Examining the Issue of Identity in Ayisha Malik’s Novel “Sofia Khan is Not Obliged” Through Homi K. Bhabha’s Concepts of ‘Hybridity, Ambivalence and Mimicry’

This paper studies Ayisha Malik’s Sofia Khan is not obliged from postcolonial perspective. The paper studies the novel from the view of the discourse presented by Homi K. Bhabha. The novel was published in 2015. The story revolves around a girl of Muslim ethnicity from Pakistan named Sofia Khan. She is living in London and is working there in a publishing company. The story is about the adventures of protagonist; her experiences and views the London from her perspective. The paper analyzes the characters and the main events from the research method of textual analysis. The study finds that the concept proposed by Bhabha, very much plays an operative role (viable role) on the British-Muslim- characters in their attempt to assimilate into their Host/Home country. It concludes that how these Muslim characters locate agency in the “in between space” within the process of mimicry and negotiate their identity in their effort to assimilate in colonizer’s space.

Design, Development and Evaluation of Nanoformulations on Green Matrix for Sustained Drug Release in Cancer Therapy.

In current century, plant-derived polymers have attracted considerable attention because of their various pharmaceutical applications such as diluents, binders, disintegrants in tablets and particularly for sustained drug release system. In present study, efforts was subjected to purify, hydrolyze, modify and biosynthesis of nanoformulations using Cordia myxa gum to document its binder potential in pharmaceutical tablets formulation and anticancer effect. The hydrolysis, modification and biosynthesis of nanoparticles was carried out to remove impurities, roughness, increase thermal stability and to improve the functional properties of biopolymers. Silver nitrate and purified gum C. myxa as reducing agent was used to prepare nanoparticles. All the gum samples (crude, purified, hydrolyzed, modified and biosynthesized nanoparticles) were examined to assess their antioxidant and antimicrobial potential. Toxicity, non-mutagenic activity and blood haemolysis was also examined. Characterization of all the forms of C. myxa was carried out using advance techniques like UV/Visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) or zeta sizer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Thermogravemetric analysis (TGA) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The binder potential of Cordia myxa gum and all modified forms were studied in paracetamol tablets and was compared with standard hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) being used as synthetic binder. Pure gum and biosynthesized nanoparticles were examined for cytotoxicity (MTT assay) in order to assess their anticancer effect. A549 lung cancer and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines were treated with samples. Synthesized spherical nanoparticles were up to 55 nm in size. The UV/visible spectroscopic results revealed an intense peak at 428nm. The highest phenolic contents and % scavenging activity were represented by purified gum (14.71 ± 0.04 mg) and (86.54 ± 0.72) whereas bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli was found maximum in nanoformulation while minimal effect against Staphylococcus aureus and the inhibition zone was calculated up to 42 and 14 mm, respectively. Nano formulated samples also exhibited optimal fungicidal effects against (F. solani & A. niger) and inhibited zones were up to 11.09 and 15.53mm. The consequences of the results portrayed that modifications might be beneficial to food products as an additive. The crude and purified gums with slower release can be used as sustained drug system or release controlling polymer. Pure gum and nanoparticles impart considerable anticancer effect and about 55-60% cell death was observed in MTT assay. Even DNA damage activity was assessed using single cell gel electrophoresis or comet assay that also proved its non-fatality. The current research work explored the cordia myxa for its applications as natural bio-binder, sustained drug delivery system and in cancer therapeutics.