Med news

The Med News was a newsletter published from 1960-1962 by the Student American Medical Association (SAMA) at Boston University School of Medicine

STUDYING THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT GELLING AGENT ON THE PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF METRONIDAZOLE AS TOPICAL EMULGEL

Objective: Emulgels as topical dosage form recently gains an interest represent a combination of gels and emulsions in united form. Metronidazole is an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drug, as the first topical therapy approved for rosacea; metronidazole has remained a cornerstone of rosacea management. Methods: Emulgel formulations of metronidazole benzoate were prepared using two types of gelling agents, Carbopol 940 and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, the influence of type and concentration of them on the release of metronidazole benzoate was investigated. The prepared formulations were evaluated on the basis of pH, spreadability, viscosity, drug content, in vitro release, and compatibility studies. Results: All the prepared emulgels showed acceptable physical properties concerning color, homogeneity, consistency, spreadability, and pH value. Conclusion: The best formulation (F4) prepared using Carbopol 940 as gelling agent showed the highest drug release through 5 h

Push Notification Service for Enhancing Relation between Parents and Educational Institutions: A case Study on Egyptian Schools.

With the growing interest in utilizing mobilecommunications to enhance the interactions between differentpartners in educational institutions, particularly in schools.However, how communicating with parents via applicationswhile aren't actively running is quite a challenging demand. Onthe other hand, the addressed success of the Android supportingfeatures provided a good candidate to support applications withreal time information. Moreover the Android platformssupports efficiently customizable notifications, which allowapplications based on Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) tospecify the pushed events. In this paper we demonstrate andvalidate the adequacy of mobile services to enhance theinteraction between schools and parents based on efficient useof push notification service in both real time and criticalinformation. The paper presents a proposed notification system;MParent, that actively provide alerts and messaging betweenparents and schools. Also, an open approach was used todetermine the reaction of the parents depending on what theywant to be pushed to their phones .The proposed system, theMParent, was implemented, tested and validated. Evaluationand questionnaire results have proven how proposed systemsatisfy both parties; parents and school administrations

Novel Ag(I)-based 1,2,4-oxadiazole complexes: Synthesis, X-ray crystal structure, and biological evaluation as anticancer candidates

Funding: This work was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research, Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (Project No. KFU241542).The 3,5-diaryl-1,2,4-oxadiazole scaffolds 2  and 3 were synthesized and used as ligands to obtain three novel Ag(I) complexes 4-6 . The structure of the Ag(I) complexes 4-6 has been confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 4 has the dinuclear formula [Ag(2)(NO3)]2. 5 and 6 are monomeric complexes having the formula [Ag(3)2(NO3)] and [Ag(3)2]ClO4, respectively. In vitro, trypsin, ALDH2, and iNOS inhibition activities were assessed for the free ligands and their Ag(I) complexes. Interestingly, Ag(I) complexes 4-6 revealed more prominent trypsin inhibitory activity than the ligands 2 and 3 . The oxadiazole derivative 3 and its Ag(I) complex (6) showed significant ALDH2 inhibition (45% and 55%, respectively). Complex 6 (IC50 = 35.61 µM) surpassed its 1,2,4-oxadiazole ligand 3 (IC50 = 88 µM) and evidenced the most prominent ALDH2 inhibitory activity. The oxadiazole derivative 3 and its corresponding Ag(I) complexes 5 and 6 showed significant iNOS inhibition (77.77 %, 84.12%, and 84.15%, respectively). With IC50 values of 18.13, 18.15 and 13.96 µM, respectively, complex 6 is the most potent against iNOS, surpassing the reference standard.Peer reviewe

Population‐based cohort study of outcomes following cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases

Background The aim was to describe the management of benign gallbladder disease and identify characteristics associated with all‐cause 30‐day readmissions and complications in a prospective population‐based cohort. Methods Data were collected on consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy in acute UK and Irish hospitals between 1 March and 1 May 2014. Potential explanatory variables influencing all‐cause 30‐day readmissions and complications were analysed by means of multilevel, multivariable logistic regression modelling using a two‐level hierarchical structure with patients (level 1) nested within hospitals (level 2). Results Data were collected on 8909 patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 167 hospitals. Some 1451 cholecystectomies (16·3 per cent) were performed as an emergency, 4165 (46·8 per cent) as elective operations, and 3293 patients (37·0 per cent) had had at least one previous emergency admission, but had surgery on a delayed basis. The readmission and complication rates at 30 days were 7·1 per cent (633 of 8909) and 10·8 per cent (962 of 8909) respectively. Both readmissions and complications were independently associated with increasing ASA fitness grade, duration of surgery, and increasing numbers of emergency admissions with gallbladder disease before cholecystectomy. No identifiable hospital characteristics were linked to readmissions and complications. Conclusion Readmissions and complications following cholecystectomy are common and associated with patient and disease characteristics

Novel Ag(I) and Zn(II) complexes based on benzenesulfonamide ligand : synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation as multitarget antidiabetic agents

Funding: This work was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research, Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (Project No. KFU250713).Three novel d10-metal complexes of the antidiabetic sulfonamide ligand (HPPS) were synthesized and characterized using elemental analysis, FTIR, NMR spectra, and single-crystal X-ray structure. The two Ag(I) complexes share the common cationic formula [Ag(HPPS)2]+, abbreviated as [1]. The structure of the /studied Ag(I) complexes could be represented by the formula [1]ClO4·2H2O and [1]NO3·CH3CN. Both complexes are mononuclear, where Ag(I) is tetra-coordinated with two neutral HPPS units as bidentate ligands via the pyrazole and pyridine N-atoms. In both cases, the coordination geometry around Ag(I) is a twisted form that is intermediate between tetrahedral and square planar geometry. The Zn(II) complex [Zn4(PPS)2Cl6(H2O)2]·2EtOH, 2, is tetra-nuclear in which the Zn(II) ions are tetra- and penta-coordinated. The anionic PPS- ligand acts as a bis-bidentate ligand, bridging both independent Zn(II) sites, which are then further bridged by chloride ions to adjacent zincs. The synthesized complexes were evaluated for their in vitro α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities and glucose uptake. The results revealed that the synthesized Ag(I) and Zn(II) complexes showed remarkably excellent antidiabetic potential. Interestingly, α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities and glucose uptake efficacy of Ag(I) and Zn(II) complexes highly surpassed their free ligand HPPS. Ag(I) complexes )[1]ClO4·2H2O and [1]NO3·CH3CN ( and Zn(II) complex )2( showed excellent inhibitory potential against α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 3.68, 5.22, and 3.93 µM, respectively (2.13, 1.5, and 2 times more potent than acarbose). Ag(I) complex, [1]ClO4·2H2O and Zn(II) complex, 2 (IC50 values of 2.78 and 4.93 µM) exhibited significant α-amylase inhibitory potential, 4.8- and 2.7- fold more potent than acarbose. Ag(I) and Zn(II) complexes showed 3.38- to 3.89-fold more glucose uptake efficacy than berberine with EC50 values of 12.01, 11.15, and 10.45 µM, for [1]ClO4·2H2O, [1]NO3·CH3CN and 2, respectively. Docking studies were conducted for the synthesized silver and zinc complexes using α-glucosidase protein (PDB:2QMJ) and α-amylase (PDB:1XCW) complexed with acarbose. Keywords: Ag(I) and Zn(II) complexes; Sulfonamide; α-Glucosidase; α-Amylase; Glucose uptake; Antidiabetic.Peer reviewe

Screening fungal endophytes derived from under-explored Egyptian marine habitats for antimicrobial and antioxidant properties in factionalised textiles

Marine endophytic fungi from under-explored locations are a promising source for the discovery of new bioactivities. Different endophytic fungi were isolated from plants and marine organisms collected from Wadi El-Natrun saline lakes and the Red Sea near Hurghada, Egypt. The isolated strains were grown on three different media, and their ethyl acetate crude extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against a panel of pathogenic bacteria and fungi as well as their antioxidant properties. Results showed that most of the 32 fungal isolates initially obtained possessed antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The most potent antimicrobial extracts were applied to three different cellulose containing fabrics to add new multifunctional properties such as ultraviolet protection and antimicrobial functionality. For textile safety, the toxicity profile of the selected fungal extract was evaluated on human fibroblasts. The 21 strains displaying bioactivity were identified on molecular basis and selected for chemical screening and dereplication, which was carried out by analysis of the MS/MS data using the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform. The obtained molecular network revealed molecular families of compounds commonly produced by fungal strains, and in combination with manual dereplication, further previously reported metabolites were identified as well as potentially new derivatives

Berberine Reduces Neurotoxicity Related to Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Rats

Berberine is a plant alkaloid that has several pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, antilipidemic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) triggers different aspects of disorders such as impaired endogenous lipid metabolism, hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity. In this study, we examined the mechanism by which NASH induces neurotoxicity and the protective effect of berberine against both NASH and its associated neurotoxicity. NASH induced rats showed significant impairments in lipid metabolism with increased serum triglycerides, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The NASH induced group also demonstrated a significant oxidative stress which is characterized by increased TBARs level and decreased antioxidant capacity such as GSH and SOD levels. Moreover, the NASH induction was associated with inflammation which was demonstrated by increased TNFα and nitric oxide levels. Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia were observed in the NASH induced group. Also, our results showed a significant increase in the expression of the acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and amyloid beta precursor protein (AβPP). These changes were significantly correlated with decreased insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) and beta-amyloid40 (Aβ40) and increased beta-amyloid42 (Aβ42) in the hippocampal region. Daily administration of berberine (50 mg/kg) for three weeks ameliorated oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and the observed neurotoxicity