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Surface water sodium (Na+) concentration prediction using hybrid weighted exponential regression model with gradient-based optimization

Ahmadianfar I, Shirvani-Hosseini S, Samadi-Koucheksaraee A, Yaseen ZM

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2022 Jul;29(35):53456-53481.
PMID: 35287188 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19300-0

Undeniably, there is a link between water resources and people's lives and, consequently, economic development, which makes them vital in health and the environment. Proper water quality forecasting time series has a crucial role in giving on-time warnings for water pollution and supporting the decision-making of water resource management. The principal aim of this study is to develop a novel and cutting-edge ensemble data intelligence model named the weighted exponential regression and hybridized by gradient-based optimization (WER-GBO). Indeed, this is to reach more meticulous sodium (Na+) prediction monthly at Maroon River in the southwest of Iran. This developed model has advantages over other previous methodologies thanks to the following merits: (i) it can improve the performance and ability by mixing the outputs of four distinct data intelligence (DI) models, i.e., adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), least square support vector regression (LSSVM), Bayesian linear regression (BLR), and response surface regression (RSR); (ii) the proposed model can employ a Cauchy weighted function combined with an exponential-based regression model being optimized by GBO algorithm. To evaluate the performance of these models, diverse statistical indices and graphical assessment including error distributions, box plots, scatter-plots with confidence bounds and Taylor diagrams were conducted. According to obtained statistical metrics and verified validation procedures, the proposed WER-GBO resulted in promising accuracy compared to other models. Furthermore, the outcomes revealed the WER-GBO (R = 0.9712, RMSE = 0.639, and KGE = 0.948) reached more accurate and reliable results than other methods such as the ANFIS, LSSVM, BLR, and RSR for Na prediction in this study. Hence, the WER-GBO model can be considered a constructive technique to forecast the water quality parameters.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium*
Fulltext Sodium content in sauces-a major contributor of sodium intake in Malaysia: a cross-sectional survey

Shahar S, You YX, Zainuddin NS, Michael V, Ambak R, Haron H, et al.

BMJ Open, 2019 05 27;9(5):e025068.
PMID: 31133578 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025068

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the sodium content in sauces sold in Malaysian supermarkets.
METHODS: A cross-sectional market survey was conducted in 2017 of 233 sauces sold in Malaysian supermarkets. Information on the sodium content was collected from the product packaging and nutrient information panels of the sauces sold in the seven top supermarkets in the capital of Malaysia.
RESULTS: Of the 233 sauces surveyed, 116 did not include sodium content information on the nutrient information panel (49.8%). Soy sauce (particularly sweet soy sauce) and ketchup (particularly chilli sauce) were found to be the highest number of products surveyed in the analysis (N=54 and N=48, respectively). The highest sodium content information was displayed by fish/prawn sauce (budu/cencalok) (5192±3228 mg/100 g) which was followed by the light/thin soy sauce (5116±2084 mg/100 g), and followed by salty soy sauce (4780±988 mg/100 g). The sodium content information of the imported sauces was higher compared with local products produced in Malaysia. However, for sweet soy sauce, the sodium content information of the local products was higher compared with the imported products. Of the 116 sauces which displayed information regarding their sodium content, only 18.2% of the salty soy sauce and 25% of the light/thin soy sauce were found to be below the 2017 Malaysian sodium guidelines. Furthermore, only 21.7% of chilli ketchup and no tomato ketchup were below the 2017 UK salt guidelines.
CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the sauces surveyed did not include sodium content information on the nutrient information panel. It is recommended that sodium content information is provided on all sauces sold in Malaysia. Also, manufacturers should be urged to reduce the sodium content level of their sauces to a minimum of 5%.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium; Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Fulltext Understanding the NaCl-dependent behavior of hydrogen production of a marine bacterium, Vibrio tritonius

Al-Saari N, Amada E, Matsumura Y, Tanaka M, Mino S, Sawabe T

PeerJ, 2019;7:e6769.
PMID: 31024772 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6769

Biohydrogen is one of the most suitable clean energy sources for sustaining a fossil fuel independent society. The use of both land and ocean bioresources as feedstocks show great potential in maximizing biohydrogen production, but sodium ion is one of the main obstacles in efficient bacterial biohydrogen production. Vibrio tritonius strain AM2 can perform efficient hydrogen production with a molar yield of 1.7 mol H2/mol mannitol, which corresponds to 85% theoretical molar yield of H2 production, under saline conditions. With a view to maximizing the hydrogen production using marine biomass, it is important to accumulate knowledge on the effects of salts on the hydrogen production kinetics. Here, we show the kinetics in batch hydrogen production of V. tritonius strain AM2 to investigate the response to various NaCl concentrations. The modified Han-Levenspiel model reveals that salt inhibition in hydrogen production using V. tritonius starts precisely at the point where 10.2 g/L of NaCl is added, and is critically inhibited at 46 g/L. NaCl concentration greatly affects the substrate consumption which in turn affects both growth and hydrogen production. The NaCl-dependent behavior of fermentative hydrogen production of V. tritonius compared to that of Escherichia coli JCM 1649 reveals the marine-adapted fermentative hydrogen production system in V. tritonius. V. tritonius AM2 is capable of producing hydrogen from seaweed carbohydrate under a wide range of NaCl concentrations (5 to 46 g/L). The optimal salt concentration producing the highest levels of hydrogen, optimal substrate consumption and highest molar hydrogen yield is at 10 g/L NaCl (1.0% (w/v)).

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium; Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Fulltext Optimization of culture conditions for Mpt64 synthetic gene expression in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) using surface response methodology

Kusuma SAF, Parwati I, Rostinawati T, Yusuf M, Fadhlillah M, Ahyudanari RR, et al.

Heliyon, 2019 Nov;5(11):e02741.
PMID: 31844694 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02741

MPT64 is a specific protein that is secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). The objective of this study was to obtain optimum culture conditions for MPT64 synthetic gene expression in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) by response surface methodology (RSM). The RSM was undertaken to optimize the culture conditions under different cultivation conditions (medium concentration, induction time and inducer concentration), designed by the factorial Box-Bhenken using Minitab 17 statistical software. From the randomized combination, 15 treatments and three center point repetitions were obtained. Furthermore, expression methods were carried out in the flask scale fermentation in accordance with the predetermined design. Then, the MPT64 protein in the cytoplasm of E. coli cell was isolated and characterized using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrilamide electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) then quantified using the ImageJ program. The optimum conditions were two-fold medium concentration (tryptone 20 mg/mL, yeast extract 10 mg/mL, and sodium chloride 20 mg/mL), 5 h of induction time and 4 mM rhamnose. The average concentration of recombinant MPT64 at optimum conditions was 0.0392 mg/mL, higher than the predicted concentration of 0.0311 mg/mL. In conclusion, the relationship between the selected optimization parameters strongly influenced the level of MPT64 gene expression in E. coli BL21 (DE3).

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; Sodium Radioisotopes
Fulltext Antimicrobial Efficacy of Fruit Peels Eco-Enzyme against Enterococcus Faecalis: An In Vitro Study

Mavani HAK, Tew IM, Wong L, Yew HZ, Mahyuddin A, Ahmad Ghazali R, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 Jul 15;17(14).
PMID: 32679828 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145107

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), an effective endodontic irrigant against Enterococcus faecalis (EF), is harmful to periapical tissues. Natural pineapple-orange eco-enzymes (M-EE) and papaya eco-enzyme (P-EE) could be potential alternatives. This study aimed to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of M-EE and P-EE at different concentrations and fermentation periods against EF, compared to 2.5% NaOCl. Fermented M-EE and P-EE (3 and 6 months) at various concentrations were mixed with EF in a 96-well plate incubated for 24 h anaerobically. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of M-EE and P-EE were determined via EF growth observation. EF inhibition was quantitatively measured and compared between different irrigants using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and different fermentation periods using the independent-samples T-test. M-EE and P-EE showed MIC at 50% and MBC at 100% concentrations. There was no significant difference in antimicrobial effect when comparing M-EE and P-EE at 50% and 100% to 2.5% NaOCl. P-EE at 6 months fermentation exhibited higher EF inhibition compared to 3 months at concentrations of 25% (p = 0.017) and 0.78% (p = 0.009). The antimicrobial properties of M-EE and P-EE, at both 100% and 50% concentrations, are comparable to 2.5% NaOCl. They could therefore be potential alternative endodontic irrigants, but further studies are required.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Hypochlorite/adverse effects; Sodium Hypochlorite/pharmacology
Fulltext Sodium intake among normotensive health staff assessed by 24-hour urinary excretion: a cross-sectional study

Rashidah, A., Yeo, P.S., Noor Ani, A., Muhammad Fadhli, M.Y., Tahir, A., Feisul Idzwan, M., et al.

Malays J Nutr, 2014;20(3):317-326.
MyJurnal

Introduction: High sodium consumption over an extended period of time has been associated with hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, renal damage, and other adverse health effects. This study aimed to determine urinary sodium excretion and consequently estimate dietary sodium consumption among normotensive health staff in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to acquire data on sodium excretion among normotensive Ministry of Health staff aged 20 - 56 years (mean age 35.08, SD 9.78) in 14 states and a research institute. Respondents were recruited using quota sampling. Data collection was conducted from December 2011 to February 2012. A single urine sample was collected over 24 hours for sodium concentrations and calculated as 95.0% of total daily sodium intake. Results: Among the 471 enrolled respondents, 445 (94.0%) provided complete information on socio-demography and urine samples. Mean urine sodium excretion was 142.0 mmol/day (SD 71.7), which is equivalent to 3429 mg sodium/day or 8.7 gm of salt intake (1.75 teaspoon, which exceeds the Malaysian recommendation of 2000 mg sodium/day by 1.7 times. About 79.0% (n=353) of respondents (88.0% male and 73.0% female) had daily sodium consumption that was above the recommendation. Excretion was significantly higher among males at 161.7 mmol/day (SD 78.1) (3726 mg sodium/day) than females, 125.3 mmolfday (SD 61.1) (2875 mg/day). There was a positive, low correlation between BMl and sodium intake (r=0.216, p

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium; Sodium, Dietary; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Fulltext Microwave-assisted Preparation of Cross-linked Gelatin-Paracetamol Matrices: Optimization Using the D-optimal Design

Kuang TK, Kang YB, Segarra I, Kanwal U, Ahsan M, Bukhari NI

Turk J Pharm Sci, 2021 04 20;18(2):167-175.
PMID: 33902255 DOI: 10.4274/tjps.galenos.2020.48902

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the effect of microwave heating on the preparation of paracetamol cross-linked gelatin matrices by using the design of experiment (DoE) approach and explore the influence of the duration of microwave irradiation, the concentrations of crosslinker, and the amount of sodium bicarbonate (salt) on paracetamol release. These parameters were also compared with those of the matrices prepared via conventional heating.
Materials and Methods: Twenty gel matrices were prepared with different durations of microwave irradiation, amounts of maize, and concentrations of sodium bicarbonate as suggested by Design Expert (DX®). The percentage drug release, the coefficient of variance (CV) in release, and the mean dissolution time (MDT) were the properties explored in the designed experimentation.
Results: Target responses were dependent on microwave irradiation time, cross-linker amount, and salt concentration. Classical and microwave heating did not demonstrate statistically significant difference in modifying the percentage of drug released from the matrices. However, the CVs of microwave-assisted formulations were lower than those of the gel matrices prepared via classical heating. Thus, microwave heating produced lesser variations in drug release. The optimized gel matrices demonstrated that the observed percentage of drug release, CV, and MDT were within the prediction interval generated by DX®. The release mechanism of the matrix formulations followed the Peppas-Korsmeyer anomalous transport model.
Conclusion: The DoE-supported microwave-assisted approach could be applied to optimize the critical factors of drug release with less variation.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary; Sodium Bicarbonate
Key Stakeholders' Views on Salt Intake Reduction and Barriers and Facilitators to Reducing Salt Intake in Malaysian Schools: A Qualitative Study

Mohd Isa D, Majid HA, Hairi FM, Harun Z, You YX, Abdul Manaf Z, et al.

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2025 Jan;37(1):43-51.
PMID: 39668727 DOI: 10.1177/10105395241304069

Excessive salt or sodium intake is strongly linked to increased blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the views of key stakeholders on salt intake reduction and barriers as well as facilitators to reducing salt intake in Malaysian schools. The stakeholders in this study were school administrators, food operators, and consumers. Their views were determined using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and data collected were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Salient barriers identified in this study were a lack of knowledge pertaining to salt intake reduction and foods sold outside the school. Meanwhile, key facilitators of salt reduction included few strategies such as public health campaigns, priority toward salt reduction policies, and school-based education programs, alongside support from other relevant stakeholders. Overall, the barriers and facilitators signal the need for implementing salt reduction programs and the collaborative efforts of different stakeholders.

Matched MeSH terms: Diet, Sodium-Restricted; Sodium Chloride, Dietary*
Choline chloride (ChCl) and monosodium glutamate (MSG)-based green solvents from optimized cactus malic acid for biomass delignification

Yiin CL, Quitain AT, Yusup S, Uemura Y, Sasaki M, Kida T

Bioresour Technol, 2017 Nov;244(Pt 1):941-948.
PMID: 28847084 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.08.043

This work aimed to develop an efficient microwave-hydrothermal (MH) extraction of malic acid from abundant natural cactus as hydrogen bond donor (HBD) whereby the concentration was optimized using response surface methodology. The ideal process conditions were found to be at a solvent-to-feed ratio of 0.008, 120°C and 20min with 1.0g of oxidant, H2O2. Next generation environment-friendly solvents, low transition temperature mixtures (LTTMs) were synthesized from cactus malic acid with choline chloride (ChCl) and monosodium glutamate (MSG) as hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs). The hydrogen-bonding interactions between the starting materials were determined. The efficiency of the LTTMs in removing lignin from oil palm biomass residues, empty fruit bunch (EFB) was also evaluated. The removal of amorphous hemicellulose and lignin after the pretreatment process resulted in an enhanced digestibility and thermal degradability of biomass.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Glutamate*
Fulltext Effect of abiotic stress on carotenoids accumulation in pumpkin plants under light and dark conditions

Norshazila, S., Othman, R., Jaswir, I., Yumi Zuhanis, H.H.

International Food Research Journal, 2017;24(101):0-0.
MyJurnal

In nature, environmental factors highly influence the carotenoid composition in pumpkin plants and these factors were difficult to control; thus, carotenoid content is varied quantitatively and qualitatively. However, certain parameters can be controlled and this can be conducted in the laboratory through biogenesis manipulation. This approach uses environmental stress as a tool to alter the carotenoid pathway in the plants. The main objective of this study was to observe the inhibiting and enhancing effect of abiotic stress on individual carotenoid accumulation in pumpkin plants under light and dark conditions. The abiotic stresses used were plant elicitors which consisted of Ultra Violet light exposure, Polyethylene Glycol 4000, Salicylic Acid, and half strength nutrients using Murashige and Skoog Salt. After two weeks of treatments, the pumpkin leaves and stems were harvested, freeze dried and extracted to determine the carotenoids compound using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that there was a significant difference (p

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Fulltext The effect of Saccharin concentration on the electrochemical behaviour of electrodeposited Nanocrystalline Cobalt-Iron coating

Nik Rozlin Nik Masdek, Wan Muhammad Aniq Aiman, Mardziah Che Murad, Zuraidah Salleh, Koay Mei Hyie

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2017;25(103):191-200.
MyJurnal

In the electrodeposition system, adding saccharin alters the properties of the metal deposits by changing the electrode kinetics of the deposited surface. In this study, nanocrystalline cobalt-iron (CoFe) coating was synthesised using the electrodeposition technique with different saccharin concentrations. The results obtained showed that the coating thickness increased while the grain size decreased from 51 nm to 40 nm when the saccharin concentration increased from 0 to 2 g/L. The nanocrystalline CoFe coating produced with 2 g/L of saccharin concentration resulted in the smallest particle size of 71.22 nm and the highest microhardness of 251.86 HV. From the salt spray test (24 and 48 hours) it was found that the use of saccharin at higher concentration of 2 g/L improves the corrosion resistance of the nanocrystalline CoFe coating significantly due to the change of surface morphology as well as the decrease in grain size.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Investigation of reverse ionic diffusion in forward-osmosis-aided dewatering of microalgae: A molecular dynamics study

Itliong JN, Villagracia ARC, Moreno JLV, Rojas KIM, Bernardo GPO, David MY, et al.

Bioresour Technol, 2019 May;279:181-188.
PMID: 30731357 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.01.109

This study aimed to investigate the transport mechanisms of ions during forward-osmosis-driven (FO-driven) dewatering of microalgae using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The dynamical and structural properties of ions in FO systems of varying NaCl or MgCl2 draw solution (DS) concentrations were calculated and correlated. Results indicate that FO systems with higher DS concentration caused ions to have lower hydration numbers and higher coordination numbers leading to lower diffusion coefficients. The higher hydration number of Mg2+ ions resulted in significantly lower ionic permeability as compared to Na+ ions at all concentrations (p = 0.002). The simulations also revealed that higher DS concentrations led to higher accumulation of ions in the membrane. This study provides insights on the proper selection of DS for FO systems.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium; Sodium Chloride
Properties of ENR-50 based electrolyte system

Zainal N, Mohamed N, Idris R

Sains Malaysiana, 2013;42:481-485.

In this work, epoxidized natural rubber 50 (ENR-50) has been used as a host polymer for the preparation of electrolyte system. Attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses showed the presence of lithium saltENR interactions. The glass transition temperature displayed an increasing trend with the increase in salt concentration indicating that the ionic conductivity was not influenced by segmental motion of the ENR-50 chains. The increase in
glass transition temperature with the addition of salt was due to the formation of transient cross-linking between ENR-50 chains via the coordinated interaction between ENR-50 chains and salt. The highest room temperature ionic conductivity obtained was in the order of 10-5 S cm-1 for the film containing 50 wt% of lithium salt. The ionic conductivity of this electrolyte system increased with increasing temperature and obeyed the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher behavior. The increase in ionic conductivity of the electrolyte system with salt concentration could also be correlated to the charge carriers concentration and/or migration rate of charge carriers.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Fulltext Synthesis, Characterization and the Solvent Effects on Interfacial Phenomena of Jatropha Curcas Oil Based Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane

Haniffa MACM, Ching YC, Chuah CH, Kuan YC, Liu DS, Liou NS

Polymers (Basel), 2017 May 01;9(5).
PMID: 30970841 DOI: 10.3390/polym9050162

Non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) was prepared from Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) and its alkyd resin via curing with different diamines. The isocyanate-free approach is a green chemistry route, wherein carbon dioxide conversion plays a major role in NIPU preparation. Catalytic carbon dioxide fixation can be achieved through carbonation of epoxidized derivatives of JCO. In this study, 1,3-diaminopropane (DM) and isophorone diamine (IPDA) were used as curing agents separately. Cyclic carbonate conversion was catalyzed by tetrabutylammonium bromide. After epoxy conversion, carbonated JCO (CJCO) and carbonated alkyd resin (CC-AR) with carbonate contents of 24.9 and 20.2 wt %, respectively, were obtained. The molecular weight of CJCO and CC-AR were determined by gel permeation chromatography. JCO carbonates were cured with different amine contents. CJCO was blended with different weight ratios of CC-AR to improve its characteristics. The cured NIPU film was characterized by spectroscopic techniques, differential scanning calorimetry, and a universal testing machine. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the morphology of the NIPU film before and after solvent treatment. The solvent effects on the NIPU film interfacial surface were investigated with water, 30% ethanol, methyl ethyl ketone, 10% HCl, 10% NaCl, and 5% NaOH. NIPU based on CCJO and CC-AR (ratio of 1:3) with IPDA crosslink exhibits high glass transition temperature (44 °C), better solvent and chemical resistance, and Young's modulus (680 MPa) compared with the blend crosslinked with DM. Thus, this study showed that the presence of CC-AR in CJCO-based NIPU can improve the thermomechanical and chemical resistance performance of the NIPU film via a green technology approach.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride; Sodium Hydroxide
Effect of sodium bicarbonate as blowing agent on production of epoxy shape memory foam using aqueous processing method

Muhammad Syazwan Fauzi, Lan DN, Hakimah Osman, Supri A. Ghani

Sains Malaysiana, 2015;44:869-874.

Epoxy shape memory foam (ESM) was produced by an advanced aqueous method. Mixture of epoxy, sodium bicarbonate,
hardener and ammonium chloride was premixed and emulsified in distilled water by using high speed stirring (at 1200
rpm). The content of sodium bicarbonate used was 5, 10, 15 and 20 phr. Besides that, ammonium chloride was used
(based on stoichiometrical content) to also function as acidifying agent in initiating the decomposition process of sodium
bicarbonate at lower foaming temperature. The foam morphology was observed using SEM. It was found that higher
sodium bicarbonate produced more porosity, more cell size, thinner cell wall and more cell interconnection. Epoxy shape
memory foam with 10 phr of sodium bicarbonate exhibited good shape memory property and better compression set.
Shape memory behaviour was measured by the recovered time of the transformed sample to its original shape.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium; Sodium Bicarbonate
Internal characteristics of loose solid source of debris flow in Zhouqu

Shufang Fan

Sains Malaysiana, 2017;46:2179-2186.

In this paper, with debris flow in Zhouqu as the research object, combined with experiments such as cation exchange capacity (CEC), mineral chemical composition and water quality analysis, relation between water and salt in solid source forming debris flow was studied via soil column leaching test and soluble salt analysis, and internal characteristics of debris flow was accordingly showed. It was found that, the soil was loose, and the content of gravel and sand was high, and the content of fine particle was low. The soluble contents at the slope of the accumulation body were described as, collapsed accumulation body > landslide accumulation body, slope toe > slope top, gentle slope > steep slope, also related to length of the slope. The results indicated that accumulations released a large number of base ion after intense weathering, which migrated with water, concentrated and enriched at the slope toe. Saline soil with high salt content collapsed when encountering water and then formed mudflow, thus becoming the internal power to trigger and initiate debris flow to some extent.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Fulltext Survey of availability of iodine-enriched salt in Sarawak

Taha AM, Zainab T, Lau D, Yeo P

Med J Malaysia, 1995 Dec;50(4):391-5.
PMID: 8668062

Three hundred and forty five salt samples were randomly taken from 106 sources where iodised salts were supplied or put for sale in all areas gazetted as endemic goitre areas in Sarawak. The samples were analysed for the presence of iodine. In areas in Sibu, Sarikei and Kapit Divisions, 53-70% of salt put for sale were iodised while in the other 6 Divisions, it was less than 27%. As iodisation of salt is an interventive measure in addressing the goitre problem in the State, regular monitoring of iodisation facilities and iodine content of iodised salt in the affected areas is important to ensure the effectiveness of the programme.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride, Dietary/administration & dosage*
Design and In-vitro Evaluation of Sustained Release Floating Tablets of Metformin HCl Based on Effervescence and Swelling

Senjoti FG, Mahmood S, Jaffri JM, Mandal UK

Iran J Pharm Res, 2016;15(1):53-70.
PMID: 27610147

An oral sustained-release floating tablet formulation of metformin HCl was designed and developed. Effervescence and swelling properties were attributed on the developed tablets by sodium bicarbonate and HPMC-PEO polymer combination, respectively. Tablet composition was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Seventeen (17) trial formulations were analyzed according to Box-Behnken design of experiment where polymer content of HPMC and PEO at 1: 4 ratio (A), amount of sodium bi-carbonate (B), and amount of SSG (C) were adopted as independent variables. Floating lag time in sec (Y1), cumulative percent drug released at 1 h (Y2) and 12 h (Y3) were chosen as response variables. Tablets from the optimized formulation were also stored at accelerated stability condition (40°C and 75% RH) for 3 months to assess their stability profile. RSM could efficiently optimize the tablet composition with excellent prediction ability. In-vitro drug release until 12 h, floating lag time, and duration of floating were dependent on the amount of three selected independent variables. Optimized tablets remained floating for more than 24 h with a floating lag time of less than 4 min. Based on best fitting method, optimized formulation was found to follow Korsmeyer-Peppas release kinetic. Accelerated stability study revealed that optimized formulation was stable for three months without any major changes in assay, dissolution profile, floating lag time and other physical properties.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium; Sodium Bicarbonate
Fulltext Effect of sulfurization time on the properties of copper zinc tin sulfide thin films grown by electrochemical deposition

Aldalbahi A, Mkawi EM, Ibrahim K, Farrukh MA

Sci Rep, 2016;6:32431.
PMID: 27600023 DOI: 10.1038/srep32431

We report growth of quaternary Cu2 ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films prepared by the electrochemical deposition from salt precursors containing Cu (II), Zn (II) and Sn (IV) metals. The influence of different sulfurization times t (t = 75, 90, 105, and 120 min) on the structural, compositional, morphological, and optical properties, as well as on the electrical properties is studied. The films sulfurized 2 hours showed a prominent kesterite phase with a nearly stoichiometric composition. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Raman and UV-VIS-NIR spectrometer at different stages of work. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy analyses confirmed the formation of phase-pure CZTS films. (FESEM) shows that compact and dense morphology and enhanced photo-sensitivity. STEM - EDS elemental map of CZTS cross-section confirms homogeneous distribution. From optical study, energy gap was enlarged with a changed sulfurization times in the range of 1.37-1.47 eV.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Fulltext Effect of microwave-assisted acid or alkali pretreatment on sugar release from Dragon fruit foliage

Ethaib, S., Omar, R., Mazlina, M., Radiah, A., Syafiie, S., Harun, M. Y.

International Food Research Journal, 2016;23(101):149-154.
MyJurnal

Agriculture residues are a promising feedstock for value-added products from lignocellulosic waste. However, pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials is essential to facilitate enzymatic
hydrolysis and improve sugar yield. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of acid or alkali during microwave-assisted pretreatment of dragon fruit foliage (DFF) that
would make hydrolysis process more efficient. In the present study, distilled water and three chemicals were examined for their effects on releasing monomeric sugar during microwave
treatment. Microwave-assisted pretreatment namely microwave-distilled water (M-H2O) (control); microwave-sulfuric acid (M-H2SO4); microwave-sodium hydroxide (M-NaOH); and
microwave-sodium bicarbonate (M-NaHCO3) pretreatment were performed using 5% (w/v) of DFF as substrate at 800 watt microwave power for 5 minutes exposure time. Highest yield
of monomeric sugar was found at 15.56 mg/g using M-NaOH pretreatment at 0.1N NaOH. For M-H2SO4 pretreatment, 0.1N H2SO4 produced 8.2 mg/g of monomeric sugar. Application
of M-NaHCO3 pretreatment using 0.05N NaHCO3 solution released 6.45 mg/g of monomeric sugar. While, soaking DFF in distilled water and subjecting to microwave irradiation released
6.6 mg/g of monomeric sugar. Treatments with the lowest concentration (0.01 N) of the three chemicals released only small quantities of total monomeric sugars and less than that with distilled water. The changes in the physical structure of DFF prior to and after the microwaveassisted pretreatment are also reported.

Matched MeSH terms: Sodium Hydroxide; Sodium Bicarbonate

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