Escalating petroleum depletion and environmental crises linked to conventional plastics have fueled interest in eco-friendly alternatives. Natural fibres and biopolymers are garnering increasing attention due to their sustainability. The sago palm (Metroxylon sagu), a tropical tree, holds potential for such materials, with cellulose-rich fibres (42.4-44.12 %) showcasing strong mechanics. Extracted sago palm starch can be blended, reinforced, or plasticised for improved traits. However, a comprehensive review of sago palm fibres, starch, and biocomposites is notably absent. This paper fills this void, meticulously assessing recent advancements in sago palm fibre, cellulose and starch properties, and their eco-friendly composite fabrication. Moreover, it uncovers the latent prospects of sago palm fibres and biopolymers across industries like automotive, packaging, and bioenergy. This review presents a crucial resource for envisaging and realising sustainable materials.
Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is one of the additive manufacturing (AM) techniques that have emerged as the most feasible and prevalent approach for generating functional parts due to its ability to produce neat and intricate parts. FDM mainly utilises one of the widely used polymers, polylactic acid, also known as polylactide (PLA). It is an aliphatic polyester material and biocompatible thermoplastic, with the best design prospects due to its eco-friendly properties; when PLA degrades, it breaks down into water and carbon dioxide, neither of which are hazardous to the environment. However, PLA has its limitations of poor mechanical properties. Therefore, a filler reinforcement may enhance the characteristics of PLA and produce higher-quality FDM-printed parts. The processing parameters also play a significant role in the final result of the printed parts. This review aims to study and discover the properties of PLA and the optimum processing parameters. This review covers PLA in FDM, encompassing its mechanical properties, processing parameters, characterisation, and applications. A comprehensive description of FDM processing parameters is outlined as it plays a vital role in determining the quality of a printed product. In addition, PLA polymer is highly desirable for various field industrial applications such as in a medical, automobile, and electronic, given its excellent thermoplastic and biodegradability properties.
In addition to generalised of bone loss and a higher fracture risk, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes periarticular bone erosions. Improvements in bone density/erosion and turnover may not go hand in hand with a positive clinical response to biological anti-inflammatory drugs assesed by disease activity score 28 (DAS28) in RA patients. This study aimed to understand how biologic anti-inflammatory drugs affect bone density, erosion, and turnover in RA patients. We examined bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover biomarkers. The study population consisted of 62 RA patients, 49 (79%) of whom were female and 13 (21%) of whom were male. The patients ranged in age from 40 to 79 years old. The patients' BMD was measured using a DEXA scan, and their plasma levels of bone turnover biomarkers CTX and osteocalcin were quantified utilizing an ELISA. BMD of the hip and lumbar spine in responder patients rose after therapy by 0.001g/cm2 (0.11 percent, p0.001 vs. before treatment) and 0.0396g/cm2 (3.96 percent, p0.001 vs. before treatment), respectively. Clinically non-responder patients' DAS28 revealed minor reductions in hip BMD values of -0.008g/cm2 (-0.78 percent, p0.001 vs. before therapy), as well as an improvement in lumbar spine BMD of 0.03g/cm2 (3.03 percent, p0.001 vs. before treatment). After 12 weeks of therapy, the CTX levels in responder patients dropped from 164 125 pg/ml to 131 129 pg/ml. Osteocalcin levels in non-responder patients increased substantially from 11.6 ng/ml to 14.9 ng/ml after 12 weeks of therapy compared to baseline (p = 0.01). Treatment with biologic anti-inflammatory medicines decreases widespread bone loss in RA patients' hip and lumbar spine. The beneficial effects of therapy on BMD were not associated with changes in disease activity of RA patients. Changes in plasma levels of bone turnover biomarkers such as sCTX and osteocalcin confirmed the treatment's beneficial effects.
In recent years, there has been an increase in research devoted to the advancement of cellulose and nanocellulose-based materials, which are advantageous due to their renewable nature, strength, rigidity, and environmental friendliness. This exploration complies with the fundamental tenets of environmental stewardship and sustainability. An area of industrial biotechnology where cellulosic agricultural residues have the potential to be economically utilized is through the conversion of such residues; sugarcane bagasse is currently leading this charge. SCB, a plentiful fibrous byproduct produced during the sugarcane industry's operations, has historically been utilized in various sectors, including producing paper, animal feed, enzymes, biofuel conversion, and biomedical applications. Significantly, SCB comprises a considerable amount of cellulose, approximately 40 % to 50 %, rendering it a valuable source of cellulose fibre for fabricating cellulose nanocrystals. This review sheds light on the significant advances in surface modification techniques, encompassing physical, chemical, and biological treatments, that enhance sugarcane bagasse fibres' adsorption capacity and selectivity. Furthermore, the paper investigates the specific advancements related to the augmentation of sugarcane bagasse fibres' efficacy in adsorbing a wide range of pollutants. These pollutants span a spectrum that includes heavy metals, dyes, organic pollutants, and emerging contaminants. The discussion provides a comprehensive overview of the targeted removal processes facilitated by applying modified fibres. The unique structural and chemical properties inherent in sugarcane bagasse fibres and their widespread availability position them as highly suitable adsorbents for various pollutants. This convergence of attributes underscores the potential of sugarcane bagasse fibres in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable solutions across multiple industries.
The research interest in sustainable and eco-friendly materials based on natural sources has increased dramatically due to their recyclability, biodegradability, compatibility, and nontoxic behavior. Recently, nanocellulose-based green composites are under extensive exploration and have gained popularity among researchers owing to their lightweight, lost cost, low density, excellent mechanical and physical characteristics. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in the extraction, modification, and application of bamboo nanocellulose as a high-performance bioadsorbent. Bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource, offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional materials due to its abundant availability and unique structural properties. Significantly, bamboo comprises a considerable amount of cellulose, approximately 40 % to 50%, rendering it a valuable source of cellulose fiber for the fabrication of cellulose nanocrystals. The review highlights different various modification techniques which enhance the adsorption capacities and selectivity of bamboo nanocellulose. Furthermore, the integration of bamboo nanocellulose into novel composite materials and its performance in removing contaminants such as heavy metals, dyes, and organic pollutants from wastewater are critically analyzed. Emphasis is placed on the mechanisms of adsorption, regeneration potential, and the economic and environmental benefits of using bamboo-based bioadsorbents. The findings underscore the potential of bamboo nanocellulose to play a pivotal role in developing sustainable wastewater treatment technologies, offering a promising pathway towards cleaner water and a greener future.
Nanocellulose-graphene hybrid composites for high-performance uses have been the focus of recent research. In contrast to graphene, which has great conductivity and mechanical strength, nanocellulose possesses special qualities like renewability and biocompatibility but lacks electrical conductivity. Since graphene-nanocellulose has such promising features, efforts to make flexible electronic composites employing them have accelerated. However, the environmental impacts are needed to be addressed prior to the applications of these hybrid composites. This review article explores environmental aspects for nanocellulose-graphene hybrid composites because of their sustainability, which is a major step in the right direction. The article also emphasizes how these composites have the potential to transform several industries and open the door to a more environmentally friendly future. This paper explores into the most recent developments in nanocellulose-graphene hybrid composites, highlighting its environmental benefits and adaptability. These composites offer remarkable performance by combining the strength and conductivity of graphene with the mechanical, electrical, and thermal capabilities of nanocellulose.
Cobalt-60 (Co-60) is a relatively new source for the application of high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Radiation dose to the rectum is often a limiting factor in achieving the full prescribed dose to the target during brachytherapy of cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to measure radiation doses to the rectum in-vivo during HDR Co-60 brachytherapy. A total of eleven HDR brachytherapy treatments of cervical cancer were recruited in this study. A series of diodes incorporated in a rectal probe was inserted into the patient's rectum during each brachytherapy procedure. Real-time measured rectal doses were compared to calculated doses by the treatment planning system (TPS). The differences between calculated and measured dose ranged from 8.5% to 41.2%. This corresponds to absolute dose differences ranging from 0.3 Gy to 1.5 Gy. A linear relationship was observed between calculated and measured doses with linear regression R(2) value of 0.88, indicating close association between the measured and calculated doses. In general, absorbed doses for the rectum as calculated by TPS were observed to be higher than the doses measured using the diode probe. In-vivo dosimetry is an important quality assurance method for HDR brachytherapy of cervical cancer. It provides information that can contribute to the reduction of errors and discrepancies in dose delivery. Our study has shown that in-vivo dosimetry is feasible and can be performed to estimate the dose to the rectum during HDR brachytherapy using Co-60.
Melioidosis, a severe and fatal infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is believed to an emerging global threat. However, data on the natural history, risk factors, and geographic epidemiology of the disease are still limited.
In view of the alarming increase in the incidence of diabetes mellitus in Malaysia, we conducted a study to assess the awareness of complications of diabetes among the diabetics attending the peripheral clinics in Melaka. The study period was from January 2007 to December 2007. 351 patients were included in the study. 79.8% were aware of the complications of diabetes mellitus and 87.2% were aware that diabetes can affect the eyes. However, only 50% of the patients underwent an ophthalmological evaluation. Although awareness was good, the motivation to undergo the assessment was poor.
Study site: Klinik Kesihatan Peringgit, Klinik Kommunity Ayer Keroh, Melaka, Malaysia
The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. (Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli) in soil, poultry manure, irrigation water, and freshly harvested vegetables from vegetable farms in Malaysia. C. jejuni was detected in 30.4% and 2.7% of the soil samples, 57.1% and 0% of the manure samples, and 18.8% and 3% of the vegetable samples from farm A and farm B, respectively, when using the MPNPCR method. Campylobacter spp. was not found in any of the irrigation water samples tested. Therefore, the present results indicate that the aged manure used by farm A was more contaminated than the composted manure used by farm B. Mostly, the leafy and root vegetables were contaminated. C. coli was not detected in any of the samples tested in the current study. Both farms tested in this study were found to be contaminated by campylobacters, thereby posing a potential risk for raw vegetable consumption in Malaysia. The present results also provide baseline data on Campylobacter contamination at the farm level.
We performed a prospective observational study in a clinical setting to test the hypothesis that prior colonization by a Staphylococcus aureus strain would protect, by colonization interference or other processes, against de novo colonization and, hence, possible endo-infections by newly acquired S. aureus strains. Three hundred and six patients hospitalized for >7 days were enrolled. For every patient, four nasal swabs (days 1, 3, 5, and 7) were taken, and patients were identified as carriers when a positive nasal culture for S. aureus was obtained on day 1 of hospitalization. For all patients who acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) or methicillin-susceptible S. aureus via colonization and/or infection during hospitalization, strains were collected. We note that our study may suffer from false-negative cultures, local problems with infection control and hospital hygiene, or staphylococcal carriage at alternative anatomical sites. Among all patients, 22% were prior carriers of S. aureus, including 1.9% whom carried MRSA upon admission. The overall nasal staphylococcal carriage rate among dermatology patients was significantly higher than that among neurosurgery patients (n = 25 (55.5%) vs. n = 42 (16.1%), p 0.005). This conclusion held when the carriage definition included individuals who were nasal culture positive on day 1 and day 3 of hospitalization (p 0.0001). All MRSA carriers were dermatology patients. There was significantly less S. aureus acquisition among non-carriers than among carriers during hospitalization (p 0.005). The mean number of days spent in the hospital before experiencing MRSA acquisition in nasal carriers was 5.1, which was significantly lower than the score among non-carriers (22 days, p 0.012). In conclusion, we found that nasal carriage of S. aureus predisposes to rather than protects against staphylococcal acquisition in the nose, thereby refuting our null hypothesis.
Cine MRI is a clinical reference standard for the quantitative assessment of cardiac function, but reproducibility is confounded by motion artefacts. We explore the feasibility of a motion corrected 3D left ventricle (LV) quantification method, incorporating multislice image registration into the 3D model reconstruction, to improve reproducibility of 3D LV functional quantification. Multi-breath-hold short-axis and radial long-axis images were acquired from 10 patients and 10 healthy subjects. The proposed framework reduced misalignment between slices to subpixel accuracy (2.88 to 1.21 mm), and improved interstudy reproducibility for 5 important clinical functional measures, i.e. end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, myocardial mass and 3D-sphericity index, as reflected in a reduction in the sample size required to detect statistically significant cardiac changes: a reduction of 21-66%. Our investigation on the optimum registration parameters, including both cardiac time frames and number of long-axis (LA) slices, suggested that a single time frame is adequate for motion correction whereas integrating more LA slices can improve registration and model reconstruction accuracy for improved functional quantification especially on datasets with severe motion artefacts.
Diagnosis of active mycobacterial disease in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) has been impeded by high levels of non-specific intradermal skin test reactivity to mycobacterial antigens. This may be due in part to cross reactivity between antigens, tuberculin concentrations used or other species-specific factors. Antigen 85 (Ag85) complex proteins are major secretory products of actively growing mycobacteria, and measurement of serum Ag85 could provide a method for determining active mycobacterial infections that was not dependent on host immunity. Serum Ag85 was measured by dot-immunobinding assay using monoclonal anti-Ag85, purified Ag85 standard and enhanced chemiluminescence technology in coded serum samples from 14 captive orangutans from a zoo in Colorado, 15 semi-captive orangutans in Malaysia, and 19 free-ranging wild orangutans in Malaysia. Orangutans from Colorado (USA) were culture negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. avium, although all had laboratory suspicion or evidence of mycobacterial infection; median serum Ag85 was 10 microU/ml (range, <0.25-630 microU/ml). Of the semi-captive orangutans, six were skin test reactive and two were culture positive for M. avium on necropsy. Median serum Ag85 for this group was 1,880 microU/ml (0.75-7,000 microU/ml), significantly higher than that of Colorado zoo or free-ranging Malaysian orangutans. Median serum Ag85 in the latter group was 125 microU/ml (range, 0.75-2,500 microU/ml). These data suggest that suggest that additional studies using more specific reagents and more samples from animals of known status are appropriate.
Previous studies have found Kunjin (KUN) virus isolates from within Australia to be genetically homogenous and that the envelope protein of the type strain (MRM61C) was unglycosylated and lacked a potential glycosylation site. We investigated the extent of antigenic variation between KUN virus isolates from Australia and Sarawak using an immunoperoxidase assay and a panel of six monoclonal antibodies. The glycosylation status of the E protein of each virus was also determined by N glycosidase F (PNGase F) digestion and limited sequence analysis. The results showed that KUN viruses isolated within Australia oscillated between three antigenic types defined by two epitopes whose expression was influenced by passage history and host cell type. In contrast an isolate from Sarawak formed a stable antigenic type that was not influenced by passage history and was distinct from all Australian isolates. PNGase F digestions of KUN isolates indicated that 19 of the 33 viruses possessed a glycosylated E protein. Nucleotide sequence of the 5' third of the E gene of selected KUN isolates revealed that a single base change in PNGase F sensitive strains changed the tripeptide N-Y-F (amino acids 154-156 of the published sequence) to the potential glycosylation site N-Y-S. Further analysis revealed that passage history also had a significant influence on glycosylation.
This work represents a study to investigate the mechanical properties of longitudinal basalt/woven-glass-fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester-resin hybrid composites. The hybridization of basalt and glass fiber enhanced the mechanical properties of hybrid composites. The unsaturated polyester resin (UP), basalt (B) and glass fibers (GF) were fabricated using the hand lay-up method in six formulations (UP, GF, B7.5/G22.5, B15/G15, B22.5/G7.5 and B) to produce the composites, respectively. This study showed that the addition of basalt to glass-fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester resin increased its density, tensile and flexural properties. The tensile strength of the B22.5/G7.5 hybrid composites increased by 213.92 MPa compared to neat UP, which was 8.14 MPa. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was used to observe the fracture mode and fiber pullout of the hybrid composites.
In the present study, the effect of concentration of titanium carbide (TiC) particles on the structural, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of Ni-P composite coatings was investigated. Various amounts of TiC particles (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g L-1) were co-electrodeposited in the Ni-P matrix under optimized conditions and then characterized by employing various techniques. The structural analysis of prepared coatings indicates uniform, compact, and nodular structured coatings without any noticeable defects. Vickers microhardness and nanoindentation results demonstrate the increase in the hardness with an increasing amount of TiC particles attaining its terminal value (593HV100) at the concentration of 1.5 g L-1. Further increase in the concentration of TiC particles results in a decrease in hardness, which can be ascribed to their accumulation in the Ni-P matrix. The electrochemical results indicate the improvement in corrosion protection efficiency of coatings with an increasing amount of TiC particles reaching to ~ 92% at 2.0 g L-1, which can be ascribed to a reduction in the active area of the Ni-P matrix by the presence of inactive ceramic particles. The favorable structural, mechanical, and corrosion protection characteristics of Ni-P-TiC composite coatings suggest their potential applications in many industrial applications.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and it is one of the main causes of death for women worldwide. To attain an optimum medical treatment for breast cancer, an early breast cancer detection is crucial. This paper proposes a multi- stage feature selection method that extracts statistically significant features for breast cancer size detection using proposed data normalization techniques. Ultra-wideband (UWB) signals, controlled using microcontroller are transmitted via an antenna from one end of the breast phantom and are received on the other end. These ultra-wideband analogue signals are represented in both time and frequency domain. The preprocessed digital data is passed to the proposed multi- stage feature selection algorithm. This algorithm has four selection stages. It comprises of data normalization methods, feature extraction, data dimensional reduction and feature fusion. The output data is fused together to form the proposed datasets, namely, 8-HybridFeature, 9-HybridFeature and 10-HybridFeature datasets. The classification performance of these datasets is tested using the Support Vector Machine, Probabilistic Neural Network and Naïve Bayes classifiers for breast cancer size classification. The research findings indicate that the 8-HybridFeature dataset performs better in comparison to the other two datasets. For the 8-HybridFeature dataset, the Naïve Bayes classifier (91.98%) outperformed the Support Vector Machine (90.44%) and Probabilistic Neural Network (80.05%) classifiers in terms of classification accuracy. The finalized method is tested and visualized in the MATLAB based 2D and 3D environment.
Over the last decade, the progressive application of natural fibres in polymer composites has had a major effect in alleviating environmental impacts. Recently, there is a growing interest in the development of green materials in a woven form by utilising natural fibres from lignocellulosic materials for many applications such as structural, non-structural composites, household utilities, automobile parts, aerospace components, flooring, and ballistic materials. Woven materials are one of the most promising materials for substituting or hybridising with synthetic polymeric materials in the production of natural fibre polymer composites (NFPCs). These woven materials are flexible, able to be tailored to the specific needs and have better mechanical properties due to their weaving structures. Seeing that the potential advantages of woven materials in the fabrication of NFPC, this paper presents a detailed review of studies related to woven materials. A variety of factors that influence the properties of the resultant woven NFRC such as yarn characteristics, fabric properties as well as manufacturing parameters were discussed. Past and current research efforts on the development of woven NFPCs from various polymer matrices including polypropylene, polylactic acid, epoxy and polyester and the properties of the resultant composites were also compiled. Last but not least, the applications, challenges, and prospects in the field also were highlighted.
The present study has sought to investigate the fluid characteristic and mechanical properties of trabecular bone using fluid-structure interaction (FSI) approach under different trabecular bone orientations. This method imposed on trabecular bone structure at both longitudinal and transverse orientations to identify effects on shear stress, permeability, stiffness and stress regarded to the trabeculae. Sixteen FSI models were performed on different range trabecular cubes of 27 mm3 with eight models developed for each longitudinal and transverse direction. Results show that there was a moderate correlation between permeability and porosity, and surface area in the longitudinal and transverse orientations. For the longitudinal orientation, the permeability values varied between 3.66 × 10-8 and 1.9 × 10-7 and the sheer stress values varied between 0.05 and 1.8 Pa, whilst for the transverse orientation, the permeability values varied between 5.95 × 10-10 and 1.78 × 10-8 and the shear stress values varied between 0.04 and 3.1 Pa. Here, transverse orientation limits the fluid flow from passing through the trabeculae due to high shear stress disturbance generated within the trabecular bone region. Compared to physiological loading direction (longitudinal orientation), permeability is higher within the range known to trigger a response in bone cells. Additionally, shear stresses also increase with bone surface area. This study suggests the shear stress within bone marrow in real trabecular architecture could provide the mechanical signal to marrow cells that leads to bone anabolism and can depend on trabecular orientation.