Displaying publications 121 - 140 of 156 in total

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  1. Fulltext Advancement of biorefinery-derived platform chemicals from macroalgae: a perspective for bioethanol and lactic acid
    Tong KTX, Tan IS, Foo HCY, Lam MK, Lim S, Lee KT
    Biomass Convers Biorefin, 2022 Mar 17.
    PMID: 35316983 DOI: 10.1007/s13399-022-02561-7
    The extensive growth of energy and plastic demand has raised concerns over the depletion of fossil fuels. Moreover, the environmental conundrums worldwide integrated with global warming and improper plastic waste management have led to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly biofuel (bioethanol) and biopolymer (lactic acid, LA) derived from biomass for fossil fuels replacement and biodegradable plastic production, respectively. However, the high production cost of bioethanol and LA had limited its industrial-scale production. This paper has comprehensively reviewed the potential and development of third-generation feedstock for bioethanol and LA production, including significant technological barriers to be overcome for potential commercialization purposes. Then, an insight into the state-of-the-art hydrolysis and fermentation technologies using macroalgae as feedstock is also deliberated in detail. Lastly, the sustainability aspect and perspective of macroalgae biomass are evaluated economically and environmentally using a developed cascading system associated with techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment, which represent the highlights of this review paper. Furthermore, this review provides a conceivable picture of macroalgae-based bioethanol and lactic acid biorefinery and future research directions that can be served as an important guideline for scientists, policymakers, and industrial players.
  2. Plant-mediated synthesis of silver-doped ZnO nanoparticles with high sonocatalytic activity: Sonocatalytic behavior, kinetic and thermodynamic study
    Chan YY, Pang YL, Lim S, Chong WC, Shuit SH
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2022 Nov 22.
    PMID: 36417069 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24145-8
    Together with the rapid growth of technology, the discharge of wastewater from industry into environment had become a hot topic among society nowadays. More attention had been given to the development of water treatment techniques. In this study, sonocatalysis was proposed to degrade the organic pollutants using silver-doped zinc oxide (Ag-ZnO) nanoparticles which were synthesized via green synthesis process using Clitoria ternatea Linn (Asian Pigeonwings flower). The characterization results revealed that the incorporation of Ag into the ZnO lattice decreased the crystallite size and increased the specific surface area of ZnO nanoparticles. It is noteworthy that about 98% of sonocatalytic degradation efficiency of malachite green (MG) was successfully achieved within 30 min in the presence of 5 wt.% Ag-ZnO with 1.0 g/L of catalyst loading under 500 mg/L of initial dye concentration, 80 W of ultrasonic power, 45 kHz of ultrasound frequency, and 2.0 mM of oxidant concentration. The kinetic study showed that the sonocatalytic degradation of organic dye was fitted well into second-order kinetic model with high R2 value (0.9531). In the thermodynamic study, negative value of standard Gibbs free energy and low value of activation energy (+ 24.43 kJ/mol) were obtained in the sonocatalytic degradation of MG using the green-synthesized Ag-ZnO sample. HIGHLIGHTS: • Facile synthesis of silver-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles using plant extract which act as reducing and stabilizing agents • Optical, physical, and chemical characterization of green-synthesized nanomaterials were performed • Evaluation of sonocatalytic degradation of organic dye using green-synthesized nanomaterials • Sonocatalytic behavior, kinetic and thermodynamic studies of sonocatalytic reaction.
  3. Fulltext Recent Progress on Tailoring the Biomass-Derived Cellulose Hybrid Composite Photocatalysts
    Chai YD, Pang YL, Lim S, Chong WC, Lai CW, Abdullah AZ
    Polymers (Basel), 2022 Dec 01;14(23).
    PMID: 36501638 DOI: 10.3390/polym14235244
    Biomass-derived cellulose hybrid composite materials are promising for application in the field of photocatalysis due to their excellent properties. The excellent properties between biomass-derived cellulose and photocatalyst materials was induced by biocompatibility and high hydrophilicity of the cellulose components. Biomass-derived cellulose exhibited huge amount of electron-rich hydroxyl group which could promote superior interaction with the photocatalyst. Hence, the original sources and types of cellulose, synthesizing methods, and fabrication cellulose composites together with applications are reviewed in this paper. Different types of biomasses such as biochar, activated carbon (AC), cellulose, chitosan, and chitin were discussed. Cellulose is categorized as plant cellulose, bacterial cellulose, algae cellulose, and tunicate cellulose. The extraction and purification steps of cellulose were explained in detail. Next, the common photocatalyst nanomaterials including titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), and graphene, were introduced based on their distinct structures, advantages, and limitations in water treatment applications. The synthesizing method of TiO2-based photocatalyst includes hydrothermal synthesis, sol-gel synthesis, and chemical vapor deposition synthesis. Different synthesizing methods contribute toward different TiO2 forms in terms of structural phases and surface morphology. The fabrication and performance of cellulose composite catalysts give readers a better understanding of the incorporation of cellulose in the development of sustainable and robust photocatalysts. The modifications including metal doping, non-metal doping, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) showed improvements on the degradation performance of cellulose composite catalysts. The information and evidence on the fabrication techniques of biomass-derived cellulose hybrid photocatalyst and its recent application in the field of water treatment were reviewed thoroughly in this review paper.
  4. Epidemiological aspects of an outbreak of dengue fever/dengue haemorrhagic fever in Singapore
    Goh KT, Ng SK, Chan YC, Lim SJ, Chua EC
    Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1987 Sep;18(3):295-302.
    PMID: 3433161
    A nation-wide outbreak of 260 cases of DF/DHF with 1 death occurred in Singapore from Apr-Sept 1986. The outbreak originated from 3 separate foci of transmission at the western, south-eastern and north-eastern parts of the island and then spread to other dengue receptive urban and suburban areas. The morbidity rate was highest in young male Chinese adults between 15 and 24 years of age. The outbreak was rapidly brought under control through destruction of adult Aedes mosquitoes, surveys and source reduction of larval breeding habitats, health education and to a certain extent law enforcement. The Aedes population was high in the main foci of transmission although the overall house index was only 1.1. Other factors which could have precipitated the outbreak included waning herd immunity of the human population and continuous introduction of dengue virus into the country.
  5. Comparative analysis of selected plastic pyrolysis and catalytic versus non-catalytic pyrolysis of polyethylene using artificial neural networks for oil production
    Biswas PP, Chen WH, Lam SS, Lim S, Chang JS
    Sci Total Environ, 2025 Jan 01;958:177866.
    PMID: 39652994 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177866
    Research on plastic pollution is crucial, particularly with the recent emphasis on converting waste plastics into oil for sustainable energy. Very few studies have utilized artificial neural network (ANN) modeling for plastic thermal conversion, such as predicting fuel yield from mixed plastics and performing sensitivity analyses to identify which plastics produce more oil. Meanwhile, no study has conducted a comparative analysis of different models for catalytic and non-catalytic thermal conversion of various plastics, nor has a sensitivity analysis of process parameters using ANN for oil production. This study aims to (1) validate and predict oil yield across different catalytic and non-catalytic thermal conversion processes for plastics using MATLAB-based ANN training; (2) perform sensitivity analysis on process parameters affecting oil production; and (3) forecast oil yield using virtual input parameters not included in real experiments. The models demonstrate R2 values near 1 and mean squared error (MSE) values close to zero, indicating strong validation. For catalytic polyethylene (PE) pyrolysis, the impact ranking is reaction temperature (36.9 %) > pressure (32.1 %) > Zn loading in ZSM5 (30.9 %). In non-catalytic PE and biomass co-torrefaction, the impact ranking is reaction temperature (47.2 %) > feedstock-to-solvent ratio (23.9 %) > biomass-to-PE ratio (16.6 %) > experimental duration (12.1 %). For catalytic mixed plastic (MP) torrefaction, the ranking is reaction temperature (54.8 %) > duration (18.4 %) > solid-to-liquid ratio (15.9 %) > NaOH amount (10.8 %). In non-catalytic MP pyrolysis, the significance ranking is particle size (44.51 %) > pyrolysis temperature (34.4 %) > pyrolysis duration (21.06 %). Accordingly, temperature, catalyst loading, and duration are critical for catalytic processes, while particle size and temperatures affect non-catalytic pyrolysis. The predicted and experimental outcomes differ by only 1 to 3, demonstrating that the models accurately simulate the predicted values. This study uses ANN sensitivity analysis to compare catalytic and non-catalytic methods, offering insights into scale-up applications and sustainability.
  6. Acalypha wilkesiana extracts induce apoptosis by causing single strand and double strand DNA breaks
    Lim SW, Ting KN, Bradshaw TD, Zeenathul NA, Wiart C, Khoo TJ, et al.
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2011 Nov 18;138(2):616-23.
    PMID: 22008878 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.10.005
    The seeds of Acalypha wilkesiana have been used empirically by traditional healers in Southwest Nigeria together with other plants as a powder mixture to treat patients with breast tumours and inflammation.
  7. Secondhand smoke exposures in indoor public places in seven Asian countries
    Lee J, Lim S, Lee K, Guo X, Kamath R, Yamato H, et al.
    Int J Hyg Environ Health, 2010 Sep;213(5):348-51.
    PMID: 20542729 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2010.05.007
    Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is a major threat to public health. Asian countries having the highest smoking prevalence are seriously affected by SHS. The objective of the study was to measure SHS levels in hospitality venues in seven Asian countries and to compare the SHS exposure to the levels in Western countries. The study was carried out in four types of related hospitality venues (restaurant, café, bar/club and entertainment) in China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Real-time measurement of particulate matter of <2.5microm aerodynamic diameter (PM(2.5)) was made during business hour using a handheld laser operated monitor. A total of 168 venues were measured in seven countries. The average indoor PM(2.5) level was 137microg/m(3), ranging from 46microg/m(3) in Malaysia to 207microg/m(3) in India. Bar/club had the highest PM(2.5) level of 191microg/m(3) and restaurants had the lowest PM(2.5) level of 92microg/m(3). The average indoor PM(2.5) level in smoking venues was 156micro/m(3), which was 3.6 times higher than non-smoking venues (43microg/m(3)). Indoor PM(2.5) levels were significantly associated with country, type of venue, smoking density and air exchange rate (p<0.05). In the seven Asian countries, PM(2.5) levels were high due to SHS in public places. The current levels are comparable to the levels in Western countries before the adoption of smoke-free policy. Since Asian country has high prevalence of SHS in public places, there is an urgent need for comprehensive smoke-free regulation in Asian countries.
  8. Fulltext Stress and burnout syndrome in health-care providers treating dengue infection: A cross-sectional study
    Boo YL, Liam CCK, Lim SY, Look ML, Tan MH, Ching SM, et al.
    Med J Malaysia, 2018 12;73(6):371-375.
    PMID: 30647206
    INTRODUCTION: Increased prevalence of dengue fever had led to increase stress in providing optimal care for patients. This has been identified as a potential factor that may lead to negative health effects on medical doctors. This study was designed to review the prevalence and associated factors of burnout syndrome (including depression, anxiety, and stress level) among clinicians in the setting of increasing cases of dengue in Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional, multi-centre study was carried out among doctors in contact with patients with dengue infection from four major hospitals in Malaysia in 2015 using Maslach Burnout Inventory and DASS-21 questionnaire.

    RESULTS: A total of 313 respondents were included in this study with 15.9% of the respondents experiencing high burnout syndrome. Long working hours, depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly associated with high degree of burnout syndrome (p<0.05). However, number of dengue cases reviewed was not significantly associated with the degree of burnout syndrome. Depression and stress were among factors identified as the predictors for burnout syndrome.

    CONCLUSION: High degree of burnout syndrome among clinicians with significant correlations with symptoms of depression and stress will require early identification to enable early measures to resolve, as well as prevent it. Future studies with more hospitals involvement should be conducted to establish the relationship between the degree of burnout syndrome and prevalence of dengue infection.
  9. Fulltext Association of antimicrobial resistance and gut microbiota composition in human and non-human primates at an urban ecotourism site
    Chong CW, Alkatheeri AHS, Ali N, Tay ZH, Lee YL, Paramasivam SJ, et al.
    Gut Pathog, 2020;12:14.
    PMID: 32175011 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-020-00352-x
    Background: The rise of nature-based ecotourism in the past decade has introduced unprecedented challenges in managing the increasing interaction between humans and animals. The potential transmission of antibiotic resistant microbes between humans and non-human primate populations is a concern due to their genetic similarity. Malaysia is well known for hotspots of wildlife diversity where non-human primates like monkeys and orangutans have become popular tourist attractions. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus species, and other Enterobacteriaceae in the faeces of human (HS) and two non-human primates (NHP) in Malaysia, the Long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis, MF) and Silvered leaf monkey (Trachypithecus cristatus, TC). In addition, the faecal bacterial composition was profiled to evaluate the potential association between antibiotic resistant profiles and composition of gut microbiota.

    Results: We tested the isolated bacteria using a selection of antibiotics. The results showed that both the number of antibiotic resistant strains and resistance level were higher in humans than NHPs. Overall, the composition of gut microbiome and pattern of antibiotic resistance showed that there was higher similarity between MF and TC, the two NHPs, than with HS. In addition, samples with higher levels of antibiotic resistance showed lower bacterial richness. Homo sapiens had the lowest bacterial diversity and yet it had higher abundance of Bacteroides. In contrast, NHPs displayed higher bacterial richness and greater prevalence of Firmicutes such as Ruminococceae and Oscillospira.

    Conclusion: Higher antibiotic susceptibility in NHPs is likely related to low direct exposure to antibiotics. The lack of resistance may also suggest limited antimicrobial resistance transmission between humans and NHP. Nonetheless, continued monitoring over a long period will help mitigate the risk of anthropozoonosis and zooanthroponosis.

  10. Brief Report: First Identification of Intrafamilial Recurrence of Blau Syndrome due to Gonosomal NOD2 Mosaicism
    Mensa-Vilaro A, Tarng Cham W, Ping Tang S, Chin Lim S, González-Roca E, Ruiz-Ortiz E, et al.
    Arthritis Rheumatol, 2016 Apr;68(4):1039-44.
    PMID: 26606664 DOI: 10.1002/art.39519
    Blau syndrome is characterized by noncaseating granulomatous arthritis, dermatitis, and uveitis, and results from gain-of-function NOD2 mutations. This study was undertaken to identify the genetic cause of the disease in a family with 3 members with Blau syndrome.
  11. Fulltext ABO-Incompatible Living-Donor Kidney Transplantation in a Developing Country: A Multicenter Experience in Malaysia
    Gan CC, Jalalonmuhali M, Nordin NZ, Abdul Wahab MZ, Yahya R, Ng KP, et al.
    Transplant Proc, 2021 Apr;53(3):856-864.
    PMID: 33487455 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.10.038
    Malaysia has a low deceased-donor donation rate and has not embarked on a paired kidney exchange program; therefore, ABO-incompatible and HLA-incompatible transplantation remain the main contributor to the sustainability of the national kidney transplantation (KT) program. There were 26 cases of ABO-incompatible KTs performed from 2011 to 2018 in 3 major transplant centers, namely, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, University Malaya Medical Centre, and Prince Court Medical Centre. We collected perioperative and follow-up data through June 2019. The desensitization protocol varies and is center specific: the localized Japanese protocol and Swedish protocol with a target anti-A/B isoagglutinin titer of 16 or 32 on the day of transplant. The induction and tacrolimus-based maintenance protocol was nearly identical. The median follow-up time was 62.3 months (interquartile range, 37.0-79.7). Fifteen subjects had the highest predesensitization anti-A/B titer of ≥32 (57.7%). The acute cellular rejection and antibody-mediated rejection incidence were 12.5% (3 cases) and 8.3% (2 cases), respectively. Patient, graft, and death-censored graft survival rates were 96.2%, 92.3%, and 96.0%, respectively, 1 year post-living-donor KT (LDKT) and 96.2%, 87.2%, and 90.7%, respectively, 5 years post-LDKT. Our experience shows that ABO-incompatible LDKT using a suitable desensitization technique could be a safe and feasible choice for LDKT even with varied desensitization regimens for recipients with relatively high baseline isoagglutinin titers.
  12. Comparison between non-pulmonary and pulmonary immune responses in a HIV decedent who succumbed to COVID-19
    Goh D, Lee JN, Tien T, Lim JCT, Lim S, Tan AS, et al.
    Gut, 2021 Aug 10.
    PMID: 34376518 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-324754
  13. Surgical site infection and development of antimicrobial sutures: a review
    Chua RAHW, Lim SK, Chee CF, Chin SP, Kiew LV, Sim KS, et al.
    Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, 2022 Feb;26(3):828-845.
    PMID: 35179749 DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202202_27991
    Sutures are used to facilitate wound healing and play an important role in ensuring the success of surgical interventions in healthcare facilities. Suture-associated surgical site infection (SSI) may develop when bacterial contaminants colonize the suture surface and establish biofilms that are highly resistant to antibiotic treatment. The outcome of SSI affects postoperative care, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and increased financial burden. Antimicrobial sutures coated with antiseptics such as triclosan and chlorhexidine have been used to minimize the occurrence of SSI. However, as the efficacy of antiseptic-based sutures may be affected due to the emergence of resistant strains, new approaches for the development of alternative antimicrobial sutures are necessary. This review provides an update and outlook of various approaches in the design and development of antimicrobial sutures. Attaining a zero SSI rate will be possible with the advancement in suturing technology and implementation of good infection control practice in clinical settings.
  14. A study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with AKI in a setting of multiracial developing country
    Ooi SH, Ng KP, Sthaneshwar P, Lim SK, Khor PY, Lim JY, et al.
    BMC Nephrol, 2024 Apr 05;25(1):122.
    PMID: 38580977 DOI: 10.1186/s12882-024-03498-x
    BACKGROUND: The commonest indication for hospitalization in COVID-19 patients is hypoxemia or severe respiratory symptoms. However, COVID-19 disease may result in extrapulmonary complications including kidney-related pathology. The reported incidence of renal involvement related to COVID infection varies based on geographical location.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the incidence rate of AKI in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and identify risk factors and prognostic predictors.

    METHOD: In this retrospective study, we recruited hospitalized COVID-19 patients from January 2021 until June 2021 at the University Malaya Medical Center. The inclusion criteria were hospitalized for ≥ 48 h with confirmed COVID-19 infection and at least 18 years old. Patient demographic and clinical data were collected from electronic medical records. The staging of AKI was based on criteria as per KDIGO guidelines.

    RESULTS: One thousand five hundred twenty-nine COVID patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria with a male-to-female ratio of 759 (49.6%) to 770 (50.3%). The median age was 55 (IQR: 36-66). 500 patients (32.7%) had diabetes, 621 (40.6%) had hypertension, and 5.6% (n = 85) had pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD). The incidence rate of AKI was 21.1% (n = 323). The percentage of COVID patients in different AKI stages of 1,2 and 3 were 16.3%, 2.1%, and 2.7%, respectively. Fifteen hospitalized patients (0.98%) required renal replacement therapy. 58.8% (n = 190) of AKI group had complete recovery of kidney function. Demographic factors included age (p 

  15. Enhancing high-density microalgae cultivation via exogenous supplementation of biostimulant derived from onion peel waste for sustainable biodiesel production
    Suparmaniam U, Lam MK, Lim JW, Rawindran H, Ho YC, Tan IS, et al.
    J Environ Manage, 2024 May 02;359:120988.
    PMID: 38701587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120988
    Microalgae demonstrate significant potential as a source of liquid-based biofuels. However, increasing biomass productivity in existing cultivation systems is a critical prerequisite for their successful integration into large-scale operations. Thus, the current work aimed to accelerate the growth of C. vulgaris via exogenous supplementation of biostimulant derived from onion peel waste. Under the optimal growth conditions, which entailed a biostimulant dosage of 37.5% v/v, a pH of 3, an air flow rate of 0.4 L/min, and a 2% v/v inoculum harvested during the mid-log phase, yielded a maximum biomass concentration of 1.865 g/L. Under the arbitrarily optimized parameters, a comparable growth pattern was evident in the upscaled cultivation of C. vulgaris, underscoring the potential commercial viability of the biostimulant. The biostimulant, characterized through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, revealed a composition rich in polyphenolic and organo-sulphur compounds, notably including allyl trisulfide (28.13%), methyl allyl trisulfide (23.04%), and allyl disulfide (20.78%), showcasing potent antioxidant properties. Additionally, microalgae treated with the biostimulant consistently retained their lipid content at 18.44% without any significant reduction. Furthermore, a significant rise in saturated fatty acid (SFA) content was observed, with C16:0 and C18:1 dominating both bench-scale (44.08% and 14.01%) and upscaled (51.12% and 13.07%) microalgae cultures, in contrast to the control group where C18:2 was prevalent. Consequently, SFA contents reached 54.35% and 65.43% in bench-scale and upscaled samples respectively, compared to 33.73% in the control culture. These compositional characteristics align well with the requirements for producing high-quality crude biodiesel.
  16. Abiotic stress as a dynamic strategy for enhancing high value phytochemicals in microalgae: Critical insights, challenges and future prospects
    Suparmaniam U, Lam MK, Lim JW, Tan IS, Chin BLF, Shuit SH, et al.
    Biotechnol Adv, 2024;70:108280.
    PMID: 37944570 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108280
    Microalgae showcase an extraordinary capacity for synthesizing high-value phytochemicals (HVPCs), offering substantial potential for diverse applications across various industries. Emerging research suggests that subjecting microalgae to abiotic stress during cultivation and the harvesting stages can further enhance the accumulation of valuable metabolites within their cells, including carotenoids, antioxidants, and vitamins. This study delves into the pivotal impacts of manipulating abiotic stress on microalgae yields, with a particular focus on biomass and selected HVPCs that have received limited attention in the existing literature. Moreover, approaches to utilising abiotic stress to increase HVPCs production while minimising adverse effects on biomass productivity were discussed. The present study also encompasses a techno-economic assessment (TEA) aimed at pinpointing significant bottlenecks in the conversion of microalgae biomass into high-value products and evaluating the desirability of various conversion pathways. The TEA methodology serves as a valuable tool for both researchers and practitioners in the quest to identify sustainable strategies for transforming microalgae biomass into high-value products and goods. Overall, this comprehensive review sheds light on the pivotal role of abiotic stress in microalgae cultivation, promising insights that could lead to more efficient and sustainable approaches for HVPCs production.
  17. Fulltext Antarctic heavy metal pollution and remediation efforts: state of the art of research and scientific publications
    Darham S, Zakaria NN, Zulkharnain A, Sabri S, Khalil KA, Merican F, et al.
    Braz J Microbiol, 2023 Sep;54(3):2011-2026.
    PMID: 36973583 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-00949-9
    In Antarctica, human activities have been reported to be the major cause of the accumulation of heavy metal contaminants. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of publications on heavy metal contamination in Antarctica from year 2000 to 2020 was performed to obtain an overview of the current landscape in this line of research. A total of 106 documents were obtained from Scopus, the largest citation database. Extracted data were analysed, and VOSviewer software was used to visualise trends. The result showed an increase in publications and citations in the past 20 years indicating the rising interest on heavy metal contamination in the Antarctic region. Based on the analysis of keywords, the publications largely discuss various types of heavy metals found in the Antarctic water and sediment. The analysis on subject areas detects multiple disciplines involved, wherein the environmental science was well-represented. The top countries and authors producing the most publication in this field were from Australia, China, Brazil and Chile. Numerous efforts have been exercised to investigate heavy metal pollution and its mitigation approaches in the region in the past decades. This paper not only is relevant for scholars to understand the development status and trends in this field but also offers clear insights on the future direction of Antarctic heavy metal contamination and remediation research.
  18. Fulltext Mathematical Modelling of Canola Oil Biodegradation and Optimisation of Biosurfactant Production by an Antarctic Bacterial Consortium Using Response Surface Methodology
    Zahri KNM, Khalil KA, Gomez-Fuentes C, Zulkharnain A, Sabri S, Convey P, et al.
    Foods, 2021 Nov 14;10(11).
    PMID: 34829082 DOI: 10.3390/foods10112801
    An Antarctic soil bacterial consortium (reference BS14) was confirmed to biodegrade canola oil, and kinetic studies on this biodegradation were carried out. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of BS14 to produce biosurfactants during the biodegradation of canola oil. Secondary mathematical equations were chosen for kinetic analyses (Monod, Haldane, Teissier-Edwards, Aiba and Yano models). At the same time, biosurfactant production was confirmed through a preliminary screening test and further optimised using response surface methodology (RSM). Mathematical modelling demonstrated that the best-fitting model was the Haldane model for both waste (WCO) and pure canola oil (PCO) degradation. Kinetic parameters including the maximum degradation rate (μmax) and maximum concentration of substrate tolerated (Sm) were obtained. For WCO degradation these were 0.365 min-1 and 0.308%, respectively, while for PCO they were 0.307 min-1 and 0.591%, respectively. The results of all preliminary screenings for biosurfactants were positive. BS14 was able to produce biosurfactant concentrations of up to 13.44 and 14.06 mg/mL in the presence of WCO and PCO, respectively, after optimisation. The optimum values for each factor were determined using a three-dimensional contour plot generated in a central composite design, where a combination of 0.06% salinity, pH 7.30 and 1.55% initial substrate concentration led to the highest biosurfactant production when using WCO. Using PCO, the highest biosurfactant yield was obtained at 0.13% salinity, pH 7.30 and 1.25% initial substrate concentration. This study could help inform the development of large-scale bioremediation applications, not only for the degradation of canola oil but also of other hydrocarbons in the Antarctic by utilising the biosurfactants produced by BS14.
  19. Induction of labour with prostaglandin E2 and amniotomy--a multicentre, three dose schedule study in 1533 patients
    Karim SM, Lim SM, Ilancheran A, Ratnam SS, Ang LT, Ng KH, et al.
    Ann Acad Med Singap, 1982 Oct;11(4):503-7.
    PMID: 7165271
    Prostaglandin E2 administered orally and combined with amniotomy was used for induction of labour at or near term in 1533 patients. The study was carried out as a collaborative project between the University Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Singapore, Medan (Indonesia) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). The overall success rates for Medan, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore were 95.6%, 88.1% and 84.7% respectively.
  20. Fulltext The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on gender-related work from home in STEM fields-Report of the WiMPBME Task Group
    Frize M, Lhotska L, Marcu LG, Stoeva M, Barabino G, Ibrahim F, et al.
    Gend Work Organ, 2021 Apr 28.
    PMID: 34230783 DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12690
    The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people, including those in the fields of science and engineering, to work from home. The new working environment caused by the pandemic is assumed to have a different impact on the amount of work that women and men can do from home. Particularly, if the major burden of child and other types of care is still predominantly on the shoulders of women. As such, a survey was conducted to assess the main issues that biomedical engineers, medical physicists (academics and professionals), and other similar professionals have been facing when working from home during the pandemic. A survey was created and disseminated worldwide. It originated from a committee of International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (IUPESM; Women in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Task Group) and supported by the Union. The ethics clearance was received from Carleton University. The survey was deployed on the Survey Monkey platform and the results were analyzed using IBM SPSS software. The analyses mainly consisted of frequency of the demographic parameters and the cross-tabulation of gender with all relevant variables describing the impact of work at home. A total of 921 responses from biomedical professions in 76 countries were received: 339 males, 573 females, and nine prefer-not-to-say/other. Regarding marital/partnership status, 85% of males were married or in partnership, and 15% were single, whereas 72% of females were married or in partnership, and 26% were single. More women were working from home during the pandemic (68%) versus 50% of men. More men had access to an office at home (68%) versus 64% for women. The proportion of men spending more than 3 h on child care and schooling per day was 12%, while for women it was 22%; for household duties, 8% of men spent more than 3 h; for women, this was 12.5%. It is interesting to note that 44% of men spent between 1 and 3 h per day on household duties, while for women, it was 55%. The high number of survey responses can be considered excellent. It is interesting to note that men participate in childcare and household duties in a relatively high percentage; although this corresponds to less hours daily than for women. It is far more than can be found 2 and 3 decades ago. This may reflect the situation in the developed countries only-as majority of responses (75%) was received from these countries. It is evident that the burden of childcare and household duties will have a negative impact on the careers of women if the burden is not more similar for both sexes. It is important to recognize that a change in policies of organizations that hire them may be required to provide accommodation and compensation to minimize the negative impact on the professional status and career of men and women who work in STEM fields.
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