The investigation of the skin biophysical measurements focusing on daily activities, skin care habits, and gender differences

Background Skin, as a protective barrier to exogenous substances, can be modulated by various internal and external factors that can affect its functional state. In order to prevent the early symptoms and signs of diseases of the skin, frequent skin health assessment should be performed. The aims of the study were to evaluate four skin properties of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), hydration, elasticity, and pigmentation using a non-invasive skin assessment tool, DermaLab Combo®, and also to determine possible factors that may influence skin condition. Methods DermaLab® Combo was used to measure TEWL, hydration, pigmentation, and elasticity on the forearm of volunteers by using different probes. In this study, four parameters were observed to reflect the health of the skin in 100 volunteers. Results There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between TEWL, hydration, pigmentation, and elasticity in different genders on the same anatomical site of the forearm. Female subjects have a higher average value of TEWL, hydration, and elasticity compared to male subjects. The differences may be due to an individual's daily activity and use of skin care products as well as environmental factors. The use of moisturiser and drinking lots of water may keep the skin hydrated and delay the process of skin ageing as shown by the better hydration and elasticity observed (P < 0.05). Conclusion In this study, it can be concluded that DermaLab® Combo is a reliable skin analysis instrument that offers high precision, accuracy, and reproducibility for all the measuring parameters. It has also been found that daily activities and habits influence skin condition as reflected by the measurement of these biophysical skin parameters

Formulation and characterization of resiquimod microsponges loaded gel

The aim of this study was to incorporate microponges loaded with resiquimod in gel dosage form. Microsponges were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation method using dichloromethane (DCM), ethylacetate (EA), and chloroform in dispersed phase were incorporated into different gels. 0.5% w/w Carbopol® 934 (polyacrylic acid) powder was dispersed into deionized water under constant stirring with a glass rod. 0.2% and 0.02% w/w of methylparaben and propylparaben were used as preservative in the gel. The dispersion was neutralized using 10% sodium hydroxide (2% w/w). Topical microsponges gel formulations were prepared by incorporation of microsponges into the gel. A 0.03% w/w of resiquimod loaded microsponges was incorporated into the gel. Control gels which contained resiquimod only were prepared under the same conditions. Microsponges prepared by 2.5 mL of DCM, 1 mL of chloroform or 5 mL of EA in the dispersion phase were selected and coded as F1, F2 and F3. To study the compatibility of gel excipients along with microsponges, Attenuated Total Reflectance – Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and FESEM microscopy were used. The ATR-FTIR spectrums of different formulations (F1, F2, and F3) are identical. F4 spectrum which contained empty microsponges loaded gel had no additional or missed peaks when compared against spectrums of other formulations. The integrity and surface morphology remained similar when compared to original microsponges observed under FESEM microscopy. Therefore, it can be concluded that there was no chemical interaction between resiquimod loaded microsponges and gel excipients as shown in ATR-FTIR spectrum and FESEM microscope

Validity and reliability of the Malaysian version of parent attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey

The number parents in Malaysia that are hesitant about vaccines has grown in recent years. Identifying these parents is important in order to implement the necessary measures to maintain and improve the vaccines intake. The objectives of this study were to translate the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey into Bahasa Malaysia, and to assess the reliability and construct a validity of the translated survey

Honey, a gift from nature to health and beauty: a review

Benefits of honey are contributed by the composition of its elements such as glucose, fructose, glucose oxidase, vitamins and phenolic compounds. For health, honey can be used to treat wounds due to the antibacterial activity conferred by the hydrogen peroxide produced by glucose oxidase in honey. Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, deodorizing and tissue regeneration activities in honey also help in the wound healing process. It can also be an alternative sweetener for diabetic patients to ensure compliance to a healthy diet. Moreover, honey exerts several effects such as lowering low density lipids and increasing high density lipids, thus reducing risk of atherosclerosis. In terms of beauty, honey can be used on skin and hair. It moisturizes skin through its natural humectant properties contributed by high contents of fructose and glucose. Honey treats acne on the skin due to its antibacterial activity, anti-inflammatory action and tissue repair. The hair can benefit from honey in such a way that the hair has abundance, and becomes easier to comb. However, there have not been as many studies regarding the use of honey in skin in comparison to its use for health. Therefore, future studies on honey could research its use, action and benefits in both cosmetics and dermatology

Optimisation of honey-based hydrogel formulations using response surface modeling

Response surface modeling (RSM) is used by scientists to relate the factors and response variables by using a design matrix that eventually produce optimal formulations. Hence, the objective of this paper is to optimize the honey-based hydrogel formulations by using RSM. From the two level factorial design result, the optimization test were conducted by using central composite design (CCD) from design experiment software version 8 (DOE 8, Minnesota, USA) to obtain the optimized formulation and control formulation. For hydrogel mixture, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used. From the formulation lists, three response (swelling ratio, water vapor transmission and gel fraction) were chosen to study the influence of the factors selected towards the formulations. For the swelling ratio response, only honey concentration shows a significant. Honey concentration and number of cycles showed a significant effect towards the response on water vapor transmission rate. Honey concentration has the most significant effect on the gel fraction percentage. As a conclusion, from this optimization test, the formulation with honey and minimal number of cycles show a good reaction towards the selected response

A comparison study of perceived stress and quality of life among Master of Pharmacy and non-pharmacy master's students

Background: Postgraduate students often live with an excessive amount of stress, which can have negative academic, emotional and health-related outcomes.Aim: To examine perceived stress and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) students compared to non-pharmacy master's students (Non-MPharm). Method: The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), SF-12v2 survey and a questionnaire instruments were used to measure stress, HRQOL and factors that MPharm students believed produced and alleviated stress, respectively. Results: One hundred percent of MPharm students (n=26) and 88% of Non-MPharm students (n=100) participated in this study. The mean PSS scores were insignificantly different between the MPharm students and Non-MPharm students. Negative correlations were found between stress and mental and physical HRQOL in MPharm students. However, only negative correlation between stress and mental HRQOL in Non-MPharm students. Conclusion: MPharm students reported relatively lower levels of stress and mental HRQOL than Non-MPharm students did

Immunization knowledge and practice among Malaysian parents: a questionnaire development and pilot-testing

Parents are the main decision makers for their children vaccinations. This fact makes parents’ immunization knowledge and practices as predictor factors for immunization uptake and timeliness. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument in Malaysian language to measure immunization knowledge and practice (KP) of Malaysian parents

Impact of educational intervention for improving Malaysian parents’ knowledge towards their children immunization

Background: Parents are the primary health decision-maker for their children. This fact makes parents’ knowledge regarding immunization in general has great impact on their children immunization status. Aims: To assess the knowledge of parents in Malaysia towards their children immunization and to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational seminar for improving parents’ knowledge towards their children immunization. Methods: A cross-sectional study using pre- and post- intervention design was conducted with a sample of 73parents. Changes in knowledge scores before and after the educational seminar were measured. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used whenever appropriate. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe the respondents’ demographic information. Wilcoxon Signed ranks test and The McNemar χ2 test were applied to compare the differences in knowledge before and after the seminar whenever appropriate. Results: Seventy three parents agreed to participate in this educational seminar, majority of them were mothers (n= 64; 87.7%). A comparison of parents’ knowledge before and immediately after the implementation of the educational seminar showed significant differences. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the Knowledge scores of immunization significantly increased compared to the baseline following the intervention 12.60±2.69 to 16.03±1.87 (p<0.001), the possible score in knowledge domain ranged from zero to 20. Conclusion: Parents’ knowledge towards immunization improved significantly after the educational intervention. Therefore, introducing educational programs for parents to improve their knowledge about immunization is needed

Using community website as an informal learning environment among Malaysian pharmacy students

Objective: This study was conducted to analyse students’ insight on informal learning by means of social networks and community websites. Methods: Survey forms were distributed to all 360 students of Kulliyyah of Pharmacy of IIUM. Data analysis has been done using IBM SPSS software 20, and descriptive statistics were used to study the demographic characteristics of the students in relation to their use of social networking sites (SNSs). Results: 240 students were answered. The results revealed that the highest rating with mean (SD) = 4.53 (0.63) were related to accessing course notes and other teaching materials. Most students agreed that SNSs were helpful to their courses, mean (SD) = 4.18 (0.73). Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that pharmacy students at IIUM use SNSs and other community websites as tools for academic purposes

Does an educational intervention improve parents’ knowledge about immunization? Experience from Malaysia

Background: Parents’ knowledge about immunization is an important predictor factor for their children’s immunization status. The aims of this study were to assess parents’ knowledge and to evaluate the effect of a short educational intervention on improving parents’ knowledge of childhood immunization. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a pre- and post-test intervention survey of a single group was conducted among Malaysian parents. Changes in total knowledge score before and after the intervention were measured using a validated questionnaire. The intervention consisted of an animated movie and lecture using simple understandable language. Wilcoxon signed ranks test and the McNemar x2 test were applied to compare the differences in knowledge before and after the intervention. Results: Seventy-three parents were enrolled in this study; the majority were mothers (n = 64, 87.7%). Parents’ knowledge about childhood immunization increased significantly after the intervention compared to the baseline results (p < 0.001). There were significant differences between parents’ knowledge and their educational level and monthly income (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005), respectively. Conclusions: A short educational intervention designed for parents had a positive effect on their knowledge about immunization. Educational interventions targeting parents with low levels of education and income are needed. Further studies investigating the actual effectiveness of such interventions on immunization rates and statuses are required. Keywords: Immunization, Parents, Educational intervention, Knowledge, Malaysi