Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 35 in total

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  1. Ma Z, Cheah WY, Ng IS, Chang JS, Zhao M, Show PL
    Trends Biotechnol, 2022 Dec;40(12):1439-1453.
    PMID: 36216714 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.09.002
    Excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere have become a dire threat to the human race and environmental sustainability. The ultimate goal of net zero emissions requires combined efforts on CO2 sequestration (natural sinks, biomass fixation, engineered approaches) and reduction in CO2 emissions while delivering economic growth (CO2 valorization for a circular carbon bioeconomy, CCE). We discuss microalgae-based CO2 biosequestration, including flue gas cultivation, biotechnological approaches for enhanced CO2 biosequestration, technological innovations for microalgal cultivation, and CO2 valorization/biofuel productions. We highlight challenges to current practices and future perspectives with the goal of contributing to environmental sustainability, net zero emissions, and the CCE.
  2. Song C, Xiong Y, Jin P, Sun Y, Zhang Q, Ma Z, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 Oct 15;895:164986.
    PMID: 37353016 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164986
    China is responsible for the biggest shellfish and macroalgae production in the world. In this study, comprehensive methods were used to assess the CO2 release and sequestration by maricultured shellfish and macroalgae in China. Through considering CaCO3 production and CO2 release coefficient (Φ, moles of CO2 released per mole of CaCO3 formed) in different waters, we find that cultured shellfish released 0.741 ± 0.008 Tg C yr-1 through calcification based on the data of 2016-2020. In addition to calcification, maricultured shellfish released 0.580 ± 0.004 Tg C yr-1 by respiration. Meanwhile, shellfish sequestered 0.145 ± 0.001 and 0.0387 ± 0.0004 Tg C yr-1 organic carbon in sediments and shells, respectively. Therefore, the net released CO2 by maricultured shellfish was 1.136 ± 0.011 Tg C yr-1, which is about four times higher than that maricultured macroalgae could sequester (0.280 ± 0.010 Tg C yr-1). To achieve carbon neutrality within the mariculture system, shellfish culture may need to be restricted and meanwhile the expansion of macroalgae cultivation should be carried out. The mean carbon sequestration rate of seven kinds of macroalgae was 174 ± 6 g m-2 yr-1 while some cultivated macroalgae had higher CO2 sequestration rates, e.g. 356 ± 24 g C m-2 yr-1 for Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis and 331 ± 17 g C m-2 yr-1 for Undaria pinnatifida. In scenario 0.5 (CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage) sequesters 0.5 Gt CO2 per year), using macroalgae culture cannot achieve China's carbon neutrality by 2060 but in scenarios 1.0 and 1.5 (CCUS sequesters 1.0 and 1.5 Gt CO2 per year, respectively) it is feasible to achieve carbon neutrality using some macroalgae species with high carbon sequestration rates. This study provides important insights into how to develop mariculture in the context of carbon-neutrality and climate change mitigation.
  3. Su J, Wang Y, Zhang X, Ma M, Xie Z, Pan Q, et al.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2021 May 08;113(5):1332-1342.
    PMID: 33842951 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa388
    BACKGROUND: Intermittent fasting is a popular dietary intervention with perceived relatively easy compliance and is linked to various health benefits, including weight loss and improvement in blood glucose concentrations. The mechanistic explanations underlying the beneficial effects of intermittent fasting remain largely obscure but may involve alterations in the gut microbiota.

    OBJECTIVES: We sought to establish the effects of 1 mo of intermittent fasting on the gut microbiome.

    METHODS: We took advantage of intermittent fasting being voluntarily observed during the Islamic faith-associated Ramadan and sampled feces and blood, as well as collected longitudinal physiologic data in 2 cohorts, sampled in 2 different years. The fecal microbiome was determined by 16S sequencing. Results were contrasted to age- and body weight-matched controls and correlated to physiologic parameters (e.g., body mass and calorie intake).

    RESULTS: We observed that Ramadan-associated intermittent fasting increased microbiome diversity and was specifically associated with upregulation of the Clostridiales order-derived Lachnospiraceae [no fasting 24.6 ± 13.67 compared with fasting 39.7 ± 15.9 in relative abundance (%); linear discriminant analysis = 4.9, P 

  4. Ma Z, Zhang F, Ma H, Chen X, Yang J, Yang Y, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(4):e0248329.
    PMID: 33857162 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248329
    The elderly usually suffer from many diseases. Improving the quality of life of the elderly is an urgent social issue. In this present study, D-galactose treated aging mice models were used to reveal the effects of different animal sources and different doses of whey protein (WP) on the immune indexes organs and intestinal flora. A total of 9 groups were set up, including normal control (NC), negative control (NS), positive control (Vc), low-, medium- and high-doses of cow WP intervention groups (CL, CM and CH for short, correspondingly) and low-, medium- and high-doses of goat WP intervention groups (GL, GM and GH for short, correspondingly). The body weight gain, thymus/body weight ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, spleen immunoglobulins G (IgG), spleen interleukin-2 (IL-2) and spleen interleukin-2 (IL-6) were measured. Then, the intestinal contents were collected, and 16s genes of intestinal bacteria were sequenced to reveal the changes in bacterial flora structure. WP intervention significantly increased the weight gain, thymus/body ratio and SOD activity, but decrease the content of MDA. WP intervention increased some immune indicators. All the WP treated aging mice showed similar values of physiological indexes to that of the Vc group, even better. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas was increased and decreased, respectively, by both cow and goat WP. Lactobacillus may be involved in regulating the functional repair of organisms. In contrast, Stenotrophomonas might play a negative role in the immune and antioxidant capacity of the body. Combining physiological indicators and intestinal flora structure, low-concentration WP for cow and goat might be optimal for aging models.
  5. Liu G, Tiang MF, Ma S, Wei Z, Liang X, Sajab MS, et al.
    PeerJ, 2024;12:e16995.
    PMID: 38426145 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16995
    BACKGROUND: Hermetia illucens (HI), commonly known as the black soldier fly, has been recognized for its prowess in resource utilization and environmental protection because of its ability to transform organic waste into animal feed for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture. However, the potential of the black soldier fly's high protein content for more than cheap feedstock is still largely unexplored.

    METHODS: This study innovatively explores the potential of H. illucens larvae (HIL) protein as a peptone substitute for microbial culture media. Four commercial proteases (alkaline protease, trypsin, trypsase, and papain) were explored to hydrolyze the defatted HIL, and the experimental conditions were optimized via response surface methodology experimental design. The hydrolysate of the defatted HIL was subsequently vacuum freeze-dried and deployed as a growth medium for three bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli) to determine the growth kinetics between the HIL peptone and commercial peptone.

    RESULTS: The optimal conditions were 1.70% w/w complex enzyme (alkaline protease: trypsin at 1:1 ratio) at pH 7.0 and 54 °C for a duration of 4 h. Under these conditions, the hydrolysis of defatted HIL yielded 19.25% ±0.49%. A growth kinetic analysis showed no significant difference in growth parameters (μmax, Xmax, and λ) between the HIL peptone and commercial peptone, demonstrating that the HIL hydrolysate could serve as an effective, low-cost alternative to commercial peptone. This study introduces an innovative approach to HIL protein resource utilization, broadening its application beyond its current use in animal feed.

  6. Liu Z, Li H, Gao D, Su J, Su Y, Ma Z, et al.
    Open Life Sci, 2022;17(1):1629-1640.
    PMID: 36567720 DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0516
    Ghee is a traditional Tibetan dairy product with high-fat content, low yield, plasticity, caseation, and rich nutrition. In this study, we analyzed the diversity of microbial communities in yak milk and ghee samples at high and low altitudes, especially the Lactobacillus genus, and further used metabolomic techniques to compare the differences in metabolites in yak ghee at different altitudes. The results showed that the increase in altitude had a significant and generally inhibitory effect on the microbial community diversity in milk ghee, and yak milk at high altitude was abundant in nutrients, which could antagonize the negative impact of increased altitude. Using non-targeted metabolomics, we infer the composition of flavor compounds in ghee: nine kinds of carboxylic acids, 11 kinds of esters, six kinds of ketones, two kinds of alcohols, and four kinds of alkene compounds, among which the key flavor compounds are dl-2-(acetylamino)-3-phenylephrine acid, 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-propanone, sebacic acid, Lysope 18:1, and uracil 1-beta-d-arabinofuranoside. These flavor substances are found in Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus. With the participation of Lactobacillus, it is synthesized through biosynthesis of alkaloids derived from ornithine, lysine, and nicotine acid and glyoxylate and decarboxylate metabolism, among which Lactococcus plays a key role. In this study, a variety of lactic acid bacteria related to ghee fermentation were screened out, revealing the composition of volatile flavor compounds in Gannan yak milk ghee in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and providing a reference for further key volatile flavor compounds and the formation mechanism of flavor compounds.
  7. Wei J, Ren W, Wang L, Liu M, Tian X, Ding G, et al.
    J Sci Food Agric, 2020 Dec;100(15):5627-5636.
    PMID: 32712996 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10690
    BACKGROUND: Serofluid dish, a traditional Chinese fermented food, possesses unique flavors and health beneficial effects. These properties are likely due to the sophisticated metabolic networks during fermentation, which are mainly driven by microbiota. However, the exact roles of metabolic pathways and the microbial community during this process remain equivocal.

    RESULTS: Here, we investigated the microbial dynamics by next-generation sequencing, and outlined a differential non-targeted metabolite profiling in the process of serofluid dish fermentation using the method of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Lactobacillus was the leading genus of bacteria, while Pichia and Issatchenkia were the dominant fungi. They all accumulated during fermentation. In total, 218 differential metabolites were identified, of which organic acids, amino acids, sugar and sugar alcohols, fatty acids, and esters comprised the majority. The constructed metabolic network showed that tricarboxylic acid cycle, urea cycle, sugar metabolism, amino acids metabolism, choline metabolism, and flavonoid metabolism were regulated by the fermentation. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed that the leading fungi, Pichia and Issatchenkia, were linked to organic acids, amino acid and sugar metabolism, flavonoids, and several other flavor and functional components. Antibacterial tests indicated the antibacterial effect of serofluid soup against Salmonella and Staphylococcus.

    CONCLUSION: This work provides new insights into the complex microbial and metabolic networks during serofluid dish fermentation, and a theoretical basis for the optimization of its industrial production. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

  8. Tian Y, Ding B, Ma ZR, Yang JT, Ding GT, Liu HN
    J Dairy Sci, 2023 Nov;106(11):7419-7431.
    PMID: 37641279 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23300
    Due to the lack of basic information on Chinese ghee and the increasing demand of consumers for natural oils, this study aims to explore and distinguish the quality characteristics of ghee in different regions of China. Ghee samples from 16 regions of Qinghai Province, Gansu Province, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and Tibet Autonomous Region were selected and their physicochemical properties, fatty acids, texture, antioxidant and antibacterial activities were determined. The results showed that: (1) The physicochemical properties of ghee were different from different regions, but the freshness and fat content are generally high. The results of iodine value and saponification value suggest that the fatty acid composition is good; (2) The unsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid content of ghee in Tibet and Xinjiang ranges from 63.05% to 79.13%, which is better than that in other regions; (3) Gansu Diebu ghee has the highest hardness (40.69 N); (4) Ghee from different regions has good antioxidant activity, DPPH free radical scavenging activity is 30.45% to 58.06%, ABTS free radical scavenging activity is 41.14% to 65.53%, and has varying degrees of inhibition on gram-positive bacteria. In addition, yak ghee, cattle-yak ghee and cow ghee have better fatty acid composition and antibacterial ability than scalper ghee. The results of this study distinguish the differences in the quality characteristics of yak ghee in different geographical regions. Therefore, it can provide a theoretical basis for the origin tracing and quality-oriented improvement of yak ghee.
  9. Zhou W, Zeng S, Yu J, Xiang J, Zhang F, Takriff MS, et al.
    J Basic Microbiol, 2023 Feb;63(2):223-234.
    PMID: 36538731 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202200528
    In this study, selected properties of protease and the complete genome sequence of Bacillus licheniformis NWMCC0046 were investigated, to discover laundry applications and other potential probiotic properties of this strain. Partial characterization of B. licheniformis NWMCC0046 showed that its protease has good activity both in alkaline environments and at low temperatures. Also, the protease is compatible with commercial detergents and can be used as a detergent additive for effective stain removal at low temperatures. The complete genome sequence of B. licheniformis NWMCC0046 is comprised of a 4,321,565 bp linear chromosome with a G + C content of 46.78% and no plasmids. It had 4504 protein-encoding genes, 81 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 24 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Genomic analysis revealed genes involved in exocellular enzyme production and probiotic properties. In addition, genomic sequence analysis revealed specific genes encoding carbohydrate metabolism pathways, resistance, and cold adaptation capacity. Overall, protease properties show its potential as a detergent additive enzyme. The complete genome sequence information of B. licheniformis NWMCC0046 was obtained, and functional prediction revealed its numerous probiotic properties.
  10. Zulkarnain NN, Anuar N, Abd Rahman N, Sheikh Abdullah SR, Alias MN, Yaacob M, et al.
    Hum Vaccin Immunother, 2021 07 03;17(7):2158-2168.
    PMID: 33539195 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1865044
    Influenza virus is a life-threatening pathogen that infects millions of people every year, with annual mortality in the hundreds of thousands. The scenario for controlling infection has worsened with increasing numbers of vaccine hesitancy cases reported worldwide due to objections on safety, religious and other grounds. Uses of haram (impermissible) and mashbooh (doubtful) ingredients in vaccine production has raised doubts among Muslim consumers and consequently stimulated serious vaccine hesitancy. To address this major problem, we have reviewed and recommended some alternatives appropriate for manufacturing cell-based influenza vaccine which comply with Islamic laws and consumers' needs. Intensive assessments of current influenza vaccine production in both scientific and Islamic views have led to the identification of four main ingredients deemed impermissible in novel sharia-compliant (approved by Islamic laws) vaccine manufacturing. Only some of these impermissible components could be replaced with halal (permissible) alternatives, while others remain impermissible due to unavailability and unsuitability.
  11. Zhang H, Gao J, Ma Z, Liu Y, Wang G, Liu Q, et al.
    Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 2022;12:1082809.
    PMID: 36530420 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1082809
    BACKGROUND: Wolbachia is gram-negative and common intracellular bacteria, which is maternally inherited endosymbionts and could expand their propagation in host populations by means of various manipulations. Recent reports reveal the natural infection of Wolbachia in Aedes Aegypti in Malaysia, India, Philippines, Thailand and the United States. At present, none of Wolbachia natural infection in Ae. aegypti has been reported in China.

    METHODS: A total of 480 Ae. aegypti adult mosquitoes were collected from October and November 2018 based on the results of previous investigations and the distribution of Ae. aegypti in Yunnan. Each individual sample was processed and screened for the presence of Wolbachia by PCR with wsp primers. Phylogenetic trees for the wsp gene was constructed using the neighbour-joining method with 1,000 bootstrap replicates, and the p-distance distribution model of molecular evolution was applied.

    RESULTS: 24 individual adult mosquito samples and 10 sample sites were positive for Wolbachia infection. The Wolbachia infection rate (IR) of each population ranged from 0 - 41.7%. The infection rate of group A alone was 0%-10%, the infection rate of group B alone was 0%-7.7%, and the infection rate of co-infection with A and B was 0-33.3%.

    CONCLUSIONS: Wolbachia infection in wild Ae. aegypti in China is the first report based on PCR amplification of the Wolbachia wsp gene. The Wolbachia infection is 5%, and the wAlbA and wAlbB strains were found to be prevalent in the natural population of Ae. aegypti in Yunnan Province.

  12. Gao D, Guo P, Cao X, Ge L, Ma H, Cheng H, et al.
    Food Sci Nutr, 2020 Jun;8(6):2798-2808.
    PMID: 32566197 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.1572
    Chicken plasma protein hydrolysate (CPPH) was prepared by trypsin with angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of 53.5% ± 0.14% and the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 16.22% ± 0.21% at 1 mg·ml-1; then, five proteases, including pepsin, trypsin, papain, alcalase, and neutrase, were employed to improve ACE inhibitory ability by catalyzing plastein reaction. The results indicated that trypsin-catalyzed plastein reaction showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity. The exogenous amino acids of leucine, histidine, tyrosine, valine, and cysteine were selected to modify the CPPH. The leucine-modified plastein reaction released the highest ACE inhibitory activity. The effects of four reaction parameters on plastein reaction were studied, and the optimal conditions with the purpose of obtaining the most powerful ACE inhibitory peptides from modified products were obtained by response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum ACE inhibition rate of the modified hydrolysate reached 82.07% ± 0.03% prepared at concentration of hydrolysates of 30%, reaction time of 4.9 hr, pH value of 8.0, temperature of 40°C, and E/S ratio of 5,681.62 U·g-1. The results indicated that trypsin-catalyzed plastein reaction increased ACE inhibitory activity of chicken plasma protein hydrolysates by 28.57%.
  13. Zhou X, Tian X, Song L, Luo L, Ma Z, Zhang F
    Food Sci Nutr, 2023 Feb;11(2):752-764.
    PMID: 36789044 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3111
    The prolongation of life span has attracted more and more attention in the current world. Gut microbiota is considered one of the most critical elements and is essential in regulating life span and quality. The effects of donkey whey protein (DWP) and donkey whey hydrolysate (DWPP) on physiological functions and gut microbiota of D-galactose-induced aging mice were investigated to find new strategies for resisting aging. Our results showed that DWP and DWPP could increase the body weight gain velocity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and thymus index, whereas decrease the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and improve the aging of the body in the liver congestion, oozy draw focal sclerosis of chronic inflammation. The effects of medium and high concentrations of DWP and low and medium concentrations of DWPP were the same as the vitamin C (Vc)-positive control group. It was found that both DWP and DWPP could change α-diversity; the relative abundance of Lactobacillus increased, whereas the relative abundance of Helicobacter and Stenotrophomonas decreased after being treated with DWP and DWPP. The correlation between intestinal microflora and physiological indexes showed that chao1, ACE, and observed species indexes in the α index were positively correlated with weight gain velocity, SOD activity, and thymus index. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus was positively correlated with SOD and thymus index but negatively correlated with MDA. The relative abundance of Stenotrophomonas was opposite to that of Lactobacillus. The Anaerobiospirillum, Fusobacterium, and Dubosiella had a significant positive correlation with the weight gain velocity. The study provided a deeper more profound understanding of the potential use of DWP and DWPP in senescence delays.
  14. Tan KY, Low SS, Manickam S, Ma Z, Banat F, Munawaroh HSH, et al.
    Food Res Int, 2023 Jul;169:112870.
    PMID: 37254319 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112870
    Nutraceutical supplements provide health benefits, such as fulfilling the lack of nutrients in the human body or being utilized to treat or cure certain diseases. As the world population is growing, certain countries are experiencing food crisis challenges, causing natural foods are not sustainable to be used for nutraceutical production because it will require large-scale of food supply to produce enriched nutraceutics. The high demand for abundant nutritional compounds has made microalgae a reliable source as they can synthesize high-value molecules through photosynthetic activities. However, some microalgae species are limited in growth and unable to accumulate a significant amount of biomass due to several factors related to environmental conditions. Therefore, adding nanoparticles (NPs) as a photocatalyst is considered to enhance the yield rate of microalgae in an energy-saving and economical way. This review focuses on the composition of microalgal biomass for nutraceutical production, the health perspectives of nutritional compounds on humans, and the application of nanotechnology on microalgae for improved production and harvesting. The results obtained show that microalgal-based compounds indeed have better nutrients content than natural foods. However, nanotechnology must be further comprehended to make them non-hazardous and sustainable.
  15. Li Y, Ren J, Li N, Liu J, Tan SC, Low TY, et al.
    Exp Gerontol, 2020 11;141:111110.
    PMID: 33045358 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111110
    BACKGROUND: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been aggressively sold as a dietary supplement to boost testosterone levels although the impact of DHEA supplementation on testosterone levels has not been fully established. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs to investigate the effect of oral DHEA supplementation on testosterone levels.

    METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed databases up to February 2020 for RCTs that investigated the effect of DHEA supplementation on testosterone levels. The estimated effect of the data was calculated using the weighted mean difference (WMD). Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the source of heterogeneity among studies.

    RESULTS: Overall results from 42 publications (comprising 55 arms) demonstrated that testosterone level was significantly increased after DHEA administration (WMD: 28.02 ng/dl, 95% CI: 21.44-34.60, p = 0.00). Subgroup analyses revealed that DHEA increased testosterone level in all subgroups, but the magnitude of increment was higher in females compared to men (WMD: 30.98 ng/dl vs. 21.36 ng/dl); DHEA dosage of ˃50 mg/d compared to ≤50 mg/d (WMD: 57.96 ng/dl vs. 19.43 ng/dl); intervention duration of ≤12 weeks compared to ˃12 weeks (WMD: 44.64 ng/dl vs. 19 ng/dl); healthy participants compared to postmenopausal women, pregnant women, non-healthy participants and androgen-deficient patients (WMD: 52.17 ng/dl vs. 25.04 ng/dl, 16.44 ng/dl and 16.47 ng/dl); and participants below 60 years old compared to above 60 years old (WMD: 31.42 ng/dl vs. 23.93 ng/dl).

    CONCLUSION: DHEA supplementation is effective for increasing testosterone levels, although the magnitude varies among different subgroups. More study needed on pregnant women and miscarriage.

  16. Fang F, Luo XX, Zhang Q, Azlan H, Razali O, Ma Z, et al.
    Europace, 2015 Oct;17 Suppl 2:ii47-53.
    PMID: 26842115 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euv130
    Biventricular (BiV) pacing was superior to right ventricular apical (RVA) pacing at extended follow-up in the Pacing to Avoid Cardiac Enlargement (PACE) trial. Early pacing-induced systolic dyssynchrony (DYS) might be related to mid-term result. However, it remains unknown whether early pacing-induced DYS can predict long-term reduction of left ventricular (LV) systolic function.
  17. Zainul NH, Ma ZF, Besari A, Siti Asma H, Rahman RA, Collins DA, et al.
    Epidemiol Infect, 2017 Oct;145(14):3012-3019.
    PMID: 28891459 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268817002011
    Little is known about Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Asia. The aims of our study were to explore (i) the prevalence, risk factors and molecular epidemiology of CDI and colonization in a tertiary academic hospital in North-Eastern Peninsular Malaysia; (ii) the rate of carriage of C. difficile among the elderly in the region; (iii) the awareness level of this infection among the hospital staffs and students. For stool samples collected from hospital inpatients with diarrhea (n = 76) and healthy community members (n = 138), C. difficile antigen and toxins were tested by enzyme immunoassay. Stool samples were subsequently analyzed by culture and molecular detection of toxin genes, and PCR ribotyping of isolates. To examine awareness among hospital staff and students, participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. For the hospital and community studies, the prevalence of non-toxigenic C. difficile colonization was 16% and 2%, respectively. The prevalence of CDI among hospital inpatients with diarrhea was 13%. Out of 22 C. difficile strains from hospital inpatients, the toxigenic ribotypes 043 and 017 were most common (both 14%). In univariate analysis, C. difficile colonization in hospital inpatients was significantly associated with greater duration of hospitalization and use of penicillin (both P < 0·05). Absence of these factors was a possible reason for low colonization in the community. Only 3% of 154 respondents answered all questions correctly in the awareness survey. C. difficile colonization is prevalent in a Malaysian hospital setting but not in the elderly community with little or no contact with hospitals. Awareness of CDI is alarmingly poor.
  18. Tang DYY, Chew KW, Chia SR, Ting HY, Sia YH, Gentili FG, et al.
    Environ Technol, 2022 Dec 19.
    PMID: 36536589 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2022.2150094
    Overgrowth of microalgae will result in harmful algae blooms that can affect the aquatic ecosystem and human health. Therefore, the quantitation of chlorophyll pigments can be used as an indicator of algae bloom. However, it is difficult to monitor the geographical and temporal distribution of chlorophyll in the aquatic environment. Accordingly, an innovative and inexpensive method based on the red-green-blue (RGB) image analysis was utilized in this study to estimate the microalgae chlorophyll content. The digital images were acquired using a smartphone camera. The colour index was then evaluated using software and associated with chlorophyll concentration significantly. A regression model, using RGB colour components as independent variables to estimate chlorophyll concentration, was developed and validated. The Green in the RGB index was the most promising way to estimate chlorophyll concentration in microalgae. The result showed that acetone was the best extractant solvent with a high R-squared value among the four extractant solvents. Next, the isolation of useful biomolecules, such as proteins, fatty acids, polysaccharides and antioxidants from the microalgae, has been recognized as an alternative to regulating algae bloom. Microalgae are shown to produce bioactive compounds with a variety of biological activities that can be applied in various industries. This study evaluates the biochemical composition of mixed microalgae species, Desmodesmus sp. and Scenedesmus sp. using the liquid triphasic partitioning (TPP) system. The findings from analytical assays revealed that the biomass consisted of varied concentrations of carbohydrates, protein, and lipids. Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were at 60.22 mg/L and 90.69%, respectively.
  19. Bin Abu Sofian ADA, Lim HR, Chew KW, Khoo KS, Tan IS, Ma Z, et al.
    Environ Pollut, 2024 Feb 01;342:123024.
    PMID: 38030108 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123024
    The pursuit of carbon neutrality confronts the twofold challenge of meeting energy demands and reducing pollution. This review article examines the potential of gasifying plastic waste and biomass as innovative, sustainable sources for hydrogen production, a critical element in achieving environmental reform. Addressing the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, the work highlights how the co-gasification of these feedstocks could contribute to environmental preservation by reducing waste and generating clean energy. Through an analysis of current technologies, the potential for machine learning to refine gasification for optimal hydrogen production is revealed. Additionally, hydrogen storage solutions are evaluated for their importance in creating a viable, sustainable energy infrastructure. The economic viability of these production methods is critically assessed, providing insights into both their cost-effectiveness and ecological benefits. Findings indicate that machine learning can significantly improve process efficiencies, thereby influencing the economic and environmental aspects of hydrogen production. Furthermore, the study presents the advancements in these technologies and their role in promoting a transition to a green economy and circular energy practices. Ultimately, the review delineates how integrating hydrogen production from unconventional feedstocks, bolstered by machine learning and advanced storage, can contribute to a sustainable and pollution-free future.
  20. Suresh R, Gnanasekaran L, Rajendran S, Jalil AA, Soto-Moscoso M, Khoo KS, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2023 Dec;343:140173.
    PMID: 37714490 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140173
    The production of low-cost solid adsorbents for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture has gained massive consideration. Biomass wastes are preferred as precursors for synthesis of CO2 solid adsorbents, due to their high CO2 adsorption efficiency, and ease of scalable low-cost production. This review particularly focuses on waste biomass-derived adsorbents with their CO2 adsorption performances. Specifically, studies related to carbon (biochar and activated carbon) and silicon (silicates and geopolymers)-based adsorbents were summarized. The impact of experimental parameters including nature of biomass, synthesis route, carbonization temperature and type of activation methods on the CO2 adsorption capacities of biomass-derived pure carbon and silicon-based adsorbents were evaluated. The development of various enhancement strategies on biomass-derived adsorbents for CO2 capture and their responsible factors that impact adsorbent's CO2 capture proficiency were also reviewed. The possible CO2 adsorption mechanisms on the adsorbent's surface were highlighted. The challenges and research gaps identified in this research area have also been emphasized, which will help as further research prospects.
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