Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 427 in total

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  1. An overview of polymer surface coated synthetic quantum dots as therapeutics and sensors applications
    Babu AK, Raja MKMM, Zehravi M, Mohammad BD, Anees MI, Prasad C, et al.
    Prog Biophys Mol Biol, 2023 Nov;184:1-12.
    PMID: 37652186 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.08.004
    Quantum dots (QDs) are a class of remarkable materials that have garnered significant attention since their initial discovery. It is noteworthy to mention that it took approximately a decade for these materials to be successfully implemented in practical applications. While QDs have demonstrated notable optical properties, it is important to note that these attributes alone have not rendered them a feasible substitute for traditional organic dyes. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the substance under investigation exhibited inherent toxicity and instability in its initial state, primarily due to the presence of a heavy metal core. In the initial stages of research, it was observed that the integration of nanocomposites had a positive impact on the properties of QDs. The discovery of these nanocomposites was motivated by the remarkable properties exhibited by biocomposites found in nature. Recent discoveries have shed light on the potential utilization of QDs as a viable strategy for drug delivery, offering a promising avenue to enhance the efficacy of current pharmaceuticals and pave the way for the creation of innovative therapeutic approaches. The primary objective of this review was to elucidate the distinctive characteristics that render QDs highly suitable for utilization as nanocarriers. In this study, we will delve into the multifaceted applications of QDs as sensing nanoprobes and their utilization in diverse drug delivery systems. The focus of our investigation was directed toward the utilization of QD/polymer composites in sensing applications, with particular emphasis on their potential as chemical sensors, biosensors, and physical sensors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  2. MXenes and MXene-based materials for removal of pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater: Critical review
    Tawalbeh M, Mohammed S, Al-Othman A, Yusuf M, Mofijur M, Kamyab H
    Environ Res, 2023 Jul 01;228:115919.
    PMID: 37072081 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115919
    The rapid increase in the global population and its ever-rising standards of living are imposing a huge burden on global resources. Apart from the rising energy needs, the demand for freshwater is correspondingly increasing. A population of around 3.8 billion people will face water scarcity by 2030, as per the reports of the World Water Council. This may be due to global climate change and the deficiency in the treatment of wastewater. Conventional wastewater treatment technologies fail to completely remove several emerging contaminants, especially those containing pharmaceutical compounds. Hence, leading to an increase in the concentration of harmful chemicals in the human food chain and the proliferation of several diseases. MXenes are transition metal carbide/nitride ceramics that primarily structure the leading 2D material group. MXenes act as novel nanomaterials for wastewater treatment due to their high surface area, excellent adsorption properties, and unique physicochemical properties, such as high electrical conductivity and hydrophilicity. MXenes are highly hydrophilic and covered with active functional groups (i.e., hydroxyl, oxygen, fluorine, etc.), which makes them efficient adsorbents for a wide range of species and promising candidates for environmental remediation and water treatment. This work concludes that the scaling up process of MXene-based materials for water treatment is currently of high cost. The up-to-date applications are still limited because MXenes are currently produced mainly in the laboratory with limited yield. It is recommended to direct research efforts towards lower synthesis cost procedures coupled with the use of more environmentally friendly materials to avoid secondary contamination.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  3. Fulltext Mechano-chemical and biological energetics of immobilized enzymes onto functionalized polymers and their applications
    Sharma T, Xia C, Sharma A, Raizada P, Singh P, Sharma S, et al.
    Bioengineered, 2022 Apr;13(4):10518-10539.
    PMID: 35443858 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2062526
    Enzymes of commercial importance, such as lipase, amylase, laccase, phytase, carbonic anhydrase, pectinase, maltase, glucose oxidase etc., show multifunctional features and have been extensively used in several fields including fine chemicals, environmental, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, energy, food industry, agriculture and nutraceutical etc. The deployment of biocatalyst in harsh industrial conditions has some limitations, such as poor stability. These drawbacks can be overcome by immobilizing the enzyme in order to boost the operational stability, catalytic activity along with facilitating the reuse of biocatalyst. Nowadays, functionalized polymers and composites have gained increasing attention as an innovative material for immobilizing the industrially important enzyme. The different types of polymeric materials and composites are pectin, agarose, cellulose, nanofibers, gelatin, and chitosan. The functionalization of these materials enhances the loading capacity of the enzyme by providing more functional groups to the polymeric material and hence enhancing the enzyme immobilization efficiency. However, appropriate coordination among the functionalized polymeric materials and enzymes of interest plays an important role in producing emerging biocatalysts with improved properties. The optimal coordination at a biological, physical, and chemical level is requisite to develop an industrial biocatalyst. Bio-catalysis has become vital aspect in pharmaceutical and chemical industries for synthesis of value-added chemicals. The present review describes the current advances in enzyme immobilization on functionalized polymers and composites. Furthermore, the applications of immobilized enzymes in various sectors including bioremediation, biosensor and biodiesel are also discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  4. Fulltext Evaluation of adsorption performance and mechanisms of a highly effective 3D boron-doped graphene composite for amitriptyline pharmaceutical removal
    Tee WT, Loh NYL, Hiew BYZ, Show PL, Hanson S, Gan S, et al.
    J Environ Manage, 2023 Oct 15;344:118363.
    PMID: 37413724 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118363
    Three-dimensional heteroatom-doped graphene presents a state-of-the-art approach for effective remediation of pharmaceutical wastewater on account of its distinguished adsorption and physicochemical attributes. Amitriptyline is an emerging tricyclic antidepressant pollutant posing severe risks to living habitats through water supply and food chain. With ultra-large surface area and plentiful chemical functional groups, graphene oxide is a favorable adsorbent for decontaminating polluted water. Herein, a new boron-doped graphene oxide composite reinforced with carboxymethyl cellulose was successfully developed via solution-based synthesis. Characterization study revealed that the adsorbent was formed by graphene sheets intertwined into a porous network and engrafted with 13.37 at% of boron. The adsorbent has a zero charge at pH 6 and contained various chemical functional groups favoring the attachment of amitriptyline. It was also found that a mere 10 mg of adsorbent was able to achieve relatively high amitriptyline removal (89.31%) at 50 ppm solution concentration and 30 °C. The amitriptyline adsorption attained equilibrium within 60 min across solution concentrations ranging from 10 to 300 ppm. The kinetic and equilibrium of amitriptyline adsorption were well correlated to the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, respectively, portraying the highest Langmuir adsorption capacity of 737.4 mg/g. Notably, the predominant mechanism was chemisorption assisted by physisorption that contributed to the outstanding removal of amitriptyline. The saturated adsorbent was sufficiently regenerated using ethanol eluent. The results highlighted the impressive performance of the as-synthesized boron-doped adsorbent in treating amitriptyline-containing waste effluent.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  5. Observation on cadavers and through ultrasonography using a 2 mm needle length for intradermal injections
    Yi KH, Lee B, Kim MJ, Lee SH, Hidajat IJ, Lim TS, et al.
    Skin Res Technol, 2023 Nov;29(11):e13529.
    PMID: 38009043 DOI: 10.1111/srt.13529
    BACKGROUND: An intradermal injection is a medical procedure that involves administering a small amount of medication or substance into the dermal layer of the skin. This research focused on identifying the most suitable injection needle for precise intradermal administration of skin boosters.

    METHODS: The study involved conducting intradermal injections on four cadavers and participants using a 2 mm length, 34-gauge needle (N-Finders, Inc., South Korea). During the cadaveric study, the polynucleotide prefilled syringe was dyed green, and an anatomist performed dissections, removing only the skin layer. Ultrasonographic observations were carried out to ensure accurate intradermal injection placement.

    RESULTS: In all four cadavers, the facial injections at the anterior cheek region were precisely administered intradermally at a 30-degree injection angle. However, the 90-degree injection was found just below the dermal layer upon skin layer removal.

    DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that using a 2 mm needle length allows for easy and convenient intradermal injections.

    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  6. Preparation and evaluation of a coated smectite clay-based material modified with epichlorohydrin-dimethylamine for the diclofenac removal
    Shamsudin MS, Taib MHA, Azha SF, Bonilla-Petriciolet A, Ismail S
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Dec;30(60):124596-124609.
    PMID: 35608765 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20815-9
    This study reports the analysis of diclofenac removal from aqueous solution using a novel adsorbent coating with amphoteric surface. This adsorbent coating was improved using a new amphoteric ratio to increase its performance for the removal of pharmaceuticals such as diclofenac. The adsorbent coating was formulated using acrylic polymer emulsion, smectite-based clay powder and epichlorohydrin-dimethylamine to obtain a layer form via the implementation of a facile synthesis method. In a previous study, this adsorbent coating was successful to remove cationic and anionic dyes. Therefore, this research aimed to further investigate and test its application in the removal of other emerging water pollutants like pharmaceuticals. SEM, EDX, and FTIR analyses were carried out for the characterization of this novel adsorbent. The effects of adsorbent composition, diclofenac concentration, temperature, and solution pH were studied and modeled. The best conditions to improve the diclofenac adsorption was 303 K and pH 3 where the adsorption capacity was 25.59 mg/g. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics were quantified and modeled, and the corresponding adsorption mechanism was also analyzed. Diclofenac adsorption with this novel material was exothermic and spontaneous. This alternative adsorbent is promising for diclofenac removal from industrial wastewater systems.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  7. β-cyclodextrin polymer composites for the removal of pharmaceutical substances, endocrine disruptor chemicals, and dyes from aqueous solution- A review of recent trends
    Kamaraj M, Suresh Babu P, Shyamalagowri S, Pavithra MKS, Aravind J, Kim W, et al.
    J Environ Manage, 2024 Feb;351:119830.
    PMID: 38141340 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119830
    Cyclodextrin (CD) and its derivatives are receiving attention as a new-generation adsorbent for water pollution treatment due to their external hydrophilic and internal hydrophobic properties. Among types of CD, β-Cyclodextrin (βCD) has been a material of choice with a proven track record for a range of utilities in distinct domains, owing to its unique cage-like structural conformations and inclusion complex-forming ability, especially to mitigate emerging contaminants (ECs). This article outlines βCD composites in developing approaches of their melds and composites for purposes such as membranes for removal of the ECs in aqueous setups have been explored with emphasis on recent trends. Electrospinning has bestowed an entirely different viewpoint on polymeric materials, comprising βCD, in the framework of diverse functions across a multitude of niches. Besides, this article especially discusses βCD polymer composite membrane-based removal of contaminants such as pharmaceutical substances, endocrine disruptors chemicals, and dyes. Finally, in this article, the challenges and future directions of βCD-based adsorbents are discussed, which may shed light on pragmatic commercial applications of βCD polymer composite membranes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  8. Non-lamellar lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles as nanocarriers for enhanced drug encapsulation of atorvastatin calcium and proanthocyanidins
    Maslizan M, Haris MS, Ajat M, Md Jamil SNA, Azhar SC, Zahid NI, et al.
    Chem Phys Lipids, 2024 May;260:105377.
    PMID: 38325712 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2024.105377
    Atorvastatin calcium (ATV) and proanthocyanidins (PAC) have a strong antioxidant activity, that can benefit to reduce the atherosclerotic plaque progression. Unfortunately, the bioavailability of ATV is greatly reduced due to its limited drug solubility while the PAC drug is unstable upon exposure to the atmospheric oxygen. Herein, the lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LLCNPs) constructed by a binary mixture of soy phosphatidylcholine (SPC) and citric acid ester of monoglyceride (citrem) at different weight ratios were used to encapsulate the hydrophobic ATV and hydrophilic PAC. The LLCNPs were further characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering. Depending on the lipid composition, the systems have a size range of 140-190 nm and were able to encapsulate both drugs in the range of 90-100%. Upon increasing the citrem content of drug-loaded LLCNPs, the hexosomes (H2) was completely transformed to an emulsified inverse micellar (L2). The optimum encapsulation efficiency (EE) of ATV and PAC were obtained in citrem/SPC weight ratio 4:1 (L2) and 1:1 (H2), respectively. There was a substantial change in the mean size and PDI of the nanoparticles upon 30 days of storage with the ATV-loaded LLCNPs exhibiting greater colloidal instability than PAC-loaded LLCNPs. The biphasic released pattern (burst released at the initial stage followed by the sustained released at the later stage) was perceived in ATV formulation, while the burst drug released pattern was observed in PAC formulations that could be attributed by its internal H2 structure. Interestingly, the cytokine studies showed that the PAC-LLCNPs promisingly up regulate the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) better than the drug-free and ATV-loaded LLCNPs samples. The structural tunability of citrem/SPC nanoparticles and their effect on physicochemical characteristic, biological activities and potential as an alternative drug delivery platform in the treatment of atherosclerosis are discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  9. Fulltext Using VigiBase to Identify Substandard Medicines: Detection Capacity and Key Prerequisites
    Juhlin K, Karimi G, Andér M, Camilli S, Dheda M, Har TS, et al.
    Drug Saf, 2015 Apr;38(4):373-82.
    PMID: 25687792 DOI: 10.1007/s40264-015-0271-2
    Substandard medicines, whether the result of intentional manipulation or lack of compliance with good manufacturing practice (GMP) or good distribution practice (GDP), pose a significant potential threat to patient safety. Spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting systems can contribute to identification of quality problems that cause unwanted and/or harmful effects, and to identification of clusters of lack of efficacy. In 2011, the Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) constructed a novel algorithm to identify reporting patterns suggestive of substandard medicines in spontaneous reporting, and applied it to VigiBase(®), the World Health Organization's global individual case safety report database. The algorithm identified some historical clusters related to substandard products, which were later able to be confirmed in the literature or by contact with national centres (NCs). As relevant and detailed information is often lacking in the VigiBase reports but might be available at the reporting NC, further evaluation of the algorithm was undertaken with involvement from NCs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/standards*
  10. Separation of selected imidazole enantiomers using dual cyclodextrin system in micellar electrokinetic chromatography
    Wan Ibrahim WA, Abd Wahib SM, Hermawan D, Sanagi MM, Aboul-Enein HY
    Chirality, 2013 Jun;25(6):328-35.
    PMID: 23716264 DOI: 10.1002/chir.22156
    Cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CD-MEKC) method was developed for simultaneous enantioseparation of three imidazole drugs namely tioconazole, isoconazole and fenticonazole. Three easily available and inexpensive cyclodextrins namely 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD), 2-hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin (HP-γ-CD) and heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin (DM-β-CD) were evaluated to discriminate the six stereoisomers of the drugs. However, none of the three CDs gave a complete enantioseparation of the drugs. Effective enantioseparation of tioconazole, isoconazole and fenticonazole was achieved using a combination of 35 mM HP-γ-CD and 10 mM DM-β-CD as chiral selectors. The best separation using both HP-γ-CD and DM-β-CD (35 mM:10 mM) as chiral selectors were accomplished in background electrolyte (BGE) containing 35 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 15% (v/v) acetonitrile at 27 kV and 30 °C with all peaks resolved in less than 15 min with resolutions, Rs 1.90-27.22 and peak efficiencies, N > 180 000. The developed method was linear over the concentration range of 25-200 mg l(-1) (r(2) > 0.998) and the detection limits (S/N = 3) of the three imidazole drugs were found to be 2.7-7.7 mg l(-1). The CD-MEKC method was successfully applied to the determination of the three imidazole drugs in spiked human urine sample and commercial cream formulation of tioconazole and isoconazole with good recovery (93.6-106.2%) and good RSDs ranging from 2.30-6.8%.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/urine
  11. Fulltext Regulatory guidelines for biosimilars in Malaysia
    Abas A
    Biologicals, 2011 Sep;39(5):339-42.
    PMID: 21784655 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2011.06.009
    The biosimilars sector continues to attract huge interest and controversy. Biosimilars are new biopharmaceuticals that are "similar" but not identical to the innovator product. Characteristics of biopharmaceuticals are closely related to the manufacturing process, which implies that the products cannot be exactly duplicated. Minuscule differences in the product's structure and manufacturing process can result in different clinical outcome. This raises concerns over the safety, efficacy and even pharmacovigilance of biosimilars. Thus, biosimilars are unique - they are not a true chemical generic and are regulated via a distinct regulatory framework. This report discusses the features of Malaysian regulatory oversight of biosimilars and experience acquired in the evaluation of some products from various countries. Ensuring regulatory position adequately reflects scientific advancement, expertise/resources is key. The regulatory situation is an evolving process. Various guidance documents are being prepared with the aim of developing a uniform global framework towards assuring the dual goal of lower costs and patient safety while expediting the availability of important biosimilar products.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/standards*
  12. Medication-related dental erosion: a review
    Thomas MS, Vivekananda Pai AR, Yadav A
    Compend Contin Educ Dent, 2015 Oct;36(9):662-6; quiz 668.
    PMID: 26448149
    Dental erosion has become a major problem that affects the long-term health of the dentition. Among the various potential causes for erosive tooth wear, the different drugs prescribed for patients may be overlooked. Several therapeutic medications can directly or indirectly be associated with dental erosion. It is the responsibility of oral health providers to make both patients and colleagues aware of drugs that may contribute to this condition. Therefore, the purpose of this discussion is to provide an overview of the various therapeutic medications that can be related to tooth erosion. The authors also include precautionary measures-summarized as The 9 Rs-to avoid or at least reduce medication-induced erosion.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations, Dental/adverse effects*
  13. Using pictograms to assist caregivers in liquid medication administration: a systematic review
    Chan HK, Hassali MA, Lim CJ, Saleem F, Tan WL
    J Clin Pharm Ther, 2015 Jun;40(3):266-72.
    PMID: 25865563 DOI: 10.1111/jcpt.12272
    WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: It has been reported that more than 80% of out-of-hospital medication errors among the young children involve liquid formulations. The usefulness of pictorial aids to improve communication of medication instructions has not been extensively investigated for child health. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of pictorial aids used to assist caregivers in the administration of liquid medications.
    METHODS: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published up to February 2015. Studies that used pictorial aids with liquid medications and measured at least one of the following outcomes were included: dosing accuracy, comprehension of medication instructions, recall of information and adherence of caregivers. Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed methodological quality of studies using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool.
    RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Five experimental studies (four hospital based and one community based) with a total of 962 participants were included. A wide range of liquid formulations were studied, including both prescription and over-the-counter medications. The existing findings suggest that pictographic interventions reduced dosing errors, enhanced comprehension and recall of medication instructions and improved adherence of caregivers. Incorporating pictorial aids into verbal medication counselling or text-based instructions was more beneficial than using the single approach alone. Mixed results were identified for the relationship between health literacy of caregivers and effectiveness of pictorial aids.
    WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The evidence remains limited due to the small number of studies found and variations in methodological quality. This review suggests that pictorial aids might be potential interventions, but more high-quality studies are needed to support the routine use of any pictogram-based materials with liquid medications in the clinical settings.
    KEYWORDS: caregivers; graphics; health literacy; medication adherence; medication errors; paediatrics
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/administration & dosage*
  14. Theoretically-derived molecular descriptors important in human intestinal absorption
    Agatonovic-Kustrin S, Beresford R, Yusof AP
    J Pharm Biomed Anal, 2001 May;25(2):227-37.
    PMID: 11275432
    A quantitative structure-human intestinal absorption relationship was developed using artificial neural network (ANN) modeling. A set of 86 drug compounds and their experimentally-derived intestinal absorption values used in this study was gathered from the literature and a total of 57 global molecular descriptors, including constitutional, topological, chemical, geometrical and quantum chemical descriptors, calculated for each compound. A supervised network with radial basis transfer function was used to correlate calculated molecular descriptors with experimentally-derived measures of human intestinal absorption. A genetic algorithm was then used to select important molecular descriptors. Intestinal absorption values (IA%) were used as the ANN's output and calculated molecular descriptors as the inputs. The best genetic neural network (GNN) model with 15 input descriptors was chosen, and the significance of the selected descriptors for intestinal absorption examined. Results obtained with the model that was developed indicate that lipophilicity, conformational stability and inter-molecular interactions (polarity, and hydrogen bonding) have the largest impact on intestinal absorption.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/metabolism
  15. Prediction of drug release profiles using an intelligent learning system: an experimental study in transdermal iontophoresis
    Lim CP, Quek SS, Peh KK
    J Pharm Biomed Anal, 2003 Feb 05;31(1):159-68.
    PMID: 12560060
    This paper investigates the use of a neural-network-based intelligent learning system for the prediction of drug release profiles. An experimental study in transdermal iontophoresis (TI) is employed to evaluate the applicability of a particular neural network (NN) model, i.e. the Gaussian mixture model (GMM), in modeling and predicting drug release profiles. A number of tests are systematically designed using the face-centered central composite design (CCD) approach to examine the effects of various process variables simultaneously during the iontophoresis process. The GMM is then applied to model and predict the drug release profiles based on the data samples collected from the experiments. The GMM results are compared with those from multiple regression models. In addition, the bootstrap method is used to assess the reliability of the network predictions by estimating confidence intervals associated with the results. The results demonstrate that the combination of the face-centered CCD and GMM can be employed as a useful intelligent tool for the prediction of time-series profiles in pharmaceutical and biomedical experiments.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/administration & dosage*
  16. [Medical exchanges among China and Asiana countries]
    Chen H
    Zhonghua Yi Shi Za Zhi, 1996;26(1):43-9.
    PMID: 11613284
    Among the issues of medical exchanges, medicaments are more often encountered than medical issues, based on ancient Chinese literatures, early in the Han-Jin Dynasties, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei had exchanges with China, also in Sui-Tang Dynasties. In the Song-Yuan Dynasties, ancient Singapore and the Philippines also incorporated in exchanges of medicament and goods. In the Ming-Qing dynasties, these 6 Asian countries had even more close contact with China, especially in trades and medical exchanges among the masses, carried out in a large scale thus, promoting the advent and development of TCM in Asiana Regions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/history*
  17. Sir Neil Hamilton Fairley, drug resistant malaria and the myth of massive infection in Malaya 1947-63
    O'Keefe BG
    Occas Pap Med Hist Aust, 1990;4:201-19.
    PMID: 11622898
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/history*
  18. Comparison of life cycle toxicity assessment methods for municipal wastewater treatment with the inclusion of direct emissions of metals, PPCPs and EDCs
    Rashid SS, Liu YQ
    Sci Total Environ, 2021 Feb 20;756:143849.
    PMID: 33248794 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143849
    The occurrence of various micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals personal care products, endocrine disrupting chemicals (PPCPs/EDCs) and metals in municipal wastewater, and their poor removal efficiencies can lead to toxicity impact on humans, and freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Life cycle assessment is an efficient and effective tool to evaluate the environmental impact of wastewater treatment plants, but guidelines for toxicity assessment are lacking due to the complexity. This study aims to evaluate both life cycle inventory by including metals and PEC, and life cycle toxicity assessment (LCIA) methods namely CML-IA, Recipe, USEtox, EDIP 2003 and IMPACT 2002+ in midpoint category with a large centralised wastewater treatment plant in Malaysia as a case study. The removal efficiencies of metals and PPCPs/EDCs in the wastewater ranged from 9% to 99% and no clear patterns were found about occurrence and removal efficiencies of metals and PPCPs/EDCs in developing and developed countries. The inclusion of metals and PPCPs/EDCs in effluent resulted in 76% increase in freshwater ecotoxicity potential (FEP) and 88% increase in terrestrial ecotoxicity potential (TEP) while only 4% increase in human toxicity potential (HTP). The results indicate the importance of including direct emissions such as metals and PPCPs/EDCs even in low-strength municipal wastewater for environmental toxicity assessment. The comparison of five LCIA methods suggests that HTP assessment is more challenging due to inconsistency between five LCIA methods while CML-IA, Recipe, and IMPACT 2002+ achieved consistent human toxicity and ecotoxicity assessment results in the WWTP. The results highlight the importance of sampling and inclusion of metals and PPCPs/EDCs data especially prioritised micropollutants for life cycle toxicity assessment and recommends LCIA methods for ecotoxicity assessment of WWTPs in the current scientific development situation on toxicity studies, which can provide guidance to researchers for life cycle toxicity assessment of wastewater treatment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations*
  19. Fulltext Assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms among calcium channel blocker-users and its impact on quality of life
    Salman M, Khan AH, Syed Sulaiman SA, Hughes JD, Khan JH, Shehzadi N, et al.
    J Pak Med Assoc, 2021 May;71(5):1384-1387.
    PMID: 34091619 DOI: 10.47391/JPMA.1162
    Objective: To investigate the prevalence and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms among calcium channel blocker users, and the impact on patients' quality of life.

    METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at one hospital and 2 community pharmacies in Lahore, Pakistan, from November 2017 to July 2018, and comprised patients using calcium channel blockers. Data was collected using standardised scales to assess lower urinary tract symptoms and quality of life. Data was analysed using SPSS 22.

    RESULTS: Of the 410 subjects, 315 (76.8%) were males. The overall median age was 50.84 years, IQR 19 with 126 (30.7%) aged 41-50 years. Of the total, 108 (26.3%) patients were on calcium channel blockers alone, while the rest were taking it in combination with other drugs. Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms was 307 (74.9%); mild 103 (25.1%), moderate 201 (49.1%) and severe 106 (25.9%). The symptoms were significantly associated with reduced quality of life (p<0.05).

    Conclusion: Majority calcium channel blockers users had clinically significant lower urinary tract symptoms which significantly reduced patients' quality of life.

    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations*
  20. Allopurinol-Induced Severe Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions: An Analysis of Spontaneous Reports in Malaysia (2000-2018)
    Lee SC, Wo WK, Yeoh HS, Mohamed Ali N, Hariraj V
    Ther Innov Regul Sci, 2021 05;55(3):514-522.
    PMID: 33393015 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-020-00245-w
    INTRODUCTION: Allopurinol-induced severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs) are potentially debilitating and life-threatening reactions, which can cause a financial burden to the healthcare system.

    OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify risk factors for allopurinol-induced SCARs and to assess their impact on fatality.

    METHODS: Adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports with allopurinol as suspected drug were extracted from the Malaysian pharmacovigilance database from year 2000 to 2018. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors of allopurinol-induced SCARs. We further analysed the association between covariates and SCARs-related fatality in a separate model. Level of significance was set at p value 

    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations*
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