Procter & Gamble (United Kingdom)
FarFar - Repository of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of BelgradeNot a member yet
6247 research outputs found
Sort by
Biochemical markers and carotid intima-media thickness in relation to cardiovascular risk in young women
No full textCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death in the female population. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between CVD risk and novel endothelial dysfunction biomarkers [i.e., endocan, adiponectin and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1] and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), respectively in a cohort of disease-free women of reproductive age. A total of 129 women were selected. Serum endocan, adiponectin and ICAM-1 were measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and cITM was determined by ultrasound. Cardiovascular risk score (CVRS) was calculated. The lowest endocan (p for trend = 0.051) and adiponectin (p for trend = 0.040) levels were found in a group of subjects with the highest CVRS. The cIMT values were the highest in second tertile subgroups, with the highest 75th percentile in a third tertile CVRS group, while the lowest cIMT values were detected in the lowest CVRS tertile group (p for trend = 0.001). A significant positive correlation between cIMT and CVRS (ρ = 0.307, p < 0.001), and a negative correlation between adiponectin and endocan with CVRS, respectively (ρ = - 0.252, p = 0.004; ρ = - 0.179, p = 0.043) were observed, but only endocan retained the independent association with CVRS (p = 0.030) in the multiple linear regression analysis. Endocan could be useful diagnostic tool in the estimation of cardiovascular risk in young women
Selective laser sintering 3D process: Influence of the photoabsorbers on the properties of desloratadine tablets
No full textSelective laser sintering (SLS) is one of the latest threedimensional printing (3DP) techniques that offers promising potential for the production of small batches of so-called patient-specific drugs and the individualisation of therapy. ..
Factors affecting successful selective laser sintering (SLS) 3d printing of tablets
No full textThree-dimensional (3D) printing is a revolutionary technology that builds objects in a layer by layer manner, based on digital models [1]. Initially developed for rapid prototyping, 3D printing has expanded its applications into various fields, including healthcare. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is one of the most sophisticated 3D printing techniques which uses a laser beam to sinter powdered material, binding it together to form a solid structure [2]. In the pharmaceutical industry, SLS presents unique opportunities for the fabrication of customized drug delivery systems. This technique allows for the production of tablets and other dosage forms with tailored release profiles and geometries, which can be designed to meet individual patient needs. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that enable successful printing of tablets using SLS technique
The Role of a Clinical Pharmacist in the Identification of Potentially Inadequate Drugs Prescribed to the Geriatric Population in Low-Resource Settings Using the Beers Criteria: A Pilot Study
No full textPopulation aging is a global phenomenon. Each country in the world faces an increased number of older persons in the total population. With aging, a high prevalence of multiple chronic diseases occurs, leading to the use of complex therapeutic regimens and often to polypharmacy. Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) is a medicine prescribed to a patient for whom the risks outweigh the benefits. Today, several tools are used to evaluate the use of pharmacotherapy in older adults, one of them is the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria. In this prospective, pilot study, we aimed to investigate if the number of PIMs in elderly patients would be significantly reduced if a clinical pharmacist performed a pharmacotherapy review. The study included 66 patients over 65 years of age who were hospitalized at the 1200-bed university hospital. The intervention was conducted by a clinical pharmacist who reviewed the patients’ pharmacotherapy and provided written suggestions to physicians. The pharmacotherapy was again reviewed at the patients’ discharge from the hospital. A total number of 204 PIMs were identified in the pharmacotherapy of the study population. At discharge, the number of PIMs decreased to 67. A total of 67% of the pharmacist’s suggestions were accepted by the physicians. The pharmacist’s intervention led to significant decrease in the number of PIMs on patients’ discharge letters
Measuring digital health literacy in Europe – developing a new tool to capture innovation
No full textBackground
Rapid advancement of digital resources for health and healthcare in Europe has widened the scope of opportunities to promote health, but also raises concerns about accessibility and health equity. Measuring digital health literacy (DHL) in populations is critical for assessing digital resource appropriateness in general and specifically among vulnerable populations. The DHL measure used in the M-POHL Health Literacy Survey 2019-2021 (HLS19) in 13 countries showed inadequate DHL in large parts of the population, reflecting a social gradient. As digital resources become increasingly interactive, potentially widening the digital divide, a need to refine the DHL HLS19 tool was evident.
Methods
Building on the HLS19 tool, an additional measure was developed to assess interactive aspects of DHL by representatives from 16 countries in a co-productive way, based on discussions about the diverse digital challenges. The additional scale was to be generic enough to be relevant for all countries, yet specific enough to discern the diverse needs regarding various public health/healthcare service formats across Europe.
Results
The new tool is divided into 2 parts: a scale measuring the skills to access, understand, appraise, and apply digital health information as applied and validated in HLS19, and a new set of items assessing the use and ease of use of interactive digital resources including health promotion apps, digital tools for managing health/medical conditions, navigating the healthcare system, and communicating online with health professionals. The tool has been translated into several languages and is currently undergoing piloting/cognitive testing.
Conclusions
Collaborative work among countries is essential for developing relevant measurement tools on the European level. Just as the technology undergoes rapid change, likewise tools for assessing DHL must be updated acknowledging the diversity of digital resources and needs on country levels.17th European Public Health Conference 2024 Sailing the Waves of European Public Health: Exploring a Sea of Innovation Lisbon, Portugal 12–15 November 202
The Influence of the Chemical Composition of Beeswax Foundation Sheets on Their Acceptability by the Bee’s Colony
No full textBeeswax is one of the most important products for the well-being of bee colonies. The wax glands of young worker bees produce beeswax, which serves as a building material for honeycomb construction. Beekeepers using hives with mobile frames mainly utilize local beeswax to make foundations. Any paraffin addition represents adulteration, resulting in a high degree of contamination. During the preparation of re-used beeswax, losses during the process may instigate producers to add cheaper, wax-like substances like paraffin and tallow. This article presents a systematic investigation of the quality of beeswax foundation from six major producers in Vojvodina, Serbia, by applying the classic analytical procedure for the determination of selected physicochemical parameters and instrumental gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FTIR–ATR) spectroscopy techniques. FTIR–ATR detected possible paraffin and beef tallow in 72 foundation sheet samples. This technique was complemented with GC–MS. This analysis revealed that paraffin content ranged between 19.75 and 85.68%, while no tallow was detected over the two-year period. Two sheets from each manufacturer were placed into wired Langstroth–Ruth frames and placed in beehives. The construction, based on built cells, was monitored every 24 h. Evaluating newly inserted sheets proved that without quality nectar, there is no intensive building, regardless of adulteration
Antibiofilm Effects of Novel Compounds in Otitis Media Treatment: Systematic Review
No full textOtitis media (OM) is a frequent disease with incidence rate of 5300 cases per 100,000 people. Recent studies showed that polymicrobial biofilm formation represents a significant pathogenic mechanism in recurrent and chronic forms of OM. Biofilm enables bacteria to resist antibiotics that would typically be recommended in guidelines, contributing to the ineffectiveness of current antimicrobial strategies. Given the challenges of successfully treating bacterial biofilms, there is an growing interest in identifying novel and effective compounds to overcome antibacterial resistance. The objective of this review was to provide an overview of the novel compounds with antibiofilm effects on bacterial biofilm formed by clinical isolates of OM. The systematic review included studies that evaluated antibiofilm effect of novel natural or synthetic compounds on bacterial biofilm formed from clinical isolates obtained from patients with OM. The eligibility criteria were defined using the PICOS system: (P) Population: all human patients with bacterial OM; (I) Intervention: novel natural or synthetic compound with biofilm effect; (C) Control standard therapeutic antimicrobial agents or untreated biofilms, (O) Outcome: antibiofilm effect (biofilm inhibition, biofilm eradication), (S) Study design. The PRISMA protocol for systematic reviews and meta-analysis was followed. From 3564 potentially eligible studies, 1817 duplicates were removed, and 1705 were excluded according to defined exclusion criteria. A total of 41 studies with available full texts were retrieved by two independent authors. Fifteen articles were selected for inclusion in the systematic review which included 125 patients with OM. A total of 17 different novel compounds were examined, including N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), tea tree oil, xylitol, eugenol, Aloe barbadensis, Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, Acacia arabica, antisense peptide nucleic acids, probiotics Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus oralis, Sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (MESNA), bioactive glass, green synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles, radish, silver nanoparticles and acetic acid. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly studied pathogen, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Haemophilus influenzae. Biofilm inhibition only by an examined compound was assessed in six studies; biofilm eradication in four studies, and both biofilm inhibition and biofilm eradication were examined in five studies. This systematic review indicates that some compounds like NAC, prebiotics, nanoparticles and MESNA that have significant effects on biofilm are safe and could be researched more extensively for further clinical use. However, a lack of data about reliable and efficient compounds used in therapy of different types of otitis media still remains in the literature
Teucrium montanum extract ameliorates collagen-induced arthritis in rats
No full textPurpose: Traditional herbal plants attract atention as potential therapeutics in the treatment of arthritis. Teucriummontanum L. (TM) is a widely distributed plant in almost all Mediterranean countries. The therapeutic potential of TMextract is insufficiently examined, but its composition implies potential anti-inflammatory effect. We tested ameloratingeffects of TM extract on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in rat collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model.Methods: Phytochemical analysis of TM methanol extract was performed using LC-DAD-ESI-MS. Female Dark Agoutirats were immunized with bovine type II collagen (CII) in incomplete Freund`s adjuvant to induce CIA. CIA rats weretreated with TM extract daily per os (100 or 200 mg/kg) from day when the first signs of disease started. Clinicalevaluation of CIA was performed by scoring and histological analysis. Phenotypic and functional characteristics ofsplenocytes and draining lymph nodes (dLNs) cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels in supernatantsfrom hind paw tissue culture, and IgG CII-specific antibodies level in blood were determined by ELISA.Results: TM extract contained phenylethanoid glycosides, mainly verbascoside, phenolic acids, flavonoid and iridoidglycosides. Applied TM extract doses significantly reduced arthritic score and severity of ankle joint inflammation in CIArats. This was accompanied by the more pro-oxidant profile in serum, and shifted pro-inflammatory (TNF-α and IL-6)and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines balance toward later in paws of treated rats. This was in conjunction with lessinflammatory phenotype of dLN and spleen CD11b+ cells (monocytes/macrophages) judged by their lower expression ofCD86, MHCII, and TLR-4, and lower production of TNF-α and IL-1β. The frequency of TCR+ cells, and IL-17- andIFN-γ- producing CD4+ cells were lower in dLNs and spleen, while frequency of regulatory CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ cellswas higher. The lower frequency of CD45RA (B cells) in dLNs and spleen was accompanied with lower levels of serumanti-CII antibodies in treated rats.Conclusion: These findings suggest, for the first time, that TM extract effectively ameliorated clinical presentation of RAin model of rat CIA, and that this therapeutic effect may be associated with its immunoregulatory/anti-inflammatoryaction
A New Intervention for Implementation of Pharmacogenetics in Psychiatry: A Description of the PSY-PGx Clinical Study
Get PDF(1) Background Pharmacological treatment for psychiatric disorders has shown to only be effective in about one-third of patients, as it is associated with frequent treatment failure, often because of side effects, and a long process of trial-and-error pharmacotherapy until an effective and tolerable treatment is found. This notion emphasizes the urgency for a personalized medicine approach in psychiatry. (2) Methods This prospective patient- and rater-blinded, randomized, controlled study will investigate the effect of dose-adjustment of antidepressants escitalopram and sertraline or antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole according to the latest state-of-the-art international dosing recommendations for CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 metabolizer status in patients with mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. A total sample of N = 2500 will be recruited at nine sites in seven countries (expected drop-out rate of 30%). Patients will be randomized to a pharmacogenetic group or a dosing-as-usual group and treated over a 24-week period with four study visits. The primary outcome is personal recovery using the Recovery Assessment Scale as assessed by the patient (RAS-DS), with secondary outcomes including clinical effects (response or symptomatic remission), side effects, general well-being, digital phenotyping, and psychosocial functioning. (3) Conclusions This is, to our knowledge, the first international, multi-center, non-industry-sponsored randomized controlled trial (RCT) that may provide insights into the effectiveness and utility of implementing pharmacogenetic-guided treatment of psychiatric disorders, and as such, results will be incorporated in already available dosing guidelines
Model-Informed Drug Development: In Silico Assessment of Drug Bioperformance following Oral and Percutaneous Administration
Get PDFThe pharmaceutical industry has faced significant changes in recent years, primarily influenced by regulatory standards, market competition, and the need to accelerate drug development. Model-informed drug development (MIDD) leverages quantitative computational models to facilitate decision-making processes. This approach sheds light on the complex interplay between the influence of a drug’s performance and the resulting clinical outcomes. This comprehensive review aims to explain the mechanisms that control the dissolution and/or release of drugs and their subsequent permeation through biological membranes. Furthermore, the importance of simulating these processes through a variety of in silico models is emphasized. Advanced compartmental absorption models provide an analytical framework to understand the kinetics of transit, dissolution, and absorption associated with orally administered drugs. In contrast, for topical and transdermal drug delivery systems, the prediction of drug permeation is predominantly based on quantitative structure–permeation relationships and molecular dynamics simulations. This review describes a variety of modeling strategies, ranging from mechanistic to empirical equations, and highlights the growing importance of state-of-the-art tools such as artificial intelligence, as well as advanced imaging and spectroscopic techniques