COMMAND VOICES AND AGGRESSION IN A LEBANESE SAMPLE PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background: The impact of command voices (CV) on violent behaviors in patients with schizophrenia remains unclear. The literature has produced mixed results, with no research existing on CV and violence among the Lebanese population. The study objecttives were to (1) evaluate the association between voice beliefs, psychosis severity, treatment, demographic factors and command voices, and (2) evaluate the association between command voices and violence among patients with schizophrenia in Lebanon. Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted between April and August 2019, enrolled 280 patients with schizophrenia. Results: The results showed that 111 (39.6%) patients with schizophrenia had auditory hallucinations, among whom 93 (83.8%) patients had command voices; from these 93 patients, 53 (57.0%) were compliant with voices. Higher positive (ORa=1.09) and general psychopathology (ORa=1.04) PANSS subscales scores were significantly associated with higher compliance to voices. A higher resistance to beliefs about voices (ORa=0.91) was significantly associated with lower compliance to voices. Conclusions: The prevalence of CV in patients with schizophrenia that report auditory hallucinations, was high in our sample. The vast majority of violent acts committed by patients was in compliance to CV, with a significantly high rate of the violence committed being directed towards property. Our findings were able to connect positive symptoms to higher probability of compliance to CV

Derivative spectrophotometric analysis of benzophenone (as an impurity) in phenytoin

Three simple and rapid spectrophotometric methods were developed for detection and trace determination of benzophenone (the main impurity) in phenytoin bulk powder and pharmaceutical formulations. The first method, zero-crossing first derivative spectrophotometry, depends on measuring the first derivative trough values at 257.6 nm for benzophenone. The second method, zero-crossing third derivative spectrophotometry, depends on measuring the third derivative peak values at 263.2 nm. The third method, ratio first derivative spectrophotometry, depends on measuring the peak amplitudes of the first derivative of the ratio spectra (the spectra of benzophenone divided by the spectrum of 5.0 μg/mL phenytoin solution) at 272 nm. The calibration graphs were linear over the range of 1-10 μg/mL. The detection limits of the first and the third derivative methods were found to be 0.04 μg/mL and 0.11 μg/mL and the quantitation limits were 0.13 μg/mL and 0.34 μg/mL, respectively, while for the ratio derivative method, the detection limit was 0.06 μg/mL and the quantitation limit was 0.18 μg/mL. The proposed methods were applied successfully to the assay of the studied drug in phenytoin bulk powder and certain pharmaceutical preparations. The results were statistically compared to those obtained using a polarographic method and were found to be in good agreement

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Incorporation of <i>Prosopis cineraria</i> Extract Improved the Mechanical, Barrier and Antioxidant Properties but Not the Antibacterial Activity of <i>Tigertooth croaker</i> Fish Scale Gelatin Film

Scale gelatin films derived from croaker fish and infused with Prosopis (Prosopis cineraria) extract (PE) at concentrations of 0.3% and 0.7% were produced. A control film, void of extract, was employed for comparative purposes. The thickness of each film was found to be statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). The results show that the highest solubility (78.57 ± 3.57%) was found for the glycerol film, and the least permeability was found for the water vapor (0.74 ± 0.09 ×10−10g s−1m−1Pa−1); however, the water vapor permeability (WVP) and water solubility (WS) of the films that contained PE were considerably lower than those of the control film (p 99%) and favorable thermal characteristics. The highest and lowest antioxidant activities were found for the 7% Prosopis cineraria extract (56.96 ± 2.6%) and the glycerol film (40.66 ± 2.46%), respectively. No antibacterial activity was observed in these films. Microscopic pictures showed that all three films had a uniform and plain surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy–attenuated total reflectance (FTIR–ATR) analysis revealed distinct amide bands and protein–polyphenol interactions within the films that contained the extract

Structural and stereochemical investigations into bromotyrosine-derived metabolites from southern Australian marine sponges, Pseudoceratina spp.

Chemical investigation of a southern Australian sponge, Pseudoceratina sp., resulted in the isolation of twelve bromotyrosine-derived alkaloids, comprising four new metabolites, aplysamine-7 (1), (-)-purealin B (2), purealin C (3) and purealin D (4); two new spiroisoxazole enantiomers, (-)-purealidin R (5) and (-)-aerophobin-2 (6); five known metabolites (-)-pseudoceratinine A (7), (-)-aeroplysinin-1 (8), aplysamine-2 (9), purpuramine G (10) and purpuramine J (11): and an artifact 12 derived from ethanolysis of 5. Structures for 1-12 were assigned on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis. A second southern Australian Pseudoceratina sp. afforded the first recorded account of a racemic bromotyrosine-derived spiroisoxazole, (+/-)-purealin (13b), together with the known achiral precursor purealidin A (15). A literature review of marine bromotyrosine-derived spiroisoxazoles reaffirmed the published dominance of (+)-spiroisoxazoles, acknowledging several accounts of (-)-spiroisoxazoles, while also revealing a wide range of chiroptical measurements suggestive of variable optical purity. The Pseudoceratina sp. metabolites 1-12, 13b and 15 were assessed for antibiotic properties, with the new metabolites 3 and 13b exhibiting broad spectrum activity against several Gram-positive bacteria. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Teachers shape secondary school students' behaviours through the use of learning theories: the case of Malaysia

The aim of this study is to explore the understanding and the application of learning theories among the teacher in shaping students’ behaviour. In-depth one-to-one interviews with five experienced teachers were carried out to collect the data. Collected data were analysed based on a qualitative approach by using John Hattie’s eight-mind frame in order to build consistent data. Two themes and twelve sub-themes emerged from the interviews, including mindset (mind-frame 1 to 8) and practices (punishments, rewards, approaches the students, and way of thinking). The findings demonstrated that while teachers' perspectives on learning theories varied, they are largely consistent with Hattie’s mind frame. When perceptions and beliefs are shared, Hattie's mind frames may prove the way of thinking, and it can identify a successful teacher's style of thinking. Learning theories are important for students' learning, according to the teachers in our study, however, it depends on the practices and how the teachers apply the practices in learning theories. Going forward, this research adds to the moulding of school students' behaviours by allowing teachers to use these learning theories in a novel method that could become a new teaching practice in the school system

Talarophenol sulfate and talarophilones from the Australian mud dauber wasp-associated fungus, Talaromyces sp. CMB-W045

Chemical analysis of a jasmine rice cultivation of an Australian mud dauber wasp-associated fungus, Talaromyces sp. CMB-W045, led to the discovery of a new p-terphenyl, talarophenol sulfate (1). The structure elucidation of 1 was achieved by detailed spectroscopic analysis supported by acid hydrolysis to the p-hydroquinone talarophenol (2), and subsequent in situ air oxidation to trace amounts of the p-quinone talaroquinone (3). The same jasmine rice cultivation also yielded the new talarophilones A (4) and B (5), and known (+)-mitorubrin (6) and pochonin D (7), with structures assigned by detailed spectroscopic analysis. Neither 1 or 4–7 exhibited growth inhibitory properties against a panel of human cell lines, or bacterial or fungal pathogens, although 1 did exhibit selective antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 12344 (IC 10 µM)

Exploring natural product artifacts: the polyketide enterocin warms to a ballet of isomers

The polyketide enterocin is responsive to environmental stimuli, where mild heating promotes an equilibrium mixture of the isomeric acetals enterocins B and C, which subsequently undergo pseudo-chair-boat inversion to enterocin D. When exposed to aqueous base, enterocin is converted to the isomeric Michael acceptor enterocin F. These studies demonstrate that knowledge of environmental stimuli and associated artifacts is critical to understanding the chemical and ecological properties of enterocins and other classes of natural products

Glenthenamines A–F: Enamine pyranonaphthoquinones from the Australian pasture plant-derived Streptomyces sp. CMB-PB042

Chemical investigations into solid phase cultivations of an Australian sheep station pasture plant-derived Streptomyces sp. CMB-PB042, yielded the rare enamine naphthopyranoquinones BE-54238A (1) and BE-54238B (2), together with four new analogues, glenthenamines B–D (4–6) and F (8), and two handling artifacts, glenthenamines A (3) and E (7). Single crystal X-ray analyses of 1–2 resolved configurational ambiguities in the scientific literature, while detailed spectroscopic analysis and biosynthetic considerations assigned structures inclusive of absolute configuration to 3–8. We propose a plausible sequence of biosynthetic transformations linking structural and configurational features of 1–8, and apply a novel Schiff base "fishing" approach to detect a key deoxyaminosugar precursor. These enamine naphthopyranoquinone disclose a new P-gp inhibitory pharmacophore capable of reversing doxorubicin resistance in P-gp overexpressing colon carcinoma cells

Fungal biotransformation of tetracycline antibiotics

The commercial antibiotics tetracycline (3), minocycline (4), chlortetracycline (5), oxytetracycline (6), and doxycycline (7) were biotransformed by a marine-derived fungus Paecilomyces sp. to yield seco-cyclines A-H (9-14, 18 and 19) and hemi-cyclines A-E (20-24). Structures were assigned by detailed spectroscopic analysis, and in the case of 10 X-ray crystallography. Parallel mechanisms account for substrate-product specificity, where 3-5 yield seco-cyclines and 6 and 7 yield hemi-cyclines. The susceptibility of 3-7 to fungal biotransformation is indicative of an unexpected potential for tetracycline "degradation" (i.e., antibiotic resistance) in fungal genomes. Significantly, the fungal-derived tetracycline-like viridicatumtoxins are resistant to fungal biotransformation, providing chemical insights that could inform the development of new tetracycline antibiotics resistant to enzymatic degradation