136 results match your criteria: "Curtin University Malaysia[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • The widespread presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment is a major concern due to their potential harmful effects on human health and wildlife.
  • Research highlights the role of various microorganisms, including algae, bacteria, and fungi, in biodegrading pharmaceutical compounds, with new techniques like Bio Electrochemical Systems (BES) being explored for enhanced degradation in wastewater.
  • Genetic modification of microbial strains is being evaluated to boost their degradation capabilities, while environmental factors such as temperature and pH may influence overall bioremediation efficiency, highlighting a need for further research in this area.
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Iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using a vortex microfluidic system and subsequently functionalized with a primary shell of salicylic acid, recognized for its ability to increase the stability and biocompatibility of coated materials. In the second stage, the vortex platform was placed in a magnetic field to facilitate the growth and development of a porous silica shell. The selected drug for this study was micafungin, an antifungal agent well regarded for its effectiveness in combating fungal infections and identified as a priority compound by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Paired coral Sr/Ca and δO records reveal increasing ENSO influence on Malaysian Borneo's hydroclimate.

Sci Total Environ

December 2024

University of Leicester, 1 University Road, LE1 7RH Leicester, United Kingdom; Curtin Malaysia Research Institute, Curtin University Malaysia, Miri 98009, Malaysia; Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia.

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a worldwide climate phenomenon impacting temperatures and precipitation regimes across the globe. Previous studies have shown this climate phenomenon to influence Malaysian Borneo's hydroclimate. In the context of a changing climate and increasingly strong extreme ENSO events, understanding the influence of ENSO on this region, and its evolution through time, is essential to better constrain the future impacts it will have on the Maritime Continent's hydroclimate.

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This study explores the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), for detecting rice plant diseases using ARM Cortex-M microprocessors. Given the significant role of rice as a staple food, particularly in Malaysia where the rice self-sufficiency ratio dropped from 65.2% in 2021 to 62.

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Purpose: Customer value co-creation behavior is promising but undertheorized. To bridge this gap, this study examines the viability of a social cognitive theory positing that customers' value co-creation behavior is shaped by their co-creation experience, self-efficacy, and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach: Using healthcare as a case, a stratified random sample comprising 600 patients from 40 hospitals across eight metropolitan cities in an emerging economy was acquired and analyzed using co-variance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM).

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Occurrence and visual characterization of microplastics from Mahakam River at Tenggarong City, Indonesia.

J Contam Hydrol

November 2024

Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.

Indonesia generates approximately 7.8 million tons of plastic waste annually, which 4.9 million tons is mismanaged.

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Baseline survey of environmental parameters, radiation, and drip water hydrochemistry in Niah Caves (Sarawak, Malaysia).

Environ Monit Assess

September 2024

Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, CDT 250, 98009, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Relict caves in fenglin karst may typically have numerous entrances and openings. Hence, they host a variety of environments in which parameters such as light, airflow, humidity, and temperature may vary significantly over short distances. Similarly, drip water hydrochemistry, including isotopic values, may vary due to different contributions of various sources and residence time in the karst.

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Assessment of microplastics in highland rock salts of Northern Borneo.

J Environ Manage

September 2024

Department of Mineral and Geoscience Malaysia, Jabatan Mineral Dan Geosains, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Mountain salts produced from the highland region in NE Sarawak have a market value and also provide basic income to the communities. During the salt-making process, microplastics (MPs) may enter into commercial table salts from various sources, which has not been explored yet. Hence, the current research investigates the presence of MPs in the rock salts produced from the highland saline water in two different locations (L1 and L2) in NE Sarawak.

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This research aims to understand the extent of microplastic contamination in Pekalongan waters, Central Java, and its potential impact on fishing grounds, aligning with Indonesia's National Action Plan for Handling Marine Debris 2018-2025. The study employs a 2D hydrodynamics modelling approach with Mike 21 Software to map the spatial distribution of microplastic movement concerning fishing areas during the west and east monsoon seasons. The results showed that microplastic particles follow tidal currents in Pekalongan waters, with their movement influenced by factors such as current, wind, and tidal conditions.

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Carbon nanomaterial-based aptasensors for rapid detection of foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

Anal Biochem

December 2024

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Each year, millions of people suffer from foodborne illness due to the consumption of food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, which severely challenges global health. Therefore, it is essential to recognize foodborne pathogens swiftly and correctly. However, conventional detection techniques for bacterial pathogens are labor-intensive, low selectivity, and time-consuming, highlighting a notable knowledge gap.

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Dilute acid-assisted microbubbles-mediated ozonolysis of Eucheuma denticulatum phycocolloid for biobased L-lactic acid production.

Bioresour Technol

August 2024

PETRONAS Research Sdn Bhd, Lot 3288 & 3289, Off Jalan Ayer Hitam, Kawasan Institusi Bangi, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Biobased L-lactic acid (L-LA) appeals to industries; however, existing technologies are plagued by limited productivity and high energy consumption. This study established an integrated process for producing macroalgae-based L-LA from Eucheuma denticulatum phycocolloid (EDP). Dilute acid-assisted microbubbles-mediated ozonolysis (DAMMO) was selected for the ozonolysis of EDP to optimize D-galactose recovery.

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A state-of-the-art review of metal oxide nanoflowers for wastewater treatment: Dye removal.

Environ Res

October 2024

Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, CDT 250, 98009, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Dye wastewater consists of high solids concentrations, heavy metals, minor contaminants, dissolved chemical oxygen demand, and microorganisms. Nanoflowers are nanoparticles that resemble flowers when viewed at a microscopic level. Inorganic metal oxide nanoflowers have been discovered to be a potential source for overcoming this situation.

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Aerogels have emerged as appealing materials for various applications due to their unique features, such as low density, high porosity, high surface area, and low thermal conductivity. Aiming to bring the advantages of these materials to the environmental field, this study focuses on synthesizing magnetic silica aerogel-based films suitable for water decontamination. In this respect, a novel microfluidic platform was created to obtain core-shell iron oxide nanoparticles that were further incorporated into gel-forming precursor solutions.

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Can pyrolysis handle biomedical wastes?: Assessing the potential of various biomedical waste treatment technologies in tackling pandemics.

Sci Total Environ

October 2024

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in biomedical waste (BMW) due to the rise in healthcare activities, creating challenges for health, environment, and waste management.
  • The surge in BMW raises concerns about infection risks, illegal disposal, and toxic emissions from treatment facilities, indicating an urgent need for improved waste management practices.
  • This review examines current BMW disposal guidelines and technologies, aiming to identify effective solutions that enhance the economic and environmental sustainability of waste treatment systems.
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Distribution of natural radioactivity in different geological formations and their environmental risk assessment in Malaysia.

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int

June 2024

Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, CDT 250, 98009, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Labuan, Miri, Kundasang and Raub regions of Malaysia have very different geological formations and settings that could result in different levels of natural radioactivity. Hence, this study determines the influence of different geological formations on radioactivity in these locations using field measurements, petrology and geochemistry. A total of 141 gamma dose rates and 227 beta flux measurements were collected using Polimaster survey meters (PM1405) in these four regions.

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This study's main objective was to fabricate an innovative three-dimensional microfluidic platform suitable for well-controlled chemical syntheses required for producing fine-tuned nanostructured materials. This work proposes using vortex mixing principles confined within a 3D multilayered microreactor to synthesize magnetic core-shell nanoparticles with tailored dimensions and polydispersity. The newly designed microfluidic platform allowed the simultaneous obtainment of FeO cores and their functionalization with a salicylic acid shell in a short reaction time and under a high flow rate.

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Automated epileptic seizure detection from ectroencephalogram (EEG) signals has attracted significant attention in the recent health informatics field. The serious brain condition known as epilepsy, which is characterized by recurrent seizures, is typically described as a sudden change in behavior caused by a momentary shift in the excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells, and EEG signal is primarily used in most cases to identify seizure to revitalize the close loop brain. The development of various deep learning (DL) algorithms for epileptic seizure diagnosis has been driven by the EEG's non-invasiveness and capacity to provide repetitive patterns of seizure-related electrophysiological information.

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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.

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This paper reports the synthesis of magnetic lipase/Cu(PO) hybrid nanoflowers via a rapid ultrasonication method. The enzyme immobilization and nanoflower growth mechanism can be described as the (a) Fe, Cu, and phosphate "binding", (b) metal phosphate crystals formation, (c) formation and growth of metal phosphate crystals to form plate-like structures, and (d) self-assembly of plate structures that forms a flower-like structure. Some factors contributing to the morphology of the hybrid nanoflowers structure includes the time and concentration of lipase were studied.

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The use of pesticides and the subsequent accumulation of residues in the soil has become a worldwide problem. Organochlorine (OC) pesticides have spread widely in the environment and caused contamination from past agricultural activities. This article reviews the bioremediation of pesticide compounds in soil using microbial enzymes, including the enzymatic degradation pathway and the recent development of enzyme-mediated bioremediation.

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Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacterium implicated as the causative agent of several shrimp diseases. As part of the effort to provide biocontrol and cost-effective treatments, this research was designed to elucidate the effect of Morinda citrifolia fruit extract on the immunity of Penaeus vannamei postlarvae (PL) to V. parahaemolyticus.

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Advanced oxidation and biological integrated processes for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment: A review.

J Environ Manage

February 2024

Sunway Centre for Electrochemical Energy and Sustainable Technology (SCEEST), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India; Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab 140401, India.

The stress of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) discharging to water bodies and the environment due to increased industrialization has reduced the availability of clean water. This poses a potential health hazard to animals and human life because water contamination is a great issue to the climate, plants, humans, and aquatic habitats. Pharmaceutical compounds are quantified in concentrations ranging from ng/Lto μg/L in aquatic environments worldwide.

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Sustainable cities are considered paradigmatic to achieve COP27 targets, but scant literature has analyzed the association with CO emission (CE) mitigation policies, especially for the G7 economies. This study traces the impacts of urbanization, innovation, income, and energy consumption on CE for the G7 countries from 1995 to 2019. The time period is important due to the rapid increase in urbanization, globalization, and, at the same time, technology diffusion.

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Arsenic in groundwater is a harmful and hazardous substance that must be removed to protect human health and safety. Adsorption, particularly using metal oxides, is a cost-effective way to treat contaminated water. These metal oxides must be selected systematically to identify the best material and optimal operating conditions for the removal of arsenic from water.

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