Understanding the key competencies of market-ready building surveying graduates from employers’ perspectives

Purpose: This study investigates the various competencies a graduate should hold to prepare them for graduate building surveying roles from employers’ perspective. Design/Methodology: The study employs a sequential exploratory mixed-method approach by informing a quantitative study with the finding from a qualitative study. Findings: Based on exploratory factor analysis, the study found that 13 essential competencies are valued by the employers when recruiting building surveying graduates, as they are requisites for effective job performance. Personal management skills, technical surveying knowledge, and knowledge of RICS standards are the essential competencies based on the level of variance extracted by the three components. Other competency categories include client management skills, being goal-driven and self-motivated, optimistic personality traits, strong mental resilience, building maintenance and management knowledge, and time management skills, among others that are explained in the paper. Originality/Value: The essential competencies were dependent on maintaining a balance between knowledge, skills and personality-based competencies. Measures and approaches for gaining the essential competencies, as well as their level of significance, are further discussed. The study will be of significant benefits to employers of graduate building surveyors, academic institutions that are seeking to improve their graduate employability, as well as students that are preparing for the world of work

Development and Evaluation of Orally Disintegrating Tablets of Montelukast Sodium by Direct Compression Method

Purpose: To design an orally disintegrating montelukast sodium tablet (ODT) that disintegrates in the oral cavity leaving an easy-to-swallow residue especially for pediatric and elderly patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets.Methods: Two different formulations of montelukast sodium (5 mg) orally disintegrating tablets were designed and manufactured by direct compression method, using microcrystalline (Avicel PH-102), mannitol, sodium bicarbonate, crospovidone and magnesium stearate as key excipients, and with cherry flavor and aspartame as flavor and sweetener, respectively. These formulations were then evaluated using pharmacopoeial and non-pharmacopoeial physical and chemical tests. Dissolution and assay tests were performed using USP apparatus II and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry, respectively. Formulations with better results were further subjected for optimization study using central composite design method.Results: The results of prototype formulation batch (Trial-02) and the finest optimization formulation batch (FOB-01) reflected the successful development of new formulation of orally disintegrating montelukast sodium 5 mg tablet by direct compression technique. The value of similarity factor (f2 > 50), indicating that both formulations have similar drug release profiles. The formulations were further evaluated for three and six months under accelerated conditions to ascertain their stability.Conclusion: The results obtained demonstrate the suitability of the formulation as an ODT for convenient delivery of montelukast sodium for asthmatic patients. However, clinical studies are required to confirm this.Keywords: Orally disintegrating tablets, Asthma, Disintegration, Dissolution, Montelukast sodiu

In silico modeling of the specific inhibitory potential of thiophene-2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzothiazepine against BChE in the formation of β-amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alzheimer's disease, known to be associated with the gradual loss of memory, is characterized by low concentration of acetylcholine in the hippocampus and cortex part of the brain. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase has successfully been used as a drug target to treat Alzheimer's disease but drug resistance shown by butyrylcholinesterase remains a matter of concern in treating Alzheimer's disease. Apart from the many other reasons for Alzheimer's disease, its association with the genesis of fibrils by β-amyloid plaques is closely related to the increased activity of butyrylcholinesterase. Although few data are available on the inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase, studies have shown that that butyrylcholinesterase is a genetically validated drug target and its selective inhibition reduces the formation of β-amyloid plaques.</p> <p>Rationale</p> <p>We previously reported the inhibition of cholinesterases by 2,3-dihydro-1, 5-benzothiazepines, and considered this class of compounds as promising inhibitors for the cure of Alzheimer's disease. One compound from the same series, when substituted with a hydroxy group at C-3 in ring A and 2-thienyl moiety as ring B, showed greater activity against butyrylcholinesterase than to acetylcholinesterase. To provide insight into the binding mode of this compound (Compound A), molecular docking in combination with molecular dynamics simulation of 5000 ps in an explicit solvent system was carried out for both cholinesterases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Molecular docking studies revealed that the potential of Compound A to inhibit cholinesterases was attributable to the cumulative effects of strong hydrogen bonds, cationic-π, π-π interactions and hydrophobic interactions. A comparison of the docking results of Compound A against both cholinesterases showed that amino acid residues in different sub-sites were engaged to stabilize the docked complex. The relatively high affinity of Compound A for butyrylcholinesterase was due to the additional hydrophobic interaction between the 2-thiophene moiety of Compound A and Ile69. The involvement of one catalytic triad residue (His438) of butyrylcholinesterase with the 3'-hydroxy group on ring A increases the selectivity of Compound A. C-C bond rotation around ring A also stabilizes and enhances the interaction of Compound A with butyrylcholinesterase. Furthermore, the classical network of hydrogen bonding interactions as formed by the catalytic triad of butyrylcholinesterase is disturbed by Compound A. This study may open a new avenue for structure-based drug design for Alzheimer's disease by considering the 3D-pharmacophoric features of the complex responsible for discriminating these two closely-related cholinesterases.</p