A bio-composite material was developed that contains chitosan, food-grade algae, and zeolite for the removal of brilliant green (BG) dye. The synthesized bio-composite was dried via two different methods (air-drying; AD, and freeze-drying; FD). The physicochemical characterization of air-dried chitosan-algae-zeolite (Cs-Alg-Zl-AD) and freeze-dried chitosan-algae-zeolite (Cs-Alg-Zl-FD) were investigated by spectroscopy (FTIR, SEM-EDX, and XPS), diffraction (XRD), surface charge via pH, specific surface area (SSA) and elemental analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGrowing energy demands make cost-effective, high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) desirable. However, their commercial applications are limited due to defect formation and instability. Passivation technologies help enhance their favorable traits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedical imaging plays a pivotal role in diagnostic medicine with technologies like Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and ultrasound scans being widely used to assist radiologists and medical experts in reaching concrete diagnosis. Given the recent massive uplift in the storage and processing capabilities of computers, and the publicly available big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has also started contributing to improving diagnostic radiology. Edge computing devices and handheld gadgets can serve as useful tools to process medical data in remote areas with limited network and computational resources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Diabetes self-care among diabetic patients is crucial as it determines how patients care for their illness in their daily routine for better diabetes control. This study aims to calculate the average score for diabetes self-care among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease and to identify factors that are associated with this score.
Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study enrols patients over 18 years old with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic renal disease with an eGFR of less than 60 mL/min/1.
Hybrid tandem perovskite-organic LED has been developed to achieve high external quantum efficiency, narrow linewidth, and extended device lifespan, which shows great promise for future perovskite-EL-based commercial applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRhamnolipid (RL) is renowned for its efficacy in bioremediating several types of organic and metal contaminants. Nevertheless, there has been a scarcity of studies specifically examining the relationship between this substance and metals, especially in terms of their impact on RL formation and the underlying interaction processes. This study addresses this gap by investigating the RL mechanism in Cr (VI) remediation and evaluating its effect on RL production in RW9.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Monit Assess
September 2024
This pioneering work explores the immense potential of young coconut waste, a continuously marginalized residue of the food and beverage industry, to serve as an indispensable feedstock in the production of biochar. Through an examination of the key carbonization factors that include time, temperature, and concentrations of the activating agent, KOH, the outcomes offer relevant insights that could be leveraged to maximize biochar production for tailored applications. This study stands out for its innovative use of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approaches for predictive modeling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Point-of-care testing (POCT) is commonly used in epidemiological surveys due to its various advantages, such as portability and immediate test results. The CardioChek PA analyser 3-in-1 lipid panel measures total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This study tested the reliability and diagnostic accuracy of the CardioChek PA analyser using a 3-in-1 lipid panel.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Low protein intake and physical inactivity are factors that associated with muscle deterioration and poor physical performance among older adults.
Aim: To assess the association between dietary protein intake and physical fitness tests among older adults with pre-sarcopenia and sarcopenia.
Methods: A total of 110 older adults were recruited through a convenience sampling method.
Thalassemia is one of the most prevalent monogenic disorders in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). There are an estimated 270 million carriers of hemoglobinopathies (abnormal hemoglobins and/or thalassemia) worldwide, necessitating global methods and solutions for effective and optimal therapy. LMICs are disproportionately impacted by thalassemia, and due to disparities in genomics awareness and diagnostic resources, certain LMICs lag behind high-income countries (HICs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe escalating challenges posed by seafood waste generated by the fishing and aquaculture industries underscore the urgent need for innovative solutions that promote both environmental conservation and economic viability within the seafood sector. Seafood waste biorefinery emerges as a promising solution, offering the potential to transform waste materials into valuable products. However, it is essential to recognize that seafood waste biorefinery operations also entail environmental impacts that warrant careful consideration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Most construction mishaps were caused by scaffolding incidents despite implementing various safety measures, and the association with human factors like fatigue has been widely reported. This study aims to identify all high-risk task sequences involved during the erection of the most commonly used scaffold; the deviation from the standard protocol led to a substandard fatigue state, followed by content validation using the Fuzzy Delphi Method.
Methods: Qualitative exploration was conducted via focal group discussions (FGDs) involving 30 certified experts.
Domestic violence increased dramatically in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the previous pandemic. This article analyses how Indonesia's criminal justice system responded to domestic violence during the pandemic. This article used secondary data gathered from various online resources and legal publications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPerovskite solar cells (PSC) have developed rapidly since the past decade with the aim to produce highly efficient photovoltaic technology at a low cost. Recently, physical and chemical defects at the buried interface of PSC including vacancies, impurities, lattice strain, and voids are identified as the next formidable hurdle to the further advancement of the performance of devices. The presence of these defects has unfavorably impacted many optoelectronic properties in the PSC, such as band alignment, charge extraction/recombination dynamics, ion migration behavior, and hydrophobicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTreatment intensification is essential to ensure guideline targets are attained in diabetes patients. The failure to intensify treatment when the targets are not achieved is therapeutic inertia. This study aimed to determine the proportions and factors associated with treatment intensification and therapeutic inertia of antihypertensive therapy in type 2 diabetes patients with uncontrolled hypertension in Malaysia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Hip fractures, predominantly due to decreased bone density and falls, significantly impact elderly health, disproportionately affecting women and placing a strain on healthcare resources. This study aims to conduct an indepth epidemiological analysis of hip fracture incidence among the elderly in Pahang, Malaysia, to inform better healthcare strategies.
Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, medical records of patients admitted with hip fractures between 2019 and 2021 at Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (HoSHAS) in Pahang were analyzed.
The actual prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Malaysia is unknown. We aimed to determine the prevalence of DKD and its associated risk factors among T2D patients in Malaysia. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using the year 2022 clinical audit dataset from the National Diabetes Registry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF• TR can be due to either primary or secondary causes. • Primary TR due to congenital hypoplasia of leaflets is rare. • Multimodality imaging is key in identifying the cause of TR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF• Unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery (UAPA) is a rare congenital condition. • Patients with UAPA may present initially following recurrent bouts of pneumonia. • Echocardiography remains a useful tool for diagnosis in resource-limited settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) induces inflammation, coagulopathy following platelet and monocyte activation, and fibrinolysis, resulting in elevated D-dimer levels. Activated platelets and monocytes produce microvesicles (MVs). We analyzed the differences in platelet and monocyte MV counts in mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19, as well as their correlation with D-dimer levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
February 2024
Objectives: Due to the paucity of literature on risk factors for tuberculosis (TB)-related death, we determine the sociodemographic and clinical risk factors associated with TB-related deaths among adult pulmonary TB (PTB) patients on treatment in Selangor, Malaysia.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Setting: Routinely collected primary care data from all government TB clinics in Selangor.
The construction industry is recognized as one of the most hazardous industries globally due to the dynamic on site activities and labour-intensive characteristics. The construction tasks are physically and cognitively demanding therefore the construction workers are prone to work fatigue which compromises safety performance. The evaluation of fit for duty, or fitness for work (FFW) aims to determine if workers are at risk of adverse impacts of ill-health, injury or accidents.
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