Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Kamarul Zaman M, Teng NIMF, Kasim SS, Juliana N, Alshawsh MA
    World J Cardiol, 2023 Jul 26;15(7):354-374.
    PMID: 37576544 DOI: 10.4330/wjc.v15.i7.354
    BACKGROUND: Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a dietary approach that limits eating to a set number of hours per day. Human studies on the effects of TRE intervention on cardiometabolic health have been contradictory. Heterogeneity in subjects and TRE interventions have led to inconsistency in results. Furthermore, the impact of the duration of eating/fasting in the TRE approach has yet to be fully explored.

    AIM: To analyze the existing literature on the effects of TRE with different eating durations on anthropometrics and cardiometabolic health markers in adults with excessive weight and obesity-related metabolic diseases.

    METHODS: We reviewed a series of prominent scientific databases, including Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, and Cochrane Library articles to identify published clinical trials on daily TRE in adults with excessive weight and obesity-related metabolic diseases. Randomized controlled trials were assessed for methodological rigor and risk of bias using version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB-2). Outcomes of interest include body weight, waist circumference, fat mass, lean body mass, fasting glucose, insulin, HbA1c, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profiles, C-reactive protein, blood pressure, and heart rate.

    RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included in our systematic review. TRE significantly reduces body weight, waist circumference, fat mass, lean body mass, blood glucose, insulin, and triglyceride. However, no significant changes were observed in HbA1c, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Furthermore, subgroup analyses based on the duration of the eating window revealed significant variation in the effects of TRE intervention depending on the length of the eating window.

    CONCLUSION: TRE is a promising chrononutrition-based dietary approach for improving anthropometric and cardiometabolic health. However, further clinical trials are needed to determine the optimal eating duration in TRE intervention for cardiovascular disease prevention.

  2. Abdel-Sattar OE, Allam RM, Al-Abd AM, El-Halawany AM, El-Desoky AM, Mohamed SO, et al.
    ACS Omega, 2023 Aug 08;8(31):28563-28576.
    PMID: 37576627 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02953
    Doxorubicin (DOX) is a cornerstone chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of several malignancies such as breast cancer; however, its activity is ameliorated by the development of a resistant phenotype. Phyllanthus species have been studied previously for their potential anticancer properties. The current work is aimed to study the potential cytotoxicity and chemomodulatory effects of hypophyllanthin (PN4) and phyllanthin (PN5) isolated from Phyllanthus niruri to DOX against the adriamycin multidrug-resistant breast cancer cells (MCF-7ADR) and elucidate their mechanism of action. The major compounds of the active methylene chloride fraction were isolated and assessed for their potential cytotoxicity and chemomodulatory effects on DOX against naïve (MCF-7) and resistant breast (MCF-7ADR) cancer cells. The mechanism of action of both compounds in terms of their impacts on programmed/non-programmed cell death (apoptosis and autophagy/necrosis), cell cycle progression/arrest, and tumor cell migration/invasion was investigated. Both compounds PN4 and PN5 showed a moderate but similar potency against MCF-7 as well as MCF-7ADR and significantly synergized DOX-induced anticancer properties against MCF-7ADR. The chemomodulatory effect of both compounds to DOX was found to be via potentiating DOX-induced cell cycle interference and apoptosis induction. It was found that PN4 and PN5 blocked the apoptosis-escape autophagy pathway in MCF-7ADR. On the molecular level, both compounds interfered with SIRT1 expression and consequently suppressed Akt phosphorylation, and PN5 blocked apoptosis escape. Furthermore, PN4 and PN5 showed promising antimigratory and anti-invasive effects against MCF-7ADR, as confirmed by suppression of N-cadherin/β-catenin expression. In conclusion, for the first time, hypophyllanthin and phyllanthin isolated from P. niruri showed promising chemomodulatory effects to the DOX-induced chemotherapeutic activity against MCF-7ADR. Both compounds significantly synergized DOX-induced anticancer properties against MCF-7ADR. This enhanced activity was explained by further promoting DOX-induced apoptosis and suppressing the apoptosis-escape autophagy feature of the resistant breast cancer cells. Both compounds (hypophyllanthin and phyllanthin) interfered with the SIRT1/Akt pathway and suppressed the N-cadherin/β-catenin axis, confirming the observed antiproliferative, cytotoxic, and anti-invasive effects of hypophyllanthin and phyllanthin.
  3. Rodriguez F, Llamedo M, Belhaj H, Mendoza A, Elraies KA
    ACS Omega, 2023 Aug 08;8(31):28060-28079.
    PMID: 37576656 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c08059
    In situ combustion (ISC) is one of the oldest thermal enhanced oil recovery methods to have been applied in Venezuela to increase the production of highly viscous crude oils, with a first field application in 1959 in the Tia Juana Field-Lake Maracaibo Basin. This method, which is characterized by high energy efficiency, consists of injecting air into the reservoir where exothermic oxidation reactions initiate to increase the mobility of the oil. Compared to other thermal enhanced oil recovery methods such as steam injection, ISC has a lower environmental impact in terms of water and fuel consumption, and emission of gases as the produced gases can be reinjected or stored. Several ISC projects have been carried out in Venezuela in Tia Juana, Morichal, Miga, and Melones fields. Although the technical results have been satisfactory in terms of viscosity reduction and improved crude oil properties (such as °API), other important aspects of project evaluations have not been convincing due to the following factors: high temperatures in producing wells, acid gases management, generation of complex emulsions, corrosion, and high CAPEX and OPEX costs. Nevertheless, additional research work has been conducted on process optimization, using catalysts and hydrogen donors, to better address these other factors. Due to the great need to increase hydrocarbon production in Venezuela and to the advantages of ISC as an upgrading technique where low-carbon fuels and hydrogen as byproducts are generated, this paper presents a revisit of ISC projects in Venezuela from R&D technical aspects to field applications. It seeks to identify the main insights regarding the success and failure of the evaluated projects and make substantiated recommendations in the case of future applications of this technology.
  4. Herawati O, Bejo SK, Zakaria Z, Ramanoon SZ
    Vet World, 2023 May;16(5):977-986.
    PMID: 37576756 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.977-986
    BACKGROUND AND AIM: Antibiotic resistance has become an issue of global importance due to increasing levels of bacterial infections worldwide. Farm management and usage of antibiotics in livestock are known risk factors associated with the increase in global levels of antibiotic resistance. Goats and sheep are examples of livestock with large populations. Although antibiotic resistance in bacteria from livestock negatively affects both human health and the economy, the global data regarding this issue in goats and sheep are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to provide information on the antibiotic-resistance profile of bacteria isolated from goats and sheep worldwide (Asia, Europe, and Africa).

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a systematic review of articles published on this topic without any restriction on the year of publication. We searched the Directory of Open Access Journals, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus using Boolean logic through various keywords. The search generated a total of 1325 articles, and after screening for duplicates and implementing inclusion and exclusion criteria, qualitative synthesis (i.e., qualitative systematic review) was performed on 37 articles.

    RESULTS: The synthesized information indicated that 18 Gram-positive and 13 Gram-negative bacterial species from goats and sheep were resistant to ten antibiotics, namely penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, tetracycline, cephalothin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin (CIP), and sulfamethoxazole. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance ranged from 0.4% to 100%. However, up to 100% of some bacteria, namely, Salmonella Dublin, Aeromonas caviae, and Aeromonas sobria, were susceptible to CIP. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were highly resistant to all antibiotics tested. Moreover, eight of the ten antibiotics tested were critically important antibiotics for humans.

    CONCLUSION: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in goats and sheep are a potential risk to animal and human health. Collaboration between all stakeholders and further research is needed to prevent the negative impacts of antibiotic resistance.

  5. Astuti SD, Pertiwi WI, Wahyuningsih SPA, Permatasari PAD, Nurdin DZI, Syahrom A
    Vet World, 2023 May;16(5):1176-1184.
    PMID: 37576764 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.1176-1184
    BACKGROUND AND AIM: According to 2013 data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, there were 8.2% more wounds than typical in Indonesia; 25.4% were open wounds, 70.9% were abrasions and bruises, and 23.2% were lacerations. A wound is defined as damage or loss of body tissue. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of wound healing using red-laser therapy (650 nm, 3.5 J/cm2), blue-laser therapy (405 nm, 3.5 J/cm2), ozone therapy, red-laser therapy (650 nm, 3.5 J/cm2) with ozone, and blue-laser therapy (405 nm, 3.5 J/cm2) with ozone.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twelve mice were given incision wounds and infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The study used a factorial design with two factors: The type of therapy (n = 7) and irradiation time (days 1, 2, 4, and 6). The mice were divided into seven therapy groups: Control group with NaCl, control with Sofra-tulle® treatment, red-laser therapy (650 nm, 3.5 J/cm2), blue-laser therapy (405 nm, 3.5 J/cm2), ozone therapy, red-laser therapy (650 nm, 3.5 J/cm2) with ozone, and blue-laser therapy (405 nm, 3.5 J/cm2) with ozone. This therapy was performed using irradiation perpendicular to the wound area. The photosensitizer used was curcumin 10 mg/mL, which was applied to the wound area before exposure to a laser and ozone. The ozone concentration was 0.011 mg/L with a flow time of 80 s. The test parameters were the number of collagens, bacterial colonies, lymphocytes, monocytes, and wound length measurement to determine their acceleration effects on wound healing. Data were analyzed by a two-way (factorial) analysis of variance test.

    RESULTS: Acceleration of wound healing was significantly different between treatments with a laser or a laser-ozone combination and treatment using 95% sodium chloride (NaCl) and Sofra-tulle®. On day 6, the blue-laser with ozone treatment group had efficiently increased the number of bacteria and reduced the wound length, and the red-laser treatment with ozone increased the amount of collagen. In addition, the red-laser also reduced the number of lymphocytes and monocytes, which can have an impact on accelerating wound healing. Blue-laser therapy was very effective for increasing the number of epithelia.

    CONCLUSION: The blue- and red-laser combined with ozone treatments effectively accelerated the healing of incisional wounds infected with MRSA bacteria.

  6. Ong SK, Abe SK, Thilagaratnam S, Haruyama R, Pathak R, Jayasekara H, et al.
    Lancet Reg Health West Pac, 2023 Oct;39:100860.
    PMID: 37576906 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100860
    About 95% of cervical cancers worldwide are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer is preventable and curable if it is detected and treated early. We reviewed the latest national cervical cancer indicators, and barriers to HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening in 21 Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) member countries. Half (n = 11, 52%) of the countries have introduced HPV vaccination for girls as part of their national vaccination programme, three countries reported coverage of over 90%. Most ANCCA member countries have cervical cancer screening programmes, only five countries reported screening uptake of over 50%. The barriers to HPV vaccination coverage and cervical cancer screening participation have been identified. Ensuring health service accessibility and affordability for women, addressing sociocultural barriers, and strengthening the healthcare system and continuum of care are essential to increase HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening coverage.
  7. Mohamad Sukri SNA, Shameli K, Teow SY, Chew J, Ooi LT, Lee-Kiun Soon M, et al.
    Front Microbiol, 2023;14:1194292.
    PMID: 37577438 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1194292
    This study presents a green synthesis approach for the fabrication of zinc oxide-silver nanoparticles (ZnO-Ag-NPs) using Punica granatum fruit peels extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. This eco-friendly method offers a sustainable alternative to conventional methods that often employ toxic or hazardous chemicals. Antibacterial and anti-cancer activities of the green synthesized nanoparticles were then assessed in vitro. X-ray diffraction confirmed the production of ZnO-Ag-NPs with increasing crystallinity in higher pH values. The ZnO-Ag-NPs were found to be agglomerated with spherical Ag-NPs. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra revealed a broad band in ZnO-Ag-NPs ranging from 400-1 to 530 cm-1 with reduced intensity as compared to ZnO-NPs, indicating the formation of Ag-NPs on the surface of ZnO-NPs. The synthesized ZnO-Ag-NPs exhibited potent antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of bacterial strains, particularly Gram-positive bacteria, with superior inhibition activity compared to ZnO-NPs. Moreover, ZnO-Ag-NPs showed a dose-dependent anti-proliferative effect on colorectal-, lung-, and cervical cancer cells. ZnO-Ag-NPs showed significantly greater efficacy in inhibiting cancer cell growth at a lower concentration of 31.25 μg/mL, compared to ZnO-NPs which required over 500 μg/mL, possibly due to the presence of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). The results obtained from this study demonstrate the potential of green synthesis approaches in the fabrication of therapeutic nanomaterials for cancer treatment, as well as other biomedical applications.
  8. Khan MM, Chowdhury MEH, Arefin ASMS, Podder KK, Hossain MSA, Alqahtani A, et al.
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2023 Jul 31;13(15).
    PMID: 37568900 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13152537
    Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) occurs when blood leaks inside the skull as a result of trauma to the skull or due to medical conditions. ICH usually requires immediate medical and surgical attention because the disease has a high mortality rate, long-term disability potential, and other potentially life-threatening complications. There are a wide range of severity levels, sizes, and morphologies of ICHs, making accurate identification challenging. Hemorrhages that are small are more likely to be missed, particularly in healthcare systems that experience high turnover when it comes to computed tomography (CT) investigations. Although many neuroimaging modalities have been developed, CT remains the standard for diagnosing trauma and hemorrhage (including non-traumatic ones). A CT scan-based diagnosis can provide time-critical, urgent ICH surgery that could save lives because CT scan-based diagnoses can be obtained rapidly. The purpose of this study is to develop a machine-learning algorithm that can detect intracranial hemorrhage based on plain CT images taken from 75 patients. CT images were preprocessed using brain windowing, skull-stripping, and image inversion techniques. Hemorrhage segmentation was performed using multiple pre-trained models on preprocessed CT images. A U-Net model with DenseNet201 pre-trained encoder outperformed other U-Net, U-Net++, and FPN (Feature Pyramid Network) models with the highest Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and intersection over union (IoU) scores, which were previously used in many other medical applications. We presented a three-dimensional brain model highlighting hemorrhages from ground truth and predicted masks. The volume of hemorrhage was measured volumetrically to determine the size of the hematoma. This study is essential in examining ICH for diagnostic purposes in clinical practice by comparing the predicted 3D model with the ground truth.
  9. Bekun FV, Adekunle AO, Gbadebo AD, Alhassan A, Akande JO, Yusoff NYM
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Sep;30(42):96301-96311.
    PMID: 37572252 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28856-4
    The current study examines sustainable electricity consumption for economic growth in a small open and tourist economy. The energy-tourism nexus is evaluated for the relationship between sustainable electricity consumption and the international tourist arrival for the South African economy. The present study leverages on annual frequency data for South Africa from 1995 to 2019 for empirical analysis using the ARDL technique. Accordingly, empirical findings indicate a significant direct connection between the sustainable electricity consumption and the international tourism arrival; the study affirms that tourism-induced energy hypothesis is valid in South Africa. However, from a policy standpoint, alternative energy efficiency mechanisms such as renewable energy systems and emancipation of current energy management capabilities are recommended in South Africa. This is necessary for sustainable eco-friendly tourism that engenders clean energy consumption for the study area. More insights into policy caveats are presented in the concluding section.
    MeSH terms: Carbon Dioxide/analysis; Electricity; South Africa; Economic Development*; Renewable Energy
  10. Nadhiroh SR, Micheala F, Tung SEH, Kustiawan TC
    Nutrition, 2023 Nov;115:112094.
    PMID: 37572547 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2023.112094
    OBJECTIVES: Maternal anemia is a worldwide health issue and a common pregnancy complication. It leads to consequences including infant mortality, low birth weight, preterm birth, unrecoverable or partially reversible neurobehavioral and cognitive deficits, and short birth length. However, the relationship between maternal anemia and stunting in children is not well defined. This systematic literature review sought to determine whether maternal anemia was associated with height or length and stunting conditions in infants and children ages 0-60 mo in cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies carried out in several countries.

    METHODS: A systematic review was performed on articles published from 2014-2021 related to maternal anemia and stunting. The electronic databases used were ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Google Search, and AJOG (American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology). The literature search was performed up to December 7, 2021.

    RESULTS: Twelve studies were included. Nine studies examined the correlation between maternal anemia and length or weight in children. Seven of the nine studies showed an association between maternal anemia and stunting in children; the others showed an association between maternal anemia and birth length. Three studies found no association between maternal anemia and stunting in children under age 5 y.

    CONCLUSIONS: The current review emphasizes that stunting in children may be associated with maternal anemia, specifically in developing countries. This implies that it is crucial to prevent anemia in adolescent girls and women before and during pregnancy as a part of programs to eliminate stunting in children.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Growth Disorders/complications; Growth Disorders/epidemiology; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Premature Birth*
  11. Grant R, Benamouzig D, Catton H, Cheng VC, Dhingra N, Laxminarayan R, et al.
    Lancet Infect Dis, 2023 Oct;23(10):1108-1110.
    PMID: 37572686 DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00485-1
    MeSH terms: Humans; Pandemics/prevention & control; Patient Safety
  12. Shahdan D, Rosli NA, Chen RS, Ahmad S, Gan S
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Aug 11;251:126214.
    PMID: 37572810 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126214
    The growing popularity of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) can be attributed to its favorable attributes, such as excellent compostability and robust mechanical properties. Two notable limitations of PLA are its high brittleness and slow biodegradation rate. Both of blending and copolymerization strategies work well to improve PLA's toughness while sacrificing the good tensile strength and modulus properties of PLA. One of the most effective and economical approaches to address this challenge is to incorporate natural reinforcing agents into the toughened PLA system, thereby simultaneously promoting the biodegradation rate of PLA. Nevertheless, the enhancement of tensile strength and modulus is accompanied by a notable decrease in elongation. Therefore, this review provides comprehensive information on the literature works related to the tensile strength, modulus, elongation at break and impact strength of the toughened PLA and its natural fiber reinforced composites. The impact of natural reinforcing agent on the tensile fracture mechanism as well as the synergistic effect on strengthening and toughening performance will be discussed. This review also focuses on the factors boosting the biodegradability of toughened PLA blend by using natural reinforcing fiber. Review presents potential future insights into the development of biodegradable and balanced strengthened-toughened PLA based advanced materials.
  13. Dwiyanto J, Huët MAL, Hussain MH, Su TT, Tan JBL, Toh KY, et al.
    NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes, 2023 Aug 12;9(1):55.
    PMID: 37573460 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00425-0
    The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Southeast Asia is a significant concern, yet there is limited research on the gut resistome and its correlation with lifestyle and environmental factors in the region. This study aimed to profile the gut resistome of 200 individuals in Malaysia using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and investigate its association with questionnaire data comprising demographic and lifestyle variables. A total of 1038 antibiotic resistance genes from 26 classes were detected with a mean carriage rate of 1.74 ± 1.18 gene copies per cell per person. Correlation analysis identified 14 environmental factors, including hygiene habits, health parameters, and intestinal colonization, that were significantly associated with the resistome (adjusted multivariate PERMANOVA, p 
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Demography; Escherichia coli/genetics; Feces/microbiology; Humans; Malaysia; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Microbiota*
  14. Awuah WA, Huang H, Kalmanovich J, Mehta A, Mikhailova T, Ng JC, et al.
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2023 Aug 11;102(32):e34614.
    PMID: 37565922 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034614
    The circadian rhythm (CR) is a fundamental biological process regulated by the Earth's rotation and solar cycles. It plays a critical role in various bodily functions, and its dysregulation can have systemic effects. These effects impact metabolism, redox homeostasis, cell cycle regulation, gut microbiota, cognition, and immune response. Immune mediators, cycle proteins, and hormones exhibit circadian oscillations, supporting optimal immune function and defence against pathogens. Sleep deprivation and disruptions challenge the regulatory mechanisms, making immune responses vulnerable. Altered CR pathways have been implicated in diseases such as diabetes, neurological conditions, and systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs). SADs involve abnormal immune responses to self-antigens, with genetic and environmental factors disrupting self-tolerance and contributing to conditions like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Inflammatory Myositis. Dysregulated CR may lead to increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, contributing to the systemic responses observed in SADs. Sleep disturbances significantly impact the quality of life of patients with SADs; however, they are often overlooked. The relationship between sleep and autoimmune conditions, whether causal or consequential to CR dysregulation, remains unclear. Chrono-immunology investigates the role of CR in immunity, offering potential for targeted therapies in autoimmune conditions. This paper provides an overview of the connections between sleep and autoimmune conditions, highlighting the importance of recognizing sleep disturbances in SADs and the need for further research into the complex relationship between the CR and autoimmune diseases.
    MeSH terms: Autoimmune Diseases*; Circadian Rhythm; Humans; Quality of Life
  15. Gan PT, Lim YY, Ting ASY
    Arch Microbiol, 2023 Aug 11;205(9):304.
    PMID: 37566125 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03649-y
    The influence of light exposure on antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of nine fungal isolates [Pseudopestalotiopsis theae (EF13), Fusarium solani (EF5), Xylaria venustula (PH22), Fusarium proliferatum (CCH), Colletotrichum boninese (PL9), Colletotrichum boninese (PL1), Colletotrichum boninese (OL2), Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (OL3) and Colletotrichum siamense (PL3)] were determined. The isolates were incubated in blue, red, green, yellow and white fluorescent light (12 h photoperiod of alternating light/dark). It was observed that green light induced higher total phenolic content (TPC) (2.96 ± 0.16 mg-30.71 ± 1.03 mg GAE/g) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in most isolates (4.82 ± 0.04-53.55 ± 4.33 mg GAE/g), whereas red light induced higher total flavonoid content (TFC) levels (1.14 ± 0.08-18.40 ± 1.12 mg QE/g). The crude extracts from most fungal cultures exposed to green and red lights were also notably more potent against the tested pathogens, as larger zones of inhibition (ZOI) (9.00 ± 1.00-38.30 ± 2.90 mm) and lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (0.0196-1.25 mg/mL) were achieved for antimicrobial effect. This study showed that light treatments are effective strategies in enhancing production of more potent antimicrobial compounds and valuable antioxidants from fungal isolates.
    MeSH terms: Flavonoids; Phenols; Plant Extracts/pharmacology
  16. Yap CJ, Lam SM, Sin JC, Zeng H, Li H, Huang L, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Sep;30(42):96272-96289.
    PMID: 37566326 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29165-6
    Attributable to the prosperous production growth of palm oil in Malaysia, the generated palm oil mill effluent (POME) poses a high threat owing to its highly polluted characteristic. Urged by the escalating concern of environmental conservation, POME pollution abatement and potential energy recovery from the effluent are flagged up as a research topic of interest. In this study, a cutting-edge photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) system with employment of ZnO/Zn nanorod array (NRA) photoanode, CuO/Cu cathode, and persulfate (PS) oxidant was successfully designed to improve the treatment of POME and simultaneous energy production. The photoelectrodes were fabricated and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller analysis (BET). Owing to the properties of strong oxidant of PS, the proposed PFC/PS system has exhibited exceptional performance, attaining chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 96.2%, open circuit voltage (Voc) of 740.0 mV, short circuit current density (Jsc) of 146.7 μA cm-2, and power density (Pmax) of 35.6 μW cm-2. The pre-eminent PFC/PS system performance was yielded under optimal conditions of 2.5 mM of persulfate oxidant, POME dilution factor of 1:20, and natural solution pH of 8.51. Subsequently, the postulated photoelectrocatalytic POME treatment mechanism was elucidated by the radical scavenging study and Mott-Schottky (M-S) analysis. The following recycling test affirmed the stability and durability of the photoanode after four continuous repetition usages while the assessed electrical energy efficiency revealed the economic viability of PFC system serving as a post-treatment for abatement of POME. These findings contributed toward enhancing the sustainability criteria and economic viability of palm oil by adopting sustainable and efficient POME post-treatment technology.
    MeSH terms: Electricity*; Malaysia; Plant Oils/chemistry; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
  17. Tumasyan A, Adam W, Andrejkovic JW, Bergauer T, Chatterjee S, Damanakis K, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2023 Jul 28;131(4):041801.
    PMID: 37566854 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.041801
    A search for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson (H) produced with transverse momentum (p_{T}) greater than 450 GeV and decaying to a charm quark-antiquark (cc[over ¯]) pair is presented. The search is performed using proton-proton collision data collected at sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. Boosted H→cc[over ¯] decay products are reconstructed as a single large-radius jet and identified using a deep neural network charm tagging technique. The method is validated by measuring the Z→cc[over ¯] decay process, which is observed in association with jets at high p_{T} for the first time with a signal strength of 1.00_{-0.14}^{+0.17}(syst)±0.08(theo)±0.06(stat), defined as the ratio of the observed process rate to the SM expectation. The observed (expected) upper limit on σ(H)B(H→cc[over ¯]) is set at 47 (39) times the SM prediction at 95% confidence level.
  18. Tumasyan A, Adam W, Andrejkovic JW, Bergauer T, Chatterjee S, Damanakis K, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2023 Jul 28;131(4):041803.
    PMID: 37566864 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.041803
    A search for nonresonant Higgs boson (H) pair production via gluon and vector boson (V) fusion is performed in the four-bottom-quark final state, using proton-proton collision data at 13 TeV corresponding to 138  fb^{-1} collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The analysis targets Lorentz-boosted H pairs identified using a graph neural network. It constrains the strengths relative to the standard model of the H self-coupling and the quartic VVHH couplings, κ_{2V}, excluding κ_{2V}=0 for the first time, with a significance of 6.3 standard deviations when other H couplings are fixed to their standard model values.
  19. Amesho KTT, Chinglenthoiba C, Samsudin MSAB, Lani MN, Pandey A, Desa MNM, et al.
    J Environ Manage, 2023 Oct 15;344:118713.
    PMID: 37567004 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118713
    Microplastics (MPs) have become a prevalent environmental concern, exerting detrimental effects on marine and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as human health. Addressing this urgent issue necessitates the implementation of coordinated waste management policies and strategies. In this study, we present a comprehensive review focusing on key results and the underlying mechanisms associated with microplastics. We examine their sources and pathways, elucidate their ecological and human health impacts, and evaluate the current state of waste management policies. By drawing upon recent research and pertinent case studies, we propose a range of practical solutions, encompassing enhanced recycling and waste reduction measures, product redesign, and innovative technological interventions. Moreover, we emphasize the imperative for collaboration and cooperation across sectors and jurisdictions to effectively tackle this pressing environmental challenge. The findings of this study contribute to the broader understanding of microplastics and provide valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders alike.
    MeSH terms: Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Plastics; Ecosystem; Waste Management*
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