bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Protocol-Driven, Bedside Digital Conversational Agent to Support Nurse Teams and Mitigate Risks of Hospitalization in Older Adults: Case Control Pre-Post Study (Preprint)
Authors: Bott Nicholas , Wexler Sharon , Drury Lin , Pollak Chava , Wang Victor , Scher Kathleen , Narducci Sharon
Published: January 2019

BACKGROUND

Hospitalized older adults often experience isolation and disorientation while receiving care, placing them at risk for many inpatient complications, including loneliness, depression, delirium, and falls. Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) are technological entities that can interact with people through spoken conversation. Some ECAs are also relational agents, which build and maintain socioemotional relationships with people across multiple interactions. This study utilized a novel form of relational ECA, provided by Care Coach (care.coach, inc): an animated animal avatar on a tablet device, monitored and controlled by live health advocates. The ECA implemented algorithm-based clinical protocols for hospitalized older adults, such as reorienting patients to mitigate delirium risk, eliciting toileting needs to prevent falls, and engaging patients in social interaction to facilitate social engagement. Previous pilot studies of the Care Coach avatar have demonstrated the ECA’s usability and efficacy in home-dwelling older adults. Further study among hospitalized older adults in a larger experimental trial is needed to demonstrate its effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of a human-in-the-loop, protocol-driven relational ECA on loneliness, depression, delirium, and falls among diverse hospitalized older adults.

METHODS

This was a clinical trial of 95 adults over the age of 65 years, hospitalized at an inner-city community hospital. Intervention participants received an avatar for the duration of their hospital stay; participants on a control unit received a daily 15-min visit from a nursing student. Measures of loneliness (3-item University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale), depression (15-item Geriatric Depression Scale), and delirium (confusion assessment method) were administered upon study enrollment and before discharge.

RESULTS

Participants who received the avatar during hospitalization had lower frequency of delirium at discharge (P<.001), reported fewer symptoms of loneliness (P=.01), and experienced fewer falls than control participants. There were no significant differences in self-reported depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings validate the use of human-in-the-loop, relational ECAs among diverse hospitalized older adults.
Variability in Cinacalcet Prescription across US Hemodialysis Facilities
Authors: Fuller Douglas S. , Xing Shan , Belozeroff Vasily , Yehoshua Alon , Morgenstern Hal , Robinson Bruce M. , Rubin Robert J. , Bhatt Nisha , Pisoni Ronald L.
Published: January 2019

Background and objectives

Calcimimetic drugs used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism are being considered for inclusion in the Medicare ESRD Prospective Payment System bundle after an evaluation period. Understanding of utilization patterns of calcimimetics across dialysis facilities may help align financial incentives with clinical objectives. Our study’s purpose was to describe the distribution of cinacalcet prescription across United States hemodialysis facilities and to explore factors that may influence cinacalcet utilization.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

We used monthly cross-sectional data from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study in 2014 to characterize the distribution of cinacalcet prescription across 203 United States hemodialysis facilities (10,521 patients). On the basis of associations with parathyroid hormone levels from patient-level analyses, we used linear mixed-effects regressions to estimate the associations between three facility-level exposures (black race, <65 years old, and having ≥3 years on dialysis [vintage]) and the prevalence of cinacalcet prescription, adjusting for facility- and patient-level potential confounders.

Results

The mean percentage of patients in each facility with cinacalcet prescription was 23% in June 2014 (median, 22%; interquartile range, 13%–30%). Adjusted for facility-level and nonexposure patient-level variables, the difference in prevalence of cinacalcet prescription between facilities with the highest and lowest quartiles of percentage of black patients was 7.8% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.8% to 14.8%; P for trend =0.03). The adjusted prevalence difference was 7.3% for the percentage of patients aged <65 years (95% CI, –0.1% to 14.7%; P for trend =0.06) and 11.9% for the percentage of patients with ≥3 years of dialysis (95% CI, 2.4% to 21.4%; P for trend =0.02). These associations changed appreciably, becoming much weaker or even reversing, after further adjusting for the patient-level exposure variables.

Conclusions

Facilities treating more patients who are black, under age 65 years, and having dialysis vintage ≥3 years have higher average levels of cinacalcet prescription. However, these differences were strongly attenuated after accounting for the unbalanced distributions of these patient case-mix variables.
Calidad de sueño, síntomas de insomnio y rendimiento académico en estudiantes de medicina
Authors: Ojeda-Paredes Paulina , Estrella-Castillo Damaris Francis , Rubio-Zapata Héctor Armando
Published: January 2019

Introducción: La calidad de sueño y los síntomas de insomnio pueden afectar habilidades para trabajar o aprender. La licenciatura de médico cirujano, incluye gran cantidad de contenido teórico y memorístico. Los trastornos del sueño pueden alterar el rendimiento académico. Tabaco, alcohol, drogas, edad, obesidad, hormonas y otros factores biológicos, mentales, ambientales y sociales pueden incrementar la mala calidad de sueño y la incidencia de síntomas de insomnio. Los universitarios son una población vulnerable para desarrollar trastornos del sueño.

Objetivo: El objetivo fue relacionar la calidad de sueño y los síntomas de insomnio con el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de primer año de la carrera de Médico Cirujano en Yucatán.

Método: Se realizó un estudio transversal que incluyó 118 estudiantes del primer año de la carrera de Médico Cirujano de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Los participantes respondieron los cuestionarios: calidad de sueño de Pittsburgh (PSQI), índice de severidad de insomnio (ISI), AUDIT y datos epidemiológicos. El rendimiento académico fue evaluado mediante el promedio numérico de calificaciones obtenidas de los exámenes escritos y cursos aprobados.

Resultados: 65 hombres (19.15 ± 1.60 años) y 53 mujeres (18.98 ± 1.23 años) fueron incluidos. 98.11% de las mujeres y 90.76% de los hombres se percibieron con mala calidad de sueño. No se encontró asociación entre la calidad de sueño y el rendimiento académico. 73% de las mujeres y 66% de los hombres fueron clasificados con insomnio. Los niveles de síntomas insomnio moderado y severo fueron mayores en mujeres (p = 0.02). 50.94% de las mujeres y 44.61% de los hombres tuvieron pobre rendimiento académico. El pobre rendimiento académico se relacionó con síntomas de insomnio leve (p = 0.0035) y moderado (p = 0.03) únicamente en el grupo de mujeres. En hombres los síntomas de insomnio se relacionaron con el índice de masa corporal y con vivir fuera del domicilio familiar.

Conclusiones: La gran mayoría de los estudiantes se percibieron con mala calidad de sueño y síntomas de insomnio. En las mujeres, los síntomas de insomnio afectan negativamente el rendimiento académico.
Importancia de las sociedades científicas de estudiantes de medicina en Latinoamérica
Authors: Aveiro-Róbalo T. R. , Escobar-Salinas J. S. , Ayala-Servín J. N. , Rotela-Fisch V.
Published: January 2019

Introducción: Las sociedades científicas de estudiantes de medicina son organizaciones que impulsan actividades enfocadas en investigación y otras áreas como la educación médica y la atención integral en salud.

Objetivo: Determinar la importancia de las sociedades científicas de estudiantes de medicina en Latinoamérica.

 

Método: Diseño de tipo observacional y descriptivo, de corte transversal con muestreo no probabilístico de casos consecutivos entre enero a julio 2017. Se aplicó una encuesta autoadministrada, la muestra fue de 430 sujetos de 16 a 34 años de 14 países de Latinoamérica, y se consideró para un tamaño poblacional infinito una proporción esperada de 50%, una precisión de 5% y un nivel de confianza de 95%.

Resultados: De 430 estudiantes de medicina de Latinoamérica, 254 (59.9%) fueron mujeres y 176 (40.1%) fueron hombres; 426 (99.1%) estudiantes consideran importante la capacitación en investigación, 421 de ellos (97.9%) consideran importante la publicación científica siendo estudiantes. Sobre la capacitación universitaria recibida, 290 (67.4%) estudiantes consideran que no reciben suficiente capacitación sobre investigación y publicaciones. En cuanto a las herramientas facilitadas por las sociedades científicas, 320 (74.4%) considera que recibe herramientas necesarias para una suficiente formación científica; 173 (40.2%) estudiantes afirmaron que pertenecen a una sociedad científica y 88 (20.5%) de ellos tienen publicado algún artículo en revistas científicas; 139 (32.3%) se han iniciado en la investigación con su sociedad científica y 89 (20.7%) con un grupo de investigación y docente investigador.

Conclusiones: El rol de las sociedades de estudiantes de medicina en Latinoamérica como motor de crecimiento, promoción e impulso hacia la investigación científica es innegable. Es necesario un mayor apoyo e incentivo por parte de las universidades para acompañar y asegurar la calidad de ese crecimiento.
La rúbrica como estrategia de aprendizaje en metodología de la investigación en pregrado de medicina
Authors: Gómez López Víctor Manuel , Rosales Gracia Sandra , Robles Cerda Antonio
Published: January 2019

Introducción: Las rúbricas, como instrumentos de evaluación formativa, constituyen una excelente estrategia para lograr que los alumnos alcancen los objetivos de aprendizaje diseñados por el profesor, ya que permiten identificar cuáles son los estándares de calidad de las tareas o actividades de aprendizaje, lo que favorece la autorreflexión acerca del logro del aprendizaje significativo.

Objetivo: Comparar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes que utilizan una rúbrica para realizar trabajos académicos como el planteamiento de un problema en investigación médica, a diferencia de los estudiantes que no la utilizan.

Método: Se diseñó un estudio cuasi experimental, transversal, comparativo y prolectivo en donde se incluyó a 87 alumnos del curso de metodología de la investigación de la licenciatura de medicina de una escuela particular del sur de Tamaulipas. Se integraron 2 grupos: El grupo A (n: 43) integrado por los alumnos del profesor que utilizó la rúbrica como guía del aprendizaje, y el grupo B (n: 44) cuyos alumnos correspondían al profesor que impartió su curso en forma tradicional. Se utilizó la t de Student para grupos independientes, considerando un valor de p ≤ a 0.05 como estadísticamente significativo, utilizando el paquete SPSS versión 22.

Resultados: El promedio de la calificación en el grupo A fue de 68.6 frente a 59.6 en el grupo B, lo que representa una diferencia de medias de 8.9 y un valor de p de 0.033.

Conclusión: El uso de la rúbrica, en el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje, promueve un mayor aprendizaje en la asignatura de metodología de la investigación.
Desarrollo de evidencias de validez de una prueba de desempeño sobre competencias docentes: EDOE
Authors: Lobato Valverde Marlette , Alpuche Hernández Amílcar , Trejo Mejía Juan Andrés , Martínez González Adrián
Published: January 2019

Introducción: La evaluación de competencias docentes se relaciona con la mejora de la actividad educativa, orientada hacia el desarrollo personal y formativo. No se cuenta con evaluaciones de alta fidelidad en nuestro medio. El objetivo es obtener fuentes de evidencia de validez del Examen Docente Objetivo Estructurado (EDOE) para evaluar las competencias docentes.

Método: Se llevó a cabo un estudio cuantitativo en 3 fases: 1) Planeación: análisis del modelo de competencias, validación por jueces, validación de contenido por alumnos instructores y taller de trabajo con expertos para la creación de estaciones. 2) Piloto: se obtuvo el grado de concordancia de los evaluadores, validación y estructura interna de las estaciones (análisis de discriminación, alpha de Cronbach, medias y desviación estándar). 3) Final: Aplicación a la muestra por conveniencia no aleatoria conformada por 20 profesores del Departamento de Informática Biomédica de la Facultad de Medicina de la UNAM.

Resultados: Se realizó un análisis de discriminación de reactivos de 8 estaciones 2 tienen 5 reactivos que discriminan .05, 7 obtienen cargas factoriales aceptables; explicando un 88.35% de la varianza, un alpha de Cronbach de .68. La media de desempeño docente en el EDOE fue de 73.23 con desviación estándar de 8.4. La estación mejor evaluada fue estrategias de aprendizaje (85 ± 16.98) y la menor fue orientar la discusión (67.48 ± 15.62). Se detectó evidencia confirmatoria con exámenes similares utilizados en la Facultad de Medicina, se cumplieron los objetivos planteados en la creación de este instrumento, se detectó una media preevaluación EDOE y los profesores fueron realimentados sobre su desempeño con fines formativos.

Discusión y conclusiones: Se propone un instrumento de evaluación EDOE con suficiente evidencia de validez que puede ser utilizado en la evaluación del grado de competencia docente. Lo anterior orienta a crear instrumentos de evaluación docente que sigan buenas prácticas en cuanto a la elaboración de instrumentos con base en la cadena de evidencia de validez.
¿Son trascendentes las publicaciones científicas en estudiantes de medicina? Réplica
Authors: Vera-Rivero Daniel Alejandro
Published: January 2019

Luego de leer la Carta al Editor de Barboza-Meca “¿Son trascendentes las publicaciones científicas en estudiantes de Medicina?”, publicada en esta revista, se hace necesario emitir algunas consideraciones al respecto. Llama la atención cómo el autor plantea la necesidad de estándares para la selección de investigadores, cuestionando así la pertinencia de incluir los estudiantes de pregrado en el proceso de publicación científica. A su vez pone en duda el papel de las investigaciones estudiantiles en la solución de los problemas que aquejan la sociedad y la salud individual.
El National Board of Medical Examiners®: Exámenes y evaluaciones en los Estados Unidos y a nivel internacional
Authors: Paniagua Miguel A. , Katsufrakis Peter
Published: January 2019

Resumen: El National Board of Medical Examiners® (Consejo Nacional de Examinadores Médicos,) es una organización independiente sin fines de lucro fundada en 1915 cuya misión es “proteger la salud de las personas a través de una innovadora evaluación de los profesionales de la salud”.A principios de la década de 1990, el programa de licenciatura estelar del NBME, el USMLE, reemplazó al programa de Examen de Licencia de la Federación entonces existente (también conocido como los exámenes “FLEX”) y a los exámenes de certificación del NBME (también conocidos como los exámenes “Part”).
Capacidad predictiva de la rentabilidad en empresas del mercado de capitales de Argentina
Authors: Terreno Dante Domingo , Sattler Silvana Andrea , Castro Gonzalez Enrique Leopoldo
Published: January 2019

Farfield y Yohn (2001) presentan un sencillo e interesante modelo a efectos de predecir la rentabilidad en el corto plazo, en base a la rentabilidad actual y los componentes de Dupont. No obstante, la importancia y difusión de dicho modelo no ha sido explorado en economías emergentes. Es por ello, que en el presente trabajo se plantea como objetivo evaluar la capacidad predictiva de la rentabilidad de los activos operativos netos, en base al modelo mencionado en el Mercado de Capitales de Argentina. Los modelos contrastados muestran un importante proceso de reversión a la media de rentabilidad y que solamente la rotación de los activos operativos netos permite la mejoría en la rentabilidad del año siguiente. En cambio, el aumento del margen de ganancias revierte rápidamente, determinando un efecto negativo sobre rentabilidad del año siguiente.
La curva de rendimiento y su relación con la actividad económica en México durante el periodo 1978-2017
Authors: Mota Aragón Martha Beatriz , Mata Mata Leovardo
Published: January 2019

En este trabajo se estudian los componentes principales de la variación de las tasas de interés de los instrumentos de deuda, emitidos por el Gobierno mexicano, en el periodo 1978-2017. Mediante un vector autorregresivo se encuentra una relación entre dichos componentes y las variables: brecha del PIB, tasa de inflación y tasa de crecimiento económico. Asimismo, se encuentra evidencia de causalidad en el sentido de Granger, lo que establece un puente entre la curva de rendimiento y la actividad económica en México. 
La acumulación de capital como un determinante de la tasa de crecimiento de la ley de Thirlwall
Authors: Vázquez-Muñoz Juan Alberto
Published: January 2019

En el presente artículo se desarrolla una extensión del modelo de la restricción externa al crecimiento a través de la incorporación de la tasa de acumulación de capital y de la tasa de crecimiento de la pro­ductividad del capital como determinantes de la tasa de crecimiento de las importaciones en una primera versión, y de las tasas de crecimiento de las importaciones y de las exportaciones en una segunda versión. En la primera versión se argumenta que, además de la tasa de crecimiento de las exportaciones, la acumu­lación de capital y la tasa de crecimiento de la productividad del capital determinan la tasa de crecimiento consistente con el equilibrio dinámico de la balanza comercial. El efecto de la acumulación del capital puede ser positivo, nulo o negativo dependiendo de si los requerimientos de importación para generar la acumulación de capital son menores, iguales o mayores que la sustitución de importaciones que se genera a través de la modificación de la estructura productiva de la economía. Asimismo, si la tasa de crecimiento de la productividad del capital es en parte exógena y en parte endógena a la acumulación de capital, ésta última puede afectar a la tasa de crecimiento de largo plazo tanto de forma directa como indirecta a través de su efecto en la productividad del capital. En la segunda versión se muestra que las diferencias interna­cionales de las tasas de crecimiento no solo se deben a los patrones de especialización internacional, sino que también a las disparidades internacionales de las tasas de acumulación de capital.
Factores que influyen en la continuidad y sobrevivencia de un micronegocio en México
Authors: Alvarado Lagunas Elias , Dávila Aguirre Mario César , Vázquez Zacarías Manuel Alexis
Published: January 2019

This investigation characterized small business owners in Mexico by enterprise units. Estimations of the expectations and probability of continuing with a micro-business in the future were made. The data were obtained from the 2012 National Poll of Micro-businesses (ENAMIN) conducted by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI). The results reveal that the reasons Mexican micro-business owners continue operating their micro-business include family traditions, entrepreneurship benefits, and low paying jobs.
Corporate risk reporting: Analysis of risk disclosures in the interim reports of public Portuguese non-financial companies
Authors: Serrasqueiro Rogério Marques , Mineiro Tânia Sofia
Published: January 2019

Fast changing environments, globalization, coupled with financial scandals, and the advance of in­formation technologies made corporate risk a very central issue in management and accounting. Current governance codes require that management disclose in annual reports its responsibility for the adequacy of risk management and internal control systems and the disclosure of risk and uncertainties faced by companies are required by both governance codes and corporate reporting. This study seeks to capture risk disclosure patterns adopted by public Portuguese companies in interim reports and to investigate whether the audit quality may explain the observed risk disclosures practices. Manual content analysis has been carried out in the interim reports of 35 non-financial Portuguese firms ranked by decreasing mar­ket capitalization to create indexes of corporate risk disclosure, which have been used for observing the tone of disclosure and for testing an explanatory model with proxies of audit quality together with other explanatory variables widely used in disclosure research. Results point out that quantified risk disclosure prevails in interim reports and that firm’s risk disclosure policies are not influenced by auditor’s quality. This work contributes to academic and regulatory environments, filling the gap about risk disclosure in the interim report, identifying the nature of corporate risk disclosures, assessing the quality of risk infor­mation and updating research about determinants of risk disclosure in interim reports.
Contracting debt and the quality of financial reporting in private firms
Authors: Sousa Paiva Inna
Published: January 2019

This study investigates whether the quality of firms’ financial reporting is influenced by the con­tracting of debt, using data on Portuguese private firms from 2013 to 2015. More specifically, the study uses earnings smoothing, magnitude of absolute discretionary accruals, and timeliness of disclosure as proxies for financial reporting quality. I find that private firms which contract more debt exhibit higher levels of financial reporting quality. Additionally, firms that contract larger amounts of debt and with a good financial performance tend to exhibit lower quality financial reporting. The results provide strong evidence that private firms have an interest in camouflaging their performance in the presence of higher levels of bank debt. 
FURTADO VS. PREBISCH: A LATIN AMERICAN CONTROVERSY
Authors: Dutra Fonseca Pedro Cezar , Colangelo Salomão Ivan
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

The second half of the 1950s saw a conflict between Raúl Prebisch —the Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)— and Celso Furtado, who was one of the most respected economists in the institution. The conflict is little explored in the literature and, somehow, it has become taboo within the institution itself, since it motivated Furtado’s abandonment of ECLAC in 1957. By investigating two official documents they prepared to subsidize the Argentinian and the Mexican governments, the current study highlights the main differences regarding anti-inflation and external insertion policies and, taking a broader view, the role played by the State in leading the development process.

 

FURTADO VS. PREBISCH: UNA CONTROVERSIA LATINOAMERICANA

RESUMEN
En la segunda mitad de la década de 1950 se registró un conflicto entre Raúl Prebisch, el Secretario Ejecutivo de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), y Celso Furtado, uno de los economistas más respetados de la institución. El conflicto está poco explorado en la literatura y se ha convertido en un tabú dentro de la propia institución, ya que motivó el abandono de la CEPAL por parte de Furtado en 1957. Al investigar dos documentos oficiales que ellos prepararon para subsidiar a los gobiernos de Argentina y México, el presente artículo destaca las principales diferencias respecto a las políticas de combate a la inflación y de inserción externa y, a partir de una visión más amplia, el papel desempeñado por el Estado en la conducción del proceso de desarrollo.
Chitosan anchored nanoparticles for breast cancer: preparation and evaluation: part-I
Authors: Thagele Rajkumari , Bagre Archana , Kori Mohan Lal
Published: January 2019

The objective of present research work was to develop methotrexate loaded chitosan anchored shell nanoparticles for drug delivery in breast cancer. Chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) were synthesized by ionic gelation of chitosan using sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP). The optimized nanoparticles were characterized for particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) revealed particle size were found to be between 57.08 nm to169.5 nm and PDI 0.252 to 0.639 respectively. The results signpost that stirring speed during ionic gelation reaction was also decisive parameters for the size of the nanoparticles obtained. Further characterization involved to show polymer-drug interaction was FTIR and DSC. This paper grants a revision of the physical factors elaborate in attaining nanoparticles in order to regulate the particle size of polymeric nanoparticles made from chitosan, without any surplus chemical treatment.

Keywords: Breast cancer, Nanoparticles, Chitosan, Methotrexate
Quality by Design based formulation and evaluation of acyclovir microsponges
Authors: Dev Asish , Dwivedi Jayesh , Momin Munira
Published: January 2019

Objective: The proposed study is focussed at developing acyclovir microsponges for oral drug delivery systems.  QbD was applied for better understanding of the process and to generate design space, using quality target product profile, critical quality attributes, and risk assessment. The aim of the experiment is to prepare a safe, efficacious, stable and patient compliant microsponge dosage form of Acyclovir. Materials and methods: Pre-formulation studies were carried out which helped in developing a suitable dosage form. UV, FTIR, DSC, and SEM studies were done for pre-formulation and post-formulation evaluations. QbD was applied to generate design space, using QTPP, CQA, and risk assessment. Microsponges of acyclovir were developed by 23 factorial designs. Three variables Drug: Polymer ratio (X1), Concentration of surfactant (X2) and Stirring speed (RPM) (X3) at two levels low and high were selected and response surface plots were generated. The microsponges were prepared by Quassi-emulsion solvent diffusion method. Various characterizations that were carried out include entrapment efficiency, percentage yield, particle size determination, in-vitro drug release studies and kinetic modelling of drug release. Statistical analyses of batches and surface response studies were done to understand the effect of various independent variables on the dependent variables. Results and Discussions: The λmax was confirmed at 251 nm by UV spectroscopy. The melting point was determined experimentally to be 2460C which confirms the drug to be Acyclovir. FTIR and DSC studies confirmed that the drug is Acyclovir. Eight trials were taken as per the by 23 factorial designs.  Conclusion: The study indicates that microsponges of Acyclovir by QbD approach were successfully developed.

Keywords: Microsponge, Acyclovir, DoE, QbD
Preparation and evaluation of poly herbal hair oil
Authors: Kuber B. Ramya , Lavanya Ch. , Haritha Ch.Naga , Preethi S. , Rosa G.
Published: January 2019

In Ayurvedic medicine, herbs are used as an integral part of health care system. Besides healthcare, herbs are also used for beautification of the body and for preparation of various cosmetics and colours. The aim of present study involves preparation of poly herbal hair oil using fresh leaves of various plants. The prepared herbal oils were subjected to phytochemical screening, General characterization, Physical and Biological evaluation.The aim of present study involves preparation of poly herbal hair oil using fresh leaves of Sphaeranthus indicus, Wrightia tinctoria, Eclipta alba, Hibiscus Rosa sinensis. The oil was prepared according to Ayurvedic pharmacopeia. The evaluation of prepared poly herbal hair oil was carried out by various parameters such as organoleptic, phytochemical, specific gravity, pH, viscosity, acid value, saponification value, refractive index and stability studies. Antimicrobial activity of the poly herbal hair oil was studied by the zone of inhibition method. The Antioxidant activity of the oil was studied by DPPH radical scavenging test. The prepared formulations are assessed for primary skin irritation test on our forearm. Above parameters were found to be good and within the standards and among three concentrations of prepared poly herbal hair oil, third concentration showed better results than other two concentrations. All the values in the evaluation of finished product showed that they are within the acceptable limits. Hence, it is concluded that the oil is beneficial in maintaining good growth of hairs, turning grey hairs to black, providing protection from dandruff, and results in lustrous looking hairs.

Keywords: Hair, Herbal formulations, Hair oil, Stability studies.
Formulation and evaluation of deflazacort loaded mucoadhesive microsphere for colon drug delivery system
Authors: Purohit Akash , Bhowmick Mithun , Rathi Jagdish
Published: January 2019

Irritable bowel disease is very common colon disease. Deflazacort is one of the best drug with clinical activity against Irritable bowel disease. Microsphere system are effectively protect drugs against premature degradation, to localize drug molecules at the target site of action and to control the time and rate of release. Mucoadhesive microspheres enhance the bioavailability of orally given drugs by lengthened contact time of drug with the intestinal mucosa. The main disadvantage of these microspheres is adherence to the substrate by non-specific interaction. To overcome this limitation, microspheres are prepared by emulsification method to treat irritable bowel disease. Chitosan microspheres were prepared by Ionotropic Gelation method. Microspheres were coated with Eudragil S using solvent evaporation method.

Keywords: Deflazacort, Mucoadhesive, Microspheres, Irritable bowel disease
Phytochemicals and GC–MS analysis of bioactive compounds present in ethanolic leaves extract of Taraxacum officinale (L).
Authors: Sasikala P , Ganesan S , Jayaseelan T , Azhagumadhavan S , Padma M , Senthilkumar S , Mani P
Published: January 2019

Objective: To identify the phytochemical constituents present in ethanolic leaves extract of Taraxacum officinale (T. o) and to elucidate the bioactive compounds.

Methods: The fresh leaves of T. officinale (1000g) were shade dried at room temperature for 30 days and the dried leaves were made into a fine powder. The ethanolic leaves extract obtained was dried with help of desiccator and rotatory evaporator. The dried samples tested for phytochemical analysis and bioactive compounds profiling through GC-MS analysis.

Results: The phytochemical screening studies showed presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenol, cardiac glycosides and anthraquinones. in the leaves extract of T. officinale. GC-MS analysis showed 10 essential bioactive compounds and it revealed the presence of significant anticancer, Antimicrobial  and antidiabetic compounds.

Conclusions: The ethanol extract of T. o possess the most important phytochemical compounds and it has various  medicinal  properties to cure dangerous diseases and disorders.

Keywords: Taraxacum officinale, Phytochemicals analysis, GC–MS analysis, Biological compounds.
Pharmacognostical standardization, formulation and evaluation of tablets incorporated with stem bark of Butea monosperma for anti cancer activity
Authors: Rao Pragada Venkateswara , Nagaraju Bura , Venkanna Pajjuri , Bakshi Vasudha , Boggula Narender
Published: January 2019

The plant Butea monosperma (Palas) popularly known as 'dhak' or 'palas' and commonly known as ‘Flame of forest’ belongs to family Fabaceae. This herb is indigenous to India. The plant is traditionally reported to possess astringent, bitter, alterative, aphrodisiac, anthelmintic, antibacterial and anti-asthmatic, anthelmintic, anti-conceptive, anti-convulsive, anti-diabetic, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-estrogenic, anti-fertility, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-stress, chemopreventive, hepatoprotective. The present research investigation was envisaged on pharmacognostical standardization, formulation and evaluation of tablets incorporated with methanolic extract of stem bark Butea monosperma for anti cancer activity. Conventional release tablets of methanolic extract of Butea monosperma stem bark (MEBMSB) were formulated using Microcrystalline Cellulose as a filler and PVP-k30 as a binder by direct compression method. Finally from this research investigation it can be concluded that methanolic extract of Butea monosperma stem bark has moderate anti-cancer activity when compare to standards and be suggested as a better substitute for the synthetic anti cancer drugs.

Keywords: Butea monosperma, anti cancer activity, MTT assay, EAC cells, DAC cells, HepG2 cell lines.
In vitro study on screening antimicrobial and anti-oxidant potential of Ramalina fastigiata
Authors: Soundararajan Sureshrajan , Shanmugam Poornima , Nagarajan Nagarjun , Palanisamy Divya , Ponnusamy Ponmurugan
Published: January 2019

The aim of the present study is to investigate the antimicrobial and anti-oxidant potential of lichen Ramalina fastigiata collected from Kolli hills, Eastern Gahts of Tamil Nadu, India. Phytochemical study revealed that acetone extract of Ramalina fastigiata confirmed the presence of flavonoids, glycosides and phenols. Acetone extract of Ramalina fastigiata was tested against human pathogens, which exposed antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida krusei with the inhibition rate of 2.1 mm and 1.3 mm respectively. The acetone extract of lichen Ramalina fastigiata exhibited significant antioxidant activity as well. Radical scavenging ability of Ramalina fastigiata was reported in terms of 61.53 % inhibition.

Keywords: Lichen, Ramalina fastigiata, acetone extract, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory potential
Novel RP-HPLC method development and validation for simultaneous estimation of metformin, voglibose and pioglitazone in bulk and triple fixed drug combinations pharmaceutical dosage form
Authors: Shende Mulchand A. , Budde Balkrishna R
Published: January 2019

Reducing treatment complexity can be achieved through the use of single-tablet triple fixed-dose combinations of oral hypoglycemic agents. A simple, precise and accurate reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of Metformin (MET), Voglibose (VOG) and Pioglitazone (PIO) in pharmaceutical dosage forms. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Younglin (SK) gradient System with UV 730 D detector and Cosmosil C18 (250 x 4.6 mm, 5μm) column, maintained at 45°C using 0.1% v/v acetonitrile: triethylamine (30:70, v/v), pH 2.5 with flow rate 0.8 ml/min with injection volume at 20 μl and wavelength ultraviolet detection at 232 nm. MET, PIO and VOG obey Beer–Lambert’s law over the concentration range of 200-600 µg/ml, 30-90 µg/ml and 0.08-0.24 µg/ml, respectively, with regression equations y=2.021x -186.7 (MET) (R2 = 0.998), y=9.876x-202.31 (PIO) (R2 = 0.999),   and y= 502.3x-17.23 (VOG) (R2 = 0.999). % RSD and recoveries were 100.57-101.60 for MET, 99.79-102.61 for PIO and 100.02-101.05 for VOG indicate good accuracy of method. The marketed formulation analyzed using developed method and mean % amount were found 101.62, 100.38 and 98.75 for MET, PIO and VOG respectively with % RSD values NMT 2.0%. The developed spectrophotometric method can be employed for routine analysis of MET, VOG and PIO in bulk and tablet formulation. The developed RP-HPLC method was sensitive and selective for estimation of metformin, voglibose and pioglitazone in combined dosage form. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines.

Keywords: RP-HPLC, ICH guidelines, Metformin, Voglibose, Pioglitazone, Validation
Novel Method development and Validation of Bortezomib in Bulk and Pharmaceutical dosage form by RP- HPLC
Authors: Laxmi Prasanna Pasupuleti , Sandhya Pedapanga , Geetha Pittala , Anuhya Vallapatla M
Published: January 2019

A simple, rapid, precise and accurate RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for the determination of Bortezomib, in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage form. The separation is achieved on RP-HPLC using a PDA detector by incorporation of enpower 2 software with a flow rate of 1.0ml/min using a mixture of Methanol and water (15:85% v/v) as mobile phase. The column used was Hypersil C18 (4.6×150mm, 5µ) at a wave length of 284nm. The retention time of the Bortezomib was 3.515min.. The linearity of the drug was 25-125µg/m and the method precision for the determination of assay was below 2.0% RSD. The proposed method was validated and applied for the estimation of Bortezomib in quality control of bulk and pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Keywords: Bortezomib, RP-HPLC, validation.
Morphoanatomical and physicochemical studies on Ailanthus excelsa roxb. stem bark: a tree of heaven
Authors: Kalaskar Mohan G. , Sapkal Priyanka R , Tatiya Anil U , Jain Prashant D , Surana Sanjay J
Published: January 2019

Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. (Simaroubaceae) is a traditional medicinal plant used widely in India and China in various health conditions. The morphology and microscopical evaluation are most preferred quality control parameter, in order to establish its quality and purity, we report some important pharmacognostic profile of A. excelsa stem-bark for the purpose of its identification and differentiation from related species. The study of the fresh, powdered and anatomical sections of the stem bark were carried out to determine the morphological, microscopical, some physicochemical and phytochemical parameters. Presence of lignified multicellular trichrome, stone cells, scleroids, lignified pericyclic fibre, phloem fibre, prismatic calcium oxalate, starch grains and uni to multiserrate non-lignified medullary rays observed as distinguishing microscopical characteristics in transverse section and powder studies. The result of preliminary phytochemical screening indicated presence of alkaloids, glycoside, steroids, carbohydrates, proteins, phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids and saponins. In addition, quantitative phytochemical analysis revealed significant amount of total phenolic and flavonoid content. The present study will be useful for its identification prior to carrying out further research work.

Keywords: Ailanthus excelsa; stem-bark; pharmacognostic; quantitative phytochemical analysis.
Indian Medicinal Plants with Antidiabetic Potential
Authors: Chhipa Abu Sufiyan , Sisodia S.S.
Published: January 2019

Medicinal plants should be evaluated extensively to determine the active principles present in them that are responsible for the hypoglycemic activity of these plants. Herbal drugs have gained popularity among the general population due to their ability to treat ailments with minimum side effects. The multi-target approaches of medicinal plants make them least susceptible to failure during the treatment therapy. Medicinal plants showing prominent anti-diabetic activity during the initial studies should be further explored to identify the active principles present in them that can become the promising drug candidates for the disease treatment in the coming future.

Keywords: Anti-diabetic, Diabetes Mellitus, Insulin, hypoglycemic, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic
Occurrence of anemia among the people of Gurugram, Haryana: a cross sectional study
Authors: Sah Ashok Kumar , Jayaswal Rajesh Prasad
Published: January 2019

Anemia is considered a condition, not a disease in which numbers of red blood cells (RBCs) are insufficient to meet the body’s metabolical and physiological needs for oxygen. Anemia may also develop due to nutritional deficiencies such as iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin A; moderate and severe inflammation; parasitic infestation; and acquired or inherited disorders that affect hemoglobin synthesis, red blood cell development or red blood cell endurance. This proposed work depicts the distribution of different morphological types of anemia on people of Gurugram, Haryana. All the samples were analyzed for CBC and peripheral blood smear by using Sysmax (three parts) hematology analyzer and microscopy.  In the present study, 300 patients in 6 months study period were included to diagnose anemia. Only 166 cases were positive. Out of 166 cases, 85 (51.2%) were female and 81 (48.8%) were male. The highest number of participants showed RBCs count in the range of 4.5-5.5 million/mm3, 24 (14.5%) with P value 0.000. Most of the cases that we revealed were having hypochromic red cells along with morphological variation in RBCs which may be due to iron deficiency. The further confirmatory analysis may be required in order to know the detail classification of anemia.

Keywords: Anemia, Hemoglobin, Iron Deficiency, Hypochromic, Red Blood Cells
Virtual screening of synthesized thiazole derivatives for M. tuberculosis and dTDP-rhamnose inhibitors
Authors: Dighe Rajendra Dnyandeo , Bairagi Vinod A , Pathade Parag A , Sonawane Yogesh T
Published: January 2019

To determine antimycobacterium and dTDP rhamnose inhibitor activity of the synthesized azetidinone, thiazolidinone derivatives of thiazole, we studied different derivatives for the activity. One pot synthesis of 2-amino-4-methylthiazole-5-carboxylic acid ethyl ester has been carried out and synthesized different derivative compounds. Compounds were tested for antimicrobial activity against different strains of microorganism and antitubercular activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Compounds 7c, 7d, 7i, 8d, 8e, 8g and 8h, were showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhosa using Gentamycin as standard, while 7b, 7e, 7f, 7i, 8b, 8e, 8f and 8i showed very strong antimycobacterial activity using rifampicine as a standard. Thiazole derivatives especially with carbonyl group scaffold inhibit an enzyme RmlC, which is an essential component for the biosynthesis of dTDP-rhamnose and produce good antimycobacterium and antimicrobial activity.

Keywords: Thiazole, thiazolidinone derivatives, azetidinone derivative, well diffusion method, broth microdilution assay, antitubercular activity, antimicrobial activity.
Corrosion-resistant composite germanium-based alloys coatings
Authors: Vasiliev A. F. , Samodelkin E. A. , Geraschenkova E. Yu. , Farmakovsky B. V.
Published: January 2019

The results of complex studies on the development of a powder composition Ge–Cr–Zr–Ce–WC, promising for the production of functional cold-resistant coatings by microplasma sputtering, are presented. The coating has high adhesive strength (more than 40 MPa) and microhardness (up to 10–12 GPa) and withstands repeated thermal cycling in the temperature range from –60 to 20°С.
Changes in rubber properties during storage and operation studied by express method of dynamic mechanical analysis
Authors: Vakulov N. V. , Myshlyavtsev A. V. , Malyutin V. I. , Mitryaeva N. S.
Published: January 2019

The paper considers changes in the properties of rubber in large-sized products using the method of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) in comparison with the previous physical and mechanical investigation data. It is possible to predict changes in properties of rubber during storage or operation if using the combined estimation and prediction curve for the most characteristic indicator of aging.
Factors influencing the fire-resistance of epoxy compositions modified with epoxy-containing phosphazenes
Authors: Terekhov I. V. , Chistyakov E. M. , Filatov S. N. , Deev I. S. , Kurshev E. V. , Lonskii S. L.
Published: January 2019

The fire-resistance (State Standard GOST 28157-89, analogue of UL-94 test) of epoxy compositions based on D.E.R.-330 resin, isomethyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride and new epoxy-containing aryloxycyclotriphosphazenes was studied. Thermogravimetric analysis and microstructural studies of the coke residue formed during combustion were carried out. It has been determined that resistance to combustion of the cured compositions increases significantly as grows phosphazenes content in them. This is due both to the increase in the amount of porous coke residue formed during combustion (which acts as a barrier to flame propagation and heat transfer from the flame to the sample), and to the increase in the size of the pores formed therein. The obtained data can be used to create tough and flame-resistant composites for microelectronics, aviation and other industries.
Influence of boron microalloying on the structure and properties of joints welding rolled high-strength steel with a standard yield point of 750 MPa by flux-cored wire
Authors: Melnikov P. V. , Gezha V. V. , Motovilina G. D. , Moguilnikov V. A.
Published: January 2019

The effect of boron on the structure and mechanical properties of a welded high-strength steel with a standard yield strength of 750 MPa has been studied. The flux-cored wire of grade 48PP-69 has been developed on the basis of results.
Investigating formation, structure and properties of coatings based on Cu–Ti alloys
Authors: Kovtunov A. I. , Semistenova T. V. , Ostryanko A. M.
Published: January 2019

The paper offers technology of argon-arc surfacing with titanium wire in order to form heat and wear resistant coating based on the titanium cuprides. The influence of surfacing modes on the chemical compound and structure of formed coatings is determined. The wear resistance and heat resistance at 600°C and 800°C were researched for copper–titanium coating with 8–63% titanium.
Structure and properties of the intermetallide based on nickel aluminide microalloyed by rare-earth metals
Authors: Bazyleva O. A. , Arginbaeva E. G. , Shestakov A. V. , Fesenko T. V.
Published: January 2019

The paper studies the combined effects of rare earth metals such as praseodymium, neodymium and erbium, melting technologies on intermetallic alloy based on nickel aluminide and pure charge materials using 25, 50 and 75 wt. % of waste, the technology of casting single-crystals of crystallographic orientation [001] and their heat treatment combined with hot isostatic pressing (HIP), on mechanical properties and long-term strength at the level of passport data.
Synthesis and electron beam facing oftitanium monoboride – titanium matrix composite powders
Authors: Pribytkov G. A. , Korzhova V. V. , Krinitsyn M. G. , Firsina I. A.
Published: January 2019

Titanium monoboride – titanium matrix composite powders have been synthesized by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) in titanium and boron reactive powder mixtures. Titanium matrix (binder) content varied from 20 to 60%. The SHS powders were cladded on VT1-0 titanium sheet by electron beam facing. Cladded coatings’ thickness varied from 1 to 3 mm depending on the pass number. Phase composition and structure of powders and coatings were investigated by X-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscopy. According to structure investigation and hardness profiles view in the “coating – titanium base plate” transition zone an adhesion of the coating to the base is high. The hardness and abrasive wear resistance tests of the cladded coatings were carried out depending on the powder used for cladding. The maximum hardness of the coatings strengthened by eagle-like titanium monoboride inclusions as compared with VТ1-0 base increases 2.2 times and abrasive wear resistance 3.7 times. According to previously obtained results hardening and abrasive wear resistance of titanium monoboride is much weaker than that of titanium carbide: hardness increases 1.7 times, wear resistance 5.8 times.