Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 46 in total

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  1. Fulltext High Vitamin D Levels May Downregulate Inflammation in Patients with Behçet's Disease
    Adeeb F, Khan MU, Li X, Stack AG, Devlin J, Fraser AD
    Int J Inflam, 2017;2017:8608716.
    PMID: 28660088 DOI: 10.1155/2017/8608716
    Vitamin D plays a significant role in the immune system modulation and may confer a protective role in autoimmune diseases. We conducted a case-control study to compare 25(OH)D levels in patients with BD who were managed at a regional rheumatology programme in the midwest region of Ireland compared to matched controls. Healthy controls were selected from the Irish health system and matched in 1 : 5 ratio for age, sex, and the month of the year. 25(OH)D levels <20 nmol/L were classified as deficient while levels between 20 and 40 nmol/L were classified as insufficient. Differences between groups were assessed using Mann-Whitney test and associations between cases and controls were expressed as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Nineteen patients with BD were compared with 95 controls matched by age, sex, and month of blood draw. 25(OH)D levels were significantly higher in patients in BD than in matched controls (median values: 45 nmol/L versus 22 nmol/L, p < 0.005) and tended to be lower in patients with active disease than in those without (median values: 35 nmol/L (IQR: 22.75-47.25 nm/L) versus 50 nmol/L (IQR: 35-67 nmol/L), p = 0.11). Compared to controls, patients with BD were significantly less likely to have 25(OH)D deficiency or insufficiency (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03-0.28, p < 0.001). Our findings suggest a possible role for 25(OH)D in modifying the inflammatory response in BD and uncover a potential opportunity to assess whether correction of Vit D deficiency confers protective benefits.
  2. Fulltext Healthcare Professionals' Awareness, Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceptions and Beliefs about Ebola at Gondar University Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study
    Abebe TB, Bhagavathula AS, Tefera YG, Ahmad A, Khan MU, Belachew SA, et al.
    J Public Health Afr, 2016 Dec 31;7(2):570.
    PMID: 28299161 DOI: 10.4081/jphia.2016.570
    A poor understanding of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) among Health Care Professionals (HCPs) may put our lives at risk. We aimed to assess the awareness, knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs of HCPs towards Ebola at Gondar University Hospital (GUH) in Northwest Ethiopia. We conducted a hospital based, cross-sectional survey among 245 randomly selected HCPs working at GUH from August-October, 2015. A validated, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. We calculated descriptive statistics with P<0.05 being statistically significant. Of the 245 participants, 211 (86.1%) completed the study. The majority had heard about EVD and used news media (62%) as a source of information. Still, many were afraid of getting EVD (56.4%; P=0.001). A significant number of HCPs thought EVD can cause paralysis like polio (45%) and can be treated with antibiotics (28.4%). In addition, 46.4% of the HCPs felt anger or fear towards Ebola infected patients (P=0.006). We identified poor knowledge and negative incorrect beliefs among doctors and allied health professionals. There is a need for intensive training for all HCPs reduce EVD risk.
  3. Fulltext Fixed-dose combination antibiotics in India: global perspectives
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Balkrishnan R
    Lancet Glob Health, 2016 08;4(8):e521.
    PMID: 27443777 DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(16)30093-6
  4. Fulltext Fabrication of Bilayer Nanofibrous-Hydrogel Scaffold from Bacterial Cellulose, PVA, and Gelatin as Advanced Dressing for Wound Healing and Soft Tissue Engineering
    Khan R, Aslam Khan MU, Stojanović GM, Javed A, Haider S, Abd Razak SI
    ACS Omega, 2024 Feb 13;9(6):6527-6536.
    PMID: 38371763 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06613
    Tissue engineering is currently one of the fastest-growing areas of engineering, requiring the fabrication of advanced and multifunctional materials that can be used as scaffolds or dressings for tissue regeneration. In this work, we report a bilayer material prepared by electrospinning a hybrid material of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bacterial cellulose (BC NFs) (top layer) over a highly interconnected porous 3D gelatin-PVA hydrogel obtained by a freeze-drying process (bottom layer). The techniques were combined to produce an advanced material with synergistic effects on the physical and biological properties of the two materials. The bilayer material was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a water contact measurement system (WCMS). Studies on swelling, degradability, porosity, drug release, cellular and antibacterial activities were performed using standardized procedures and assays. FTIR confirmed cross-linking of both the top and bottom layers, and SEM showed porous structure for the bottom layer, random deposition of NFs on the surface, and aligned NFs in the cross section. The water contact angle (WCA) showed a hydrophilic surface for the bilayer material. Swelling analysis showed high swelling, and degradation analysis showed good stability. The bilayer material released Ag-sulfadiazine in a sustained and controlled manner and showed good antibacterial activities against severe disease-causing gram + ive and -ive (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacterial strains. In vitro biological studies were performed on fibroblasts (3T3) and human embryonic kidneys (HEK-293), which showed desirable cell viability, proliferation, and adhesion to the bilayer. Thus, the synergistic effect of NFs and the hydrogel resulted in a potential wound dressing material for wound healing and soft tissue engineering.
  5. Fulltext Exploring the intentions of pharmacy students towards pharmacy ownership by using theory of planned behaviour
    Khan MU, Ahmad A, Fayyaz M, Ashraf N, Bhagavathula A
    BMC Res Notes, 2016;9(1):183.
    PMID: 27005815 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-016-1996-4
    The objective of this study was to assess the association of the constructs of theory of planned behaviour (behavioural beliefs, normative beliefs, control beliefs) and demographic variables with the intentions of pharmacy students to become pharmacy owner.
  6. Fulltext Evaluation of potential drug - drug interactions in general medicine ward of teaching hospital in southern India
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Haque I, Ivan R, Dasari R, Revanker M, et al.
    J Clin Diagn Res, 2015 Feb;9(2):FC10-3.
    PMID: 25859467 DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2015/11264.5608
    Polypharmacy is considered as one of the major risk factors in precipitation of drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Patient population at high risk include the elderly and patients with co morbidities as they are usually prescribed with more number of drugs. Critical evaluation of such prescriptions by pharmacist could result in identification and reduction of such problems.
  7. Fulltext Evaluation of Workload and its Impact on Satisfaction Among Pharmacy Academicians in Southern India
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Srikanth AB, Patel I, Nagappa AN, Jamshed SQ
    J Clin Diagn Res, 2015 Jun;9(6):FC01-6.
    PMID: 26266133 DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2015/12921.6023
    The purpose of this study was to determine the level of workload among pharmacy academicians working in public and private sector universities in India. The study also aimed to assess the satisfaction of academicians towards their workload.
  8. Fulltext Evaluation of Potential Drug-Drug Interactions with Antidepressants in Two Tertiary Care Hospitals
    Rafi MS, Naqvi SB, Khan MU, Fayyaz M, Ashraf N, Khan MA, et al.
    J Clin Diagn Res, 2015 Jul;9(7):FC05-8.
    PMID: 26393139 DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2015/13437.6207
    Limited resources of healthcare system and high use of antidepressants have raised some serious concerns regarding proper surveillance system of prescribed medicines. Not much literature is available from Pakistan regarding the potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) associated with antidepressants.
  9. Effect of Religious Beliefs on the Smoking Behaviour of University Students: Quantitative Findings From Malaysia
    Elkalmi RM, Alkoudmani RM, Elsayed TM, Ahmad A, Khan MU
    J Relig Health, 2016 Dec;55(6):1869-75.
    PMID: 26429730 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0136-0
    The Malaysian official Islamic authorities have issued a "fatwa" (Islamic ruling) regarding smoking practice which prohibits Muslims from smoking because of its potential harm to health. Since the prevalence of smoking among Malaysian students is high, this study was designed to explore the perceptions and opinions of Malaysian Muslim students towards smoking in International Islamic University of Malaysia. A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among School of Science students in International Islamic University Malaysia. Convenience sampling approach was used to recruit 323 students based on sample size calculation. A content- and face-validated questionnaire was used to collect the data from the participants. Non-smokers highly supported the fatwa on smoking forbiddance than smokers (94 vs 64.3 %, p = 0.001). A significant proportion of non-smokers believed that Islam prohibits smoking because of its potential harm (94.9 vs 71.4 %, p = 0.001). Majority of smokers agreed that addiction is the main barrier towards smoking cessation (78.6 vs 61.5 %, p = 0.019). The results showed positive influences of Islamic beliefs on the non-smokers. Further studies are required to validate these findings by surveying other universities of Malaysia.
  10. Fulltext Drug pricing policies in one of the largest drug manufacturing nations in the world: Are affordability and access a cause for concern?
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Patel I
    J Res Pharm Pract, 2015 Jan-Mar;4(1):1-3.
    PMID: 25710043 DOI: 10.4103/2279-042X.150043
  11. Fulltext Development of Biopolymeric Hybrid Scaffold-Based on AAc/GO/nHAp/TiO2 Nanocomposite for Bone Tissue Engineering: In-Vitro Analysis
    Aslam Khan MU, Al-Arjan WS, Binkadem MS, Mehboob H, Haider A, Raza MA, et al.
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2021 May 17;11(5).
    PMID: 34067844 DOI: 10.3390/nano11051319
    Bone tissue engineering is an advanced field for treatment of fractured bones to restore/regulate biological functions. Biopolymeric/bioceramic-based hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds are potential biomaterials for bone tissue because of biodegradable and biocompatible characteristics. We report synthesis of nanocomposite based on acrylic acid (AAc)/guar gum (GG), nano-hydroxyapatite (HAp NPs), titanium nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), and optimum graphene oxide (GO) amount via free radical polymerization method. Porous scaffolds were fabricated through freeze-drying technique and coated with silver sulphadiazine. Different techniques were used to investigate functional group, crystal structural properties, morphology/elemental properties, porosity, and mechanical properties of fabricated scaffolds. Results show that increasing amount of TiO2 in combination with optimized GO has improved physicochemical and microstructural properties, mechanical properties (compressive strength (2.96 to 13.31 MPa) and Young's modulus (39.56 to 300.81 MPa)), and porous properties (pore size (256.11 to 107.42 μm) and porosity (79.97 to 44.32%)). After 150 min, silver sulfadiazine release was found to be ~94.1%. In vitro assay of scaffolds also exhibited promising results against mouse pre-osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) cell lines. Hence, these fabricated scaffolds would be potential biomaterials for bone tissue engineering in biomedical engineering.
  12. Fulltext Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Pakistan: Are we going in the right direction?
    Ahmad A, Khan MU
    J Res Pharm Pract, 2015 Oct-Dec;4(4):173-4.
    PMID: 26645021 DOI: 10.4103/2279-042X.167052
  13. Could an automated machine replace the pharmacist?
    Khan MU, Ahmad A, Malik S, Balkrishnan R
    Res Social Adm Pharm, 2016 11 18;13(2):399.
    PMID: 27884658 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2016.10.019
  14. Comparison of knowledge and attitudes about antibiotics and resistance, and antibiotics self-practicing between Bachelor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy students in Southern India
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Moorthy J, Jamshed SQ, Patel I
    Pharm Pract (Granada), 2015 03 15;13(1):523.
    PMID: 25883690
    BACKGROUND: There is limited research on pharmacy specialization based differences with regards to usage of antibiotics.

    OBJECTIVE: To compare the knowledge, attitude and practice of Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students about usage and resistance of antibiotics in Southern India.

    METHODS: This was a cross sectional study involving final year BPharm and PharmD students studying in two private institutions located in Andra Pradesh, India. The study was conducted for the period of 3 months. The questionnaire was divided into 5 components: demographics, knowledge about antibiotic use, attitude towards antibiotic use and resistance, self-antibiotic usage, and possible causes of antibiotic resistance. The study questionnaire was assessed for reliability. Data were analysed by employing Mann Whitney and chi square tests using SPSS version 19.

    RESULTS: The sample size comprised of 137 students. The response rate was 76.11% for the study. There was a significant difference in the knowledge of antibiotic use in BPharm and PharmD students (Mean score: 5.09 vs 6.18, p<0.001). The overall attitude of PharmD students about antibiotic use and resistance was positive compared to BPharm students (Mean score: 3.05 vs 2.23, p<0.05). The self-antibiotic practices was higher in BPharm students than PharmD students (36.4% vs 20%, p<0.05). A significantly high number of PharmD students believed that empirical antibiotic therapy led to antibiotic resistance (19.5% versus 48%, P<0.05).

    CONCLUSION: PharmD students were more knowledgeable about antibiotic usage and resistance compared to BPharm students who did not have accurate and the much needed information about the same. Future interventions should be targeted towards educating the BPharm students so that they can implement the acquired knowledge in their practice.

  15. Fulltext Can Pharmacy Doctors act as valuable assets in rural areas with a physician shortage?
    Ahmad A, Patel I, Khan MU, Chang J
    J Res Pharm Pract, 2014 Oct;3(4):109-11.
    PMID: 25535617 DOI: 10.4103/2279-042X.145345
  16. Fulltext Beliefs, attitudes and self-use of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy medicines among senior pharmacy students: An exploratory insight from Andhra Pradesh, India
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Kumar BD, Kumar GS, Rodriguez SP, Patel I
    Pharmacognosy Res, 2014 10 1;7(4):302-8.
    PMID: 26692742 DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.158438
    OBJECTIVES: To assess the beliefs, attitudes and self-use of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) medicines among senior pharmacy students.

    METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among pharmacy students in four pharmacy schools located in Andhra Pradesh in South India. This study was conducted from the August to September 2014. The study population included all pharmacy students enrolled in Doctor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Pharmacy and Diploma in Pharmacy programs in studied pharmacy schools. The pretested AYUSH survey had 8 questions on AYUSH related beliefs and 8 question on AYUSH related attitudes. The survey also asked participants about AYUSH related knowledge, frequency of use of AYUSH and the reason for using AYUSH. The data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 20. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test were employed to study the association between the independent and dependent variables.

    RESULTS: A total of 428 pharmacy students participated in the survey. 32.2% of the study population was females and 32.5% of the population resided in rural areas. Males were more likely to have positive beliefs about AYUSH when compared to females (odd ratio [OR] = 4.62, confidence interval [CI] = 2.37-8.99, P < 0.001). Similarly, students living in hostels were more positive in their beliefs about AYUSH compared with students living at home (OR = 2.14, CI = 1.12-4.07, P < 0.05). Students living in hostel also had a positive attitude about AYUSH use (OR = 1.74, CI = 1.03-2.93, P < 0.05).

    CONCLUSION: Pharmacy students held favorable attitude and beliefs about AYUSH use. This baseline survey provides important information about the pharmacy student's perception about AYUSH. Further research is needed to explore the reasons that shape the pharmacy student's beliefs and attitudes about AYUSH.

  17. Availability and affordability of life-saving vaccines
    Khan MU, Ahmad A
    Lancet Infect Dis, 2017 02;17(2):136-137.
    PMID: 28134107 DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(17)30014-2
  18. Fulltext Assessment of attitudes and practices of young Malaysian adults about antibiotics use: a cross-sectional study
    Hassali MA, Arief M, Saleem F, Khan MU, Ahmad A, Mariam W, et al.
    Pharm Pract (Granada), 2017 Apr-Jun;15(2):929.
    PMID: 28690695 DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2017.02.929
    OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed to evaluate the practices and attitudes of young Malaysian adults towards the use of antibiotics, and to determine the socioeconomic factors associated with the antibiotic use.

    METHODS: A survey was carried in Cheras community by approaching a conveniently selected sample of 480 participants. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection.

    RESULT: Of 480 participants approached, 400 agreed to participate in this study, giving a response rate of 83.3%. The study results showed that 42.75% of the participants exhibited poor attitudes towards antibiotic usage. Chinese race and high income were significantly associated with the positive attitudes towards antibiotic usage. It is shown that the practice of the participants towards antibiotics was relatively poor. The majority of participants agreed that they do not consult a doctor for minor illnesses (64%). The main reason for not consulting a doctor was the high fees of consultation (34.25%) and the inconvenience of visit (29.25%). However, a large proportion of respondents (77.5%) agreed that there is a need to enhance antibiotic education among public.

    CONCLUSION: The study results identified some crucial gaps in the attitudes and practices of Cheras community about the use of antibiotics. Thus, improving the public knowledge and changing their attitude towards antibiotic use along with proper interventions to regulate the ease of their availability would play a significant role for the effective use of antibiotics in the community.
  19. Fulltext Are healthcare workers ready for Ebola? An assessment of their knowledge and attitude in a referral hospital in South India
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Jamshed SQ, Kumar BD, Kumar GS, Reddy PG, et al.
    J Infect Dev Ctries, 2016 Aug 02;10(7):747-54.
    PMID: 27482807 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.7578
    INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic to be a public health emergency of international concern. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the highest risk of infection, as they may come into contact with patients' blood or fluids. This study was conducted to assess knowledge and attitudes of HCWs towards EVD in India.
    METHODOLOGY: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a multispecialty public sector referral hospital of Telangana, India. Knowledge and attitude of HCWs were evaluated using a pre-validated questionnaire. A sample of 278 participants was selected to participate in this study. The Chi-squared test was used to assess the relationship between attitudes and demographic characteristics. Logistic regression was used examine the association between knowledge and study variables.
    RESULTS: Of 257 participants who responded (92.4% response rate), 157 (61.1%) were females. The majority of the respondents were physicians (n = 117, 45.5%). Radio and television were the major sources of information about EVD reported by participants (89%). Overall knowledge of HCWs was poor (mean knowledge score: 6.57 ± 2.57). Knowledge of physicians and experienced workers (≥ 10 years) was significantly higher than their respective groups. The overall attitude of the participants was positive (mean attitude score: 1.62 ± 0.57). Significant positive correlations between knowledge and attitude were observed.
    CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that participants lack basic understanding of EVD. We recommend future studies be conducted across India to identify and subsequently bridge the knowledge gaps among HCWs.
  20. Arabinoxylan/graphene-oxide/nHAp-NPs/PVA bionano composite scaffolds for fractured bone healing
    Aslam Khan MU, Haider A, Abd Razak SI, Abdul Kadir MR, Haider S, Shah SA, et al.
    J Tissue Eng Regen Med, 2021 04;15(4):322-335.
    PMID: 33432773 DOI: 10.1002/term.3168
    The importance of bone scaffolds has increased many folds in the last few years; however, during bone implantation, bacterial infections compromise the implantation and tissue regeneration. This work is focused on this issue while not compromising on the properties of a scaffold for bone regeneration. Biocomposite scaffolds (BS) were fabricated via the freeze-drying technique. The samples were characterized for structural changes, surface morphology, porosity, and mechanical properties through spectroscopic (Fourier transform-infrared [FT-IR]), microscopic (scanning electron microscope [SEM]), X-ray (powder X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray), and other analytical (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, universal testing machine Instron) techniques. Antibacterial, cellular, and hemocompatibility assays were performed using standard protocols. FT-IR confirmed the interactions of all the components. SEM illustrated porous and interconnected porous morphology. The percentage porosity was in the range of 49.75%-67.28%, and the pore size was 215.65-470.87 µm. The pore size was perfect for cellular penetration. Thus, cells showed significant proliferation onto these scaffolds. X-ray studies confirmed the presence of nanohydroxyapatite and graphene oxide (GO). The cell viability was 85%-98% (BS1-BS3), which shows no significant toxicity of the biocomposite. Furthermore, the biocomposites exhibited better antibacterial activity, no effect on the blood clotting (normal in vitro blood clotting), and less than 5% hemolysis. The ultimate compression strength for the biocomposites increased from 4.05 to 7.94 with an increase in the GO content. These exciting results revealed that this material has the potential for possible application in bone tissue engineering.
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