Experimental stand for melting and casting of ultralight Mg-Li alloys

The article presents the design guidelines and technical implementation of an experimental stand for melting and casting in controlled protective atmosphere the ultralight magnesium-lithium alloys, including also a small furnace for the heat treatment of such alloys. The manufacture and implementation of these devices provides a basis for studies on the preparation of ultra-light alloys for further plastic working

Studies of corrosion behaviour in alkaline environment of binary Mg-Li alloys for plastic forming

The article discusses studies and corrosion tests of binary Mg-Li alloys for plastic forming examined in an alkaline medium (5% NaClsolution) for the time of 0-144 hours. In short it can be stated that the increase of Li content in magnesium alloys from 3% to 9% increasesthe corrosion resistance of alloy (the lowest susceptibility to corrosion in NaCl solution showed Mg- Li9 alloy). Increasing the content ofLi in alloy to over 9% resulted in a significant increase of the susceptibility to corrosion

Patient safety and estimation of renal function in patients prescribed new oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVE: In clinical trials of dabigatran and rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), drug eligibility and dosing were determined using the Cockcroft-Gault equation to estimate creatine clearance as a measure of renal function. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare whether using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by the widely available and widely used Modified Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation would alter prescribing or dosing of the renally excreted new oral anticoagulants. PARTICIPANTS: Of 4712 patients with known AF within a general practitioner-registered population of 930 079 in east London, data were available enabling renal function to be calculated by both Cockcroft-Gault and MDRD methods in 4120 (87.4%). RESULTS: Of 4120 patients, 2706 were <80 years and 1414 were ≥80 years of age. Among those ≥80 years, 14.9% were ineligible for dabigatran according to Cockcroft-Gault equation but would have been judged eligible applying MDRD method. For those <80 years, 0.8% would have been incorrectly judged eligible for dabigatran and 5.3% would have received too high a dose. For rivaroxaban, 0.3% would have been incorrectly judged eligible for treatment and 13.5% would have received too high a dose. CONCLUSIONS: Were the MDRD-derived eGFR to be used instead of Cockcroft-Gault in prescribing these new agents, many elderly patients with AF would either incorrectly become eligible for them or would receive too high a dose. Safety has not been established using the MDRD equation, a concern since the risk of major bleeding would be increased in patients with unsuspected renal impairment. Given the potentially widespread use of these agents, particularly in primary care, regulatory authorities and drug companies should alert UK doctors of the need to use the Cockcroft-Gault formula to calculate eligibility for and dosing of the new oral anticoagulants in elderly patients with AF and not rely on the MDRD-derived eGFR

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prediction and early Diagnosis of Hepatitis B and C viral infection using miR-122 and miR-223 in a sample of Iraqi patients.

    يُعد سرطان الخلايا الكبدية (HCC) أحد أكثر أنواع سرطانات الكبد خطورة، وهو ثالث أكثر أسباب الوفيات المرتبطة بالسرطان انتشارًا. يتعلق  العديد من الأمراض ومن ضمنها السرطان بالتعبير الجيني غير الطبيعي لجزيئات الرنا الصغيرة micro RNA والتي تلعب دورا مهما في الوظائف البيولوجية للخلية ومن اهمها الموت المبرمج والتكاثر والتمايز والايض الخلوي .هدفت الدراسة الى اختبار فرضية استخدام miR-122 وmiR-223    كمؤشر حيوي محتمل في تشخيص وتطور سرطان الخلايا الكبدية HCC وكل من العدوى الفايروسية HBV وHCV عن طريق استخدام تقنية ال PCR الكمي . اجريت تقنية ال PCR الكمي لتحليل التعبير الجيني للمؤشرين الحيويين    miR-122 وmiR-223   ل (٦٤) عينة مصل تم الحصول عليها من مرضى مصابين بسرطان الكبد ممن كانوا يخضعون للعلاج ومجموعة لم يخضعوا للعلاج وفي بداية تشخيص المرض لهم. هذا فضلا عن عينات من مرضى مصابين بالتهاب الكبد الفيروسي بنوعيه B و C بالإضافة الى عينات مجموعة المقارنة من المتطوعين الاصحاء.  أظهرت النتائج وجود فروق معنوية كبيرة بين مجموعات المرضى الثلاثة (سرطان الكبد، التهاب الكبد الفيروسي B و C ) وبين مجموعة السيطرة ( الاصحاء) في التعبير الجيني لكلا المؤشرين الحيويين     , وبانخفاض معنوي في مستوى التعبير الجيني  لكل من miR-223 و  miR-122 على التوالي وبمستوى معنوي  .P value (≤0.0001)  علاوة على ذلك، قمنا بمقارنة التعبير الجيني لهذين المؤشرين بين عينات مصل المرضى الذين تم تشخيص مرض سرطان الكبد (HCC) لديهم ولم يبدا نظامهم العلاجي بعد وبين عينات المرضى المصابين بسرطان الكبد وهم تحت سير البروتوكول العلاجي لهم.  أظهرت النتائج فرق معنوي كبير جدا بين العينات في مستوى التعبير الجيني حيث كان تعبير miR-122 معدوم تقريبا في عينات المرضى الذين لم يخضعوا الى العلاج بعد، مقارنة بالارتفاع النسبي الحاصل في التعبير الجيني لهذا المؤشر الحيوي في المرضى الخاضعين للعلاج بالمقارنة مع مجموعة الاصحاء. نتائج مشابهة ظهرت في المؤشر الحيوي miR-223 أيضا لنفس العينات وبفروق معنوية عاليةP value ≤0.0001 لكلا المؤشرين على التوالي. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، أظهرت عينات المصابين بالتهاب الكبد الفيروسي بنوعيه B و C انخفاضا معنويا بمستويات التعبير الجيني لكلا المؤشرين الحيويين  miR-122,miR-223مقارنتا بمجموعة الاصحاء P value ≤0.0001 على التوالي. هذه النتائج تستحق المزيد من التحقيق لأغراض التشخيص ومتابعة العلاج والتنبؤ بالمرض باستخدام كلا المؤشرين الحيويين.    Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death. Therefore, it is critical for researchers to understand molecular biology in greater depth.  In several diseases including cancer, abnormal miRNA expression has been linked to apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation, and metastasis. Many miRNAs have been studied in relation to cancer, including miR-122, miR-223, and others. Hepatitis B and C viruses are the most important global risk factors for HCC. This study is intended to test whether serum miRNAs serve as a potential biomarker for both HCC and viral infections HBV and C. The expression of miRNA in 64 serum samples was analyzed by RT-qPCR. Compared to healthy volunteers, HCC patients' sera expressed significantly lower levels of miR-122 and miR-223. Furthermore, we compared the expression of these miRNAs between early-diagnosed HCC patients and healthy controls. There was a significant difference between miR-122 expression in HCC sera and healthy volunteers' sera (0.000 and 0.253, respectively), with a P value of &lt;0.0001. Early diagnostic patients without treatment had completely deleted miR-122 expression levels, while those treated had slightly elevated levels. Clearly, miR-122 has been identified as a biomarker for early detection and follow-up of HCC treatment. HBV and HCV specimens expressed significantly lower levels of miRNA than normal samples with a P value of &lt;0.0001. It is recommended that these findings be further investigated for diagnostic purposes. Further, these miRNAs are highly specific for diagnosing HCC, HBV, and HCV, making them valuable therapeutic indicators

Evaluating Influenza Vaccination Practices among COPD Patients

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) stands as a global health concern linked to considerable morbidity and mortality. In Jordan, the prevalence of COPD is substantial, but research in this area is limited. Exacerbations of COPD can lead to severe outcomes, including hospitalization and increased cardiovascular risk. Influenza is a significant trigger of exacerbations in COPD patients, and vaccination is recommended. However, studies have shown negative attitudes towards the influenza vaccine. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and intentions of COPD patients in Jordan regarding influenza vaccination. Data were collected through a custom-designed questionnaire from 300 COPD patients. The study revealed low influenza vaccination rates, with forgetfulness and lack of knowledge about vaccine effectiveness being the main barriers. Higher knowledge and positive attitudes were associated with greater intention to vaccinate. To tackle these challenges, it is recommended to implement customized health education campaigns, foster collaborations with healthcare providers, and engage in community-focused initiatives to enhance acceptance of the influenza vaccine among COPD patients in Jordan. These findings underscore the importance of addressing knowledge gaps and negative attitudes to enhance vaccine uptake and improve health outcomes for COPD patients

What is needed to reform pharmacy education in Jordan: An exploratory study based on a multi-stakeholder perspective

BACKGROUND: The Jordanian pharmacy profession is facing challenges related to pharmacy education and graduates' readiness to join the workforce. The Jordanian Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission for Higher Education Institutions has led an initiative to revise undergraduate pharmacy academic programmes. AIM: This study aims to capture relevant stakeholders' perceptions of factors influencing pharmacy education in Jordan. METHODS: In March 2021, three focus group discussions were conducted with relevant stakeholders. Focus groups were thematically analysed. The "systems model of performance improvement" by Richard A. Swanson was broadly followed to interpret discerned themes. RESULTS: Thematic analysis resulted in three main themes. The discerned themes represented factors related to education input variables, teaching process variables, and environmental variables. CONCLUSION: Teaching and learning processes should be shifted from educator-centred to student-centred. The academic curriculum should reflect the local context of practice and society. Future interventions should follow a holistic and comprehensive approach to reforming Jordan's pharmacy education

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists toward the management of acne vulgaris in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

Background Acne vulgaris (AV) is a common dermatological disease affecting almost 85% of teenagers. Patients with AV usually present at community pharmacies during the early stages of their disease. Aim The aim of this study was to assess community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward AV management in West Bank in Palestine. Methods This study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. The questionnaire included four sections: 1) demographic, 2) knowledge, 3) attitude and practice items related causes, and 4) treatment options and counseling during management of patients with AV. A convenience sampling method was implemented in this study. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used to compare different issues as appropriate. P < 0.05 were considered significant. Result A total of 270 community pharmacists were interviewed, and more than half (54.1%) were males. The study revealed that community pharmacists had an inadequate level of knowledge on management of AV; only 7.7% had high levels of knowledge. Pharmacists have positive attitude regarding AV management, but inadequate knowledge was reflected on their treatment practices; only 10% of participants independently dealt with AV without referral. Pharmacists with a low level of knowledge showed five times more referrals than those with a high level of knowledge (OR: 5.3; P < 0.001), and those with a bachelor degree showed three times more referrals than postgraduates (OR: 3.3; P < 0.001). Conclusion There is a demand to update dermatological knowledge of community pharmacists and encourage them to attend structured training programs about the management of AV.Funding source: None