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Hydrophobic modification of cellulose isolated from Agave angustifolia fibre by graft copolymerisation using methyl methacrylate

Rosli NA, Ahmad I, Abdullah I, Anuar FH, Mohamed F

Carbohydr Polym, 2015 Jul 10;125:69-75.
PMID: 25857961 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.03.002

Graft copolymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto Agave angustifolia was conducted with ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as the redox initiator. The maximum grafting efficiency was observed at CAN and MMA concentrations of 0.91 × 10(-3) and 5.63 × 10(-2)M, respectively, at 45°C for 3h reaction time. Four characteristic peaks at 2995, 1738, 1440, and 845 cm(-1), attributed to PMMA, were found in the IR spectrum of grafted cellulose. The crystallinity index dropped from 0.74 to 0.46, while the thermal stability improved upon grafting. The water contact angle increased with grafting yield, indicating increased hydrophobicity of cellulose. SEM images showed the grafted cellulose to be enlarged and rougher. The changes in the physical nature of PMMA-grafted cellulose can be attributed to the PMMA grafting in the amorphous regions of cellulose, causing it to expand at the expense of the crystalline component.
Fulltext Lack of Association between the Serotonin Transporter (5-HTT) and Serotonin Receptor (5-HT2A) Gene Polymorphisms with Smoking Behavior among Malaysian Malays

Rozak NI, Ahmad I, Gan SH, Abu Bakar R

Sci Pharm, 2014 07 18;82(3):631-42.
PMID: 25853073 DOI: 10.3797/scipharm.1406-01

An insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and a polymorphism (rs6313) in the serotonin 2A receptor gene (5-HT2A) have previously been linked to smoking behavior. The objective of this study was to determine the possible association of the 5-HTTLPR and 5-HT2A gene polymorphisms with smoking behavior within a population of Malaysian male smokers (n=248) and non-smokers (n=248). The 5-HTTLPR genotypes were determined using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and were classified as short (S) alleles or long (L) alleles. The 5HT2A genotypes were determined using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP). No significant differences in the distribution frequencies of the alleles were found between the smokers and the non-smokers for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism (x(2) = 0.72, P>0.05) or the 5HT2A polymorphism (x(2) = 0.73, P>0.05). This is the first study conducted on Malaysian Malay males regarding the association of 5-HTTLPR and 5HT2A polymorphisms and smoking behavior. However, the genes were not found to be associated with smoking behavior in our population.
Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-nanocrystalline cellulose (CTAB-NCC) based microemulsions for enhancement of topical delivery of curcumin

Zainuddin N, Ahmad I, Zulfakar MH, Kargarzadeh H, Ramli S

Carbohydr Polym, 2021 Feb 15;254:117401.
PMID: 33357890 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117401

Low bioavailability and poor water solubility have limited the utilization of curcumin in conventional dosing methods. As an alternative, microemulsions as drug carrier can improve curcumin delivery. A cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-nanocrystalline cellulose (CTAB-NCC)-based microemulsion was developed and its potential use as a topical delivery method for curcumin was investigated. The effect of microemulsion's particle size and its microstructure as well as the presence of the CTAB-NCC nanoparticle on the topical delivery of curcumin was studied. In vitro permeation studies showed higher penetration rate of curcumin from the oil-in-water type-microemulsions. The skin permeation profile of curcumin followed Higuchi release kinetics. Furthermore, use of the (CTAB-NCC)-based microemulsion enhanced curcumin accumulation in the skin and these system showed non cytotoxicity effect on L929 cell line. These results showed the potential of (CTAB-NCC)-based microemulsions as controlled-release topical systems for the delivery of curcumin and potentially other lipophilic drugs.
Fulltext Functional Hydrophilic Membrane for Oil-Water Separation Based on Modified Bio-Based Chitosan-Gelatin

Zakuwan SZ, Ahmad I, Abu Tahrim N, Mohamed F

Polymers (Basel), 2021 Apr 06;13(7).
PMID: 33917600 DOI: 10.3390/polym13071176

In this study, we fabricated a modified biomaterial based on chitosan and gelatin, which is an intrinsic hydrophilic membrane for oil-water separation to clean water contamination by oil. Modification of the membrane with a non-toxic natural crosslinker, genipin, significantly enhanced the stability of the biopolymer membrane in a water-based medium towards an eco-friendly environment. The effects of various compositions of genipin-crosslinked chitosan-gelatin membrane on the rheological properties, thermal stability, and morphological structure of the membrane were investigated using a dynamic rotational rheometer, thermogravimetry analysis, and chemical composition by attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (ATR). Modified chitosan-gelatin membrane showed completely miscible blends, as determined by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and ATR. Morphological results showed membrane with establish microstructure to further experiment as filtration product. The membranes were successfully tested for their oil-water separation efficiencies. The membrane proved to be selective and effective in separating water from an oil-water mixture. The optimum results achieved a stable microporous structure of the membrane (microfiltration) and a separation efficiency of above 98%. The membrane showed a high permeation flux, generated as high as 698 and 420 L m-2 h-1 for cooking and crude oils, respectively. Owing to its outstanding recyclability and anti-fouling performance, the membrane can be washed away easily, ensuring the reusability of the prepared membrane.
Fulltext Discrete-time predator-prey model with flip bifurcation and chaos control

Khan AQ, Ahmad I, Alayachi HS, M Noorani MS, Khaliq A

Math Biosci Eng, 2020 09 09;17(5):5944-5960.
PMID: 33120584 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2020317

We explore the local dynamics, flip bifurcation, chaos control and existence of periodic point of the predator-prey model with Allee effect on the prey population in the interior of $\mathbb{R}^*{_+^2}$. Nu-merical simulations not only exhibit our results with the theoretical analysis but also show the complex dynamical behaviors, such as the period-2, 8, 11, 17, 20 and 22 orbits. Further, maximum Lyapunov exponents as well as fractal dimensions are also computed numerically to show the presence of chaotic behavior in the model under consideration.
Fulltext Consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on solid waste management: Scenarios pertaining to developing countries

Almulhim AI, Ahmad I, Sarkar S, Chavali M

Remediation (N Y), 2021 Jul 12.
PMID: 34539158 DOI: 10.1002/rem.21692

Undoubtedly the most searched and spoken word of last year is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which initially originated in Wuhan, China near the end of 2019. COVID-19 is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Albeit almost all countries shut down their borders to prevent rapid spread of the virus. However, the number of cases continues to increase in developing countries at a faster rate due to community and cluster transmission. The severity of this epidemic made it a pandemic as it progressed to over 200 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO), governments, and national disease control and prevention units worked together to break the chain and are working to contain the catastrophic impact of COVID-19. They formulated and recommended various guidelines like social distancing, frequent hand washing, and social distancing to inhibit the spread of the virus. WHO also advised that the general population and medical personnel wear face masks, face shields, gloves, and aprons. As a result, this waste category has substantially increased and, if not disposed of properly, may cause the infection or help to catalyze COVID-19. In developing countries, poor solid waste management may aggravate chances of spreading COVID-19. Sustainable solid waste management is a critical parameter for the health, wellbeing, and development of society. The measures adopted to contain and restrict the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and minimize the degrees of freedom in commercial events affected solid waste management considerably. During this crucial time, the services provided by waste management agencies and personnel are invaluable and these services help to prevent the improper disposal of waste, which may lead to health risks due to the spread of COVID. COVID-19 is a new and novel virus and experts are learning more about it overtime and with evolving science. This review paper provides insight into different types of solid wastes generated during the pandemic, their consequences, and the implication of various policies.
Self-assembled three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide-based hydrogel for highly efficient and facile removal of pharmaceutical compounds from aqueous solution

Umbreen N, Sohni S, Ahmad I, Khattak NU, Gul K

J Colloid Interface Sci, 2018 Oct 01;527:356-367.
PMID: 29843021 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.05.010

Herein, self-assembled three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-based hydrogels were synthesized and characterized in detail. A thorough investigation on the uptake of three widely used pharmaceutical drugs, viz. Naproxen (NPX), Ibuprofen (IBP) and Diclofenac (DFC) was carried out from aqueous solutions. To ensure the sustainability of developed hydrogel assembly, practically important parameters such as desorption, recyclability and applicability to real samples were also evaluated. Using the developed 3D hydrogels as adsorptive platforms, excellent decontamination for the above mentioned persistent pharmaceutical drugs was achieved in acidic pH with a removal efficiency in the range of 70-80%. These hydrogels showed fast adsorption kinetics and experimental findings were fitted to different kinetic models, such as pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, intra-particle and the Elovich models in an attempt to better understand the adsorption kinetics. Furthermore, equilibrium adsorption data was fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich models, where relatively higher R2 values obtained in case of former one suggested that monolayer adsorption played an important part in drug uptake. Thermodynamic aspects were also studied and negative ΔG0 values obtained indicated the spontaneous nature of adsorption process. The study was also extended to check practical utility of as-prepared hydrogels by spiking real aqueous samples with drug solution, where high % recoveries obtained for NPX, IBP and DFC were of particular importance with regard to prospective application in wastewater treatment systems. We advocate RGO-based hydrogels as environmentally benign, readily recoverable/recyclable material with excellent adsorption capacity for application in wastewater purification.
Sputtered Encapsulation as Wafer Level Packaging for Isolatable MEMS Devices: A Technique Demonstrated on a Capacitive Accelerometer

Hamzah AA, Yunas J, Majlis BY, Ahmad I

Sensors (Basel), 2008 Nov 19;8(11):7438-7452.
PMID: 27873938

This paper discusses sputtered silicon encapsulation as a wafer level packaging approach for isolatable MEMS devices. Devices such as accelerometers, RF switches, inductors, and filters that do not require interaction with the surroundings to function, could thus be fully encapsulated at the wafer level after fabrication. A MEMSTech 50g capacitive accelerometer was used to demonstrate a sputtered encapsulation technique. Encapsulation with a very uniform surface profile was achieved using spin-on glass (SOG) as a sacrificial layer, SU-8 as base layer, RF sputtered silicon as main structural layer, eutectic gold-silicon as seal layer, and liquid crystal polymer (LCP) as outer encapsulant layer. SEM inspection and capacitance test indicated that the movable elements were released after encapsulation. Nanoindentation test confirmed that the encapsulated device is sufficiently robust to withstand a transfer molding process. Thus, an encapsulation technique that is robust, CMOS compatible, and economical has been successfully developed for packaging isolatable MEMS devices at the wafer level.
MRI Imaging, Comparison of MRI with other Modalities, Noise in MRI Images and Machine Learning Techniques for Noise Removal: A Review

Khan SU, Ullah N, Ahmed I, Ahmad I, Mahsud MI

Curr Med Imaging Rev, 2019;15(3):243-254.
PMID: 31989876 DOI: 10.2174/1573405614666180726124952

BACKGROUND: Medical imaging is to assume greater and greater significance in an efficient and precise diagnosis process.
DISCUSSION: It is a set of various methodologies which are used to capture internal or external images of the human body and organs for clinical and diagnosis needs to examine human form for various kind of ailments. Computationally intelligent machine learning techniques and their application in medical imaging can play a significant role in expediting the diagnosis process and making it more precise.
CONCLUSION: This review presents an up-to-date coverage about research topics which include recent literature in the areas of MRI imaging, comparison with other modalities, noise in MRI and machine learning techniques to remove the noise.
Application of polymethylmethacrylate-grafted cellulose as reinforcement for compatibilised polylactic acid/natural rubber blends

Rosli NA, Ahmad I, Anuar FH, Abdullah I

Carbohydr Polym, 2019 Jun 01;213:50-58.
PMID: 30879689 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.02.074

In this study, modified agave cellulose fibre combined by graft copolymerisation with methylmethacrylate was tested as a potential reinforcement for polylactic acid (PLA)-natural rubber/liquid natural rubber blends. Mechanical, morphological, thermal, wetting, and biodegradation characterisations were performed to assess the influence of cellulose-graft-polymethylmethacrylate (cell-g-PMMA) content on the properties of biocomposites. The addition of cell-g-PMMA improved the mechanical properties of the composites because of the chemical interaction between PLA and PMMA. Thermal stability decreased slightly upon cell-g-PMMA addition because of the low thermal stability of PMMA. A soil burial test revealed that the degradation of composites decreased with an increase in the cell-g-PMMA content. However, the weight loss after burial, which directly affected the water absorption capacity, was still higher for the cell-g-PMMA composites than for the polymer alone.
Fulltext Coronavirus Disease 2019 Presenting as Conjunctivitis

Ying NY, Idris NS, Muhamad R, Ahmad I

Korean J Fam Med, 2021 Nov;42(6):487-490.
PMID: 32475104 DOI: 10.4082/kjfm.20.0090

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The world is currently challenged to handle this pandemic. The common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath. There are few reports on the association of SARS-CoV-2 with ocular abnormalities including conjunctivitis. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman who presented solely with conjunctivitis subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19. A lack of full history of her travel abroad was another issue leading to a delay in evaluating her COVID-19 status that increased the infection risk to her managing team. Thus, primary care practitioners should be suspicious of this atypical feature of COVID-19, thus enabling us to identify such patients at entry points. Maintaining safety measures while managing patients is also crucial.
Comprehensive exploration of natural degradation of poly(lactic acid) blends in various degradation media: A review

Rosli NA, Karamanlioglu M, Kargarzadeh H, Ahmad I

Int J Biol Macromol, 2021 Sep 30;187:732-741.
PMID: 34358596 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.196

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a bio-based polyester, has been extensively investigated in the recent past owing to its excellent mechanical properties. Several studies have been conducted on PLA blends, with a focus on improving the brittleness of PLA to ensure its suitability for various applications. However, the increasing use of PLA has increased the contamination of PLA-based products in the environment because PLA remains intact even after three years at sea or in soil. This review focuses on analyzing studies that have worked on improving the degradation properties of PLA blends and studies how other additives affect degradation by considering different degradation media. Factors affecting the degradation properties, such as surface morphology, water uptake, and crystallinity of PLA blends, are highlighted. In natural, biotic, and abiotic media, water uptake plays a crucial role in determining biodegradation rates. Immiscible blends of PLA with other polymer matrices cause phase separation, increasing the water absorption. The susceptibility of PLA to hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation is high in the amorphous region because it can be easily penetrated by water. It is essential to study the morphology, water absorption, and structural properties of PLA blends to predict the biodegradation properties of PLA in the blends.
Fulltext Elagolix treatment in women with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroid: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Muhammad J, Yusof Y, Ahmad I, Norhayati MN

BMC Womens Health, 2022 Jan 15;22(1):14.
PMID: 35033041 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01596-2

BACKGROUND: Elagolix is effective and safe for treating menorrhagia in women with uterine fibroid. However, it is reported to be associated with hypoestrogenism that can be alleviated by adding estradiol/norethindrone acetate. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness of elagolix treatment in women with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroid by comparing: elagolix versus placebo and elagolix versus estradiol/norethindrone acetate.
METHODOLOGY: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2021, Issue 3 of 12), MEDLINE databases (1980 to December week 1, 2020), and trial registries for relevant randomized clinical trials were used. All randomized clinical trials were reviewed and evaluated. Random effects models were used to estimate the dichotomous outcomes and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Data for risk of bias, heterogeneity, sensitivity, reporting bias and quality of evidence were assessed.
RESULTS: Four randomized controlled trials with 1949 premenopausal women from 323 locations were included. Elagolix improved menstrual blood loss of less than 80 ml (RR 4.81, 95% CI 2.45 to 9.45; four trials, 869 participants; moderate quality evidence) or more than 50% reduction from baseline (RR 4.87, 95% CI 2.55 to 9.31; four trials, 869 participants; moderate quality evidence) compared to placebo. There was no difference in menstrual blood loss of less than 80 ml (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.16; five trials, 1365 participants; moderate quality evidence) or more than 50% reduction from baseline between the elagolix (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.15; five trials, 1365 participants; high quality evidence) and elagolix with estradiol/norethindrone acetate. In both comparisons, elagolix has reduced the mean percentage change in uterine and fibroid volume, improved symptoms, and health-related quality of life. More patients had hot flush, and bone mineral density loss in the elagolix treatment compared to both placebo and elagolix with estradiol/norethindrone acetate.
CONCLUSIONS: Elagolix appeared to be effective in reducing heavy menstrual bleeding caused by uterine fibroid and combination with estradiol/norethindrone acetate was able to alleviate the hypoestrogenism side effects in premenopausal women. Review registration PROSPERO CDR 42021233898.
Continuity of illicit drug use among Malay patients attending methadone clinics in Kelantan, Malaysia

Ab Lloh S, Mohamad N, Badrin S, Abu Bakar R, Ahmad I

J Ethn Subst Abuse, 2023;22(1):45-59.
PMID: 33472556 DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2021.1871696

The study aimed to determine the prevalence of continuity of illicit drug use and its associated factors among Malay opioid users receiving methadone treatment in Kelantan, Malaysia. This cross-sectional study involved a total of 150 respondents. Sociodemographic characteristic of participants, level of religiosity, and quality of life were collected using the self-administered questionnaires. The prevalence of continuity illicit drug use was 38.7% (n = 58) by self-report and 40.7% (n = 61) by positive urine test result for drugs. Positive hepatitis C status and high quality of life in the psychological health domain were associated with low continuity of illicit drug use by self-reported data and urine drug test results. In conclusion, the continuity of illicit drug use among methadone program users is still high, especially among those on methadone therapy for less than 2 years.
Fulltext Gamma Irradiation-Assisted Synthesis of Cellulose Nanocrystal-Reinforced Gelatin Hydrogels

Wan Ishak WH, Ahmad I, Ramli S, Mohd Amin MCI

Nanomaterials (Basel), 2018 Sep 21;8(10).
PMID: 30241416 DOI: 10.3390/nano8100749

Herein, we describe the use of gamma irradiation to prepare hydrogels comprising α-cellulose and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-reinforced gelatin in the absence of crosslinking agents. In this study, cellulose was extracted from rice husks by an alkali and bleaching treatment followed by acid hydrolysis to produce CNC. A semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) of hydrogels was developed by the miscibility between gelatin and cellulosic materials. Compared to those prepared from α-cellulose, hydrogels prepared by dispersion of CNCs exhibited remarkably enhanced stiffness and swelling properties, which was ascribed to the uniform distribution of CNCs and their increased crystallinity. Improved pore structure, arrangement, and rigidity of CNC-reinforced gelatin hydrogels, which induced the swelling mechanism resulting in higher and faster water uptake was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), compared to cellulose-reinforced gelatin hydrogels. Moreover, in vitro drug profiling demonstrated that CNC/gelatin hydrogels exhibit good drug loading/release behavior and are thus suitable for use in drug-delivery applications.
Solutions of a three-dimensional multi-term fractional anomalous solute transport model for contamination in groundwater

Ahmad I, Ali I, Jan R, Idris SA, Mousa M

PLoS One, 2023;18(12):e0294348.
PMID: 38064451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294348

The study presents a meshless computational approach for simulating the three-dimensional multi-term time-fractional mobile-immobile diffusion equation in the Caputo sense. The methodology combines a stable Crank-Nicolson time-integration scheme with the definition of the Caputo derivative to discretize the problem in the temporal direction. The spatial function derivative is approximated using the inverse multiquadric radial basis function. The solution is approximated on a set of scattered or uniform nodes, resulting in a sparse and well-conditioned coefficient matrix. The study highlights the advantages of meshless method, particularly their simplicity of implementation in higher dimensions. To validate the accuracy and efficacy of the proposed method, we performed numerical simulations and compared them with analytical solutions for various test problems. These simulations were carried out on computational domains of both rectangular and non-rectangular shapes. The research highlights the potential of meshless techniques in solving complex diffusion problems and its successful applications in groundwater contamination and other relevant fields.
Fulltext Psychosocial stress and trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Bangladesh

Hossain MI, Mehedi N, Ahmad I, Ali I, Azman A

Asian Soc Work Policy Rev, 2021 Jun;15(2):145-159.
PMID: 35655964 DOI: 10.1111/aswp.12227

The COVID-19 outbreak has become a global health crisis affecting both the physical and mental health of people across the world. Likewise, the people of Bangladesh are going through a menacing mental health catastrophe with the outbreak of coronavirus that resulting in stress and trauma. Hence, this situation is altering people's lifestyles and generating complexities in psychological well-being. The study was based on the review of published articles and media reports related to stress and trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. A total of 10 peer-reviewed articles and 45 newspaper reports were included following an extensive literature search. The contents were searched on Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, local online newspapers, social networking sites, and different webpages and published articles in different journals on COVID-19 from March 5 to October 25, 2020. The review study finds that the mental health of people in Bangladesh has severely been affected by the outbreak of coronavirus. All of the government, voluntary, and civil organizations need to give further emphasis on psychosocial and bereavement counseling in order to support those experiencing mental shocks resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. There is the need to strengthen more consultative and collaborative efforts from all public health experts, social workers, psychologists, and policymakers in doing so. Social workers in this context will be able to make meaningful contributions in supporting those affected people to better adjust to the challenging situation.
Fulltext Resistance patterns, prevalence, and predictors of fluoroquinolones resistance in multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients

Ahmad N, Javaid A, Sulaiman SA, Ming LC, Ahmad I, Khan AH

Braz J Infect Dis, 2016 Jan-Feb;20(1):41-7.
PMID: 26626164 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2015.09.011

BACKGROUND: Fluoroquinolones are the backbone of multidrug resistant tuberculosis treatment regimens. Despite the high burden of multidrug resistant tuberculosis in the country, little is known about drug resistance patterns, prevalence, and predictors of fluoroquinolones resistance among multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients from Pakistan.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate drug resistance patterns, prevalence, and predictors of fluoroquinolones resistance in multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a programmatic management unit of drug resistant tuberculosis, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, Pakistan. Two hundred and forty-three newly diagnosed multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients consecutively enrolled for treatment at study site from January 1, 2012 to July 28, 2013 were included in the study. A standardized data collection form was used to collect patients' socio-demographic, microbiological, and clinical data. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis.
RESULTS: High degree of drug resistance (median 5 drugs, range 2-8) was observed. High proportion of patients was resistant to all five first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs (62.6%), and more than half were resistant to second line drugs (55.1%). The majority of the patients were ofloxacin resistant (52.7%). Upon multivariate analysis previous tuberculosis treatment at private (OR=1.953, p=0.034) and public private mix (OR=2.824, p=0.046) sectors were predictors of ofloxacin resistance.
CONCLUSION: The high degree of drug resistance observed, particularly to fluoroquinolones, is alarming. We recommend the adoption of more restrictive policies to control non-prescription sale of fluoroquinolones, its rational use by physicians, and training doctors in both private and public-private mix sectors to prevent further increase in fluoroquinolones resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains.
KEYWORDS: Fluoroquinolones; MDR-TB; Private; Resistance
Topological characterization of a bacterial cellulose-acrylic acid polymeric matrix

Halib N, Mohd Amin MC, Ahmad I, Abrami M, Fiorentino S, Farra R, et al.

Eur J Pharm Sci, 2014 Oct 1;62:326-33.
PMID: 24932712 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2014.06.004

This paper focuses on the micro- and nano-topological organization of a hydrogel, constituted by a mixture of bacterial cellulose and acrylic acid, and intended for biomedical applications. The presence of acrylic acid promotes the formation of two interpenetrated continuous phases: the primary "pores phase" (PP) containing only water and the secondary "polymeric network phase" (PNP) constituted by the polymeric network swollen by the water. Low field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF NMR), rheology, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and release tests were used to determine the characteristics of the two phases. In particular, we found that this system is a strong hydrogel constituted by 81% (v/v) of PP phase the remaining part being occupied by the PNP phase. Pores diameters span in the range 10-100 μm, the majority of them (85%) falling in the range 30-90 μm. The high PP phase tortuosity indicates that big pores are not directly connected to each other, but their connection is realized by a series of interconnected small pores that rend the drug path tortuous. The PNP is characterized by a polymer volume fraction around 0.73 while mesh size is around 3 nm. The theoretical interpretation of the experimental data coming from the techniques panel adopted, yielded to the micro- and nano-organization of our hydrogel.
Green biocides, a promising technology: current and future applications to industry and industrial processes

Ashraf MA, Ullah S, Ahmad I, Qureshi AK, Balkhair KS, Abdur Rehman M

J Sci Food Agric, 2014 Feb;94(3):388-403.
PMID: 23983055 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.6371

The study of biofilms has skyrocketed in recent years due to increased awareness of the pervasiveness and impact of biofilms. It costs the USA literally billions of dollars every year in energy losses, equipment damage, product contamination and medical infections. But biofilms also offer huge potential for cleaning up hazardous waste sites, filtering municipal and industrial water and wastewater, and forming biobarriers to protect soil and groundwater from contamination. The complexity of biofilm activity and behavior requires research contributions from many disciplines such as biochemistry, engineering, mathematics and microbiology. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of emerging novel antimicrobial techniques, including those using myriad organic and inorganic products as well as genetic engineering techniques, the use of coordination complex molecules, composite materials and antimicrobial peptides and the use of lasers as such or their modified use in combination treatments. This review also addresses advanced and recent modifications, including methodological changes, and biocide efficacy enhancing strategies. This review will provide future planners of biofilm control technologies with a broad understanding and perspective on the use of biocides in the field of green developments for a sustainable future.

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