Public health care system, quasi-experimental study: Acceptance and attitude to implicate clinical services

A six-month longitudinal intervention arm study with a pre-post cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was performed. A 3-phase objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) design was utilized for evaluation of acceptance and attitude of pharmacy students towards clinical pharmacy services. The pre-OSCE survey showed increased disagreement with the role of clinical pharmacists, compared to a significant positive shift in attitude towards their services in the healthcare team after 6 months of the trial. Responses improved for awareness (the current healthcare system could be improved by involving pharmacists, p < 0.02) and positive attitude categories (doctors and nurses would be happy to welcome the services of competent clinical pharmacists as part of their team, p < 0.01) in addition to competency (pharmacists have sufficient clinical training to advise doctors and nurses, p < 0.01). The predictive model suggested a strong positive effect on patient interaction, medical information tasks, clinical decisions on drug-related problems (DRPs), and communication with healthcare professionals (R2 = 0.41, F = 1.51, p < 0.001)

Catechol estrogens stimulate insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells via activation of the transient receptor potential A1 (TRPA1) channel

Estrogen hormones play an important role in controlling glucose homeostasis and pancreatic β-cell function. Despite the significance of estrogen hormones for regulation of glucose metabolism, little is known about the roles of endogenous estrogen metabolites in modulating pancreatic β-cell function. In this study, we evaluated the effects of major natural estrogen metabolites, catechol estrogens, on insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. We show that catechol estrogens, hydroxylated at positions C2 and C4 of the steroid A ring, rapidly potentiated glucose-induced insulin secretion via a nongenomic mechanism. 2-Hydroxyestrone, the most abundant endogenous estrogen metabolite, was more efficacious in stimulating insulin secretion than any other tested catechol estrogens. In insulin-secreting cells, catechol estrogens produced rapid activation of calcium influx and elevation in cytosolic free calcium. Catechol estrogens also generated sustained elevations in cytosolic free calcium and evoked inward ion current in HEK293 cells expressing the transient receptor potential A1 (TRPA1) cation channel. Calcium influx and insulin secretion stimulated by estrogen metabolites were dependent on the TRPA1 activity and inhibited with the channel-specific pharmacological antagonists or the siRNA. Our results suggest the role of estrogen metabolism in a direct regulation of TRPA1 activity with potential implications for metabolic diseases

Towards a Casimir force measurement between micromachined parallel plate structures

Ever since its prediction, experimental investigation of the Casimir force has been of great scientific interest. Many research groups have successfully attempted quantifying the force with different device geometries; however, measurement of the Casimir force between parallel plates with sub-micron separation distance is still a challenging task, since it becomes extremely difficult to maintain sufficient parallelism between the plates. The Casimir force can significantly influence the operation of micro devices and to realize reliable and reproducible devices it is necessary to understand and experimentally verify the influence of the Casimir force at sub-micron scale. In this paper, we present the design principle, fabrication and characterization of micromachined parallel plate structures that could allow the measurement of the Casimir force with tunable separation distance in the range of 100 to 1000 nm. Initially, a gold coated parallel plate structure is explored to measure the Casimir force, but also other material combinations could be investigated. Using gold-silicon eutectic bonding, a reliable approach to bond chips with integrated suspended plates together with a well-defined separation distance in the order of 1–2 μm is developed

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p57(Kip2) is epigenetically regulated in carboplatin resistance and results in collateral sensitivity to the CDK inhibitor seliciclib in ovarian cancer

Carboplatin remains a first-line agent in the management of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Unfortunately, platinum-resistant disease ultimately occurs in most patients. Using a novel EOC cell line with acquired resistance to carboplatin: PEO1CarbR, genome-wide micro-array profiling identified the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p57(Kip2) as specifically downregulated in carboplatin resistance. Presently, we describe confirmation of these preliminary data with a variety of approaches

Examining the Influence of Media System Dependency Relations on User Satisfaction, and Continuance Intention in Social Networking Services

Social Networking Services (SNS) exert a substantial influence in the digital realm. For marketers and entrepreneurs, comprehending the nuances of potential consumer interaction with SNS is pivotal to craft optimal communication strategies. Consequently, deciphering the determinants that either encourage or hinder individual SNS usage behaviors becomes imperative, as it fosters deeper insights into users' continuance intentions and facilitates the building of robust relationships. Drawing upon the Media System Dependency (MSD) theory, this research addresses two main questions: 1) How do individuals' MSD relations, encompassing Understanding Dependency (UD), Orientation Dependency (OD), and Play Dependency (PD), satisfaction (ST) within the SNS context? 2) Does satisfaction subsequently enhance their continuance intention (CI) towards the SNS? To address these queries, we scrutinized data amassed from 393 online Weibo users in China. Participants, all of whom possessed prior Weibo experience, were invited to partake in a comprehensive survey. The proposed hypotheses were rigorously examined using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The analysis revealed that the three delineated MSD relations significantly bolstered participants' ST, which in turn robustly influenced their CI. This study's findings shed invaluable light on the nexus between MSD relations and SNS engagement, offering meaningful implications for both academics and SNS practitioners. Future research endeavors are encouraged to expand upon these insights and further fortify our understanding of the topic

DeCoST: A New Approach in Drug Repurposing From Control System Theory

In this paper, we propose DeCoST (Drug Repurposing from Control System Theory) framework to apply control system paradigm for drug repurposing purpose. Drug repurposing has become one of the most active areas in pharmacology since the last decade. Compared to traditional drug development, drug repurposing may provide more systematic and significantly less expensive approaches in discovering new treatments for complex diseases. Although drug repurposing techniques rapidly evolve from “one: disease-gene-drug” to “multi: gene, dru” and from “lazy guilt-by-association” to “systematic model-based pattern matching,” mathematical system and control paradigm has not been widely applied to model the system biology connectivity among drugs, genes, and diseases. In this paradigm, our DeCoST framework, which is among the earliest approaches in drug repurposing with control theory paradigm, applies biological and pharmaceutical knowledge to quantify rich connective data sources among drugs, genes, and diseases to construct disease-specific mathematical model. We use linear–quadratic regulator control technique to assess the therapeutic effect of a drug in disease-specific treatment. DeCoST framework could classify between FDA-approved drugs and rejected/withdrawn drug, which is the foundation to apply DeCoST in recommending potentially new treatment. Applying DeCoST in Breast Cancer and Bladder Cancer, we reprofiled 8 promising candidate drugs for Breast Cancer ER+ (Erbitux, Flutamide, etc.), 2 drugs for Breast Cancer ER- (Daunorubicin and Donepezil) and 10 drugs for Bladder Cancer repurposing (Zafirlukast, Tenofovir, etc.)