Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Predictors of maternal satisfaction with labor induction: A prospective observational cohort study
    Ramlee N, Azhary JMK, Hamdan M, Saaid R, Gan F, Tan PC
    Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 2023 Nov;163(2):547-554.
    PMID: 37177795 DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.14848
    OBJECTIVE: To identify independent predictors of maternal satisfaction with labor induction.

    METHOD: In this prospective observational cohort study, 769 women prior to their labor induction had sleep and psychological well-being assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales. Women were asked about the adequacy of labor induction information provided and their involvement and time pressure felt in the decision-making for their labor induction. Maternal characteristics, induction and intrapartum care measures, and labor and neonatal outcomes were also assessed. Prior to discharge, women rated their satisfaction with their birth experience.

    RESULTS: A total of 34 variables were considered for bivariate analysis, with 15 found to have P 

    MeSH terms: Cesarean Section; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Labor, Obstetric*; Personal Satisfaction; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies
  2. Fulltext The evolutionary history of hepaciviruses
    Li YQ, Ghafari M, Holbrook AJ, Boonen I, Amor N, Catalano S, et al.
    bioRxiv, 2023 Jun 30.
    PMID: 37425679 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.30.547218
    In the search for natural reservoirs of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a broad diversity of non-human viruses within the Hepacivirus genus has been uncovered. However, the evolutionary dynamics that shaped the diversity and timescale of hepaciviruses evolution remain elusive. To gain further insights into the origins and evolution of this genus, we screened a large dataset of wild mammal samples (n = 1,672) from Africa and Asia, and generated 34 full-length hepacivirus genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of these data together with publicly available genomes emphasizes the importance of rodents as hepacivirus hosts and we identify 13 rodent species and 3 rodent genera (in Cricetidae and Muridae families) as novel hosts of hepaciviruses. Through co-phylogenetic analyses, we demonstrate that hepacivirus diversity has been affected by cross-species transmission events against the backdrop of detectable signal of virus-host co-divergence in the deep evolutionary history. Using a Bayesian phylogenetic multidimensional scaling approach, we explore the extent to which host relatedness and geographic distances have structured present-day hepacivirus diversity. Our results provide evidence for a substantial structuring of mammalian hepacivirus diversity by host as well as geography, with a somewhat more irregular diffusion process in geographic space. Finally, using a mechanistic model that accounts for substitution saturation, we provide the first formal estimates of the timescale of hepacivirus evolution and estimate the origin of the genus to be about 22 million years ago. Our results offer a comprehensive overview of the micro- and macroevolutionary processes that have shaped hepacivirus diversity and enhance our understanding of the long-term evolution of the Hepacivirus genus.
  3. Fulltext Plasma CXCL8 and MCP-1 as biomarkers of latent tuberculosis infection
    Selvavinayagam ST, Aswathy B, Yong YK, Frederick A, Murali L, Kalaivani V, et al.
    medRxiv, 2023 Aug 09.
    PMID: 37609153 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.07.23293767
    BACKGROUND: Early detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is critical to TB elimination in the current WHO vision of End Tuberculosis Strategy.

    METHODS: We investigated whether detecting plasma cytokines could aid in diagnosing LTBI across household contacts (HHCs) positive for IGRA, HHCs negative for IGRA, and healthy controls. We also measured the plasma cytokines using a commercial Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 17-plex assay.

    RESULTS: Increased plasma CXCL8 and decreased MCP-1, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were associated with LTBI. Regression analysis showed that a combination of CXCL8 and MCP-1 increased the risk of LTBI among HHCs to 14-fold.

    CONCLUSIONS: We postulated that CXCL8 and MCP-1 could be the surrogate biomarkers of LTBI, especially in resource-limited settings.

  4. Fulltext A search for decays of the Higgs boson to invisible particles in events with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV
    Tumasyan A, Adam W, Andrejkovic JW, Bergauer T, Chatterjee S, Damanakis K, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2023;83(10):933.
    PMID: 37855556 DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-023-11952-7
    A search for decays to invisible particles of Higgs bosons produced in association with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson, which both decay to a fully hadronic final state, has been performed using proton-proton collision data collected at s=13TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb-1. The 95% confidence level upper limit set on the branching fraction of the 125GeV Higgs boson to invisible particles, B(H→inv), is 0.54 (0.39 expected), assuming standard model production cross sections. The results of this analysis are combined with previous B(H→inv) searches carried out at s=7, 8, and 13TeV in complementary production modes. The combined upper limit at 95% confidence level on B(H→inv) is 0.15 (0.08 expected).
  5. Fulltext On the use of QDE-SVM for gene feature selection and cell type classification from scRNA-seq data
    Ng GYL, Tan SC, Ong CS
    PLoS One, 2023;18(10):e0292961.
    PMID: 37856458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292961
    Cell type identification is one of the fundamental tasks in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies. It is a key step to facilitate downstream interpretations such as differential expression, trajectory inference, etc. scRNA-seq data contains technical variations that could affect the interpretation of the cell types. Therefore, gene selection, also known as feature selection in data science, plays an important role in selecting informative genes for scRNA-seq cell type identification. Generally speaking, feature selection methods are categorized into filter-, wrapper-, and embedded-based approaches. From the existing literature, methods from filter- and embedded-based approaches are widely applied in scRNA-seq gene selection tasks. The wrapper-based method that gives promising results in other fields has yet been extensively utilized for selecting gene features from scRNA-seq data; in addition, most of the existing wrapper methods used in this field are clustering instead of classification-based. With a large number of annotated data available today, this study applied a classification-based approach as an alternative to the clustering-based wrapper method. In our work, a quantum-inspired differential evolution (QDE) wrapped with a classification method was introduced to select a subset of genes from twelve well-known scRNA-seq transcriptomic datasets to identify cell types. In particular, the QDE was combined with different machine-learning (ML) classifiers namely logistic regression, decision tree, support vector machine (SVM) with linear and radial basis function kernels, as well as extreme learning machine. The linear SVM wrapped with QDE, namely QDE-SVM, was chosen by referring to the feature selection results from the experiment. QDE-SVM showed a superior cell type classification performance among QDE wrapping with other ML classifiers as well as the recent wrapper methods (i.e., FSCAM, SSD-LAHC, MA-HS, and BSF). QDE-SVM achieved an average accuracy of 0.9559, while the other wrapper methods achieved average accuracies in the range of 0.8292 to 0.8872.
    MeSH terms: Machine Learning; Algorithms; Cluster Analysis; Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods; Gene Expression Profiling/methods; Single-Cell Analysis/methods; Transcriptome; Support Vector Machine*
  6. Fulltext Spillover of volatility among financial instruments: ASEAN-5 and GCC market study
    Danila N
    PLoS One, 2023;18(10):e0292958.
    PMID: 37856501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292958
    The research examines a comovement and spillover of volatility among foreign exchange, conventional and shariah stock markets in Association of South East Asian Nation-5 (ASEAN) countries and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity-Baba, Engle, Kraft and Kroner (GARCH-BEKK) and Dynamic Conditional Correlation (GARCH-DCC) models are used to capture the correlation and transmission volatility of the markets. The overall results show that both the Shariah and the conventional stock indices respond similarly to each country's currency. A bidirectional (two-way relationship) volatility spillover exists only in Malaysia and a unidirectional (one-way relationship) volatility is observed in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Bahrain. The rest of the markets-the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-do not have any volatility spillover evidence. Based on DCC outcomes, the conventional and Shariah stock in ASEAN-5 countries and GCC countries reveal the market efficiency, i.e., a positive high conditional correlation. Only Bahrain shows less efficiency than the other countries. It implies no portfolio diversification advantage in conventional and Shariah stock indices. Contrarily, currency and stock (conventional and Shariah) markets provide portfolio diversification benefits for all ASEAN-5 and GCC countries.
  7. Fulltext Measurement of radioactivity in soils of Karamjal and Harbaria mangrove forest of Sundarbans for establishment of radiological database
    Siraz MMM, A M J, Alam MS, Rashid MB, Hossain Z, Khandaker MU, et al.
    PLoS One, 2023;18(10):e0289113.
    PMID: 37856554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289113
    This work presents the first in-depth study of soil radioactivity in the mangrove forest of Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans. It used HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry to measure the amount of natural radioactivity in soil samples from Karamjal and Harbaria sites of the world's largest mangrove forest. The activity concentrations of most of the 226Ra (14±2 Bqkg-1 to 35±4 Bqkg-1) and 232Th (30±5 Bqkg-1 to 50±9 Bqkg-1) lie within the world average values, but the 40K concentration (370± 44 Bqkg-1 to 660±72 Bqkg-1) was found to have exceeded the world average value. The evaluation of radiological hazard parameters revealed that the outdoor absorbed dose rate (maximum 73.25 nGyh-1) and outdoor annual effective dose (maximum 0.09 mSvy-1) for most samples exceeded the corresponding world average values. The elevated concentration of 40K is mainly due to the salinity intrusion, usage of fertilizers and agricultural runoff, and migration of waste effluents along the riverbanks. Being the pioneering comprehensive research on the Bangladesh side of the Sundarbans, this study forms a baseline radioactivity for the Sundarbans before the commissioning of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh.
    MeSH terms: Potassium Radioisotopes/analysis; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Monitoring*; Radioactivity*; Radium*; Soil; Thorium/analysis; Wetlands
  8. Fulltext Simultaneous determination of tramadol and paracetamol in human plasma using LC-MS/MS and application in bioequivalence study of -fixed-dose combination
    Loh GOK, Wong EYL, Goh CZ, Tan YTF, Lee YL, Pang LH, et al.
    Ann Med, 2023;55(2):2270502.
    PMID: 37857359 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2270502
    The study aimed to develop a sensitive and high-throughput liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method to quantify concentrations of tramadol and paracetamol simultaneously in human plasma. Sample preparation involved single-step protein precipitation using methanol and two deuterated internal standards, tramadol D6 and paracetamol D4. Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C18 (100 × 2.1 mm, 2.1 µm) analytical column was employed to achieve chromatographic separation. Detection was in positive ion multiple reaction monitoring mode. A tailing factor (Tf) of <1.2, separation factor (K prime) of >1.5 from the column dead time and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio >10, were obtained for analytes and internal standards. The standard curve was linear over the concentration range of 2.5-500.00 ng/mL for tramadol and 0.025-20.00 μg/mL for paracetamol. A small injection volume of 1 µL, low flow rate of 440 µL/min and short analysis time of 3.5 min reduced the solvent consumption, analysis cost and system contamination. The results of method validation parameters fulfilled the acceptance criteria of bioanalytical guidelines. The method was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of fixed-dose combination products of tramadol and paracetamol in Malaysian healthy subjects.
    MeSH terms: Acetaminophen; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods; Chromatography, Liquid; Humans; Therapeutic Equivalency; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods
  9. 3D printing in surgery: revolutionizing trauma and fracture care in low and middle-income countries
    Awuah WA, Tenkorang PO, Adebusoye FT, Ng JC, Wellington J, Abdul-Rahman T, et al.
    Postgrad Med J, 2023 Dec 21;100(1179):1-3.
    PMID: 37857514 DOI: 10.1093/postmj/qgad100
    MeSH terms: Developing Countries*; Humans; Fractures, Bone*; Printing, Three-Dimensional
  10. Mycorrhizal feedbacks influence global forest structure and diversity
    Delavaux CS, LaManna JA, Myers JA, Phillips RP, Aguilar S, Allen D, et al.
    Commun Biol, 2023 Oct 19;6(1):1066.
    PMID: 37857800 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05410-z
    One mechanism proposed to explain high species diversity in tropical systems is strong negative conspecific density dependence (CDD), which reduces recruitment of juveniles in proximity to conspecific adult plants. Although evidence shows that plant-specific soil pathogens can drive negative CDD, trees also form key mutualisms with mycorrhizal fungi, which may counteract these effects. Across 43 large-scale forest plots worldwide, we tested whether ectomycorrhizal tree species exhibit weaker negative CDD than arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species. We further tested for conmycorrhizal density dependence (CMDD) to test for benefit from shared mutualists. We found that the strength of CDD varies systematically with mycorrhizal type, with ectomycorrhizal tree species exhibiting higher sapling densities with increasing adult densities than arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species. Moreover, we found evidence of positive CMDD for tree species of both mycorrhizal types. Collectively, these findings indicate that mycorrhizal interactions likely play a foundational role in global forest diversity patterns and structure.
    MeSH terms: Feedback; Plants/microbiology; Soil; Symbiosis; Mycorrhizae*
  11. Ab initio insight into the physical properties of MgXH3 (X = Co, Cu, Ni) lead-free perovskite for hydrogen storage application
    Rehman ZU, Rehman MA, Rehman B, Sikiru S, Qureshi S, Ali EM, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Nov;30(53):113889-113902.
    PMID: 37858013 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30279-0
    Renewable energy systems are vital for a sustainable future, where solid-state hydrogen storage can play a crucial role. Perovskite hydride materials have attracted the scientific community for hydrogen storage applications. The current work focuses on the theoretical study using density functional theory (DFT) to evaluate the characteristics of MgXH3 (X = Co, Cu, Ni) hydrides. The structural, vibrational, electronic, mechanical, thermodynamic, and hydrogen storage properties of these hydrides were investigated. The equilibrium lattice parameters were calculated using the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state-to-energy volume curves. The elastic constants (Cij) and relevant parameters, such as Born criteria, were calculated to confirm the mechanical stability of the hydrides. The Cauchy pressure (Cp) revealed brittle or ductile behavior. The outcomes of the Pugh ratio, Poisson ratio, and anisotropy were also calculated and discussed. The absence of negative lattice vibrational frequencies in phonon dispersion confirmed the lattice's dynamic stability. The heat capacity curves of thermodynamic properties revealed that hydrides can conduct thermal energy. The metallic character and ample interatomic distances of hydrides were confirmed by the band structure and population analysis, which confirmed that hydrides can conduct electrical energy and adsorb hydrogen. The density of state (DOS) and partial DOS unveiled the role of specific atoms in the DOS of the crystal. The calculated gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity of MgCoH3, MgCuH3, and MgNiH3 hydrides was 3.64, 3.32, and 3.49wt%, respectively. Our results provide a deeper understanding of its potential for hydrogen storage applications through a detailed analysis of MgXH3 (X = Co, Cu, Ni) perovskite hydride material.
    MeSH terms: Hydrogen; Oxides*; Thermodynamics; Calcium Compounds*
  12. Sustainable energy for better social, environmental, and economic returns
    Jalil AA, Hamid MYS, Jusoh NWC, Hassan NS
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Nov;30(55):116876-116877.
    PMID: 37858029 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30429-4
    MeSH terms: Carbon Dioxide; Conservation of Natural Resources*; Economic Development; Renewable Energy*
  13. Fulltext Diabetic retinopathy: a comprehensive update on in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo experimental models
    Sadikan MZ, Abdul Nasir NA, Lambuk L, Mohamud R, Reshidan NH, Low E, et al.
    BMC Ophthalmol, 2023 Oct 19;23(1):421.
    PMID: 37858128 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-023-03155-1
    Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness worldwide, is one of the major microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus (DM). Globally, DR prevalence among DM patients is 25%, and 6% have vision-threatening problems among them. With the higher incidence of DM globally, more DR cases are expected to be seen in the future. In order to comprehend the pathophysiological mechanism of DR in humans and discover potential novel substances for the treatment of DR, investigations are typically conducted using various experimental models. Among the experimental models, in vivo models have contributed significantly to understanding DR pathogenesis. There are several types of in vivo models for DR research, which include chemical-induced, surgical-induced, diet-induced, and genetic models. Similarly, for the in vitro models, there are several cell types that are utilised in DR research, such as retinal endothelial cells, Müller cells, and glial cells. With the advancement of DR research, it is essential to have a comprehensive update on the various experimental models utilised to mimic DR environment. This review provides the update on the in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo models used in DR research, focusing on their features, advantages, and limitations.
    MeSH terms: Blindness/etiology; Diabetes Mellitus*; Diabetic Retinopathy*; Humans; Retina/pathology; Prevalence; Endothelial Cells/pathology
  14. Correction: Plasmodium knowlesi: the game changer for malaria eradication
    Lee WC, Cheong FW, Amir A, Lai MY, Tan JH, Phang WK, et al.
    Malar J, 2023 Oct 19;22(1):316.
    PMID: 37858164 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04732-x
  15. Development of a Malaysian potentially inappropriate prescribing screening tool in older adults (MALPIP): a Delphi study
    Chang CT, Chan HK, Cheah WK, Tan MP, Ch'ng ASH, Thiam CN, et al.
    J Pharm Policy Pract, 2023 Oct 19;16(1):122.
    PMID: 37858273 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-023-00630-4
    INTRODUCTION: Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are common among older adults. To guide appropriate prescribing, healthcare professionals often rely on explicit criteria to identify and deprescribe inappropriate medications, or to start medications due to prescribing omission. However, most explicit PIM criteria were developed with inadequate guidance from quality metrics or integrating real-world data, which are rich and valuable data source.

    AIM: To develop a list of medications to facilitate appropriate prescribing among older adults.

    METHODS: A preliminary list of PIM and potential prescribing omission (PPO) were generated from systematic review, supplemented with local pharmacovigilance data of adverse reaction incidents among older people. Twenty-one experts from nine specialties participated in two Delphi to determine the list of PIM and PPO in February and March 2023. Items that did not reach consensus after the second Delphi round were adjudicated by six geriatricians.

    RESULTS: The preliminary list included 406 potential candidates, categorised into three sections: PIM independent of diseases, disease dependent PIM and omitted drugs that could be restarted. At the end of Delphi, 92 items were decided as PIM, including medication classes, such as antacids, laxatives, antithrombotics, antihypertensives, hormones, analgesics, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and antihistamines. Forty-two disease-specific PIM criteria were included, covering circulatory system, nervous system, gastrointestinal system, genitourinary system, and respiratory system. Consensus to start potentially omitted treatment was achieved in 35 statements across nine domains.

    CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed PIM criteria can serve as a useful tool to guide clinicians and pharmacists in identifying PIMs and PPOs during medication review and facilitating informed decision-making for appropriate prescribing.

  16. Quality management overview for the production of a tissue-engineered human skin substitute in Malaysia
    Seet WT, Mat Afandi MA, Ishak MF, Hassan MNF, Ahmat N, Ng MH, et al.
    Stem Cell Res Ther, 2023 Oct 20;14(1):298.
    PMID: 37858277 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03536-9
    Treatments for skin injuries have recently advanced tremendously. Such treatments include allogeneic and xenogeneic transplants and skin substitutes such as tissue-engineered skin, cultured cells, and stem cells. The aim of this paper is to discuss the general overview of the quality assurance and quality control implemented in the manufacturing of cell and tissue product, with emphasis on our experience in the manufacturing of MyDerm®, an autologous bilayered human skin substitute. Manufacturing MyDerm® requires multiple high-risk open manipulation steps, such as tissue processing, cell culture expansion, and skin construct formation. To ensure the safety and efficacy of this product, the good manufacturing practice (GMP) facility should establish a well-designed quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) programme. Standard operating procedures (SOP) should be implemented to ensure that the manufacturing process is consistent and performed in a controlled manner. All starting materials, including tissue samples, culture media, reagents, and consumables must be verified and tested to confirm their safety, potency, and sterility. The final products should also undergo a QC testing series to guarantee product safety, efficacy, and overall quality. The aseptic techniques of cleanroom operators and the environmental conditions of the facility are also important, as they directly influence the manufacturing of good-quality products. Hence, personnel training and environmental monitoring are necessary to maintain GMP compliance. Furthermore, risk management implementation is another important aspect of QA/QC, as it is used to identify and determine the risk level and to perform risk assessments when necessary. Moreover, procedures for non-conformance reporting should be established to identify, investigate, and correct deviations that occur during manufacturing. This paper provides insight and an overview of the QA/QC aspect during MyDerm® manufacturing in a GMP-compliant facility in the Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Malaysia; Quality Control; Skin, Artificial*; Risk Assessment; Tissue Engineering
  17. Development and validation of patient diabetes knowledge questionnaire (PDKQ)
    Lim PC, Rajah R, Lim YL, Kam JLH, Wong TY, Krishnanmurthi V, et al.
    J Pharm Policy Pract, 2023 Oct 19;16(1):121.
    PMID: 37858279 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-023-00631-3
    BACKGROUND: Evaluation of diabetes knowledge plays a pivotal role in identifying and addressing patients' knowledge gaps. The implementation of a standardized diabetes knowledge assessment tool is important to ensure consistent scoring and facilitating the development of effective and standardized education programs.

    AIM: To develop and validate a patient diabetes knowledge questionnaire (PDKQ) to assess knowledge of diabetes mellitus patients.

    METHODS: The development of the PDKQ questionnaire involved three phases: item development, content validation, and reliability testing. In the item development phase, the initial draft of the PDKQ, comprising a multiple-choice answer questionnaire was developed. The content validation phase comprised two stages. Firstly, ten experts participated in the expert validation process, followed by face validation involving six patients. In the final phase, test-retest analysis was performed among diabetes mellitus patients to assess reliability.

    RESULTS: The first draft of PDKQ consisted of 11 patient characteristics items and 37 items of multiple choices questions. During the expert validation, three items were eliminated due to low clarity, and an additional six items were removed as they were deemed irrelevant or unimportant. During the face validation, three patients' characteristic items and eight multiple-choice questions were excluded due to a content validity index of less than 0.83. In the test-retest phase, 36 subjects responded to 8 items pertaining to patients' characteristics and 20 multiple-choice questions. The test-retest analysis yielded an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.88, indicating good reliability.

    CONCLUSION: The 20-item PDKQ is a reliable and robust tool in assessing the knowledge of diabetes mellitus patients in Malaysia. Its implementation allows standardized assessment of diabetic patients' knowledge levels, enabling targeted interventions to empower patients and optimize diabetes care practices.

  18. A holistic approach to myopia management in routine practice
    Khew JM, Naroo SA
    Cont Lens Anterior Eye, 2023 Dec;46(6):102066.
    PMID: 37858493 DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2023.102066
    MeSH terms: Humans; Refraction, Ocular
  19. The impact of ocean acidification and cadmium toxicity in the marine crab Scylla serrata: Biological indices and oxidative stress responses
    Thangal SH, Nandhinipriya R, Vasuki C, Gayathri V, Anandhan K, Yogeshwaran A, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2023 Oct 17.
    PMID: 37858766 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140447
    Ocean acidification (OA) and heavy metals pollution in marine environments are potentially threatening marine life. The interactive effect of OA and heavy metals could be more vulnerable to marine organisms than individual exposures. In the current study, the effect of OA on the toxicity of cadmium (Cd) in the crab Scylla serrata was evaluated. Crab instars (0.07 cm length and 0.1 g weight) were subjected to pH 8.2, 7.8, 7.6, 7.4, 7.2, and 7.0 with and without 0.01 mg l-1 of Cd for 60 days. We notice a significant decrease in growth, molting, protein, carbohydrate, amino acid, lipid, alkaline phosphatase, and haemocytes of crabs under OA + Cd compared to OA treatment. In contrast, the growth, protein, amino acid, and haemocyte levels were significantly affected by OA, Cd, and its interactions (OA + Cd). However, superoxide dismutase, catalase, lipid peroxidation, glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamic pyruvate transaminase, and accumulation of Cd in crabs were considerably elevated in OA + Cd treatments compared to OA alone treatments. The present investigation showed that the effect of Cd toxicity might be raised under OA on S. serrata. Our study demonstrated that ocean acidification significantly affects the biological indices and oxidative stress responses of S. serrata exposed to Cd toxicity.
  20. Functionalized agriculture-derived biomass-based adsorbent for the continuous recovery of gold from a simulated mobile phone leachate
    Nurul Rizki I, Amalina I, Hasan NS, Khusnun NF, Abdul Jalil A, Firmansyah ML
    Chemosphere, 2023 Dec;345:140455.
    PMID: 37858767 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140455
    Electronic waste has become a global concern, as it has been steadily increasing over the years. The lack of regulation and appropriate processing facilities has rendered these wastes an environmental hazard. However, they represent excellent alternative sources of precious metals, which are highly in demand in various industries. Adsorption has been a popular method for metal removal/recovery because of several advantages, such as ease of use and low cost. In this regard, it is crucial to develop an inexpensive and functionalized adsorbent to selectively adsorb precious metals. Thus, silica, which is derived from rice husk and is abundantly present in Indonesia, was functionalized using an ionic liquid (SiRH_Im) and used for Au(III) adsorption from a simulated mobile phone leach liquor. SiRH_Im exhibited a high adsorption capacity (232.5 mg g-1). The Au(III) adsorption kinetic suitably fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Au(III) adsorption followed a chemisorption route that suited the monolayer model. Thomas' and Yoon-Nelson's models were well suited for the continuous Au(III) behavior. Selective recovery of Au(III) from SiRH_Im was achieved via sequential desorption. SiRH_Im also showed excellent reusability, as indicated by a negligible decrease in adsorptive performance over three cycles. The functionalization of silica derived from rice husk using an ionic liquid led to the successful creation of a solid adsorbent with a high adsorption capacity toward precious metals present in a simulated leach solution. Our results highlight the benefit of the functionalization of biomass through the immobilization of an ionic liquid toward the enhancement of its adsorption capability.
    MeSH terms: Agriculture; Gold; Silicon Dioxide; Biomass; Cell Phones*; Ionic Liquids*
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