University of Asia Pacific

Cytokines and immune imbalance in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have attracted greater interest of all researchers. Studies indicate the involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of GAD. Therefore, the present study investigated the serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-12 and carbon-reactive protein (CRP) in GAD patients to explore their role in the pathophysiology of diseases. This study included 52 GAD patients and 30 healthy controls (HCs) matched by age and sex. A psychiatrist diagnosed GAD patients and evaluated HCs according to the DSM-5 criteria. The severity of GAD cases was assessed using a standardized and validated clinical rating scale (GAD-7). ELISA kits were utilized to measure the serum concentrations of IL-12 and CRP in blood. GAD patients revealed significantly elevated concentrations of IL-12 (7.60 ± 1.53 pg/mL) than HCs (3.73±0.42pg/mL). These increased levels were positively correlated with GAD-7 scores (r=0.377, p=0.006). This IL-12 also demonstrated strong predictive ability in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) investigation, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.828 (p<0.001), indicating 81.6% sensitivity and 77.8% specificity at a threshold of 3.56pg/mL. In contrast, the level of CRP was not changed between the groups (2.59±0.13 vs. 2.55±0.16mg/L); furthermore, no association was detected between CRP levels and GAD-7 scores (r=0.021, p=0.881). Our investigation indicates that IL-12 in blood levels, but not CRP, may be associated with the pathophysiology and development of GAD. The altered serum IL-12 levels in GAD patients might be the result of disease pathogenesis. However, we recommend more advanced investigation with greater sample sizes to verify the probable diagnostic utility of IL-12.

Long chain aliphatic ketones have gained increasing attention due to their structural diversity and broad pharmacological significance. Trewia polycarpa, a medicinal plant widely used in traditional healthcare systems of Bangladesh, remains underexplored as a source of such bioactive constituents. The n hexane extract of T. polycarpa root bark was subjected to silica gel column chromatography, leading to the isolation of a saturated aliphatic ketone. Spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses, including FTIR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, DEPT 135, and LC-MS/MS, in comparison with literature data, enabled the characterization and identification of the compound as hentriacontan 16 one. To investigate its potential biological relevance, molecular docking using PyRx software was performed against selected therapeutic targets, including bacterial hydrolase FphH (PDB ID: 8FTP), penicillin binding protein (6G9S), interleukin 10 (2ILK), cytochrome c peroxidase (1AEM), NF κB inducing kinase (6WPP), and the δ opioid receptor (6PT2). The compound exhibited moderate binding affinities (−5.7 to −4.8 kcal/mol), primarily driven by hydrophobic interactions. These findings represent the first report of hentriacontan 16 one from T. polycarpa and provide a foundation for future experimental bioassays, toxicity evaluations, and mechanistic studies. Subsequent research should emphasize large scale isolation and comprehensive bioassays to further assess its therapeutic potential and possible synergistic effects with other phytochemicals.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are prevalent among adolescent girls. Therefore, effective promotional campaigns are crucial for conveying accurate information. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and the antimicrobial profiling of the isolated uropathogens among 354 adolescent girls. This is a cross-sectional research study design. We included a sample of 354 adolescent girls from four preparatory schools. Data was collected in two phases. The first phase used a structured interview questionnaire. The second phase included determining the prevalence of uropathogens among adolescent girls with symptomatic or asymptomatic bacteriuria. Phenotypic identification of isolated species and antimicrobial profiling to determine if there are multiple drug resistance (MDR) patterns. We observed that 28% of adolescent girls were infected with UTIs. The multiple drug resistance (MDR) uropathogens among isolated Gram-negative species were 31.8%. About 20.5% of Escherichia coli, 40% of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 30% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 50% of Proteus mirabilis, 100% of Acinetobacter baumannii, and 14.2% of Staphylococcus aureus were multiple drug resistance (MDR). Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) production among Gram-negative isolates was 18.1%, and they were 10.2% in E. coli, 20% in K. pneumoniae, 20% in P. aeruginosa, 50% in P. mirabilis, and 100% in A. baumannii. Among the Gram-positive isolates (29%), S. aureus isolates were Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). There were significant effects with mother education, father occupation, and social class with p-values of < 0.001, 0.006, and 0.03. UTIs are a major health issue among adolescent girls, with a 28% prevalence. The drug resistance rate of Gram-negative isolates was high for ampicillin, as well as Gram-positive isolates; especially MRSA showed high resistance to penicillin. So, we recommend future continuous screening measures for UTIs among adolescent girls in community settings.

Abstract The main objective of this study is to investigate soil stabilization using fly ash, with a particular focus on assessing its influence on the shear strength of both cohesive (clay) and cohesionless (sand) soils.To comprehensively evaluate performance, fly ash (FA) was incorporated into the natural soil at proportions of 8.5\%, 12\%, and 15\%. The effectiveness of these additions was examined through direct shear and unconfined compression tests. Notably, the approach included determining the baseline properties of both sand and clay samples, then systematically introducing fly ash and retesting to identify changes in mechanical behavior. The observed pattern in the results demonstrates a non-linear behaviour with the increase of fly ash content.At 12\% fly ash content, the internal friction angle of sandy soil increased from 29° to 37°, and the cohesion of clayey soil increased from 79.6 kN/m² to 106.4 kN/m², representing improvements of 27\% and 34\%, respectively. Beyond this content, strength declined due to excess fines and reduced particle bonding efficiency. The observed improvements result from different mechanisms: improved particle interlocking and densification in sand, and pozzolanic cementation in clay. A quadratic regression model is proposed to predict the optimum fly ash dosage and corresponding strength gain. In summary, these results confirm that adding 12\% fly ash is highly effective for maximizing mechanical benefit and provides a practical framework for the sustainable stabilization of subgrades, embankments, and other geotechnical applications.

Dengue virus is one of the most significant emerging viruses that cause dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic disease and dengue shock syndrome, threatening one-third of the world’s population. There are currently no vaccinations or antiviral therapies available for this disease. Dengue virus protease (NS2B-NS3pro) is a therapeutic target since it is essential for viral processing and replication. The study aimed to describe an in-silico analysis to uncover efficient Dengue virus inhibitors. In this work, we used computer-assisted virtual screening, ADMET and molecular dynamics-based analysis focus using the NS2B-NS3 protease to find effective Dengue virus inhibitors. Through literature mining, forty-seven phytochemicals from Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit) were retrieved and screened against the targeted protein. According to their binding free energy in MM-GBSA, Oxidihydroartocarpesin (-36.19 kcal/mole), Cyanomaclurin (-34.09 kcal/mole) and Dihydromorin (-32.44 kcal/mole) were expected to be potent inhibitors of the NS2B-NS3 protease. These ligands showed several noncovalent interactions with the catalytic triad (His51-Asp75-Ser135), required for the target protein inhibition. Notably, the ligand-bound complexes exhibited lower RMSD values (≈ 0.18–0.25 nm) compared to the apo protein (≈ 0.30 nm), indicating enhanced structural stability upon ligand binding. RMSF analysis further demonstrated reduced flexibility around the catalytic residues His51, Asp75, and Ser135 in the presence of the selected phytochemicals, while stable radius of gyration and solvent-accessible surface area profiles confirmed compact and well maintained protein-ligand conformations throughout the simulation period. Additionally, the ligand-bound systems maintained a consistent radius of gyration (~ 1.85–1.90 nm) and sustained an average of 3–6 intermolecular hydrogen bonds throughout the simulation, further supporting the structural integrity and dynamic stability of the complexes relative to the apo form. As a consequence, our computational analysis may be useful in the future development of Dengue Virus inhibitors.

The current study was performed to design and evaluate the mucoadhesive buccal tablets of omeprazole employing the direct compression technique to overcome its delayed release, circumvent the hepatic first-pass metabolism, lessen the frequency of dosing and dose-driven side effects associated with the conventional dosage forms with a view to ensuring improved oral bioavailability, optimal therapeutic outcome and better patient's convenience. Therefore, a total of nine formulations were developed with differing concentrations of carbopol 934P, HPMC K4M and xanthan gum as the mucoadhesive polymers. Croscarmellose sodium was utilized as super-disintegrant to improve the release profile of omeprazole. The prepared tablets were then assessed for in-vitro dissolution and drug release kinetic analysis, with several of pre-compression and post-compression quality control criteria. Among all the formulations, the F-1 formulation containing 30 grams of carbopol 934P demonstrated the highest release rate of 94% within 3 hours, showing the best fitting with the first order kinetic model with a R2 value of 0.986. Additionally, it exhibited the greatest mucoadhesive strength, with a satisfactory mucoadhesive force of 8.829 N. This indicated that the F-1 formulation was optimized for fast release and strong mucoadhesion, suggesting potential effectiveness in its intended application.