PHARMACEUTICAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF GLIMEPIRIDE TABLETS – COMPARISON OF BRANDS AND NEWLY FORMULATED TABLETS WITH INNOVATOR

Objective: The main objective of the study was to assess the quality attribute of generic brands and newly formulated tablet of glimepiride and compare their drug release profile with innovator brand. Methods: Different brands were purchased from different markets of UAE. The validated high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to assess the quantitative analysis of glimepiride. The linearity of curve (r² = 0.9999) indicated the accuracy and precision of the analytical method. Comparative dissolution of newly formulated and generic tablets was carried out using USP dissolution apparatus II. Study was accomplished in phosphate buffer (pH = 7.8), the paddle speed was adjusted at 75 rpm. F1 and F2 factor among the brands and kinetic assessment were done to obtain the order of release. Results: Dissolution profiles of formulated tablets were almost same as that of innovator, 91.53 and 94.9, respectively, in 15 min. The statistical value between the different brands (F = 3.698) indicated that there were some differences among the few groups of tablets and p-value (0.002154) indicated that it supported H1 hypothesis. First-order and Weibull models described the drug release with r2 value of 0.9981–0.927210 and 0.9992– 0.9835, respectively. Stability of optimized formulated batch was also examined. Conclusion: It was concluded that the formulated tablets are stable and pharmaceutically as good as the innovators; however, all the selected brands could not be used interchangeably in the clinical practice. It was also concluded that the scrutiny and screening of the drug products, available in the markets, can help to build a better health-care setup

DAMPAK KAWASAN INDUSTRI TERHADAP SOSIAL EKONOMI MASYARAKAT NELAYAN DI KECAMATAN BAHODOP KABUPATEN MOROWALI

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui dampak kawasan industri terhadap kondisi sosial ekonomi masyarakat nelayan yang ada di kecamatan Bahodopi, Kabupaten Morowali.. Populasi pada penelitian ini adalah rumah tangga nelayan yang berada di kecamatan Bahodopi. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan secara simple random sampling, banyaknya sampel yang akan diteliti sebanyak 58 responden. Data yang dikumpulkan kemudian dianalisis dengan menggunakan analisis deskriptif. Hasil analisis dari penelitian ini memperlihatkan bahwa adanya kawasan industri dapat memberikan dampak terhadap kesejahteraan rumah tangga nelayan. Perbaikan kondisi ekonomi dapat dilihat dari meningkatnya pendapatan, serta banyaknya aset yang dimilki. Pada kondisi sosial dilihat dari tingkat pendidikan dan perumahan.  Tingkat pendidikan masyarakat nelayan masih sangat rendah dan sebagian besar nelayan telah memiliki rumah hunian yang layak

9 Dimensions for evaluating how art and creative practice stimulate societal transformations

There is an urgent need to engage with deep leverage points in sustainability transformations—fundamental myths, paradigms, and systems of meaning making—to open new collective horizons for action. Art and creative practice are uniquely suited to help facilitate change in these deeper transformational leverage points. However, understandings of how creative practices contribute to sustainability transformations are lacking in practice and fragmented across theory and research. This lack of understanding shapes how creative practices are evaluated and therefore funded and supported, limiting their potential for transformative impact. This paper presents the 9 Dimensions tool, created to support reflective and evaluative dialogues about links between creative practice and sustainability transformations. It was developed in a transdisciplinary process between the potential users of this tool: researchers, creative practitioners, policy makers, and funders. It also brings disciplinary perspectives on societal change from evaluation theory, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and more in connection with each other and with sustainability transformations, opening new possibilities for research. The framework consists of three categories of change, and nine dimensions: changing meanings (embodying, learning, and imagining); changing connections (caring, organizing, and inspiring); and changing power (co-creating, empowering, and subverting). We describe how the 9 Dimensions tool was developed, and describe each dimension and the structure of the tool. We report on an application of the 9 Dimensions tool to 20 creative practice projects across the European project Creative Practices for Transformational Futures (CreaTures). We discuss user reflections on the potential and challenges of the tool, and discuss insights gained from the analysis of the 20 projects. Finally, we discuss how the 9 Dimensions can effectively act as a transdisciplinary research agenda bringing creative practice further in contact with transformation research

Development and Pretesting of an Electronic Learning Module to Train Health Care Professionals on the Use of the Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure to Assess Acute Asthma Severity

BACKGROUND: Severity-specific guidelines based on the Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM), a validated clinical score, reduce pediatric asthma hospitalization rates

POINT PREVALENCE OF COLORECTAL CANCER IN A MEGA CITY OF PAKISTAN, KARACHI – A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Background and Objective: Globally, Colorectal Cancers are also third most common cancers and fourth leading cause of death due to carcinoma. Burden of Colorectal Cancers is also high in Pakistan. The main risk factor for Colorectal Cancer is age, however, other risk factors are e.g. family history, irritable bowel disease, sedentary life-style, high visceral adipose tissues, smoking and alcohol. Hence; the main objective of current study was to determine point prevalence of Colorectal Cancers in a mega city of Pakistan, Karachi; a representative population of Pakistan. It is hypothesized that incidences of Colorectal Cancers would be higher in Karachi than rest of the country.   Materials and Methods: The retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi. Duration of study was from January-2015 to October-2019. Data has been collected from two state-owned and four private hospitals of Karachi. Precision analysis technique was used to determine the sample size of study. Study is approved by Board of Advanced Studies & Research, University of Karachi (Reference Number: BASR/01046/Pharm.). Objective of study was explained to patients before initiation the study; informed consent was taken from each patient. S.P.S.S (Statistical-Package-for-Social-Sciences) software version 22 was used to analyze the data. Results: Among 1,617 patients: male 54.35% (N=879); female 45.64% (N=738). Mean age of diagnosis of colorectal cancer: male 49.51±14.72 years; female 45.28±13.52 years. Significantly higher point prevalence was found in ethnicity speaking Sindhi compared with ethnicity speaking Balochi (p=0.001), Pashto (p=0.0001), Punjabi (p=0.001) and Siraiki (p=0.0001); Urdu speaking compared with Balochi speaking (p=0.0001), Pashto speaking (p=0.0001), Punjabi speaking (p=0.0001) and Siraiki speaking (p=0.0001) in male. In female; Sindhi speaking point prevalence is significantly higher than Siraiki speaking (p=0.028); Urdu speaking point prevalence is significantly higher than patients speaking Balochi (p=0.012), Pashto (p=0.002), Punjabi (p=0.002) and Siraiki (p=0.0001).  Conclusion: Allocation of resources are required at governmental and non-governmental level for early screening. National cancer registry program should also be initiated to support health policy makers for the development of counter strategies.                          Peer Review History: Received: 26 February 2023; Revised: 13 March; Accepted: 27 April 2023, Available online: 15 May 2023 Academic Editor: Prof. Cyprian Ogbonna ONYEJI, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, [email protected] Received file:                             Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 5.5/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10 Reviewers: Dr. Bilge Ahsen KARA, Ankara Gazi Mustafa Kemal Hospital, Turkey, [email protected] Dr. A.A. Mgbahurike, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, [email protected]

Wideband Singly Fed Compact Circularly Polarized Rectangular Dielectric Resonator Antenna for X-Band Wireless Applications

This work focuses on a compact circularly polarized wideband rectangular dielectric resonator antenna (RDRA) for X-band wireless applications. The wideband response of the RDRA is initially generated by a coaxial probe, a compact RDR, an air gap in the DR and a slot of rectangular shape in the ground. The circular polarization is achieved via incorporation of a unique feeding mechanism. The edge feeding of the RDRA with a coaxial probe generates the orthogonal modes in RDRA that make the design polarized circularly. The axial ratio performance is improved by adding a copper strip on the top of the DR. To validate the simulated results, the prototype design is fabricated and measured results are noted. For −10 dB reference value, the prototype has 59.74% impedance bandwidth (8.45–14.09 GHz). For 3 dB reference value of the axial ratio, the prototype has 9.24% Circular Polarization (CP) performance (10.084–11.084 GHz). The design has 6.5 dBic peak gain and 95.5% peak efficiency. Results show that simulated results are in close agreement with the measured results

Wideband Singly Fed Compact Circularly Polarized Rectangular Dielectric Resonator Antenna for X-Band Wireless Applications

This work focuses on a compact circularly polarized wideband rectangular dielectric resonator antenna (RDRA) for X-band wireless applications. The wideband response of the RDRA is initially generated by a coaxial probe, a compact RDR, an air gap in the DR and a slot of rectangular shape in the ground. The circular polarization is achieved via incorporation of a unique feeding mechanism. The edge feeding of the RDRA with a coaxial probe generates the orthogonal modes in RDRA that make the design polarized circularly. The axial ratio performance is improved by adding a copper strip on the top of the DR. To validate the simulated results, the prototype design is fabricated and measured results are noted. For −10 dB reference value, the prototype has 59.74% impedance bandwidth (8.45–14.09 GHz). For 3 dB reference value of the axial ratio, the prototype has 9.24% Circular Polarization (CP) performance (10.084–11.084 GHz). The design has 6.5 dBic peak gain and 95.5% peak efficiency. Results show that simulated results are in close agreement with the measured results

Black cumin 0.3 gram and 0.4 gram on apoptotic levels in Cerebral Contusions Rattus Norvegicus Wistar

Background. Apoptosis is one of the indicators to check for following brain damage. Along with this trend, treatment in the form of herbal and phytopharmaca therapy is required more frequently to treat brain injury complications. Black cumin possesses a function that opposes the apoptotic mechanism. Objectives. This study sought to determine the effect of black seed on an animal model of brain damage using apoptotic measures. Methods. Four treatment groups were created from the experimental animals as follows: Group BC1: For 7 days following the brain contusion, they were given [0.3 gram] g/kg bw of black cumin extract daily. Group BC2: For 7 days following the brain contusion, they were given [0.4 gram] g/kg bw of black cumin extract daily. Following the brain contusion, Group K received 3 ml of Nacl 0.9% daily for 7 days. The TUNEL DNA fragmentation method was used to count the amount of apoptotic cells and analysis was conducted using ANOVA with F-test and Tukey HSD. Results. The control group had the greatest amount of apoptosis at 30.4. Apoptosis averages for BC1 (0.3 g), and BC2 (0.4 g) groups of rats were 25.0, and 18.8, respectively. Black cumin anova test with apoptosis was present while a higher dose of black cumin will minimize the amount of apoptosis. Conclusions. Injecting black cumin extracts into rats with head injuries reduced apoptosis, albeit not significantly. In rats with experimental head injuries, black cumin extract induces a connection through the apoptosis mechanism