Bioremediation of azo dye: A review on strategies, toxicity assessment, mechanisms, bottlenecks and prospects.

The synthetic azo dyes are widely used in the textile industries for their excellent dyeing properties. They may be classified into many classes based on their structure and application, including direct, reactive, dispersive, acidic, basic, and others. The continuous discharge of wastewater from a large number of textile industries without prior treatment poses detrimental effects on the environment and human health.

Advanced oxidation process for the treatment of industrial wastewater: A review on strategies, mechanisms, bottlenecks and prospects.

Due to its complex and, often, highly contaminated nature, treating industrial wastewater poses a significant environmental problem. Many of the persistent pollutants found in industrial effluents cannot be effectively removed by conventional treatment procedures. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have emerged as a promising solution, offering versatile and effective means of pollutant removal and mineralization.

Artificial intelligence in healthcare: a mastery.

There is a vast development of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years. Computational technology, digitized data collection and enormous advancement in this field have allowed AI applications to penetrate the core human area of specialization. In this review article, we describe current progress achieved in the AI field highlighting constraints on smooth development in the field of medical AI sector, with discussion of its implementation in healthcare from a commercial, regulatory and sociological standpoint.

Time to Treatment Intensification After Monotherapy Failure and Its Association With Subsequent Glycemic Control Among 93,515 Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between the timing of treatment intensification and subsequent glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes in whom monotherapy fails.

Research Design And Methods: This retrospective analysis of the U.K.

Utilization of Standard and Target-Specific Oral Anticoagulants Among Adults in the United Kingdom With Incident Atrial Fibrillation.

New oral anticoagulants (OACs) and updated risk stratification have the potential to improve the quality of care for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). To describe the time from AF diagnosis to the initiation of an OAC, characteristics associated with treatment, and the incidence of switching OACs, we conducted this retrospective cohort study of 23,018 adults with incident AF receiving care between 2010 and 2014 in 647 primary care practices participating in the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink. In patients with moderate to high stroke risk (CHADS-VASc ≥ 2), the median time from diagnosis to OAC initiation decreased from 10 to 2 months.

Health-related quality-of-life implications of cardiovascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A subanalysis from the Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus (SAVOR)-TIMI 53 trial.

Background: The impact of cardiovascular complications on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in type 2 diabetes mellitus has not been clearly established. Using EQ5D utility data from SAVOR-TIMI 53, a large phase IV trial of saxagliptin versus placebo, we quantified the impact of cardiovascular and other major events on HRQoL.

Methods: EQ5D utilities were recorded annually and following myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke.

Delays in treatment intensification with oral antidiabetic drugs and risk of microvascular and macrovascular events in patients with poor glycaemic control: An individual patient simulation study.

Aims: To use the Archimedes model to estimate the consequences of delays in oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) treatment intensification on glycaemic control and long-term outcomes at 5 and 20 years.

Materials And Methods: Using real-world data, we modelled a cohort of hypothetical patients with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥8%, on metformin, with no history of insulin use. The cohort included 3 strata based on the number of OADs taken at baseline.

Cardiovascular Risk Factor Targets and Cardiovascular Disease Event Risk in Diabetes: A Pooling Project of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and Jackson Heart Study.

Objective: Controlling cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in diabetes mellitus (DM) reduces the number of CVD events, but the effects of multifactorial risk factor control are not well quantified. We examined whether being at targets for blood pressure (BP), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) together are associated with lower risks for CVD events in U.S.

Association Between Weight Change, Clinical Outcomes, and Health Care Costs in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Previous research suggests that weight loss is associated with decreases in health care costs among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and that weight change can affect clinical measures, including hemoglobin A1c (A1c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), and blood pressure. Previous research has also demonstrated more pronounced impact of weight change among patients with T2DM who are obese and have no evidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Objectives: To (a) examine the association between weight change and all-cause and diabetes-related health care costs among patients with T2DM; (b) examine the association between weight change and select clinical measures among patients with T2DM; and (c) analyze a subgroup of obese patients with no previous CVD.

Do patient or provider characteristics impact management of diabetes?

Objectives: Patients with diabetes often exceed desired glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels for months prior to medication adjustments. To determine if provider and patient characteristics predict glycemic control and treatment intensification.

Study Design: Observational retrospective cohort study using electronic medical record data.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HYPOGLYCEMIA AND FALL-RELATED FRACTURES AND HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION IN OLDER VETERANS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES.

Objective: To examine the association between hypoglycemia and fall-related outcomes in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used electronic medical records of T2DM patients (≥65 years) from the Veterans Integrated Service Network 16 (VISN 16) data warehouse (01/01/2004-06/30/2010). Patients in nonhypoglycemia group (non-HG) were 1:1 randomly matched with patients in hypoglycemia group (HG) by age (±5 years), sex, race, and medical center location.

A retrospective study of persistence, adherence, and health economic outcomes of fixed-dose combination vs. loose-dose combination of oral anti-diabetes drugs.

Objective: To compare outcomes between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using fixed-dose combination (FDC) and loose-dose combination (LDC) products.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental data from January 1, 2009-December 31, 2013. The identified population included patients with T2DM and ≥1 additional oral anti-diabetic prescription (of the same regimen [FDC/LDC] as the index prescription) within 12 months following the fill date.

Provider beliefs about diabetes treatment have little impact on glycemic control of their patients with diabetes.

Objective: To improve the health of people with diabetes, it is essential to identify why patients experience extended periods of poor glycemic control before therapeutic intensification.

Research Design And Methods: We surveyed 252 primary care providers at Kaiser Permanente Northwest to determine their beliefs about the glycemic goals of their patients, treatment intensification behavior, and barriers to achieving optimal glycemic control. We linked the responses of 149 providers to the health records of their 18 346 patients with diabetes.

Association between hypoglycemia and fall-related events in type 2 diabetes mellitus: analysis of a U.S. commercial database.

Background: Hypoglycemia is a major barrier to achieving optimal glycemic control and managing diabetes successfully in patients with diabetes. Falls are the most significant consequences caused by hypoglycemia episodes. Both hypoglycemia and falls lead to substantial economic burden on the health care system in the United States.

Impact of adherence and weight loss on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: cohort analyses of integrated medical record, pharmacy claims, and patient-reported data.

Background: Managed care organizations put great effort into managing the population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) because of the health and economic burden of this disease. In patients with T2DM, weight loss and glycemic control are primary treatment aims to help improve patient outcomes, but these goals are not easily achieved. While achieving these aims requires a multifaceted approach of drug therapy management and lifestyle modification, truly understanding the role of medication adherence in achieving these outcomes is important for both patient and population management.

Evaluation of the relationship between weight change and glycemic control after initiation of antidiabetic therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes using electronic medical record data.

Aims: This study evaluates the relationship between HbA1c and weight change outcomes by anti-diabetic weight-effect properties in patients newly treated for type 2 diabetes; a relationship not previously characterized.

Methods: Electronic medical records of patients with type 2 diabetes newly prescribed anti-diabetic monotherapy were assessed to identify HbA1c goal attainment [(<53 mmol/mol)] and weight change at 1-year. Anti-diabetics were categorized by weight-effect properties: weight-gain (sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones) and weight-loss/neutral (metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists).

Development and validation of RP HPLC method to determine nandrolone phenylpropionate in different pharmaceutical formulations.

This study describes development and subsequent validation of a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method for the estimation of nandrolone phenylpropionate, an anabolic steroid, in bulk drug, in conventional parenteral dosage formulation and in prepared nanoparticle dosage form. The chromatographic system consisted of a Luna Phenomenex, CN (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) column, an isocratic mobile phase comprising 10 mM phosphate buffer and acetonitrile (50:50, v/v) and UV detection at 240 nm.

Bioequivalence study of levofloxacin tablets in healthy Indian volunteers using HPLC.

An improved HPLC method was developed and validated for the determination of concentration of levofloxacin (CAS 100986-85-4) in human plasma. This paper is an attempt to compare the bioavailability of two levofloxacin tablet formulations (reference and test) containing 500 mg of levofloxacin. Both the formulations were administered orally as a single dose, separated by a washout period of 1 week.

Bioequivalence study of a fixed dose combination tablet containing rabeprazole and diclofenac sodium in healthy Indian subjects.

The pharmacokinetics of rabeprazole (CAS 117976-89-3) and diclofenac sodium (CAS 15307-79-6) has been extensively evaluated in adult human volunteers individually after oral administration of tablet formulation. However, no published data is available regarding the combined pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of this particular fixed dose combination. In light of the above, a clinical study was designed to evaluate the bioequivalence of two fixed dose combination (FDC) products (reference and test) of two manufacturers containing rabeprazole 20 mg and diclofenac sodium 100 mg slow release (SR) tablet in healthy Indian male volunteers.

Impact of schizophrenia and schizophrenia treatment-related adverse events on quality of life: direct utility elicitation.

Objective: To examine the impact of schizophrenia, its treatment and treatment-related adverse events related to antipsychotics, on quality of life from the perspective of schizophrenia patients and laypersons.

Methods: Health state descriptions for stable schizophrenia, extra pyramidal symptoms (EPS), hyperprolactinemia, diabetes, weight gain and relapse were developed based on a review of the literature and expert opinion. The quality of life impact of each health state was elicited using a time trade-off instrument administered by interview to 49 stable schizophrenia patients and 75 laypersons.

The impact of chronic hepatitis B on quality of life: a multinational study of utilities from infected and uninfected persons.

Objectives: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a condition that results in substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide because of progressive liver damage. Investigators undertaking economic evaluations of new therapeutic agents require estimates of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Recently, evidence has begun to accumulate that differences in cultural backgrounds have a quantifiable impact on perceptions of health.

Impact of dyslipidemia associated with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on cardiovascular risk and life expectancy.

We investigated the effect of dyslipidemia associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy on cardiovascular risk and life expectancy among patients who had the human immunodeficiency virus. Dyslipidemia estimates were based on results from a phase 2 randomized trial that compared lipid changes after 32 weeks of therapy with atazanavir with those with nelfinavir (each in combination with stavudine and lamivudine). The resultant increased coronary risk was estimated using Framingham risk equations, and change in life expectancy (after adjustment for mortality due to human immunodeficiency virus) was based on the cardiovascular life expectancy model, which is based on a published Markov's model.

Changes in lipids over twelve months after initiating protease inhibitor therapy among persons treated for HIV/AIDS.

Background: Protease inhibitors are known to alter the lipid profiles in subjects treated for HIV/AIDS. However, the magnitude of this effect on plasma lipoproteins and lipids has not been adequately quantified.

Objective: To estimate the changes in plasma lipoproteins and triglycerides occurring within 12 months of initiating PI-based antiretroviral therapy among HIV/AIDS afflicted subjects.

A cost comparison of oral tegafur plus uracil/folinic acid and parenteral fluorouracil for colorectal cancer in Canada.

Background: Two randomised, controlled trials (n = 1396) comparing (i) intravenous fluorouracil (FU) plus oral folinic acid (leucovorin) and (ii) oral tegafur plus uracil (UFT) plus folinic acid for the treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma found both regimens to have equivalent efficacy in terms of survival, tumour response and time to disease progression. The UFT/folinic acid regimen was associated with a better toxicity profile than FU/folinic acid.

Objective: To determine the comparative frequencies and costs of healthcare resources utilised in the treatment of patients with these two regimens from a hospital and government perspective.