Assessment of the Role of Pharmacists in Preventing Medication Errors in Hospital Settings

Medication errors can have serious consequences for patients in hospital settings. As medication experts, pharmacists play a critical role in preventing medication errors. This literature review examines the roles of pharmacists in preventing medication errors in hospital settings. The review identified several roles of pharmacists in preventing medication errors, including medication order review, medication reconciliation, providing drug information and education, and participation in interdisciplinary teams. The review also identified barriers to pharmacist involvement in preventing medication errors, such as limited access to patient information and limited communication with other healthcare professionals. Overall, the literature suggests that pharmacists can play a crucial role in preventing medication errors in hospital settings and that efforts should be made to overcome the barriers to their involvement

Treatment of Psoriasis with the Help of Curcumin Hydrogel

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Current treatments for psoriasis include topical corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and phototherapy, but these treatments may have limited efficacy or cause side effects. Curcumin, a natural compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has been shown to have potential as an alternative treatment for psoriasis. However, the low solubility and bioavailability of curcumin limit its effectiveness when administered orally or topically. Curcumin hydrogel, a topical formulation of curcumin, has been developed to address these limitations. In this review, we summarize the current research on the use of curcumin hydrogel in the treatment of psoriasis. We discuss the pharmacological properties of curcumin, the formulation of curcumin hydrogel, and the preclinical and clinical studies investigating the efficacy and safety of curcumin hydrogel in psoriasis. Overall, the available evidence suggests that curcumin hydrogel may be a promising alternative treatment for psoriasis, with potential benefits in reducing inflammation, promoting wound healing, and improving overall quality of life for psoriasis patients. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanism of action of curcumin hydrogel and to optimize its formulation and delivery for maximum efficacy

Performance evaluation of Bacopa monneri-loaded ethosomes for topical delivery

Bacopa monnieri is a plant with a rich history of use in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, spanning several centuries. It is also referred to as Brahmi in some regions. This product serves as a treatment for various skin conditions, such as inflammation and wound healing. Its properties also aid in the production of collagen and improve circulation. The inclusion of antioxidants enhances your skin's overall health, resulting in a rejuvenated and vibrant appearance. The present study aimed to prepare a nano-lipoidal system loaded with Bacopa monnieri (BM) extract and its characterization. Twelve formulations (F1-12) were developed using the ether injection method using different ratios of BM extract, L-alpha phosphatidylcholine (SPC), ethanol, and water. Bacoside A was used as a marker compound for estimation purposes. BM extract-loaded ethosomes were characterized in which formulation F-5 showed the highest entrapment efficiency of 89 %, with vesicle size 188 nm, while the zeta potential was -29.19 mV, and the polydispersity index (PDI) was  0.221±1.45. In vitro extract release using a dialysis membrane was performed for 12 hours, and it was found to be 44 % and 61 % at the end of 8 and 12 hours. The formulation followed zero-order non-Fickian diffusion kinetics, which is best for transdermal formulations. The goat skin was used for Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) study which showed the fluorescence intensity of Rhodamine B entrapped in those was 16.783, while it was 8.580 in the blank hydroethanolic solution, which confirmed the penetration of the ethosomal systems up to 30-40 µm deeper into the skin which gives a possibility that ethosomes can contribute in collagen synthesis and decrease the degradation of elastin in the deeper layers.

Removal of trivalent and pentavalent arsenic from water using chemically modified chitosan beads

479-487A novel process for chemical modification of chitosan with iron oxide and potassium permanganate was developed and the beads of the modified material have been prepared for the removal of the two forms of the metalloid Arsenic - As(III) and As(V)from water in the concentration range 5-40 mg L-1. The maximum adsorption capacity (pH 7.0) is 43.28 and 32.26 mg g-1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The chemically modified chitosan beads are regenerated for successive treatment cycles through alkali treatment. The regenerated beads show negligible loss in their removal efficiency of As(III) and As(V). Overall, the study provides a novel process for fabrication of low-cost composite material of chitosan for enhanced removal of Arsenic. This report will facilitate the development and up-scaling of low-cost treatment technologies for adsorptive removal of Arsenic from water

Circadian Proteomic Analysis Uncovers Mechanisms of Post-Transcriptional Regulation in Metabolic Pathways.

Transcriptional and translational feedback loops in fungi and animals drive circadian rhythms in transcript levels that provide output from the clock, but post-transcriptional mechanisms also contribute. To determine the extent and underlying source of this regulation, we applied newly developed analytical tools to a long-duration, deeply sampled, circadian proteomics time course comprising half of the proteome. We found a quarter of expressed proteins are clock regulated, but >40% of these do not arise from clock-regulated transcripts, and our analysis predicts that these protein rhythms arise from oscillations in translational rates. Our data highlighted the impact of the clock on metabolic regulation, with central carbon metabolism reflecting both transcriptional and post-transcriptional control and opposing metabolic pathways showing peak activities at different times of day. The transcription factor CSP-1 plays a role in this metabolic regulation, contributing to the rhythmicity and phase of clock-regulated proteins

Sustained proliferation in cancer: mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets

Proliferation is an important part of cancer development and progression. This is manifest by altered expression and/or activity of cell cycle related proteins. Constitutive activation of many signal transduction pathways also stimulates cell growth. Early steps in tumor development are associated with a fibrogenic response and the development of a hypoxic environment which favors the survival and proliferation of cancer stem cells. Part of the survival strategy of cancer stem cells may manifested by alterations in cell metabolism. Once tumors appear, growth and metastasis may be supported by overproduction of appropriate hormones (in hormonally dependent cancers), by promoting angiogenesis, by undergoing epithelial to mesenchymal transition, by triggering autophagy, and by taking cues from surrounding stromal cells. A number of natural compounds (e.g., curcumin, resveratrol, indole-3-carbinol, brassinin, sulforaphane, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, genistein, ellagitannins, lycopene and quercetin) have been found to inhibit one or more pathways that contribute to proliferation (e.g., hypoxia inducible factor 1, nuclear factor kappa B, phosphoinositide 3 kinase/Akt, insulin-like growth factor receptor 1, Wnt, cell cycle associated proteins, as well as androgen and estrogen receptor signaling). These data, in combination with bioinformatics analyses, will be very important for identifying signaling pathways and molecular targets that may provide early diagnostic markers and/or critical targets for the development of new drugs or drug combinations that block tumor formation and progression

Author Correction: Federated learning enables big data for rare cancer boundary detection.

10.1038/s41467-023-36188-7NATURE COMMUNICATIONS14

Federated learning enables big data for rare cancer boundary detection.

Although machine learning (ML) has shown promise across disciplines, out-of-sample generalizability is concerning. This is currently addressed by sharing multi-site data, but such centralization is challenging/infeasible to scale due to various limitations. Federated ML (FL) provides an alternative paradigm for accurate and generalizable ML, by only sharing numerical model updates. Here we present the largest FL study to-date, involving data from 71 sites across 6 continents, to generate an automatic tumor boundary detector for the rare disease of glioblastoma, reporting the largest such dataset in the literature (n = 6, 314). We demonstrate a 33% delineation improvement for the surgically targetable tumor, and 23% for the complete tumor extent, over a publicly trained model. We anticipate our study to: 1) enable more healthcare studies informed by large diverse data, ensuring meaningful results for rare diseases and underrepresented populations, 2) facilitate further analyses for glioblastoma by releasing our consensus model, and 3) demonstrate the FL effectiveness at such scale and task-complexity as a paradigm shift for multi-site collaborations, alleviating the need for data-sharing