Alginate-based materials as adsorbent for sustainable water treatment.

With the encroaching issue of water pollution, the use of involved chemicals to remove pollutants from water is not only a risk of chemical contamination, a potential hazard to the environment and human health but also requires significant investment in managing and improving the chemicals. Therefore, alginate as one of the nanomaterial-adorned polysaccharides-based entity that usually extract from brown algae has been used as novel and more efficient catalysts in the removal of a variety of aqueous pollutants from wastewater, including ionic metals and organic/inorganic pollutants by using the adsorption techniques. Adsorption is a technique used in water treatment where non-polar or particles less soluble in water are stuck to the surface of the adsorbent and therefore purifying it.

Intraocular Pressure Fluctuation as Assessed by Water Drinking Test following iStent Inject Implantation in Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients.

Introduction: This study investigated the intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuation as assessed by the water drinking test (WDT) in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients after combined cataract surgery with iStent implantation.

Methods: This was a prospective non-randomized comparative study. Eyes with OAG and cataracts that were planned for either combined phacoemulsification and iStent implantation (iStent+CS) or phacoemulsification alone (CS) were recruited.

Revolutionizing wastewater treatment: A review on the role of advanced functional bio-based hydrogels.

Water contamination poses a significant challenge to environmental and public health, necessitating sustainable wastewater treatment solutions. Adsorption is one of the most widely used techniques for purifying water, as it effectively removes contaminants by transferring them from the liquid phase to a solid surface. Bio-based hydrogel adsorbents are gaining popularity in wastewater treatment due to their versatility in fabrication and modification methods, which include blending, grafting, and crosslinking.

One-Year comparative analysis between standalone iStent implantation versus combined iStent implantation with phacoemulsification.

Purpose: To evaluate the real-world efficacy and safety of iStent implanted standalone or combined with phacoemulsification in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of OAG patients who underwent standalone or combined iStent procedures were reviewed. Inclusion criteria included age over 18 years and open angle on gonioscopy.

Infant Milk Formula with Large, Milk Phospholipid-coated Lipid Droplets Enriched in Dairy Lipids Affects Body Mass Index Trajectories and Blood Pressure at School Age: Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Human milk comprises large fat globules enveloped by a native phospholipid membrane, whereas infant formulas contain small, protein-coated lipid droplets. Previous experimental studies indicated that mimicking the architecture of human milk lipid droplets in infant milk formula (IMF) alters lipid metabolism with lasting beneficial impact on later metabolic health.

Objectives: To evaluate in a follow-up (FU) study of a randomized, controlled trial whether a Concept IMF with large, milk phospholipid-coated lipid droplets enriched with dairy lipids beneficially impacts long-term body mass index (BMI in kg/m) trajectories and blood pressure at school age.

Starch-Based Polymer Materials as Advanced Adsorbents for Sustainable Water Treatment: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.

Over the past three decades, chemical and biological water contamination has become a major concern, particularly in the industrialized world. Heavy metals, aromatic compounds, and dyes are among the harmful substances that contribute to water pollution, which jeopardies the human health. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance to locate methods for the cleanup of wastewater that are not genuinely effective.

Bacterial clade-specific analysis identifies distinct epithelial responses in inflammatory bowel disease.

Abnormal immune responses to the resident gut microbiome can drive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here, we combine high-resolution, culture-based shotgun metagenomic sequencing and analysis with matched host transcriptomics across three intestinal sites (terminal ileum, cecum, rectum) from pediatric IBD (PIBD) patients (n = 58) and matched controls (n = 42) to investigate this relationship. Combining our site-specific approach with bacterial culturing, we establish a cohort-specific bacterial culture collection, comprising 6,620 isolates (170 distinct species, 32 putative novel), cultured from 286 mucosal biopsies.

Characterisation of Polypropylene Composite Reinforced with Chemi-Thermomechanical Pulp from Oil Palm Trunk via Injection Moulding Process.

As the products made from wood-plastic composites (WPCs) become more sophisticated and required more detail profiles, the injection moulding processing method with wood pulp as the reinforcing material is the answer to cater to the rapid change and demands of composite products. The general objective of this study was to study the effects of the material formulation, as well as the injection moulding process parameters, on the properties of a polypropylene composite reinforced with chemi-thermomechanical pulp from oil palm trunks (PP/OPTP composite) via the injection moulding process. The PP/OPTP composite with a material formulation of 70% pulp/26% PP/4% Exxelor PO produced using injection moulding at 80 °C as the mould temperature and with 50 tonnes of injection pressure exhibited the highest physical and mechanical properties.

Exploring the Biocontrol Efficacy of spp. against , the Causal Agent of White Root Rot Disease in Rubber Trees ().

which causes white root rot disease (WRD) in is a looming threat to rubber plantation in Malaysia. The current study was conducted to determine and evaluate the efficiency of fungal antagonists (Ascomycota) against in rubber trees under laboratory and nursery conditions. A total of 35 fungal isolates established from the rubber tree rhizosphere soil were assessed for their antagonism against by the dual culture technique.

Valorisation of Underutilized Grass Fibre (Stem) as a Potential Material for Paper Production.

An integrated and feasible approach was proposed using the underutilized grass fibre (stem) derived from Napier grass and sugarcane for paper production in this study. To enhance paper strength, pre-hydrolysis and beating techniques have been used to improve the chemical pulps and mechanical pulping process, respectively. Napier grass and sugarcane are promising non-wood sources for pulp production, owing to their high cellulose and low lignin and extractive content.

Clinical Registries in Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to undertake a systematic review of the literature reporting on clinical registries in dry eye disease (DED).

Methods: Electronic searches were conducted using systematic review methodology to provide an overview of clinical registries in ophthalmology and to identify clinical registries reporting on dry eye parameters. Two reviewers independently assessed titles and abstracts, then full-texts for eligibility.

Production and Potential Application of Pyroligneous Acids from Rubberwood and Oil Palm Trunk as Wood Preservatives through Vacuum-Pressure Impregnation Treatment.

The development of low-environmental-impact technologies for the elimination of biological damage is one of the vital goals of the wood protection industry. The possibility of utilizing pyroligneous acid as a wood preservative can be a great solution to extend the application of the currently fast-growing timber species, which has lower natural durability against biological damage. In this study, the effectiveness of pyroligneous acid as a wood preservative was evaluated by impregnating rubberwood with pyroligneous acid using vacuum-pressure treatment, and the treated woods were exposed to mould fungi, wood-decay fungi and termite attacks under laboratory conditions.

Infectious keratitis: A review.

Globally, infectious keratitis is the fifth leading cause of blindness. The main predisposing factors include contact lens wear, ocular injury and ocular surface disease. Staphylococcus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Fusarium species, Candida species and Acanthamoeba species are the most common causal organisms.

Social Participation's Association with Falls and Frailty in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The global population is ageing rapidly, with the most dramatic increases in developing countries like Malaysia. Older people are at increased risk of multimorbidity, frailty and falls.

Objectives: In this study we aimed to determine the relationship between social participation, frailty and falls in Malaysia.

Presumed Microbial Keratitis Cases Resulting in Evisceration and Enucleation in Sydney, Australia.

Purpose: Describe presumed microbial keratitis cases resulting in evisceration/enucleation from 2012 to 2016 in Sydney, Australia.

Methods: A retrospective case review included 33 patients. Cases were identified from pathology and hospital coding data.

Fabrication of Highly Microporous Structure Activated Carbon via Surface Modification with Sodium Hydroxide.

The aim of this study was to select the optimal conditions for the carbonization process followed by surface modification treatment with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to obtain a highly microporous activated carbon structure derived from palm kernel shells (PKS) and coconut shells (CS). The effects of the carbonization temperature and NaOH concentration on the physiochemical properties, adsorption capability, specific surface area, surface morphology, and surface chemistry of PKS and CS were evaluated in this study. The results show that surface-modified activated carbons presented higher surface area values (CS: 356.

Effect of Glue Spreads on the Structural Properties of Laminated Veneer Lumber from Spindleless Rotary Veneers Recovered from Short Rotation Plantation Logs.

Unproductive young rubber trees (15 years old) with smaller diameters (15 to 18 cm) compared to conventional rubber logs, harvested at the age of 25 years old, were selected for the production of laminated panels. Spindleless rotary veneer peeling was applied to logs from short-rotation rubber forest plantations to produce veneers for structural purposes. This raises questions about the utilization of these small-diameter logs with respect to its effect on the quality of veneer and laminated panels produced.

Photoelctrochemically Fabricated and Heated CuO/CuO Bilayers with Enhanced Photovoltaic Characteristics.

CuO/CuO bilayers were fabricated by electrodeposition of the CuO layer in a copper(II)-ammonia complex aqueous solution, followed by photoelectrochemical deposition of the CuO layer at potentials ranging from -0.3 to -1.0 V referenced to a Ag/AgCl electrode in a copper(II)-lactate complex aqueous solution under light irradiation, and the effects of varied potentials of the photoelectrochemical CuO depositions and post-heating conditions on their structural, optical, and photovoltaic characteristics were investigated with X-ray diffraction, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, optical absorption measurements, and external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements with and without applied bias voltage.

High-Resolution Mapping of Local Photoluminescence Properties in CuO/CuO Semiconductor Bi-Layers by Using Synchrotron Radiation.

The quality of a semiconductor, which strongly affects its performance, can be estimated by its photoluminescence, which closely relates to the defect and impurity energy levels. In light of this, it is necessary to have a measurement method for photoluminescence properties with spatial resolution at the sub-micron or nanoscale. In this study, a mapping method for local photoluminescence properties was developed using a focused synchrotron radiation X-ray beam to evaluate localized photoluminescence in bi-layered semiconductors.

Perinatal Palliative Care Service: Developing a Comprehensive Care Package for Vulnerable Babies with Life Limiting Fetal Conditions.

Perinatal Palliative Care provides comprehensive and holistic care for expectant and new parents, who receive a diagnosis of life-limiting fetal condition and opt to continue pregnancy and care for their newborn infant. To develop a service providing individually tailored holistic care during pregnancy, birth, postnatal and bereavement period. Following a baseline survey of neonatologists and discussions with key stakeholders we launched the Perinatal Palliative service at the KK Women's and Children's hospital, Singapore in January 2017.

Outcomes of Microbial Keratitis Cases Resistant to Antimicrobials in Sydney, Australia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe demographics, predisposing factors, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of microbial keratitis cases resistant to antimicrobials.

Methods: A retrospective case series was conducted. All patients with microbial keratitis resistant to antimicrobials who underwent a corneal scrape and culture from 2012 to December 2016 at the Sydney Eye Hospital were included.

Late onset of microbial keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis surgery: case series.

Purpose: To report predisposing factors, clinical features, microbiology spectrum, antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial therapy, and outcomes of patients with a previous laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery and diagnosed with presumed microbial keratitis.

Setting: Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Design: Retrospective case review.