchmark statements for the health and social care professions. Available from: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/health/StatementofCommonPurpose06.pdf [Accessed 15 April 2011] Reeves and Freeth, 2002. The London Training ward: an innovative interprofessional learning initiative. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 16 (1), p41-52. Reeves, S., Goldman, J., Gilbert, J., Tepper, J., Silver, I., Suter, E and Zwarenstein, M. 2011. A scoping review to improve conceptual clarity of interprofessional interventions. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 25: 167-174. Reeves, S., Zwarenstein, M., Goldman, J., Barr, H., Freeth, D., Hammick, M. and Koppel, I. 2008. Interprofessional education: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD002213. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002213.pub2.]. Reeves, S., Zwarenstein, M., Goldman, J., Barr, H., Freeth, D., Koppel, I. and Hammick, M. 2010. The effectiveness of interprofessional education: Key findings from a new systematic review. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 24(3), p.230-241. 59 Remington, T.L., Foulk, M.A. and Williams, B.C. 2006. Evaluation of Evidence for Interprofessional Education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 70 (3) Article 66. Robson, M. and Kitchen, S.S. 2007. Exploring physiotherapy students' experiences of interprofessional collaboration in the clinical setting: A critical incident study. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 21 (1) p.95-109. Rosenfield, D., Oandasan, I. and Reeves, S. 2011. Perceptions versus reality: a qualitative study of students' expectations and experiences of interprofessional education. Medical Education, 45: 471-477. Santy, J., Beadle, M. and Needham, Y. 2009. Using an online case conference to facilitate interprofessional learning. Nurse Education in Practice, 9, p.383-387. Scottish Government 2007. Better health, better care: planning tomorrow's workforce today. Scottish Government. Silverman, D. 1993. Interpreting qualitative data: methods for analysing talk, text and interaction. Sage, London. Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. 1998. Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage, London. The Combined Universities Interprofessional Learning Unit. 2005. Combined Universities Interprofessional Learning Unit: Final Report. Available from: www.sheffield.ac.uk/cuilu [Accessed 27th March 2010] The Lord Laming Report. 2009. The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report. London: The Stationary Office. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/12_03_09_children.pdf. [Accessed: November 2010] Thompson, C. 2010 Do interprofessional education and problem based learning work together? The Clinical Teacher, 7, p.197-201. 60 WHO 2010. Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice. World Health Organisation. WHO Study Group on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice. 2008. Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice Glossary. Available from: http://cihc.wikispaces.com/Interprofessional+Glossary [Accessed: 5th August 2010]pub2875pu

Spastic paraplegia preceding PSEN1-related familial Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: We investigated the frequency, neuropathology, and phenotypic characteristics of spastic paraplegia (SP) that precedes dementia in presenilin 1 (PSEN1) related familial Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) in 60 probands with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) phenotype that was negative for variants in known HSP-related genes. Where PSEN1 mutation was identified, brain biopsy was performed. We investigated the link between HSP and AD with PSEN1 in silico pathway analysis and measured in vivo the stability of PSEN1 mutant γ-secretase. Results: We identified a PSEN1 variant (p.Thr291Pro) in an individual presenting with pure SP at 30 years of age. Three years later, SP was associated with severe, fast cognitive decline and amyloid deposition with diffuse cortical plaques on brain biopsy. Biochemical analysis of p.Thr291Pro PSEN1 revealed that although the mutation does not alter active γ-secretase reconstitution, it destabilizes γ-secretase-amyloid precursor protein (APP)/amyloid beta (Aβn) interactions during proteolysis, enhancing the production of longer Aβ peptides. We then extended our analysis to all 226 PSEN1 pathogenic variants reported and show that 7.5% were associated with pure SP onset followed by cognitive decline later in the disease. We found that PSEN1 cases manifesting initially as SP have a later age of onset, are associated with mutations located beyond codon 200, and showed larger diffuse, cored plaques, amyloid-ring arteries, and severe CAA. Discussion: We show that pure SP can precede dementia onset in PSEN1-related familial AD. We recommend PSEN1 genetic testing in patients presenting with SP with no variants in known HSP-related genes, particularly when associated with a family history of cognitive decline

Regioisomeric and substituent effects upon the outcome of the reaction of 1-borodienes with nitrosoarene compounds

A study of the reactivity of 1-borodienes with nitrosoarene compounds has been carried out showing an outcome that differs according to the hybridization state of the boron moiety. Using an sp2 boron substituent, a one-pot hetero-Diels–Alder/ring contraction cascade occurred to afford N-arylpyrroles with low to good yields depending on the electronic properties of the substituents on the borodiene, whereas an sp3 boron substituent led to the formation of stable boro-oxazines with high regioselectivity in most of the cases, in moderate to good yields. 1H and 11B NMR studies on two boro-oxazine regioisomers showed that selective deprotection can be performed. Formation of either the pyrrole or the furan derivative is pH- and regioisomer-structure-dependent. The results obtained, together with previous B3LYP calculations, support mechanistic proposals which suggest that pyrrole, or furan, formation proceeds via oxazine formation, followed by a boryl rearrangement and an intramolecular addition–elimination sequence

Microseismic Full Waveform Modeling in Anisotropic Media with Moment Tensor Implementation

Seismic anisotropy which is common in shale and fractured rocks will cause travel-time and amplitude discrepancy in different propagation directions. For microseismic monitoring which is often implemented in shale or fractured rocks, seismic anisotropy needs to be carefully accounted for in source location and mechanism determination. We have developed an efficient finite-difference full waveform modeling tool with an arbitrary moment tensor source. The modeling tool is suitable for simulating wave propagation in anisotropic media for microseismic monitoring. As both dislocation and non-double-couple source are often observed in microseismic monitoring, an arbitrary moment tensor source is implemented in our forward modeling tool. The increments of shear stress are equally distributed on the staggered grid to implement an accurate and symmetric moment tensor source. Our modeling tool provides an efficient way to obtain the Green’s function in anisotropic media, which is the key of anisotropic moment tensor inversion and source mechanism characterization in microseismic monitoring. In our research, wavefields in anisotropic media have been carefully simulated and analyzed in both surface array and downhole array. The variation characteristics of travel-time and amplitude of direct P- and S-wave in vertical transverse isotropic media and horizontal transverse isotropic media are distinct, thus providing a feasible way to distinguish and identify the anisotropic type of the subsurface. Analyzing the travel-times and amplitudes of the microseismic data is a feasible way to estimate the orientation and density of the induced cracks in hydraulic fracturing. Our anisotropic modeling tool can be used to generate and analyze microseismic full wavefield with full moment tensor source in anisotropic media, which can help promote the anisotropic interpretation and inversion of field data