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Fulltext Leadership, capability and performance: A study among private higher education institutions in Indonesia

Yang M, Al Mamun A, Salameh AA

Heliyon, 2023 Jan;9(1):e13026.
PMID: 36711272 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13026

Higher education institution is an important sector to obtain capabilities for global challenges. This study explored the mediating effect of ambidextrous capability between the link organizational leadership capability, learning orientation, and strategic flexibility on the performance of private higher education institutions in Indonesia. In this cross-sectional study, an online survey, which involved 524 rectors or deans in private higher education institutions (HEIs), was conducted using Google Forms. The accumulated data were analyzed using SEM-PLS 4.0. The findings revealed that organizational leadership capability displayed a statistically insignificant effect on organizational performance. However, learning orientation and strategic flexibility were found statistically significant effects on organizational performance. Moreover, this study also confirmed that organizational leadership capability, learning orientation, and strategic flexibility had a significant correlation with ambidextrous capability. The relationship between organizational performance and ambidextrous capability was identified as having no significant relationship. Apparently, organizational leadership capability, learning orientation, and strategic flexibility had no significant effect on organizational performance through ambidextrous capability. This study confirmed that ambidextrous capability had no mediating effect between organizational leadership capability, learning orientation, and strategic flexibility on the performance of private higher education institutions. This study found that dynamic capability theory (DCT) by identifying the mediating effect of the ambidextrous capability to gain organizational performance was not supported by the findings of this study. The ambidextrous capability may be applied to devise effective strategies and policies that can enhance organizational performance of different sectors.
Modelling the mass adoption potentials of eBikes among Malaysian youth

Tee M, Al Mamun A, Salameh AA

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Sep;30(42):95475-95492.
PMID: 37548792 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29129-w

This study examined (1) the effect of environmental concern, environmental knowledge, and health consciousness on attitude towards eBikes; (2) the effect of eBikes attributes of interest and infrastructure on perceived behavioural control; and finally, (3) the effect of attitude towards eBikes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on eBikes commuting intention and its usage among Malaysian youth. This study adopted a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling, and collected quantitative data from 699 Malaysian youth through an online survey. Findings revealed that (1) environmental concern, environmental knowledge, and health consciousness had a positive and significant impact on attitude towards eBikes; (2) eBikes attributes of interest and infrastructure were positively and significantly related to perceived behavioural control; (3) attitude towards eBikes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control had a positive and significant effect on eBikes commuting intention; (4) eBikes commuting intention was positively and significantly related to the usage of eBikes; (5) eBikes commuting intention significantly mediated the relationship between attitude towards eBikes and perceived behavioural control on the usage of eBikes among Malaysian youth; and (6) eBikes commuting intention did not mediate the relationship between social norm and usage of eBikes. Although environmental knowledge and social norm are proven to have a positive and significant relationship, this analysis demonstrated a relatively low effect size. To promote environmental and sustainable development in cities through the mass adoption of eBikes among Malaysian youth, policymakers should highlight the benefits of using eBikes, introduce proper policies, and involve the development of improved and connected cycling paths in the city sustainable infrastructure plans.
Fulltext Modelling social entrepreneurial intention among university students in Bangladesh using value-belief-norm framework

Naznen F, Al Mamun A, Rahman MK

Curr Psychol, 2022 Dec 16.
PMID: 36540692 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-04119-2

While the public sector authorities and governments struggle to ensure socioeconomic balance at all levels of society, social entrepreneurship is widely known as the optimum solution to societal issues, such as unemployment, social disparities, and ecological imbalances. Despite the fact that the younger generation holds the highest potential to be future social entrepreneurs, a few studies have been conducted to explore the factors that influence their social entrepreneurial intentions (SEI) in developing countries, such as Bangladesh. Furthermore, the empirical studies based on the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory for addressing SEI were scarce in the existing literature. The study aims to measure the influence of Altruistic Values (AV), Traditional Values (TV), Personal Normative Beliefs (NB), Awareness of Consequences (AC), Ascription of Responsibility (AR), Personal Norms (PN), and Social Norms (SN) on SEI implementation of the VBN framework. A combination of web-based and hardcopy surveys was used to collect data from 797 students of higher educational institutes in Bangladesh. The hypotheses and associations between the factors were statistically analysed using structural equation modelling. As a result, it was demonstrated that AV and TV had a notable influence on NB. Similarly, NB showed a significant positive impact on PN and AC, while AC and AR were reported to have a substantial influence on PN. Finally, PN and SN showed a strong impact on SEI. The holistic social entrepreneurship model proposed in this study should be effective for socioeconomic development by incorporating commercially feasible and sustainable principles. Overall, the study findings would assist researchers, current social entrepreneurs and organisations, educational institutes, government agencies, and individual potential entrepreneurs with accurate knowledge and insight to construct their strategies and efficiently pursue social ventures.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-04119-2.
An Ensemble Feature Selection Approach-Based Machine Learning Classifiers for Prediction of COVID-19 Disease

Hossen MJ, Ramanathan TT, Al Mamun A

Int J Telemed Appl, 2024;2024:8188904.
PMID: 38660584 DOI: 10.1155/2024/8188904

The respiratory disease of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has wreaked havoc on the economy of every nation by infecting and killing millions of people. This deadly disease has taken a toll on the life of the entire human race, and an exact cure for it is still not developed. Thus, the control and cure of this disease mainly depend on restricting its transmission rate through early detection. The detection of coronavirus infection facilitates the isolation and exclusive care of infected patients. This research paper proposes a novel data mining system that combines the ensemble feature selection method and machine learning classifier for the effective identification of COVID-19 infection. Different feature selection approaches including chi-square test, recursive feature elimination (RFE), genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and random forest are evaluated for their effectiveness in enhancing the classification accuracy of the machine learning classifiers. The classifiers that are considered in this research work are decision tree, naïve Bayes, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and support vector machine (SVM). Two COVID-19 datasets were used for testing from which the best features supporting the dataset were extracted by the proposed system. The performance of the machine learning classifiers based on the ensemble feature selection methods is analyzed.
Intention and behavior towards green consumption among low-income households

Al Mamun A, Mohamad MR, Yaacob MRB, Mohiuddin M

J Environ Manage, 2018 Dec 01;227:73-86.
PMID: 30172161 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.08.061

In order to address the issues of climate change through wise management of resources and environmental conservation, this study examined the intention and behavior towards green consumption among low-income households. This study was a cross-sectional that relied on 380 low-income household respondents who lived in coastal areas of Peninsular Malaysia. The findings revealed a positive effect of eco-literacy and self-efficacy on attitude towards green products. Subsequently, the findings also ascertained a positive effect of attitude and perceived behavioral control on intention and consumption of green products. In addition, both scholars and policymakers can rely on these findings to increase the intention and behavior towards the consumption of green products in order to reduce the environmental vulnerability to the coastal communities. Therefore, responsible organizations should implement programs and policies that minimize the adverse effects of climate change through resource management and environmental conservation by promoting the use of green products among Malaysians.
Predicting the intention and adoption of hydroponic farming among Chinese urbanites

Al Mamun A, Naznen F, Jingzu G, Yang Q

Heliyon, 2023 Mar;9(3):e14420.
PMID: 36925515 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14420

Urban agriculture has become increasingly popular as a viable solution to the global food insecurity, but the uncontrollable expansion of cities and populations has led to the significant decrease in cultivable space for conventional soil-based farming. Unlike conventional agriculture, soil-less hydroponic farming allows sustainable food production in urban areas without compromising the environment and public health. Using both theory of planned behaviour and knowledge-attitude-behaviour theory with four additional factors, the current study examined the intention and adoption of hydroponic farming among Chinese urbanites. An online survey, which involved 661 respondents from different cities in China, was conducted. The results of partial least squares structural equation modeling revealed the significant influence of tolerance of diversity, innovativeness, and knowledge about hydroponic system on attitude towards hydroponic system. Additionally, knowledge and attitude towards hydroponic system, perceived need for hydroponic farming, and hydroponic farming compatibility were found to significantly influence the intention of adopting hydroponic farming, which was also found to exhibit significant influence on its actual adoption. This study presented valuable insights that contribute to the development of a framework that promotes effective farming practices and strategies. The obtained findings can benefit marketers, practitioners, and policymakers in the agricultural and environmental fields, particularly in their efforts of planning, designing, marketing, and strategizing to promote modern agricultural practices and create a favourable environment for urban hydroponic farming in developing countries.
Fulltext Social entrepreneurial intention among working adults: An emerging country context

Yang Q, Al Mamun A, Jingzu G, Siyu L, Masud MM

Front Psychol, 2023;14:1123198.
PMID: 36860787 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123198

Under the premise of the value-belief-norm (VBN) model, this study examined the influence of values, beliefs and norms on social entrepreneurial intention of working adults in China. The cross-sectional design was employed, and an online survey, which involved 1,075 working adults, was conducted. All data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The obtained results showed the significant and positive influence of self-enhancement, openness to change, and self-transcendence on the sense of meaning and purpose. Moreover, the sense of meaning and purpose exhibited significant and positive influence on problem awareness, and problem awareness was found to have positive effect on outcome efficacy. Besides that, the sense of meaning and purpose, problem awareness, outcome efficacy, and injunctive social norms were found to exhibit significant and positive on personal norms. Finally, personal norms and injunctive social norms exhibited statistically significant and positive influence on social entrepreneurial intention. The results of effect size confirmed the considerable influence of personal norms and injunctive social norms on social entrepreneurial intention. Therefore, policy development aimed at promoting socioeconomic and environmental sustainability through social entrepreneurship should comprehensively consider the influence of personal norms and injunctive social norms. Increasing the sense of meaning and purpose of the working population, prompting an increased problem consequence and outcome self-efficacy, as well as instilling personal norms and injunctive social norms through various social and environmental incentives are recommended.
Green vehicle adoption behavior among low-income households: evidence from coastal Malaysia

Al Mamun A, Masud MM, Fazal SA, Muniady R

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2019 Sep;26(26):27305-27318.
PMID: 31321726 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05908-2

In an attempt to mitigate the effects of extreme natural events caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs), a significant number of researchers and environmentalists have repeatedly stressed the importance of implementing protective measures, including the promotion of green consumption. This study examined the elements that motivated the willingness and the practice of green behavior (GB) among low-income households in coastal Peninsular Malaysia. To meet the research objectives, this study adopted the survey questionnaire method to collect data from 380 low-income households. The findings revealed that self-efficacy (SE) and environmental concerns (EC) have statistically significant effects on the attitude toward green products (ATT), while subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) have influence on the intention of green vehicles. Eventually, the study discovered the effects of the intention to adopt green vehicle on green vehicle adoption behavior. Hence, the findings of this study provide new insights for policymakers in Malaysia to place more emphasis on improving consumer attitudes, social standards, and PBC, which will ultimately contribute to the adoption of environment-friendly vehicles. In addition, car manufacturers should support this program by designing products and options that would encourage those in the low-income group to replace their conventional vehicles with green alternatives in Malaysia.
Energy consumption, CO2 emissions, foreign direct investment, and economic growth in Malaysia: an NARDL technique

Akhtar R, Masud MM, Al-Mamun A, Saif ANM

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Mar 23.
PMID: 36952165 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26246-4

This study seeks to ascertain whether there is an unbalanced link between CO2 emissions, foreign direct investment, and economic growth in Malaysia over a 40-year timeframe between 1980 and 2019. We investigated the asymmetric relationship , using non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) technique. The findings showed a noteworthy asymmetry between FDI, CO2 emissions, and GDP in Malaysia. The long-term and short-term effects of negative FDI on GDP are both equivalent to 0.028 and 0.021, respectively. This suggests that, compared to short-term fluctuations, long-term negative FDI adjustments have a considerably more negative impact on economic growth. The coefficient of positive (CO2+) and negative (CO2-) changes in economic growth is equal to 0.086 and - 0.152, respectively. It indicates that positive changes in CO2 emissions have stronger effects in the long run than negative shocks. Considering an asymmetric association between these two variables in the short and long term, Malaysian policymakers must comprehend the dynamic relationship between FDI, CO2 emissions, and GDP to plan appropriate economic and environmental policies that will support sustainable economic development and ensure a safer environment.
Fulltext Willingness to pay premium prices for green buildings: evidence from an emerging economy

Al Mamun A, Rahman MK, Masud MM, Mohiuddin M

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jul;30(32):78718-78734.
PMID: 37273051 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27998-9

The building sector is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which may impede the achievement of Malaysia's intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) by 2030. Therefore, this paper is aimed at identifying the underlying factors that affect working adults' willingness to pay (WTP) premium prices for green buildings. Data were collected from a total of 1198 respondents and analyzed using structural equitation modeling partial least square (SEM-PLS) to measure the willingness to pay for green buildings among working adults in Malaysia. The findings reveal that environmental literacy affects environmental belief as well as awareness of consequences among working adults in Malaysia. The findings also reveal that incentives for green building buyers have a significant impact on perceived behavioral control, while awareness of consequences has a significant influence on ascription of responsibility. However, the results reveal that awareness of consequences does not influence buyers' willingness to pay for green buildings. Moreover, the ascription of responsibility and perceived behavioral control have a significant effect on willingness to pay for green buildings. The findings of this study will help the concerned authorities to take appropriate steps to promote willingness to pay for green buildings, which will contribute significantly to the realization of INDC by 2030 as part of the Paris Agreement.
Fulltext Happiness at workplace on innovative work behaviour and organisation citizenship behaviour through moderating effect of innovative behaviour

Al-Shami SA, Al Mamun A, Rashid N, Cheong CB

Heliyon, 2023 May;9(5):e15614.
PMID: 37215933 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15614

The current study primarily aims to investigate the happiness at workplace (HAW)-innovative work behaviour (IWB) correlation through the mediating effect of organisation citizenship behaviour (OCB) and moderating effect of organisational innovative culture (OIC). Notably, 383 questionnaires were collected from lecturers employed in three local universities in Malaysia and subsequently evaluated using structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Based on the study outcomes, HAW positively and significantly affected employees' IWB through the mediating and moderating effects of OCB and OIC, respectively. University directors should establish effective HAW approaches that elevate workers' organisational satisfaction, involvement, and commitment and develop a creative culture that acknowledges and complements innovation. This study, which pioneered the examination of the moderating effect of OIC, (i) filled the literature gap on the HAW-IWB link in emerging nations and (ii) expanded the 'broaden and build' and 'social exchange' theories with concrete proof of the HAW impact on OCB.
Fulltext Modeling the intention and usage of medicine vending machine: Using partial least squares-structural equation modelling and necessary condition analysis

Yang Q, Al Mamun A, Gao J, Makhbul ZKM

Digit Health, 2023;9:20552076231194935.
PMID: 37599900 DOI: 10.1177/20552076231194935

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the intention to use and actual usage of medicine vending machines (MVMs) in China and to close the existing literature gap by examining the relationship between perceived convenience (PC), perceived trust, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence, on the intention to use MVM in a comprehensive manner. The impact of facilitating conditions on MVM adoption was also examined. Finally, customer age was tested as a moderator.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that used data collected through a self-administered questionnaire. A combination of partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) technique was used to analyze and discuss the 308 valid questionnaires, test the hypotheses, and conduct an in-depth analysis.
RESULTS: The results showed that PC, perceived trust, and performance expectancy were significantly related to the intention to use MVM. Effort expectancy was a non-significant predictor of intention to use MVM. Social influence was a significant negative predictor of the intention to use MVM. More importantly, performance expectancy was found to be a necessary factor for MVM intention, providing new marketing ideas for MVM owners. Age had a significant moderating effect on the facilitating conditions and intention to use vending machines. The relatively young population is more conscious of the facilitating conditions.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study are of considerable importance as a guide for the main user group of vending machines. The combined analysis and discussion of PLS-SEM and NCA provide a sound theoretical basis for the practical implications of this study. In the future, we will attempt to use this technique in other areas of study. In terms of theoretical implications, this study provides technical references for future research.
Fulltext Predicting the Intention and Adoption of Near Field Communication Mobile Payment

Malarvizhi CA, Al Mamun A, Jayashree S, Naznen F, Abir T

Front Psychol, 2022;13:870793.
PMID: 35465564 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.870793

With the increasing use of mobile devices and new technologies, electronic payments, such as near field communication (NFC) mobile payments, are gaining traction and gradually replacing the currency-based cash payment methods. Despite multiple initiatives by various parties to encourage mobile payments, adoption rates in developing countries have remained low. The purpose of this research is to explore the prime determinants of NFC mobile-payment adoption intention and to develop a model of mobile payment adoption that includes perceived risk (PR) as one of the major elements by extending the UTAUT2 theory components. An online survey was used to acquire data from 370 NFC mobile payments users for the current study. To validate the components and their correlations, structural equation modelling (SEM) was implemented. According to the findings, performance expectancy (PE), hedonic motivation (HM), social influence (SI), and facilitating conditions (FC) have substantial impacts on the consumers' intentions to adopt NFC mobile payments (INFC). Effort expectancy (EE) and PR were reported to have no considerable effects on the adoption intention. In addition, INFC is revealed to be a major mediator between the associations of the actual adoption of NFC mobile payment (ANFC) with PE, HM, and SI. The findings of the study would assist providers and marketers in better understanding of the consumers' behavior, designing effective marketing strategies to enhance the consumers' positive intentions, and achieving the mass adoption of NFC mobile payments in different environmental contexts.
Fulltext Predicting sustainable fashion consumption intentions and practices

Hong Y, Al Mamun A, Yang Q, Masukujjaman M

Sci Rep, 2024 Jan 19;14(1):1706.
PMID: 38243057 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52215-z

The fashion industry has a significant impact on the environment, and sustainable fashion consumption (SFC) has become a pressing concern. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing sustainable fashion consumption behavior (SCB) among Chinese adults, specifically the role of values, attitudes, and norms in shaping such behavior, using the value-belief-norm framework. The study used an online cross-sectional survey design to collect data from 350 participants recruited through a convenience sampling method using social media platforms and email invitations, and the obtained data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results of the study showed that biospheric (BV), altruistic (AV), and egoistic (EV) values significantly influenced the New ecological paradigm (EP), which, in turn, positively affected awareness of consequences (AC). Personal norms (PN) were positively influenced by EP, AC, and ascription of responsibility (AR). Social norms (SN) and trust in recycling (TR) were also found to positively influence sustainable fashion consumption intentions (SCI). Finally, the study found that SCI and TR were significant predictors of SCB, whereas the moderating effect of TR not statistically significant. The study's originality lies in its comprehensive investigation of the interplay between various factors (particularly using norms in two facets; PN and SN) in shaping SCB, using a structural equation modeling approach, and exploring the moderating effect of TR. The findings of this study suggest that interventions aimed at promoting SFC should focus on fostering values and beliefs that prioritize the environment, encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their actions, creating an environment in which SFC is normalized, and increasing TR.
Fulltext Social entrepreneurial intention among university students in China

Lyu X, Al Mamun A, Yang Q, Aziz NA

Sci Rep, 2024 Mar 28;14(1):7362.
PMID: 38548855 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58060-4

The issues of employment, social inequality, and resource scarcity can be effectively addressed through social entrepreneurship, contributing to the growing research interest on the formation of social entrepreneurial intention. Using the theory of planned behaviour, the current study examined the influence of selected key factors on social entrepreneurial intention among university students. Based on the cross-sectional quantitative research design, online survey was conducted, which involved 684 students and graduates from five universities in Southern China. The obtained results demonstrated the significant and positive influence of perceived values on sustainability, opportunity recognition competency, attitude towards entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on social entrepreneurial intention. Additionally, attitude towards entrepreneurship partially mediated the relationships of risk-taking propensity, self-efficacy, and need for achievement on social entrepreneurial intention. The multi-group analysis results also showed that need for achievement and social entrepreneurial intention differed significantly between genders, which provides new ideas for future investigations into the impact of gender on social entrepreneurial intentions. Based on the findings of this study, it is crucial that university students are exposed to relevant courses or training to develop social entrepreneurship competencies and promote sustainable values. The findings of this study will provide policymakers with relevant policy guidelines and more effective theoretical support to achieve the goal of promoting social entrepreneurship among university students in a more resource-efficient and effective manner.
Fulltext Impulse buying behavior during livestreaming: Moderating effects of scarcity persuasion and price perception

Feng Z, Al Mamun A, Masukujjaman M, Wu M, Yang Q

Heliyon, 2024 Apr 15;10(7):e28347.
PMID: 38560201 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28347

This research aimed to identify the factors that influence impulse buying behavior during livestreaming and advance the existing literature based on a proposed conceptual framework grounded in the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model. We also tested the moderating effects of price perception and scarcity persuasion. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 837 Chinese participants aged over 18 years. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling using Smart-PLS version 4.0. The findings showed that susceptibility to social influence, impulse buying tendency, cognitive reactions, affective reactions, and the urge to buy impulsively are statistically significant predictors of impulse buying during livestreaming, with price perception and scarcity persuasion as moderators. The study expands the S-O-R model for livestreaming impulse buying in e-commerce context, highlighting its multifaceted nature and revealing the mediating role of Urge to Buy Impulsively in translating cognitive and emotional factors into impulse buying behavior. These insights offer practical guidance for marketers to design tailored strategies that leverage psychological triggers and external cues to enhance consumer engagement and encourage desired behaviors, ultimately leading to more effective marketing campaigns and improved consumer experiences.
Kinetic adsorption of application of carbon nanotubes for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution

Kabbashi NA, Atieh MA, Al-Mamun A, Mirghami ME, Alam MD, Yahya N

J Environ Sci (China), 2009;21(4):539-44.
PMID: 19634432

The capability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to adsorb lead (Pb) in aqueous solution was investigated. Batch mode adsorption experiment was conducted to determine the effects of pH, agitation speed, CNTs dosage and contact time. The removal of Pb(II) reached maximum value 85% or 83% at pH 5 or 40 mg/L of CNTs, respectively. Higher correlation coefficients from Langmuir isotherm model indicates the strong adsorptions of Pb(II) on the surface of CNTs (adsorption capacity Xm = 102.04 mg/g). The results indicates that the highest percentage removal of Pb (96.03%) can be achieved at pH 5, 40 mg/L of CNTs, contact time 80 min, and agitation speed 50 r/min.
Energy recovery and carbon/nitrogen removal from sewage and contaminated groundwater in a coupled hydrolytic-acidogenic sequencing batch reactor and denitrifying biocathode microbial fuel cell

Al-Mamun A, Jafary T, Baawain MS, Rahman S, Choudhury MR, Tabatabaei M, et al.

Environ Res, 2020 04;183:109273.
PMID: 32105886 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109273

Developing cost-effective technology for treatment of sewage and nitrogen-containing groundwater is one of the crucial challenges of global water industries. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) oxidize organics from sewage by exoelectrogens on anode to produce electricity while denitrifiers on cathode utilize the generated electricity to reduce nitrogen from contaminated groundwater. As the exoelectrogens are incapable of oxidizing insoluble, polymeric, and complex organics, a novel integration of an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) prior to the MFC simultaneously achieve hydrolytic-acidogenic conversion of complex organics, boost power recovery, and remove Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) from the sewage and groundwater. The results obtained revealed increases in the fractions of soluble organics and volatile fatty acids in pretreated sewage by 52 ± 19% and 120 ± 40%, respectively. The optimum power and current generation with the pretreated sewage were 7.1 W m-3 and 45.88 A m-3, respectively, corresponding to 8% and 10% improvements compared to untreated sewage. Moreover, the integration of the ASBR with the biocathode MFC led to 217% higher carbon and 136% higher nitrogen removal efficiencies compared to the similar system without ASBR. The outcomes of the present study represent the promising prospects of using ASBR pretreatment and successive utilization of solubilized organics in denitrifying biocathode MFCs for simultaneous energy recovery and C/N removal from both sewage and nitrate nitrogen-contaminated groundwater.
Fulltext Trends of Stunting Prevalence and Its Associated Factors among Nigerian Children Aged 0-59 Months Residing in the Northern Nigeria, 2008-2018

Ezeh OK, Abir T, Zainol NR, Al Mamun A, Milton AH, Haque MR, et al.

Nutrients, 2021 Nov 29;13(12).
PMID: 34959864 DOI: 10.3390/nu13124312

Every year in Nigeria, malnutrition contributes to more than 33% of the deaths of children below 5 years, and these deaths mostly occur in the northern geopolitical zones (NGZs), where nearly 50% of all children below 5 years are stunted. This study examined the trends in the prevalence of stunting and its associated factors among children aged 0-23 months, 24-59 months and 0-59 months in the NGZs. The data of 33,682 recent live births in the NGZs, extracted from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys from 2008 to 2018, were used to investigate the factors associated with stunting using multilevel logistic regression. Children aged 24-59 months reported the highest prevalence of stunting, with 53.3% (95% confidence interval: 52.0-54.6%). Multivariable analyses revealed four common factors that increased the odds of a child's stunting across all age subgroups: poor households, geopolitical zone (northwest or northeast), being a male and maternal height (<145 cm). Interventional strategies focused on poverty mitigation through cash transfer and educating low socioeconomic mothers on the benefits of gender-neutral supplementary feeding and the timely monitoring of the offspring of short mothers would substantially reduce stunting across all age subgroups in the NGZs.
Early life secondhand smoke exposure assessed by hair nicotine biomarker may reduce children's neurodevelopment at 2years of age

Mohamed NN, Loy SL, Lim PY, Al Mamun A, Jan Mohamed HJ

Sci Total Environ, 2018 Jan 01;610-611:147-153.
PMID: 28803192 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.030

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) can affect fetal brain development as well as subsequent neurodevelopment. This study aimed to determine the association between prenatal and postnatal SHS exposure with children's neurodevelopment at 2years of age. Among 107 mother-child pairs from a Malaysia prospective cohort, prenatal and postnatal SHS exposure was determined based on maternal and child hair nicotine concentrations. Multiple linear regressions were used to determine the association between prenatal and postnatal levels of nicotine in maternal and children's' hair with children's neurodevelopment. After adjustment for confounders, prenatal nicotine concentration levels were negatively associated with communication (β=-2.059; p=0.015) and fine motor skills (β=-2.120; p=0.002) while postnatal nicotine concentration levels were inversely associated with fine motors (β=-0.124; p=0.004) and problem solving skills (β=-0.117; p=0.013). In conclusion, this study suggests that early life exposure to SHS may affect children's neurodevelopment.

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